Toolbox - Holes Dialog Box: Tap

Use the Toolbox - Hole dialog box to access and configure holes provided by Toolbox and insert them into drawings.

To display the Toolbox - Holes dialog box for tap holes:

  1. Click Holes (Mechanical Toolbox toolbar) or Mechanical Toolbox > Holes > Insert.
  2. In the left pane, click Tap.

Hole Categories

The left side of the Toolbox - Holes dialog box lets you select the category of hole to create.

The hole category determines what you can select on the right side of the dialog box, including the Type and Size of hole and the Properties that you can configure for the hole.

Counterbore Inserts counterbored holes with a blind or through clearance.
Countersink Inserts countersunk holes with a blind or through clearance.
Thru Hole Inserts plain holes with a blind or through clearance and with or without near and far side countersinks.
Tap Inserts tapped holes with a blind or through clearance.
Slot Inserts straight or curved slots.

Right Pane - Top

Standard Sets the standard on which the hole is based.

The drop-down list contains basic standards provided by Toolbox and custom standards you have defined.

If you select a standard whose units do not match the units in the drawing, a warning appears that lets you change the drawing units to match the selected standard.

The default standard is determined by settings in the Standards dialog box:
  • If you check No active standard in the Standards dialog box, the default standard in the Toolbox - Hole dialog box is ANSI Inch.

    If you select a different standard from the drop-down list:

    • When you return to the Toolbox - Hole dialog box after inserting a hole, the software remembers your selection.
    • When you close and reopen the Toolbox - Hole dialog box, the software remembers your selection.
  • If you clear No active standard in the Standards dialog box, the default standard in the Toolbox - Hole dialog box is the Active Standard in the Standards dialog box.

    If you select a different standard from the drop-down list:

    • When you return to the Toolbox - Hole dialog box after inserting a hole, the software remembers your selection.
    • When you close and reopen the Toolbox - Hole dialog box, the Standard returns to the Active Standard in the Standards dialog box.
Type Sets the type of fastener for which the hole is created.

Available types are determined by the hole category (Counterbore or Countersink) and the Standard.
Size Sets the fastener size for which the hole is created.

Available sizes are determined by the Standard and Type.
Scale Sets the scale factor by which the size of the hole is enlarged or reduced.

The proportions are kept the same.

The value must be positive.
Preview Lets you see how the component will look with the current profile.

Properties

The Properties section shows the hole name and lets you select a creation method and view or change physical values for the holes.

The properties available depend on choices you have made, such as Type and Size.

The software validates property values to avoid broken geometry. Invalid values are highlighted in a light red color.

Name Displays the automatically created name based on the description saved in the standard.

This value is used by the hole chart and hole dimension commands and for the hole name.

You can modify the name.

To change the name format, use the Toolbox Table Editor to edit a custom standard and specify a new name format. Then choose that standard as the standard in the Toolbox - Holes dialog box.
Creation method Sets the method used to create the hole in the drawing.
You can select the following creation methods:
  • Near side
  • Far side
  • Hidden
  • Section

The Preview reflects your choice.
Tap drill type & depth Controls the clearance hole depth.

The type options are Blind or Thru.

If you select Blind, you can modify the drill depth.

You can enter a value of your choice.

However, to create the hole geometry properly, the tap drill depth and thread depth must have the correct mathematical relationship. Buttons to the right of each depth field link the drill and thread depth fields to calculate the correct depths. If the button is active , the software performs the calculation automatically. If the button is inactive , the fields are not linked and the calculation is not performed.

If you change the drill depth, activate the button to the right of the thread depth field to have the software calculate the correct thread depth.
Tap drill dia & angle Specifies the clearance hole diameter.

When you select Blind as the Tap drill type, you can enter a value in the angle field.

The angle must be between 0 º and 180 º.
Thread type & depth Specifies the thread type and depth.

Select one of the following thread types from the drop-down list:

  • Blind (2*Dia)

    The initial depth value is set to two times the tap diameter.

    You can enter a value of your choice.

    However, as described in Tap drill type & depth above, to create the hole geometry properly, the tap drill depth and thread depth must have the correct mathematical relationship. If you change the thread depth, activate the button to the right of the drill depth field to have the software calculate the correct drill depth.

  • Thru

    You cannot edit the value.
The following two property groups are disabled by default. To input values, select a property group. Diameters must be 0 or a positive integer. Angles must be between 0 and 179.
Near side c'sink dia. & angle These optional values apply to all creation methods.
Far side c'sink dia. & angle You can enable this property group only when the Tap drill type is Thru.

These optional values apply to all creation methods.
Material thickness Shows the material thickness of the component.

The material thickness affects section and hidden views when the Tap drill type is Thru. Blind holes have fixed depths.

Click to graphically measure the material thickness value by picking two points in the graphics area.

Settings

Click Settings to open the Toolbox - Settings dialog box, where you can choose whether to insert the hole as a block and to change layer preferences.

The dialog box opens to the Tap screen of the Holes category.

When you finish specifying settings, click OK to close the Toolbox - Settings dialog box and return to the Toolbox - Holes dialog box.

Favorites

Icons on the right side of the screen provide access to component configurations that you save as favorites.

Favorites Manager Opens the Favorites Manager dialog box, where you can view, rename, or delete favorites you have saved.
Add to Favorites Opens the Toolbox - Add to Favorites dialog box, where you can save the current component settings as a favorite so that you can easily retrieve the settings for reuse.
You can use the default name, which is taken from the Description field, or type a name.
The software remembers the following three settings the next time you open the Toolbox - Holes dialog box.
Show/Hide Favorites Toggles the Favorites pane on and off.

The favorites that are listed depend on the settings for Display all categories and Display favorites for all standards(see below).
  Display all categories Lets you choose whether the Favorites list contains all favorites or just favorites for the current category.
  • When checked, extends the favorites list to include favorites you have saved for all categories, including the current one.

    Icons to the left of the favorite name indicate the category for which you saved the favorite.

  • When cleared, restricts the list to favorites that are in the current category.
  Display favorites for all standards Lets you choose whether the Favorites list contains favorites for all standards or just favorites for the active standard.
  • When checked, extends the favorites list to include favorites you have saved for all standards, including the active standard.

    An icon in the lower right corner of the category icon indicates the standard that was active when you created the favorite.

  • When cleared, restricts the list to favorites that use the active standard.