Part Mirror

Part Mirror
Menu location
Part → Mirroring...
Workbenches
Part
Default shortcut
None
Introduced in version
-
See also
None

Description

Part Mirror creates a new object (image) which is a reflection of the original object (source). The image object is created behind a mirror plane. The mirror plane may be standard plane (XY, YZ, or XZ), any plane parallel to a standard plane, or (introduced in 1.0) any arbitrary plane by using a reference object.

An example:

Before

After mirroring about YZ plane

Usage

1. Optionally select one or more source objects.
2. There are several ways to invoke the command:
   • Press the Mirroring... button.
   • Select the Part → Mirroring... option from the menu.
3. The Mirroring tasks panel opens.
   • Select a standard Mirror plane from the dropdown list.
   • introduced in 1.0: Select a reference object in the Tree view or the 3D view.

     The reference object can be any planar face or circular edge.

   • Optionally click on an item in the Shape list to (re-) select a shape.
   • Optionally keep Shift pressed and click on an item in the Shape list to either add the shape to the selection, or to remove it from the selection.
4. Click OK to close the task panel.
5. One Part__Mirroring object will be created for each source object.

Task panel

When the select button label says Selecting you are in reference selection mode and there is a selection gate in effect, which disallows the selection of unsupported reference objects. Click the button to toggle the selection gate off, the button label then changes to Select reference.

The mirror plane is defined by a DataNormal (direction) and a DataBase (position). When the DataMirror Plane property contains a reference object these properties are made read-only as they are then computed based on that object. The plane is infinite even if the reference object is not.

A reference object can be a planar face, such as the face of a Part Box, a circular edge, a Datum Plane, an origin plane of a Std Part container, or any object with a single planar face or single circular edge. There is also support for Links. Note, however, that B-spline surfaces, such as ruled surfaces or loft faces are not supported.

Options

If a standard plane instead of a reference object is selected, the Base point boxes can be used to move it. Only one of the X, Y, or Z boxes is effective for a given standard plane.

Standard plane	Base point box	Effect
XY	Z	Move mirror plane along Z axis
XY	X, Y	No effect
XZ	Y	Move mirror plane along Y axis
XZ	X, Z	No effect
YZ	X	Move mirror plane along X axis
YZ	Y, Z	No effect

Notes

• App Link objects linked to the appropriate object types and App Part containers with the appropriate visible objects inside can also be used as source objects. introduced in 0.20
• After selecting a standard mirror plane, the DataNormal and DataBase of the Part Mirror object can be changed to any value. So that even without a reference object you are not restricted to the standard planes.