SpaceClaim Online Help

Layout curves

You can sketch on a plane when you want to draw curves but have no immediate need to generate 3D objects. If you want to create a region that can be pulled into 3D right away, create a sketch instead.

You can think of a layout as a pencil drawing made on your design. If you try to pull layout lines to 3D, they do not behave the same way that sketched lines do. Closed linesIntersecting lines that enclose an area to form a region when you sketch shapes in 2D. The regions will become solids and the lines become edges when you pull your sketch into 3D. are not converted to regions, so if you pull a layout line, it creates a surface, not a solid. When you are ready to use your layout to create geometry, project the layout lines to a sketch. Projecting a layout line to a sketch is like inking the line.

Layouts always appear on planes in the Structure treeDisplay in the Structure panel that shows you each of the objects in your design. You can expand or collapse the nodes of the tree to view the objects. You can rename objects, create, modify, replace, and delete objects, as well as work with components..

We strongly encourage you to use layers when working with layouts to help you organize your design. For example, you can color individual lines on each layout, show or hide the lines, or put the bounding planes on a separate layer and turn that layer's visibility off to declutter your design. (When you import files, they will initially appear in one color.)

To create a layout

1. Insert a plane.

2. Right-click the plane in the Structure tree or graphics window and select Activate CurveIn 3D, any line in space. Container.

   The icon on the Structure tree changes to reflect that the plane is a layout.

3. Sketch on the plane.

To convert a sketch to a layout

1. Select the sketch entities that you want to appear on the layout.

   • Select in the graphics window

   • Select in the Structure Tree under the 'Curves' folder

2. Click the 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. tool in the Insert ribbon group

   • A layout plane is drawn around the selected sketch entities

   • The curves are removed from the Curves folder in the Structure Tree

   • If all of model curves were converted, the Curves folder is removed from the Structure Tree

3. Right-click the plane in the Structure tree or graphics window and select Activate Curve Container.

To import a 2D AutoCAD DXF or DWG file as a layout

You can import a 2D AutoCADSoftware application for 2D and 3D design and drafting by Autodesk, Inc. AutoCAD's native file format is DWGAutoCAD native drawing format. You can open and insert drawings, parts, and assemblies. Drawings can be inserted as layouts. You can export parts, assemblies, drawing sheets, and 3D markup slides., its interchange file format is DXFDrawing Interchange Format or Drawing Exchange Format. CAD data file format developed by Autodesk for enabling data interoperability between AutoCAD and other programs. You can open and insert drawings, parts, and assemblies.Drawings can be inserted as layouts. You can export parts, assemblies, drawing sheets, and 3D markup slides., and its format for publishing CAD data is DWF. file into your design in the following ways:

• Drag and drop the DXF or DWG file into the Design windowArea in the user interface that displays your model or assembly. Also known as Workspace. to create a layout in the active component.

• Drag the file onto a plane in the Structure tree to place the drawing on that plane and convert it to a layout.

Edit a layout

Right-click the plane in the Structure tree or graphics window and select Activate Curve Container.

A layout plane is drawn around the selected sketch entities.