Cosmetic Threads

A cosmetic thread represents the inner diameter of a thread on a boss or the 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 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 a didifferent pointer.

• 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 (see the next paragraph). To insert cosmetic threads from assembly documents into drawings, click Insert, Model Items and click Cosmetic thread .

• 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. A leader attaches to the thread by default. The callout is a note. You can edit the callout as you would edit any note.

• 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 tap and pipe tap holes, you can add cosmetic threads in the Hole Wizard.

  NOTE: 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.

To insert cosmetic threads:

1. On a cylindrical feature (a boss, a cut, or a hole), select the circular edge where the thread begins. If the feature is a conical hole, select the major diameter. If the feature is a conical boss, select the minor diameter.

You can also select the feature after you click the tool.

2. Click Cosmetic Thread on the Annotation toolbar, or click Insert, Annotations, Cosmetic Thread.

3. Set the properties in the Cosmetic Thread PropertyManager .

4. Click OK.

To edit a cosmetic thread:

1. In a part or assembly document, right-click the Cosmetic Thread feature and select Edit Feature.

2. Make the necessary changes in the Cosmetic Thread PropertyManager, and click OK.

To specify the line style and weight for cosmetic threads in the active drawing document:

1. Click Options. On the Document Properties tab, select Line Font.

2. In the Type of edge section, select Cosmetic Thread.

3. Choose a Style and Thickness from the lists.

   The Preview box shows the results.