Measuring the Projected Surface Area of Bodies

You can measure the projected surface area of bodies, faces, and components. The selections must be solid or surface bodies.

The projected surface area is useful in designing molds for plastic parts. Combined with the pull direction, the projected surface area helps you calculate the cost of the part and the machine tonnage.

To measure the projected surface area of a model:

  1. Click Measure (Tools toolbar) or Tools > Evaluate > Measure.
  2. Select solid or surface bodies, faces, or components of the model.
  3. In the dialog box, in Projected On , click Select Face/Plane, and select the planar face onto which to project the bodies, faces, or components.
    The software projects a silhouette of the selections onto the selected planar face and calculates the projected area.
    In the dialog box, Projected Area shows the value for the projected surface area of the bodies, faces, and components.