DesignSpark Mechanical Online Help

Sketch plane

The sketch grid indicates that you are performing actions in a 2D plane. Selection, sketching, creating layouts, adjusting blend planes, cross-section editing, and annotation all use the sketch grid. You can adjust the units and spacing of the grid, as well as how solids are displayed when the grid appears.

To display a sketch plane

1. Select Sketch ModeThree ways of designing: Sketch, Cross-section, or 3D. You can switch between modes at any time. or any sketching tool.

2. Click a face, plane, axis, or drawing sheet.

   You can also select the combinations used to insert a plane to display a sketch grid at that location.

   If you do not see the grid, make sure that the Show Sketch GridSee Sketch grid box is checked in the Display tab's GridSee Sketch grid ribbon group.

To select a new location for the sketch plane

1. Click Select New Sketch PlaneConstruction geometry consisting of a flat surface. Planes can be used for a 2D sketch, section view of a model, a neutral plane in a draft feature. in the mini-toolbar, or right-click and select Select New Sketch PlaneConstruction geometry consisting of a flat surface. Planes can be used for a 2D sketch, section view of a model, a neutral plane in a draft feature. from the context menu.

2. Mouse over any existing geometry to display existing planes.

3. Click to select the highlighted plane and display the sketch grid.

To move the sketch plane

1. (Optional) Select any points, lines, or curves that you want to move with the sketch grid.

2. Click MoveA tool used to translate or rotate geometry. GridSee Sketch grid in the mini-toolbar.

   The MoveA tool used to translate or rotate geometry. handle is now placed on the end point of the last line or curve you drew. This makes drawing a trajectory in 3D space easier.

3. Use the Move handle to move or rotate the sketch grid.

To view the sketch plane head-on

Click Plan ViewOrientation settings that you can apply to your design, including spin, pan, and zoom. You can adjust these settings individually or you can apply one of the following preconfigured views: Trimetric, Isometric, Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Right, Left. You can also select Snap View and click a face to view it head-on. in the mini-toolbar or in the Orient ribbon group to view the sketch grid head-on.

To switch to the last sketch plane

Right-click the plane and select Use Last Sketch PlaneConstruction geometry consisting of a flat surface. Planes can be used for a 2D sketch, section view of a model, a neutral plane in a draft feature..

This command is in the context menu for all tools that can be used in both sketch and section modes, such as PullTool used to distort or deform geometry. Use the Pull tool to offset, extrude, revolve, sweep, draft, and blend faces; or to round, chamfer, or extrude edges. When converting a sketch to 3D, pulling a line creates a surface and pulling a surface creates a solid..

All closed sketch curves in the current plane are converted to surfaces.

The last plane used for sketching on is set as active, and dynamic plane mode is ended when you use the Use Last Sketch PlaneConstruction geometry consisting of a flat surface. Planes can be used for a 2D sketch, section view of a model, a neutral plane in a draft feature. command.

To use Alt+Select in Sketch mode

While working in Sketch mode, you can align a sketch plane to any linear reference that you Alt+Select. For example, on a block with angled planar faces, you can select a face and then Alt+Select an edge. The Sketch gridPattern of regularly spaced lines that guides you when sketching. The sketch grid makes aligning and drawing objects easier.You can adjust the units and spacing of the grid, as well as how solids are displayed when the grid appears. aligns to the Alt reference.