@FrenchyPilou- Thanks for sharing that video- it creates something veery close- but you loose the surface relationships with the outer surfaces. The groove is no longer offset from the main volume.
But excellent resource because I didnt think of using the inset surface command like Chipp does it here.

Hi parel, in general the solids offsetting capability in Moi is not as robust as it is in SolidWorks. If the sweep method doesn't do what you need I would recommend importing into SolidWorks and using the method you are already familiar with in there.

The sweep method can provide for crisp color separation just fine though, see the above example with the groove in a different color.

- Michael

@Michael - Actually I think the inset can do what I need it to do. You are probably already doing all the math needed under the hood for what i need- its just being used toward a different goal in the inset commands.
Set the thickness to 0 and then carve the edge out with a groove.
The groove is usually in the Hard plastic so boolean it out from the soft inset in blue and add it to the hard plastic in grey.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts guys! Very helpful. I think I have the start of something repeatable.

Wow- very counterintuitive that you can inset by zero and then offset surfaces in- but thats exactly what I was looking for!

Can you put an image or a little gif of that ?

Heres what I got

Select the faces you want to inset- set Thickness to 0 and your offset is managed with the height outward or inward

I believe i understand that you have made!

I project curves Offseted
Trim the Volume
Kill curves
Select external faces of the "moved piece"
Inset 0 - Use separate height as you want (little measure of course)
Move in place
Boolean Union
It's a solid! :)

(it's a pity that we can't select directly only "Front faces" of the gap's face or i miss something :)



In fact we are obliged to move the piece even separated there is creation of vertical pieces at the angles!
That is not the case in the empty space! :) See animation above!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR0nAcfJ2No
@PILOU- Here is a video of what I did.

@ parel : cool pedagogic video !

Very mysterious : today that works as excepted! So more easy !

And better (very curious again): select faces "trimed" Inset don't works

but if you call Details & select "4 faces" then call Inset that works fine!

So a groove is made with only one click after the trim with the Inset "0"! (curves killed)
No need to select one by one as the image!

PS Works only for ortogonal path ! Better than nothing! :)

About the Chipp 's video above...
You can make the same more easily with enable the Grooved option! ;)

You can also replace the Inset "0" by a value and at the end make a boolean Union!



Inset Multiple :)

OK-Solved what I originally came for. Posting a video of a decently repeatable workflow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLiOV2rPcYo

Thanks for this video

-Zooen

Excellent!
by parel

Thanks PILOU!