Command Reference > Commands > E commands > 
EXTRUDE
 
 
 

Extends the dimensions of a 2D object or 3D face into 3D space.

Access Methods

Button

 Ribbon:  Home tabModeling panelExtrudeNot available on the ribbon in the current workspace
 Menu: DrawModelingExtrudeNot available in menus in the current workspace
 Toolbar: Modeling 
 Command entry: extrude

Summary

In most cases, if you extrude a closed object, the result is a new 3D solid. If you extrude an open object, the result is a surface.

When you select a mesh face, the resulting extrusion distorts the face, but the extruded face continues to be part of the original object. When you select the face of a 3D solid to extrude, a new 3D solid object is created.

If a selected polyline has width, the width is ignored and the polyline is extruded from the center of the polyline path. If a selected object has thickness, the thickness is ignored.

The DELOBJ system variable controls whether the object(s) and path (if selected) are automatically deleted when the solid or surface is created or whether you are prompted to delete the object(s) and path.

You can extrude the following objects and subobjects:

Objects That Can Be Extruded or Used as Paths

Object type Can be extruded? Can be extrusion path? Comments
3D faces X    
Arcs X X  
Blocks      
Circles X X  
Ellipses X X  
Elliptical arcs X X  
Helixes   X  
Lines X X  
Mesh faces X    
Polylines: 2D X X Cannot be extruded: polylines with crossing segments.

Ignored: Thickness

Ignored: Width (extends extrusion from centerline)

Polylines: 3D   X  
Regions X    
Solids: 2D X    
Solids: edges   X  
Solids: planar faces X    
Splines: 2D X X  
Splines: 3D   X  
Surfaces: edges   X  
Surfaces: planar X    
Traces X    

List of Prompts

The following prompts are displayed

Objects to Extrude

Specifies the objects to extrude.

NoteYou can select faces on solids and meshes by pressing and holding Ctrl, and then selecting the subobjects.
Height of extrusion

Extrudes objects along the positive Z axis of the object's coordinate system if you enter a positive value. If you enter a negative value, the objects are extruded along the negative Z axis. Objects do not have to be parallel to the same plane. If all the objects are on a common plane, the objects are extruded in the direction of the normal of the plane.

By default, planar objects are extruded in the direction of the object’s normal.

Direction

Specifies the length and direction of the extrusion with two points you specify. (The direction cannot be parallel to the plane of the sweep curve created by the extrusion.)

  • Start point of direction. Specifies the first point in the direction vector.
  • End point of direction. Specifies the second point in the direction vector.
Path

Specifies the extrusion path based on an object that you select. The path is moved to the centroid of the profile. Then the profile of the selected object is extruded along the chosen path to create solids or surfaces.

NotePress Ctrl+click to select faces and edges on 3D objects.

The path should not lie on the same plane as the object, nor should the path have areas of high curvature.

The extrusion starts from the plane of the object and maintains its orientation relative to the path.

If the path contains segments that are not tangent, the program extrudes the object along each segment and then miters the joint along the plane bisecting the angle formed by the segments. If the path is closed, the object should lie on the miter plane. This allows the start and end sections of the solid to match up. If the object is not on the miter plane, the object is rotated until it is on the miter plane.

Objects with multiple loops are extruded so that all the loops appear on the same plane at the end section of the extruded solid.

Taper angle

Sets an angle of taper for an extrusion.

Positive angles taper in from the base object. Negative angles taper out. The default angle, 0, extrudes a 2D object perpendicular to its 2D plane. All selected objects and loops are tapered to the same value.

Specifying a large taper angle or a long extrusion height can cause the object or portions of the object to taper to a point before reaching the extrusion height.

Individual loops of a region are always extruded to the same height.

When an arc is part of a tapered extrusion, the angle of the arc remains constant, and the radius of the arc changes.

  • Angle of taper. Sets an angle between -90 and +90 degrees.
  • Specify two points. Sets the taper angle based on two points you specify in the drawing area. The taper angle applied to the extrusion is the distance between the two specified points.
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