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When creating asymmetric chamfers is there a way to flip directions on following chamfers?

Question asked by Jim Steinmeyer on Apr 17, 2020
Latest reply on Apr 20, 2020 by Josh Brady

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I have a simple part that I am attempting to place a pair of asymmetric chamfers on. I have the top one set as desired but when I go to place the bottom one it wants to place the chamfer backwards. Is there a way to flip the second chamfer around? I know I can mirror it on this part, or create a second one and it wouldn't be a big deal but some day I might want to have a part with 45 chamfers that are not on a symmetric part and this would be nice to know.

As usual the help files are a little less than helpful. It referenced flipping the line but neglects to inform how to find that option.

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Josh Brady Apr 17, 2020 10:46 AM
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Simply click each edge. A direction arrow pops up. Click the arrow and it'll switch.

Edit: Well dangit, that only works for Distance/Angle chamfers. Looks like you can't fix asymmetric Distance/Distance directions on an edge-by-edge basis!

Looking at the API, it appears that whether or not the direction is flipped is stored on an entity-by-entity basis. I've found a few instances in SW where functionality exists, but the user interface is broken to where you can only access it via API. If I wasn't so lazy, I'd throw together some code and see if this is a problem/bug/shortcoming in the interface, or if it's really not possible to do for asymmetric Distance/Distance chamfers.
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- Glenn Schroeder @ Josh Brady on Apr 17, 2020 10:44 AM
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  Josh Brady wrote:
  
  Simply click each edge. A direction arrow pops up. Click the arrow and it'll switch.
  
  Edit: Well dangit, that only works for Distance/Angle chamfers. Looks like you can't fix asymmetric Distance/Distance directions on an edge-by-edge basis!
  
  Thanks for that edit. I was just about to ask you for a screenshot of that direction arrow because I couldn't figure it out.
  
  I have figured out a way to do it, but it's not a good way. You can edit the values for each edge as they're selected.
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  - Jim Steinmeyer @ Glenn Schroeder on Apr 17, 2020 10:47 AM
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    Glenn Schroeder wrote:
    
    Josh Brady wrote:
    
    Simply click each edge. A direction arrow pops up. Click the arrow and it'll switch.
    
    Edit: Well dangit, that only works for Distance/Angle chamfers. Looks like you can't fix asymmetric Distance/Distance directions on an edge-by-edge basis!
    
    Thanks for that edit. I was just about to ask you for a screenshot of that direction arrow because I couldn't figure it out.
    
    I have figured out a way to do it, but it's not a good way. You can edit the values for each edge as they're selected.
    
    Glenn,
    I tried that but it changed the angles on the first edge selected as well. If you two don't know of a way it looks like it's time to get the VAR involved for an ER.
    
    Thank you
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  - Josh Brady @ Glenn Schroeder on Apr 17, 2020 10:50 AM
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    Glenn Schroeder wrote:
    
    Josh Brady wrote:
    
    Simply click each edge. A direction arrow pops up. Click the arrow and it'll switch.
    
    Edit: Well dangit, that only works for Distance/Angle chamfers. Looks like you can't fix asymmetric Distance/Distance directions on an edge-by-edge basis!
    
    Thanks for that edit. I was just about to ask you for a screenshot of that direction arrow because I couldn't figure it out.
    
    I have figured out a way to do it, but it's not a good way. You can edit the values for each edge as they're selected.
    
    This works for changing one edge... However, if you've selected multiple edges to chamfer, there's no way to select which way the asymmetric distance goes. For multiple edges, changing the values in that box applies to all of them.
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    - Glenn Schroeder @ Josh Brady on Apr 17, 2020 10:54 AM
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      Josh Brady wrote:
      
      Glenn Schroeder wrote:
      
      Josh Brady wrote:
      
      Simply click each edge. A direction arrow pops up. Click the arrow and it'll switch.
      
      Edit: Well dangit, that only works for Distance/Angle chamfers. Looks like you can't fix asymmetric Distance/Distance directions on an edge-by-edge basis!
      
      Thanks for that edit. I was just about to ask you for a screenshot of that direction arrow because I couldn't figure it out.
      
      I have figured out a way to do it, but it's not a good way. You can edit the values for each edge as they're selected.
      
      This works for changing one edge... However, if you've selected multiple edges to chamfer, there's no way to select which way the asymmetric distance goes. For multiple edges, changing the values in that box applies to all of them.
      
      So it does. I should have investigated further before posting.
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Kevin Chandler Apr 17, 2020 10:47 AM
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Hello,

To workaround this, I usually add a second chamfer op and cross link to the first chamfer in equations.

Kevin
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- Jim Steinmeyer @ Kevin Chandler on Apr 17, 2020 10:52 AM
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  Kevin Chandler wrote:
  
  Hello,
  
  To workaround this, I usually add a second chamfer op and cross link to the first chamfer in equations.
  
  Kevin
  Kevin,
  Yes, that is available and what I did do. But would like to not have to do that on a part with 10-20 chamfers should I ever get to that.
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  - Josh Brady @ Jim Steinmeyer on Apr 17, 2020 11:58 AM
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    Well.... It's definitely just a hole in the interface. You can change it on an edge-by-edge basis in the API.
    
    If you want to play/investigate, this code works. Almost zero error checking, only works for edges rather than faces/etc. It will flip chamfer direction for angle/distance or distance/distance.
    
    Edit: Just fixed the code. The first one I posted didn't do the toggle right. It would flip, but it wouldn't un-flip...
    
    Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
    Dim vEdges As Variant
    Dim swFeat As SldWorks.Feature
    Dim sMsg As String
    Dim swChData As SldWorks.ChamferFeatureData2
    Dim flipit As String
    Sub main()
    Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
    Set swFeat = swApp.ActiveDoc.SelectionManager.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1)
    Set swChData = swFeat.GetDefinition
    swChData.AccessSelections swApp.ActiveDoc, Nothing
    vEdges = swChData.Edges
    sMsg = "Chamfer " & swFeat.Name & " has " & UBound(vEdges) + 1 & " edges:" & vbCrLf
    Dim i As Long
    For i = 0 To UBound(vEdges)
    sMsg = sMsg & "Edge " & i + 1 & ": "
    If False = swChData.GetIsFlipped(vEdges(i)) Then
    sMsg = sMsg & "Not flipped" & vbCrLf
    Else
    sMsg = sMsg & "Flipped" & vbCrLf
    End If
    Next i
    sMsg = sMsg & "Type a number to toggle flipping of that edge, or cancel"
    flipit = InputBox(sMsg, "Chamfer Flipper", "")
    If IsNumeric(flipit) Then
    If False = swChData.GetIsFlipped(vEdges(flipit - 1)) Then
    swChData.SetIsFlipped vEdges(flipit - 1), True
    Else
    swChData.SetIsFlipped vEdges(flipit - 1), False
    End If
    swFeat.ModifyDefinition swChData, swApp.ActiveDoc, Nothing
    Else
    swChData.ReleaseSelectionAccess
    End If
    End Sub
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    - Jim Steinmeyer @ Josh Brady on Apr 17, 2020 11:32 AM
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      Josh,
      Thank you for this. Some day I will have to take the time to learn more macro abilities beyond recording things.
      I have contacted the VAR about a ER and will update with what I learn.
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Jim Steinmeyer Apr 20, 2020 10:23 AM
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Well it took a little to get the VAR tech on the same page but after I did he saw the problem and went searching to find this for me. Unfortunately it simply gives the instructions to apply each chamfer in single steps. I will keep trying to get a ER started.
SPR 1118062 - Distance 1 and Distance 2 is flipped in chamfer feature when multiple edges are selected for type distance distance and parameter set to asymmetrichttps://varportal.solidworks.com/siebel/app/partnerportal/enu?SWECmd=GotoView&SWEView=SW+OUI+All+Defects+List+PRM+-+Search&SWEApplet0=SW+OUI+Product+Defect+Form+Applet+PRM+-+Search&SWERowId0=1-9FS4O7P
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- Josh Brady @ Jim Steinmeyer on Apr 20, 2020 11:59 AM
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  Jim Steinmeyer wrote:
  
  Well it took a little to get the VAR tech on the same page but after I did he saw the problem and went searching to find this for me. Unfortunately it simply gives the instructions to apply each chamfer in single steps. I will keep trying to get a ER started.
  SPR 1118062 - Distance 1 and Distance 2 is flipped in chamfer feature when multiple edges are selected for type distance distance and parameter set to asymmetrichttps://varportal.solidworks.com/siebel/app/partnerportal/enu?SWECmd=GotoView&SWEView=SW+OUI+All+Defects+List+PRM+-+Search&SWEApplet0=SW+OUI+Product+Defect+Form+Applet+PRM+-+Search&SWERowId0=1-9FS4O7P
  
  Since the functionality is already there and accessible through the API, I would argue that it shouldn't be an ER, it's an SPR. It's a bug, or oversight, or something in the programming of the user interface. My code doesn't do anything special. Flipping of chamfers on an edge-by-edge basis uses the exact same feature data parameters whether you're using angle/distance or distance/distance. The code I posted above changes the exact same feature data for both types of chamfers. They've just missed programming it into the user interface for distance/distance chamfers.
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  - Jim Steinmeyer @ Josh Brady on Apr 20, 2020 12:14 PM
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    Josh Brady wrote:
    
    Jim Steinmeyer wrote:
    
    Since the functionality is already there and accessible through the API, I would argue that it shouldn't be an ER, it's an SPR. It's a bug, or oversight, or something in the programming of the user interface. My code doesn't do anything special. Flipping of chamfers on an edge-by-edge basis uses the exact same feature data parameters whether you're using angle/distance or distance/distance. The code I posted above changes the exact same feature data for both types of chamfers. They've just missed programming it into the user interface for distance/distance chamfers.
    If you say so.
    You are above my head when it comes to programing. I just know it is something they should fix and they obviously missed it.
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    - Josh Brady @ Jim Steinmeyer on Apr 20, 2020 12:46 PM
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      Jim Steinmeyer wrote:
      
      Josh Brady wrote:
      
      Jim Steinmeyer wrote:
      
      Since the functionality is already there and accessible through the API, I would argue that it shouldn't be an ER, it's an SPR. It's a bug, or oversight, or something in the programming of the user interface. My code doesn't do anything special. Flipping of chamfers on an edge-by-edge basis uses the exact same feature data parameters whether you're using angle/distance or distance/distance. The code I posted above changes the exact same feature data for both types of chamfers. They've just missed programming it into the user interface for distance/distance chamfers.
      If you say so.
      You are above my head when it comes to programing. I just know it is something they should fix and they obviously missed it.
      Here's a simpler demonstration, which might even be useful...
      
      This code does nothing but set the selected chamfer feature to asymmetric distance/distance. You can create a chamfer feature as angle/distance, set which entities are flipped, then complete the feature. Then, select it and run this macro. It will change the type to distance/distance while preserving the underlying entity-by-entity flip settings. Pretty sure this should work with edges, faces, etc, because all it does is change the chamfer type. You can then edit the dimensions of the chamfer (either by editing the feature or double-clicking dimensions) to whatever you need. As long as you don't change the chamfer type, you shouldn't lose the entity-by-entity flipping settings. For some reason, the user interface clears all the flip data when you switch chamfer types.
      
      Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
      Dim swFeat As SldWorks.Feature
      Dim swChData As SldWorks.ChamferFeatureData2
      Sub main()
      Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
      Set swFeat = swApp.ActiveDoc.SelectionManager.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1)
      Set swChData = swFeat.GetDefinition
      swChData.AccessSelections swApp.ActiveDoc, Nothing
      swChData.Type = 2 'Distance/Distance
      swChData.EqualDistance = False
      swFeat.ModifyDefinition swChData, swApp.ActiveDoc, Nothing
      End Sub
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      - Jim Steinmeyer @ Josh Brady on Apr 20, 2020 2:16 PM
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        That is great Josh. Thank you
        Any chance we can get you to go work at SW to clean things up?
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        Josh Brady @ Jim Steinmeyer on Apr 20, 2020 2:58 PM
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        Gets a bit cold for me up there in New England... I think I'll stay here in beautiful Tennessee. :-D
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When creating asymmetric chamfers is there a way to flip directions on following chamfers?

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