Creating a datum perpendicular to feature/datum

[jackley]

NX 3.0 / PC

I have never been able to consistently build a datum perpendicular to a feature or another datum. I don't like the transfer > rotate method. Not fond of fixed datums.

What is the best way to do this?

Justin Ackley
Designer
jackley@gmail.com

 

[jackley]

I guess to be more specific. I place a datum plane on a surface, then I want to create a datum perpendicular to that datum. I want a sketch to be perpendicular to that face and always move relative with the first surface.

Justin Ackley
Designer
jackley@gmail.com

 

[tooldeziner]

I do this quite often. First, make a sketch on the datum that you choose to be the parent for the desired perpendicular datum. The sketch contains only a single curve, constrained as you wish, or not. Second, click on the "Datum" icon. Notice that the "Snap Point" menu is activated. In the Snap Point menu, disable all the functions, ie "end point", "mid point", etc. With the Datum
menu toggled to "Inferred Plane", pick the sketch curve (or any curve for that matter). You should see a cursor menu that indicates an angular value, defaulted to 90. Accept the value or edit as you wish. The newly created datum is associative to the Parent datum and the sketch curve. You can then use the new datum to place another sketch curve on which to build another datum, and so on.
Good Luck

Peace through superior fire-power!

 

[jackley]

Ah, thank you. I have been able to make a datum plane perpendicular to another datum plane, but just never consistently (sometimes there's a dashed line and if I click on it, it makes it perpendicular).

But I will start using this method. Thank you.

Justin Ackley
Designer
jackley@gmail.com

 

[TCMartist]

just a little tip if you don't want to disable all the snap points, keep pressing ALT when you select the line. you can also use a vector instead of the line when applicable.

regards

David

 

[phillpd]

Justin,

if you want to be explicit, select the down-arrow on the constraint icon, there is a "perpendicular" option. Choose this icon, then select a planar face and then a curve/edge.

Paul Phillips
Specialty Engineered Automation

http://www.sea4ug.com

 

[smp4150]

Insert a Datum axis as a rotation point. Insert new datum plane and click on the existing plane or face first (as if you were going to use it as an offset for the new plane), then the datum axis second... it'll give you an angle dialog you can specify(90*) and it'll stay associated to that plane or face