You absolutely don't need to get into the maths to get value from this idea. The maths terrifies me. Just know this core concept: a tangent line meets a circle only once and is at right angles to the radius when it does.
Here's why this is valuable in CAD environments that properly support it: once you know how a tangent line works, and see how a constraint-based modeller represents them, it is possible to understand how to model a whole set of smoothly rounded features that the CAD package can automatically adjust to changes made to core measurements, retaining this perfect "join". Rounded slots, curved rounded slots, fillets, all sorts of interesting motion components, etc.
You are right on a precipice between what you know, and falling into a deep, deep trough of CAD knowledge!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangent_lines_to_circles
You absolutely don't need to get into the maths to get value from this idea. The maths terrifies me. Just know this core concept: a tangent line meets a circle only once and is at right angles to the radius when it does.
Here's why this is valuable in CAD environments that properly support it: once you know how a tangent line works, and see how a constraint-based modeller represents them, it is possible to understand how to model a whole set of smoothly rounded features that the CAD package can automatically adjust to changes made to core measurements, retaining this perfect "join". Rounded slots, curved rounded slots, fillets, all sorts of interesting motion components, etc.