Creating a shell
You can create a shell as connected offset patches and selected original patches. Sheet metal parts can be created initially as shells. See Offset Patches – Thick Shells. In this example, the patches for offset are selected by the option “All except detected”. Otherwise, you have to click each patch separately.
Creating a solid as a shell pattern
Selecting patches
Shell thickness definition
Result
Editing a shell
You can edit either the shell thickness or the shape of the shell pattern solid. In this example, thickness is edited separately.
Selecting a shell for thickness change
Selecting fillets of the shell to be changed
Changing dimensions of the box creating base of the shell pattern
Changed shell
Editing the shell's pattern solid
This example demonstrates how to change a shape of a pattern solid the shell was created from. If you need to change the pattern with Boolean operations, work with constraints or create the shell from different patches, you need to extract the pattern solid into 3D space. After all changes, select patches again and the shell is rebuilt.
Selecting a shell
After extracting the pattern into 3D, blank the shell or move the pattern away. Otherwise the editing may be difficult – the shell would interfere if you select objects.
The pattern solid was edited. A box was added and connection between the original solid and the new box was chamfered. The shell will be unblanked.
The shell is selected again. If the corresponding pattern was extracted into 3D space previously, you have to reselect patches for the changed shell.
Selection of additional patches
Changed shell
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