Mirror Feature

Mirror Feature

Use the Mirror Feature command when you want to add features that are symmetrical to other features, or similar features that are placed at comparable locations on the other side of a mirror plane.

The symmetry of mirrored features can vary if:

• You do not select all the original source features. For example, if the original feature is an extrusion with edge blends, but you select only the extrusion, the mirrored feature is an extrusion without the edge blends.
• You reuse parent references of the source features, which may have a different value or effect at the mirrored location than at the source location.
• You mirror selected instances of a pattern instead of the entire pattern.

When you mirror one or more features:

• The result is a single mirror feature.
• Mirrored coordinate systems must maintain right-handedness. You must specify which two axes are mirrored. NX derives the third axis.
• You can specify whether mirrored threads and helices maintain the right-handedness or left-handedness of the source features. For example, you can specify whether a mirrored right-handed thread is also right-handed.

You can mirror existing features, except the following if they were created before NX 8.0.1:

• Linear Pattern and its instances
• Circular Pattern and its instances
• Rectangular Array, its master and its instances
• Circular Array, its master and its instances
• Mirror Feature

Where do I find it?

Application	Modeling and Shape Studio
Command	Mirror Feature

Mirror selected features in a model

This example shows how to mirror multiple selected features, including threads. You will mirror the handle on the following model.

1. Choose Home tab→Base group→Mirror Feature .

The Mirror Feature dialog box is displayed, with Select Feature highlighted. 2. Select the features that you want to mirror.

When you select the features, NX infers the reference point. If you want a different reference point, you can use the Specify Point options. 3. In the Mirror Definition group, click Select Plane . 4. Select a datum plane or a planar face.

If no suitable mirror plane exists, you can set Plane to New Plane and use the Specify Plane options to create the mirror plane.

When you select the mirror plane (1), NX displays the mirrored version of the reference point (2). 5. (Optional) In the Reusable References of Source Feature group, select one or more parent references of the selected features.

Selected references are used as parent references by the mirrored features as well as by the source features. 6. Under Settings, select or clear the Maintain Thread Handedness check box as desired.

In the example, the check box is selected. The following figure indicates the symbolic threads that will be mirrored in the example. The original threads and the mirrored threads will all be right-handed. 7. In the Preview group, select Show Result. 8. Click OK. 9. Make further modifications if needed.

In the example, the mirror feature could not be created if the edge blend at the bottom of the original features was selected as an input feature. Therefore, after the mirror operation was complete, the edge blend feature was moved to a timestamp after the mirror feature in order to apply the blend to both handles.

Mirror a portion of a pattern

This example shows how to mirror selected instances of a pattern. In the following figure, only the first and last instances of the pattern can be mirrored because a slot is located where the other instances would be positioned.

1. Choose Home tab→Base group→Mirror Feature .

The Mirror Feature dialog box is displayed, with Select Feature highlighted. 2. Select the features of the pattern you want to mirror.

Tip: To ensure that you select an instance instead of the entire pattern, use the QuickPick dialog box, or select the instance in the Part Navigator. 3. In the Mirror Definition group, click Select Plane . 4. Select a datum plane or planar face. 5. Click OK.

Mirror Feature dialog box

Features to Mirror
Select Feature
Reference Point
Specify Point
Mirror Plane
Select Plane
Specify Plane
Reusable References of Source Feature
list box
Settings
CSYS Mirror Method
Maintain Thread Handedness
Maintain Helix Handedness