To access this dialog, click 
().
After you have oriented your model and specified a parting plane, you should then specify the mold dimensions. Use this tool to enter the dimensions of the mold, the mold offsets, the plate thicknesses, and the mold length and width needed to fully enclose your model.
Dialog elements
- Plate thickness
- Enter the required thicknesses for a 2 or 3 plate mold.
This area of the dialog allows you to setup the thickness of the mold in the positive and negative z-directions (the top and bottom of the mold).
- A Plate
- Specify the thickness of the A-plate.
- This is the fixed injection side of the mold.
- Floating (3-Plate)
- Define a middle plate for a 3-plate mold.
- For a 3-plate mold you need to enter a thickness for the middle plate in the mold. The runner system for a 3-plate mold sits on a second parting plane (Split Plane) parallel to the main parting plane.
- B Plate
- Specify the thickness of the B-plate.
- This is the moveable side of the mold.
- Mold dimensions
- Define the exact X, Y and Z dimensions of the mold.
- Mold offsets
- Set the minimum distance between the cavity edge and the outside of the mold, in each direction. Tip: Alternately, use the Mold Dimensions to define exact dimensions.
- Symmetric
- Create a symmetrical mold.
- This option specifies whether the distance between the cavity edge and the outside of the mold is the same in every direction.
- %
- Enter the distance between the outer edge of the mold and the outer edge of the cavity, as a proportion of the size of the cavity.
- -/+X -/+Y
- Enter the required distances in the positive and negative X and Y, to create an asymmetrical mold. This section allows you to manually set the minimum distance between the cavity edge and the outside of the mold, in each direction. This may be necessary for an awkward shaped model.Note: To manually enter mold offsets, deselect the Symmetric checkbox.
- Mold material
- Select the mold material.
Click
to open the Select Material dialog, then choose a mold material by specifying a Manufacturer and Trade name from the standard database, or use the Search feature to find an exact match. - Grid Settings
- Enables/disables grid options.
This area of the dialog specifies whether the grid appears when you create or move a runner/cooling channel, whether the runner/cooling channel is constrained to the grid points, and allows you to define the grid settings.
- Location
- Set or edit a modeling plane.
- Edit
- Modify the properties of the selected plane.
- Display grid
- Specifies whether a grid appears when you create or move runners, cooling channels and parting planes, or size the mold. Note: The grid is parallel to the X-Y plane.
- Snap to grid
- Specifies that the nearest grid point is automatically used when you create or move runners, cooling channels, or parting planes, or size the mold using the mouse. This helps define exact dimensions. Tip: You can turn the Snap to grid option on and off while you are drawing a new cross section.
- Defaults
- Opens the Define Grid dialog, and allows you to set the grid size, style and origin.