Sketcher Version 5 Release 14 Page 11

Entering the Sketcher Workbench

This task lists the different ways of entering the Sketcher workbench before you start sketching.

Thus you may want to:

● Create a new geometry using the Start menu bar.

● Create a new geometry using the File menu bar.

Creating a New Geometry, Using...

The Start Menu Bar
1. Select Start -> Mechanical Design -> Sketcher from the menu bar.

2. Select the reference plane in the geometry area.

or

2. Select the reference plane from the specification tree.

The File Menu Bar

1. Select File -> New from the menu bar.

The New dialog box is displayed.

2. Select Part from the New dialog box.

3. Click ok to validate the new geometry creation.

The Part Design workbench is displayed.

4. Select the reference plane in the geometry area.

or
4. Select the reference plane from the specification tree.

5. Click the Sketcher icon from the Sketcher toolbar.

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● The Sketcher workbench appears as shown here, with the main Sketcher toolbars displayed on the right hand side and at the bottom.
● Now, let's see more precisely the different Sketcher toolbars and how to restore their position.
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Becoming Familiar with the Interface

This task will show you how to quickly become familiar with the basic functionalities available within the Sketcher workbench.

Before starting sketching, you may need to know how to:

● Restore the toolbars' position.

● Use the Sketcher toolbars.

● Use the mouse buttons.

The Sketcher workbench is loaded.

Restoring the Toolbars' Positions

1. Select Tools -> Customize... from the menu bar.

The Customize dialog box is displayed.

2. Select Restore position in the Toolbars tab.

3. Click Close.

A dialog box is displayed asking you to confirm the Restore position action.

4. Click OK to validate.
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All the Sketcher toolbars are now displayed at their appropriate positions as shown below:

Using the Sketcher toolbars

● to draw Predefined Profiles using the Profile toolbar.

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● to apply Constraints using the Constraint toolbar.

● to make Operations on profiles using the Operation toolbar.

● to make Operation on both 2D and 3D geometry using the Tools

toolbar.

Using the mouse buttons in order to...

● select menus/commands/elements from the geometry area

1. Click the left mouse button.

2. Select the desired element, for instance select a line from a rectangle.

● multi-select elements from the geometry area

1. Click the left mouse button.

2. Select a first element.

3. Keep pressing the Ctrl key.

4. Select one after the other the wanted elements.

or

1. Press the left mouse button.

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2. Drag the cursor over the elements to be selected.

3. Release the left mouse button.

The wanted elements are selected.

● Drag elements in the geometry area

1. Select an element from the geometry area.

2. Keep pressing the left mouse button.

3. Drag the mouse to move the selected element.

or

1. Press the left mouse button.

2. Drag the cursor over the elements to be selected.

3. Move one of the rectangle line.

As you can notice the whole rectangle is moving.

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● Drag the whole geometry area

1. Keep pressing the middle mouse button.

2. Drag the cursor to move the whole geometry.

● Recenter an indicated point

1. Click a point in the geometry area using the middle mouse button.

The indicated point is moved to the center of the window.

● zoom in and out

1. Keep pressing the middle mouse button.

2. Press the right mouse button once.

3. Drag the cursor up to zoom in.

or

3. Drag the cursor down to zoom out.

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● Rotate elements in the geometry area

1. Keep pressing the middle mouse button.

2. Keep pressing the right mouse button.

3. Drag the cursor to rotate the geometry.

Now that you have seen how to use the Sketcher toolbars and how to use the mouse button, let's start creating:
● sketches from new parts.

or

● sketches from existing parts.

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Sketching from a New Part

In this section of the tutorial, you will learn how to sketch from a new part. You can also go directly to the
second part of this tutorial and see how to Sketch from an Existing Part.

Create simple geometry: Shows how to create simple geometry such as a rectangle using basic options as the
Snap to Point for instance.
Apply constraints: Shows you how to quickly apply constraints on elements using either the Constraints toolbar
or the Sketch toll toolbar.
Analyze sketches: Shows you how to analyze a sketch using the Solving Status, the sketch Analysis or the
Parent/Children options.
Modify sketches: Lists the different ways of modifying or deleting elements from a sketch.
Creating a pad: Shows you how to create a pad after exiting Sketcher.
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Creating Simple Geometry

This task will show you how to create a geometry using such options as the Snap to Point, the Copilot or the
Standard/Construction Elements.

To create simple geometry, you need to get familiar with such option as:

● Using the Snap to Point.

● Using the Smart Pick.

● Creating Standard/Construction Elements.

Using the Snap to Point Option

The Snap to Point option is
activated by default.

1. Make sure the Snap to

Point option is activated.

2. select the Rectangle icon

from the Profile

toolbar.

3. Drag the cursor to define the

rectangle dimensions.

As you are sketching the points are

snapped to the intersection points of
the grid.

If this option is not activated, your

sketch is not influenced by the grid
points.
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Using the Smart

Pick
● The SmartPick helps you
detecting the constraints all
along the sketch creation. For
instance, here a coincidence
constraint is detected during the
rectangle creation with the H
direction.
● The SmartPick is directly linked
to the options that have been
checked in the Tools ->
Options dialog box.
● Therefore, if you do not wish to
visualize the constraints
detected by the copilot, then
simply uncheck the appropriate
options in the Smart Pick dialog
box by selecting Tools ->
Options -> Mechanical
Design -> Sketcher ->
SmartPick.
● When the Smartpick detects a
coincidence between a line and a
point, this symbol is
visualized in the geometry.
● When the Smartpick detects a
coincidence between two points,
this symbol is visualized in
the geometry.
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Using the Construction/Standard Elements Option

● Once set to the Construction

mode, elements can not be
published in the 3D area.
● Standard Elements are created
by default and they can be
published in the 3D area.

The Construction/Standard

Element option is not active

by default.

1. Create a rectangle as the

one shown above.

2. Select the Corner icon

from the Operation toolbar.

3. Select the Trim all

Elements option from the

Sketch tools toolbar.

4. Select the two parallel lines

one after the other.

An arc of circle is displayed and you

can position it as you like just by

dragging the cursor.

5. Drag the cursor to position

the corner as shown here.

6. Click in the geometry to

finish the corner creation.

● Note that the corner is created

and that the two selected lines
have been relimited
automatically.
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● The corner is created and as the

Construction/Standard
Element option is not activated,
the elements of this sketch are
set to the standard mode.

7. Select the rectangle line as

shown here.

8. Click the

Construction/Standard

Element option from

the Sketch tools toolbar.

● The selected line has been

swapped to construction mode

and is displayed as shown here.

● If you want to generate a pad

from this sketch it is important

to set the line in construction

mode otherwise the pad

generation will not be possible.

● To swap it back to the standard

mode, simply select it and click

again the

Construction/Standard

Element.
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● Note that this is only one way of creating this sketch and that you can get the same result using other commands such
as the Profile, the Circle, etc...
● When setting an element in construction mode, then this element is not published once in the 3D area.
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Applying Constraints
This task will show you how to quickly apply constraints to a sketch elements.

To do so, you have two possibilities either:

● Using the Sketch tools toolbar.

● Using the Constraint toolbars.

Using the Sketch Tools Toolbar

● The Geometrical and Dimensional Constraints options are activated by default.
● The Geometrical Constraint displays all detected geometrical constraints.
● The Dimensional constraint only displays distance constraints when the option is activated.

1. Create a rectangle with a corner.

Geometrical Constraint
You will get a geometry which looks like this.

2. Keep only the Geometrical Constraint activated.

3. Click the Circle icon from the Profile toolbar.

4. Select the corner center to define the one of the circle.

5. Drag the cursor to define the circle dimensions.

6. Click in the geometry when you are satisfied with the

dimensions.
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● The circle is created and the geometrical constraints have been

detected.
● This constraints can be visualized either in the geometry area or in
the specification tree.

Select the circle and move it to see the tangency constraint is well
applied.

9. Right-click the construction line.

10. Select Delete from the contextual menu.

The construction line has been deleted as long as its associated

geometry.

Dimensional constraint

2. Keep only the Dimensional Constraint activated.

3. Click the Circle icon from the Profiles toolbar.

4. Select the corner center to define the one of the circle.

Note that this symbol is displayed by the SmartPick as a

coincidence between two points is detected.

The Sketch tools toolbar expands.

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5. Enter a radius value, for instance 20mm.

6. Press Enter.

The dimensional constraint is displayed in the geometry.

Note that if you want to keep the dimensional constraints displayed, the Dimensional Constraint option must be activated.

Using the Constraints Toolbar

1. Keep your sketch open.

2. Select the rectangle top line.

3. Click the Constraint icon from the Constraints toolbar.

4. Click in the geometry to create the constraint.

5. Select the rectangle left hand side line.

6. Click the Constraint icon from the Constraints toolbar.

● The geometry color is swapped to the purple color which means

that it is over constraint.

● You can use the Sketch analysis to have a diagnosis the over-

constraint elements. This option will be seen later on in this

tutorial in the Analyzing Sketches section which comes next.

7. Click in the geometry to create the constraint.

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8. Right-click the Radius constraint.

9. Select Delete from the contextual menu.

The constraint is deleted and the geometry is no longer over-

constrained.

You can also set constraints using the Constraints Defined in

Dialog Box icon available in the Constraint toolbar and select

the constraint(s) you wish to apply in the Constraints Definition

dialog box.