In this section, we will discuss how to apply the extruded cut feature. The extruded cut feature is very similar to the extruded boss feature in terms of the options that are available to us. Due to this, we will explain them in less detail. We will build upon the model we created previously with extruded boss so that we can learn how to build upon existing features. To demonstrate this, we will create the following model:

Note that, in the preceding model, we are only applying an extra cut over the cylinder that we created with the extruded boss feature. Thus, we will start from the cylinder we created earlier and create an extra extruded cut. We will go through the following phases to do so:

• Planning: We will draw a square on top of the cylinder and apply it using the extruded cut feature.
• Sketching: The cutoff shape is a square, and so we will sketch a square on the top surface of the cylinder. Note that the top surface is not a default sketch plane. However, it is a straight surface, which means we can use it as a sketch plane. 
• Applying the feature: When we have our sketch, we can apply our feature; in this case, this is extruded cut.

Follow these steps to create the sketch:

1. Select the top surface of the cylinder and click on the Sketch command, as shown in the following screenshot. We can also do this the other way around, that is, select the Sketch command first and then select the surface we want to sketch on:

Now we need to start sketching. However, we may have a titled view of our new sketch surface, which will make it harder for us to sketch. We can adjust our view so that it's normal to the sketch surface to make it easier to sketch. To do that, we can right-click on the new sketch at the bottom of the design tree and select Normal To, as shown in the following screenshot:

This will change our view of the canvas so that it's facing the sketch surface. If we select Normal To again, the model will flip 180 degrees.

2. Sketch and fully define the required square, as shown in the following image. The side of the square is 50 mm in length, as shown by View (1): Top View in the drawing at the beginning of this section:

Now that we have our sketch, we can apply our extruded cut feature.

3. Select the Features tab and select the Extruded Cut command, as shown in the following screenshot. (As with the extruded boss feature, we don't need to exit sketch mode.) As soon as we select the command, SOLIDWORKS will interpret that we want to apply the feature to the active sketch:

4. Set the options in the PropertyManager as follows:

5. As with the extruded boss feature, we will also see a preview of the cut appear on the canvas. This preview is shown in the following image:

Note that the options that are shown in the PropertyManager for the extruded cut feature are almost the same as the options for the extruded boss feature. We will only elaborate on those that are highlighted in the following screenshot:

Let's take a look at these options in more detail:

• End Condition: Many end conditions are the same as for the extruded boss feature. By default, the end condition is usually Blind. However, in our case, we changed it to Through All. The Through All end condition means that the cut will extend to the end of the model, which is what we want. We can also get the same result by using the Blind end condition and setting the depth of the cut to 50 mm or more. To change the end condition, click on the drop-down menu and select the desired condition.
• Flip side to cut: Checking this option will turn the cut part around. In our example, if we have this option checked, we will keep the contained square and delete everything else. Having this option unchecked will delete the contained square and keep everything else. Experiment with this option to understand what it does.

6. Click the green checkmark at the top of the PropertyManager to apply the extruded cut feature. We will end up with the following model:

This concludes using the extruded cut feature. In this section, we covered the following topics:

• How to sketch over existing surfaces
• How to apply the extruded cut feature

Now that we know how to apply the extruded boss and cut features, we will learn how to modify and delete them.