Sketch Line Offsets

[jbeardon]

I realise this project is primarily aimed at TinkerCad users so this may be a big ask!
When producing semi-complex extrude sketches, a tool I use frequently within Fusion is the sketch line offset. Being able to select an entire sketch shape and individual sketch lines and apply a positive or negative offset would be extremely useful, not just for my own workflow but for others who prefer to base extrudes on sketches as opposed to shapes.
Thank you for your consideration.

[henmedia]

@jbeardon, welcome, and thank you for the idea; it is a fair ask. Part of it exists: in sketch mode, Stroke in the Finish section builds a closed outline as a frame with the wall inside, outside or centred, and Wider keeps the area filled and grows it by the width you set, all round, with sharp, round or bevelled corners. That is a positive offset of the whole outline, for a tolerance of 0.2 mm for instance. What is not there is a negative offset that shrinks a filled area, and an offset of single lines or part of an outline. I have not tried every combination, so tell me what you see. What do you make with it, for example a wall inside a shape or a gap around a part? That tells me which of the two matters. If layerling is useful to you, a small donation at https://layerling.com/support.html is very welcome.

[jbeardon]

Thanks for your consideration Stefan. I will provide some screenshots for my use-case from Fusion tomorrow. Best wishes, John

[RobbieKnobbie]

This is a really useful feature, along with the ability to switch construction lines to dashed lines and back again.

The example given by @jbeardon is good: imagine using one complex sketch shape for a clearance hole through a part, then using the same complex sketch, 0.5mm smaller for the mating part that goes through the hole. Very useful!

[jbeardon]

Here is a use case example @henmedia
This is a portion of a tablet wall mount design (the rear frame of the mount). It starts with a simple rectangle with rounded corners, sized to the tablet. There is then a tolerance (fit) offset, then an offset for the inner wall of the of the frame and offsets for a cable channel. The rear frame is then produced using extrudes of differning heights from that single sketch. When I then produce the front of the mount, I place a sketch plane on the top surface of the rear frame and use more offsets for fit tolerance and wall thickness etc.
I hope this helps to provide an idea of how useful (important) offsets are when deriving extrudes from a sketch.

[henmedia]

@jbeardon, thank you, the pictures make it clear: one outline, then several offsets (fit gap, inner wall, cable channel), each extruded to its own height. Wider could already grow a filled outline, and I have now added the missing half: Narrower keeps the area filled and moves its edge in by the line width all round, holes included (they grow). You find it next to Wider, under Fill in the properties of a sketch body and under Align in the sketch's line panel. With copies of one sketch you get the hole at its drawn size and the part that goes through it 0.5 mm smaller. It will be in the next release. The offset of single lines is not part of it.

@RobbieKnobbie, thank you for the second example; the dashed construction lines are a separate idea, I have noted them.

[jbeardon]

Thank you Stefan. I will have a play.

[henmedia]

@jbeardon, "Narrower" is out in 1.92.1: the fill of a sketch body moves its edge inwards by the line width, so one sketch gives you the fit hole and the part that passes through.