Cosmetic Threads

Cosmetic threads describe the attributes of a specific hole so you need not add real threads to the model.

A cosmetic thread represents the minor (inner) diameter of a thread on a boss or the major (outer) diameter of a thread on a hole and can include a hole callout in drawings.

The properties of cosmetic threads include:
  • You can represent threads on a part, assembly, or drawing, and you can attach a thread callout note in drawings. You can add cosmetic threads to conical holes. If the conical thread does not end at a flat face, it is trimmed by the curved face.
  • A cosmetic thread differs from other annotations in that it is an absorbed feature of the item to which it is attached. For example, the cosmetic thread on a hole is in the FeatureManager design tree as Cosmetic Thread1 under the Hole feature, along with the sketches used to create the hole.
  • When the pointer is over a cosmetic thread, the pointer changes to include the cosmetic thread icon .
  • Cosmetic threads in part documents are inserted automatically into drawing views. A thread callout is also inserted if the drawing document is in ANSI standard. (You insert thread callouts in the Cosmetic Thread PropertyManager, but they appear only in drawing documents.) Thread callouts are not used in ISO, JIS, or other standards, but you can show them with Insert Callout on the shortcut menu.
  • In drawings, Insert Callout appears in the shortcut menu. If a cosmetic thread callout is defined in the part or assembly but is not displayed in the drawing, you can display the callout by selecting this menu item.
  • To insert cosmetic threads from assembly documents into drawings, do one of the following:
    • Click Insert > Model Items. In the PropertyManager, click Cosmetic thread.
    • Click Tools > Options > Document Properties > Detailing. Under Auto insert on view creation, select Cosmetic Threads - assembly (may affect performance), and click OK.
  • To view cosmetic threads in assembly drawings, in the Drawing View PropertyManager, under Import options, select Import annotations and Cosmetic threads, then click OK.
  • If you add a cosmetic thread while working in a drawing view, the part or assembly is updated to include a Cosmetic Thread feature.
  • You can dimension both the circular cosmetic thread and the linear dimension of the sides in drawings. You cannot dimension cosmetic threads in part or assembly documents.
  • The visibility of cosmetic threads follows the visibility of the parent feature. When you change display mode, add features to the Show Hidden Edges list, or hide a component, the visibility of cosmetic threads changes automatically.
  • You can set High quality cosmetic threads to check all cosmetic threads to determine if they should be visible or hidden.
  • You can reference patterned cosmetic threads.
  • For straight tap and tapered tap holes, you can add cosmetic threads in the Hole Wizard.
    For tapped holes with cosmetic threads created in the Hole Wizard, the hole diameter is the diameter of the tap drill. For tapped holes without cosmetic threads, the hole diameter is the outer diameter of the thread.
  • For shaded display of cosmetic threads, click Options . On the Document Properties tab, select Detailing. Under Display filter, select Shaded cosmetic threads.