Defining TracePro Solids

Tube

The Insert|Tube menu or Insert Tube toolbar button opens a modeless dialog box that allows you to specify a tube such as might be used for a lens barrel or sunshade. You can create a tube with either a elliptical or rectangular crosssectional shape. Cylindrical tubes have the same width or radius at each end of the tube, while conical tubes have different widths or radii at the two ends. Rectangular tubes can have different width and height dimensions at the two ends forming a Tapered Rectangular tube.

Using the Tube dialog you set:

•Wall thickness

•Length of the tube

•Cross-sectional shape, either elliptical or rectangular

•Inside radius of the base and top of an elliptical tube

•X half width and Y half width of a rectangular tube.

•Position of the base of the tube

•Rotation angles of the axis of the tube

•If the Base or Top is closed

If you enter rotation angles, the tube is first tilted about the x-axis, then about the y-axis, and finally about the z-axis. An unrotated tube has its axis along the z-axis

The Tube dialog box is a modeless dialog box, so you can leave it open while you do other things like inserting other solid objects, moving objects, changing the view, or applying properties.

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FIGURE 2.21 - Elliptical Tube

Baffle Vane

A baffle vane is usually made from a flat or conical sheet of metal in which a hole is cut, as shown in Figure 2.22. The edge of the hole normally comes to a point on

Creating a Solid Model

one side (i.e., like a chisel) to reduce scattering from the edge. However, the edge is never perfectly sharp due to manufacturing realities. The finite radius of the knife edge is modeled by a rounded cross-section or fillet, where this shape within TracePro is developed from a section of a torus. The outer edge of the baffle vane is cylindrical to be placed inside a cylindrical tube or lens barrel. Figure 2.22 shows a cross-sectional view of a baffle vane located with position (0,0,0) and rotation (0,0,0)

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FIGURE 2.22 - Baffle Vane

Select Insert|Baffle Vane or press the Baffle Vane toolbar button to open the Baffle Vane dialog. All of the dimensions necessary to specify a baffle vane are displayed:

•Aperture Radius - the radius of the hole in the baffle vane.

•Tube Radius - the outer radius of the vane. You should set this equal to the radius of the tube in which the vane fits.

•Thickness - the thickness of the sheet metal used to make the baffle vane.

•Knife Radius - the finite radius of the cross-section of the knife edge.

•Conical Angle - the half-angle of the cone from which the baffle vane is cut - equal to zero for a flat baffle vane.

•Relative Ground Angle - the angle at which the knife edge is sharpened relative to the surface of the sheet metal.

•Position - (X, Y, Z) coordinates of the center of the baffle vane aperture.

•Rotation - with no rotation, the axis of symmetry of the baffle vane is along the z-axis.