PartDesign Pad

Introduction
'Pad a selected sketch' - This tool takes a selected sketch as its input (the 'defining sketch'), and produces with it a 'pad'. A pad is essentially an extrusion of a sketch. For example, if a sketch were made of two concentric circles, and the pad tool were subsequently used on this sketch, the result would be a cylinder:

Options
When creating a pad, the 'pad parameters' dialogue offers five different ways of specifying the length to which the pad will be extruded

Dimension
Enter a numeric value for the length of the pad. The default direction for extrusion is away (outside of) the support, but it can be changed by ticking the Reversed option. Extrusions occur normal to the defining sketch plane.

With the option Symmetric to plane the pad will extend half of the given length to either side of the sketch plane.

Two dimensions
This allows to enter a second length in which the pad should extend in the opposite direction (into the support). Again can be changed by ticking the Reversed option.

To last
The pad will extrude up to the last face of the support in the extrusion direction. If there is no support, an error message will appear.

To first
The pad will extrude up to the first face of the support in the extrusion direction. If there is no support, an error message will appear.

Up to face
The pad will extrude up to a face in the support that can be chosen by clicking on it. If there is no support, no selections will be accepted.