A revolve can often be a more efficient way of producing parts that have rotational symmetry. You can create a series of complex details in one feature by revolving a profile about a sketched centreline or entity such as a datum axis.

Tutorials

Revolve Tutorial

Downloads

Revolve tutorial files

Revolve animation

This animation shows how to create a revolve feature

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Consider these two examples of an energy drink bottle.

They both look identical. However both have been modelled in very different ways. Open the part files energy_drink1.prt and energy drink2.prt and examine the model trees. Which is more efficient?

Energydrink2.prt clearly uses less features. However the benefit of using such a modelling approach only becomes really apparent when we want to make a change to the shape of the product.

To do this in the revolved model (energydrink2) is simple. It requires the alteration of a single sketch. However, to alter the bottle created with a series of extrusions would involve us making alterations to several features. Therefore, if a part has rotational symmetry a revolve can often be a more efficient means of modelling and making changes.