Directed Moves

Use a directed move to travel along something the model already has, instead of along X, Y or Z. Add one from Add positioning step in a Transform.

Move along face normal

Pick a face on the body that moves and type a Distance. The body travels straight out of that face, whichever way the face happens to be pointing after the steps above.

This is the step to put after a mate. Mate two faces, then move 0.2 mm along the normal, and you have a mate with a gap that follows the part when it changes.

Expand the step and a violet arrow appears on the body. Drag it to set the distance, or type into the pill beside it. Reverse sends it the other way.

Move along axis

The same thing along a line rather than out of a face. Pick an Axis: an edge, a cylindrical face, a reference axis or a world axis. Then type a distance.

Use it to slide a part along a shaft it is already coaxial with, or to lift something off the plate after a Lay face on plate step put it through.

Move until contact

Pick a Direction and a Target body, and the body travels that way until it touches.

The distance is measured every time the model rebuilds, so a part parked against a wall stays against that wall when the wall moves. That is the whole reason to use it rather than typing the gap you measured once.

Clearance is what makes it printable. Two printed parts that touch in the model bind on the bench; half a millimetre of clearance is a fit. Real printed clearances in the printing track has the numbers for your machine.

If the body never reaches the target within Max travel, the step fails and says so rather than parking it somewhere arbitrary. Either it is pointing the wrong way, in which case try Reverse, or the target is further off than 200 mm.

See also

• Position Steps: putting a body somewhere in the first place
• Orientation Steps: turning it once it is there
• Transform Basics: the stack these steps live in