Create a tangent reference plane

Step 1.

Do one of the following:

To create a global reference plane, choose Home tab→Reference group→More Planes→Tangent button.
To create a local reference plane, on the command bar for the current feature, in the Plane Options list, click the Tangent Plane option.

Step 2.

Select one of the following face types:

Cylinder
Cone
Sphere
Torus
B-Spline surface

When you select a cylinder or cone, the command displays a dynamic representation of the new reference plane. As you move the cursor, the new plane moves around the selected face. For other surface types you must select a keypoint to position the tangent plane.

Step 3.

Define the tangent plane location by doing one of the following:

For a cylinder or cone, do one of the following
- Move the cursor to position the plane where you want it, and then click.
- Type an angle value in Angle box on the command bar, then move the cursor to position the plane on the side you want to use, and then click.
For other surface types, select a keypoint that lies on the surface. The keypoint can be from an element that was used to construct the surface or from an element that was projected onto the surface.

Tip:

You can use QuickPick to locate hidden part faces.
As you move the cursor, the angle distance of the dynamic reference plane changes in increments based on the Step value on the command bar.
You can locate keypoints in 3D space to position the new plane accurately. Use the Keypoints command bar options to specify whether you want to locate the end point of a line or part edge, the midpoint of a circle or arc, or a tangency point on a curved analytic face.

If there is more than one possible tangency between the plane and a curved face, a bold line shows which tangency is active as you move your cursor over the face.
You can use the N, B, T, P, and F hot keys on the keyboard to change the orientation of the x-axis. The N key selects the next linear edge as the x-axis. The B key goes back to the previously selected edge. The T key toggles the x-axis origin to the opposite end of the selected edge. The P key selects a base reference plane to define the x-axis. The F key flips the normal direction of the reference plane, which changes the x-axis orientation.

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