Session Summary

The following topics were discussed and demonstrated during this session. Please make sure the following topics are understood before proceeding to the next session.

A drawing underlay is a scanned drawing or image which is used as an underlay to an existing drawing.

Drawings or images which are inserted as an underlay, if captured in a compatible format such as pdf, allow snap modes to be used so that the object can be ‘traced’ using normal line and circle geometry.

Geometric Constraints impose design conditions on associated objects. For example, when drawing a simple rectangle, geometric constraints are applied to make the opposite lines of the rectangle parallel to each other, make coincident the end points of the lines, and constrain all connecting angles to 90º, making them perpendicular.

Dimensional Constraints create a spatial relationship between objects which is maintained after objects have been modified. An example of this would be a circle whose center is required to remain in the ‘middle’ of a rectangle at all times, irrespective of the length and width of the rectangle. The circle’s relationship to a fixed point within the rectangle is defined by orthogonal dimensions, which are inserted from the edge of the rectangle to the center of the circle.

The Auto Add Constraints tool automatically applies geometric constraints to objects which are inserted into the editor. In so doing, all compound entities such as polylines, polygons etc, are automatically exploded to create single entities. Geometric constraint markers are added where constraints have been inserted.

The Calculator Paletteis used to control dimensional constraints which have been added to a sketch. Variable names, values and formulas can be input here.

Variable Formulas are used to define the relational values between objects and to create predictive behavioral patterns when associated constraints are modified. Simple formulas are used to fix an object’s position in relation to other objects and are commonly referred to as a Design Rule.

A closed 2D profile with interior regions can be extruded using theCompound Profile Extrude tool. When the compound profile of a constrained sketch is extruded to produce a 3D model, the dimensional constraints can still be used to update and modify the new 3D Model.