Feature Recognition

Manufacturing feature tree.

This module describes the manufacturing feature tree: a tree of feature nodes, each carrying parameters typed by a parameter type. A parameter’s concrete value is a string, double, or integer data structure (or a plain enum value); a linked item links a feature to the geometry it produced. The per-feature-type enums (hole, pattern, thread, fillet, chamfer, extrude, revolve, and so on) describe values of these same few generic structures, which is why the feature descriptions are documented directly on this topic rather than kept as separate groups.

Feature Descriptions

The following diagrams show how the main CAD features are stored in the feature tree.

Hole

Pattern

For a rectangular pattern, we can have a parameter of type “information”, which contains a rotation angle. This rotation is already applied on the direction.

Sketch

Extrude

Revolve

Chamfer

Fillet

Fillet

Fillet Length circular

Fillet Length conic / continue

Fillet Length conic / continue - asymmetric

Fillet Length curvature

Fillet Length curvature - asymmetric

Thread

  • we can have other data in the thread which contain an attribute to define this value or an option which is used in the thread.
  • we can have a rotation angle, which creates an offset for the start of the thread.
  • we can have an option for the use of mirror or of trim with start or end face.
  • In the case where we have many starts, the thread contains a feature of type NB_START.

In SolidWorks, there is the feature “Stud Wizard” which is about creating a thread on a cylinder. In this feature, there are 2 types of behavior:

  • the thread can be applied on an already existing cylinder
  • the creation of the cylinder (=shaft) occurs in the Stud Wizard feature itself. The thread is then applied on the shaft. In the second case, the thread feature also contains a feature definition “shaft” that contains the depth, the diameter, the position and the direction of the shaft.

Also, an undercut can be defined on such a thread.

Rotate

Translate

Mirror

Symmetry

Member

The feature list of the highlighted product occurrence is located on its deepest prototype.