Draft Offset

Description
The Offset tool moves the selected object by a given distance (offset) perpendicular to itself.

Typically this tool is used in copy mode to create offset copies of a base wire while leaving this wire in the same place. The offset copies are scaled versions of the original object. To create other scaled copies use Draft Scale. To produce exact copies shifted a distance use Draft Move.



How to use

 * 1) Select the object that you wish to offset.
 * 2) Press the  button, or press  then  keys. If no object is selected, you will be invited to select one.
 * 3) Click a point on the 3D view, or type in a distance.

The distance used to create the offset is perpendicular to one of the edges of the original shape, depending on the position of the pointer. If the pointer is moved closer to another edge, this edge now becomes the reference for the distance. Hold the key to keep the current reference edge despite moving the pointer closer to other edges.

Options

 * Press or click the checkbox to toggle copy mode. If copy mode is on, the Offset tool will keep the original shape in its place but will make a scaled copy at the chosen point.
 * Hold while picking the point to also toggle copy mode. Keeping  pressed will allow you to continue placing offset copies; release  to finish the operation and see all offset shapes.
 * Click the "OCC-style" checkbox to toggle OCC mode. This will create an offset from both sides of an line segment, which will produce a specially closed shape with rounded edges at the ends of the segments.
 * with this style the original segments will be removed, so use copy mode to preserve the original edges.


 * Hold while offsetting to force snapping your point to the nearest snap location, independently of the distance.
 * Hold to keep the offset distance referred to the current segment, and avoid picking another reference.
 * Press or the  button to abort the current command; offset copies already placed will remain.

Scripting
Draft API and FreeCAD Scripting Basics.

The Offset tool can be used in macros and from the Python console by using the following function:


 * Offsets the given wire by applying the given, defined as a vector, to its first vertex.
 * If is  another object is created instead of offsetting the original object.
 * If is, and provided the wire object is open, the original and the offset wire will be tied at their endpoints, forming a face.
 * If is,  must be  as well, and the offset is made on both sides of the wire, the total width being the length of the given vector.
 * If is, it will use OCC-style offsetting: it will offset from both sides, then tie the new wires together, and round the corners.
 * is returned with the original offset object, or with the new copy.

Example: