Groove

Groove

This option lets you create a groove in a solid body, as if a form tool moved inward (from an external placement face) or outward (from an internal placement face) on a rotating part, as with a turning operation.

You can create the following types of grooves:

Rectangular	A groove that leaves sharp corners all around.
Ball-End	A groove that leaves a full radius at the bottom.
U-Groove	A groove that leaves radii in the corners.

Common Concepts

**Groove ** operates only on cylindrical or conical faces. The axis of rotation is the axis of the selected face. The groove is created near the location where the face is selected (the pick point) and is automatically linked to the selected face.

You can choose an external or internal face as the groove placement face, as shown in the figure below.

The profile of the groove is symmetric about a plane passing through the pick point and perpendicular to the axis of rotation, as shown in the figure below.

Positioning a groove works somewhat differently than other form features. You only have to position the groove in one direction, i.e., along the axis of the target solid. No positioning dimension menu appears. You position the groove by selecting a target solid edge and then the tool (that is, the groove) edge or centerline. See the figure below for an illustration.

Where do I find it?

Command	Groove

Create a groove

1. Choose the type of groove you wish to create (Rectangular, Ball-End, or U-Groove).
2. Select the cylindrical or conical placement face.
3. Enter the parameter values in the dialog and choose OK. A groove "tool" is temporarily displayed as a disc. This shape will be subtracted from the target solid.
4. Select the target edge (on the target solid).

Note: Instead of selecting a target edge, you can choose OK; the groove will stay in its initial location. 5. Select the tool edge or centerline (on the groove tool). 6. Enter the desired horizontal distance between the selected edges and choose OK. 7. Use the Positioning Methods to precisely locate the groove.

Groove options

Groove options
Rectangular
Ball-End
U-Groove