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      <title>Bracket tips and techniques</title>
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      <div class="title_topic3" id="xps10_pagetitle">Bracket tips and techniques</div>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('sheetmetaldes/smfea_bracket.html');return(false);">Bracket Overview</a></p>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('sheetmetaldes/smfea_brack_geo_sel.html');return(false);">Options</a></p>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('sheetmetaldes/build_multi_parts.html');return(false);">Related Topics</a></p>
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      </table><br><div class="title_division">Multibend brackets</div>
      <p class="para_division">If you need at create a bracket that has multiple bends, we recommend you use the <b class="uiTerm">Multibend Bracket</b> feature.
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      <p class="para_division">Using the <b class="uiTerm">Bracket</b> utility, it is possible to make a bracket that contains multiple bends. The procedure is identical to that of a single&ndash;bend bracket however, you must unite the base pad of the second bracket to the base pad of the first bracket. In order to build the second base pad to the proper size, you could select an edge from the first base pad in the <b class="uiTerm">Base Clearance Points</b> selection step.
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      <p class="para_division">If you select the web of an existing bend as the base face, the system will create the base pad using <b class="uiTerm">Sketch</b>, <b class="uiTerm">Bounded Plane</b>, and <b class="uiTerm">Thicken</b> features. In some cases, brackets of this type will not unform properly. Use the <b class="uiTerm">Multibend Bracket</b> feature.
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      <div class="title_division">Editing brackets</div>
      <p class="para_division">A <b class="uiTerm">Bracket</b> is not a feature, but a collection of features; thus, you must edit each feature independently. The flange and general flange features are not associative to the <b class="uiTerm">Reference Face</b>. Further, the <b class="uiTerm">Bracket</b> is not associative to the <b class="uiTerm">Clearance Points</b>. However, you can edit the curves that defines the initial base pad shape, if desired. You can also modify the curves that define the <b class="uiTerm">Bracket</b>.
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      <div class="title_division">Bracket margin</div>
      <p class="para_division">During construction of a bracket, the system creates a base pad that is trimmed to the proper size. The original base pad's size is based on an intersection curve and the clearance distance dimension. The <b class="uiTerm">Bracket Margin</b> value is a percentage that increases these dimensions. It only affects the size of the original base pad and not the final bracket. You should increase this margin if the bracket outline curves do not lie entirely on the base pad. You can access the <b class="uiTerm">Bracket Margin</b> in <b class="uiTerm">Modeling&rarr;Preferences&rarr;Sheet Metal</b>.
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