# Can’t offset edge loop

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/can-t-offset-edge-loop/20813>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [August 8, 2022, 6:52pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/can-t-offset-edge-loop/20813 "2022-08-08T18:52:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DragonDon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a698b9/32.png) [@DragonDon](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/DragonDon)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 6:52pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/can-t-offset-edge-loop/20813/1 "2022-08-08T18:52:14Z")

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I can make it bigger but not smaller?

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**Author:** ![SM1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@SM1](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/SM1)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 5:12am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/can-t-offset-edge-loop/20813/2 "2022-08-09T05:12:42Z")

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You might need to redraw the loop, it kinda seems like it might be too complicated. It also might be the size itself- you might want to get out of 1 mm

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**Author:** ![DragonDon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a698b9/32.png) [@DragonDon](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/DragonDon)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 1:47pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/can-t-offset-edge-loop/20813/3 "2022-08-09T13:47:13Z")

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Seems an odd reason when it can go bigger but not smaller. Clearly it’s not complicated enough to scale? ¯\_(ツ)\_/¯

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**Author:** ![KPeter](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/kpeter/32/7644_2.png) [@KPeter](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/KPeter)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 2:03pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/can-t-offset-edge-loop/20813/4 "2022-08-09T14:03:03Z")

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I’m not sure about the origin of the sketch, it seems like it has splines along the corners. Is it an imported contour?

As I see, the control points are different along the horizontal and vertical axes also. Offsetting these mixed curves to the inner direction can easily end up in self-intersections in certain cases which may not be allowed.

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**Author:** ![DragonDon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a698b9/32.png) [@DragonDon](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/DragonDon)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 4:45pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/can-t-offset-edge-loop/20813/5 "2022-08-10T16:45:35Z")

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This was a hand-drawn shape to replicate a design. The original piece has a lip, so needed to emulate that. The plan was to offset the edge, then I could have different heights for this shape.

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**Author:** ![Karim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/46a35a/32.png) [@Karim](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Karim)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 10:10pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/can-t-offset-edge-loop/20813/6 "2022-08-10T22:10:52Z")

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Open this file and look at the sketch.  
[shapr3d\_export\_2022-08-10\_18h06m.shapr](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/uploads/short-url/48ibOrHelDapwBNVOF7mjpsSqSa.shapr) (14.0 KB)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DragonDon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a698b9/32.png) [@DragonDon](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/DragonDon)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 10:34pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/can-t-offset-edge-loop/20813/7 "2022-08-10T22:34:28Z")

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Ah, I think I get it. Thanks!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DragonDon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a698b9/32.png) [@DragonDon](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/DragonDon)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2022, 3:14pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/can-t-offset-edge-loop/20813/8 "2022-08-11T15:14:40Z")

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Thank for the response.

So now the question is, how do I draw/sketch over an image and be able to use it?

In some cases, creating shapes works(as in this case) but can this not be done otherwise? Is there no way to make the drawn line “solid”(for lack of a proper term).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Karim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/46a35a/32.png) [@Karim](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Karim)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2022, 3:30pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/can-t-offset-edge-loop/20813/9 "2022-08-11T15:30:27Z")

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Try this video I found on YouTube.

[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/f/1/f1f26f5d5e8cc8f30f4e6286b3211e564de812fe.jpeg "Shapr3D Tutorial - Import Images and Trace Around Them!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5kN1XFL_Io)