Building the Foundation of the Design - Autodesk Inventor 2010: No Experience Required - page 84

You can select edges in two ways:
Edge Select Mode This option lets you select individual edges to place fl anges
on. You can select multiple edges, but you have to select them with individual
clicks of the mouse.
Loop Select Mode This option lets you select all the perimeter edges of a face
with a single click.
These selection options also work with the Contour Flange tool when it's
placed after the initial feature is placed.
Additional options on the Shape tab are as follows:
Flange Angle This option establishes the angle at which the fl ange will be
developed once you've located it by selecting the edge.
Height Extents You can set the height of a fl ange by value using Distance or
until it meets a face using the To option. You select these options from a pull-
down list.
You can also fl ip the direction of the fl ange by clicking the Flip Direction button.
Height Datum The three buttons illustrate the options that you can use to
defi ne whether the height of a fl ange is measured aligned to the length of the
fl ange or orthogonal to the face plane.
Bend Position Four modes are available to defi ne how the bend is started from
the selected edge. The icons illustrate clearly how the bend is developed.
More (>>) Expanding the dialog box exposes an option to create fl anges that
are narrower than the selected edge using different types of selections. There is
also an option for using an older defi nition methodology limited to the Height
Datum and Bend Position options.
Many of the dialog boxes have Unfold Options, Bend, and Corner tabs. These
tabs provide access to override tools for the individual feature. The tabs contain
the same properties as the sheet metal rule defi nition tabs, but changes affect
only the current feature, not the active rule. This gives you the ability to take
one feature and give it a special bend radius or change the bend relief. You can
even go back and change a feature after it has been placed, using Edit Feature.
Let's add fl anges to your component and see how advanced and intelligent
some of these features can be.