Vince,
Basically just creates extracted perimeter curves of a view  (invisible hidden edge). Don't wait for a selection prompt, just click the command and it's done. Check out the Help feature for more info.

Move part to desired orientation, change view to invisible hidden lines, then choose extract curve - shadow outline. What this does is basically extract the outermost edges of the part in the given view. The curves are not associative. The next question is: "What is it good for?". I have used this function in injection molded part design to give an esitimation of the part mold footprint (isocline curves also work for this, and in most cases it is the better option). I imagine it would also be useful for a simplified view of an assembly in a given orientation, though I have never used it for that.

Anyone else use this function? What uses have you found for it?

Are these curves different than what is known as silhouette curves?

Tim Flater
Senior Designer
Enkei America, Inc.
www.enkei.com

nkwheelguy,
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: Shadow outline extracts only the outermost edges (if it is a hard edge it will extract it, if it is a curved surface it will create a silhouette curve) leaving an outline of the part in a given view. Silhouette curves only creates the silhouette curves for the curved surfaces in a given view and it creates them for all curved surfaces (inside and outside).

I am actually trying to get the outer perimeter of a wing so I can create a holding fixture.  Thanks to input from those who have submitted, I now am able to do what I wanted.
Thanks,
Vince S.