Page 94 - Mastering SolidWorks

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creating a Sketch 63

Here’s one way to create a new sketch:
1. Click the Sketch tool. Notice the prompts in the FeatureManager area.
2. Click the Front plane in the FeatureManager.
Here’s another way:
1. Right-click on a plane (either in the FeatureManager or in the graphics window if they are
shown). As an alternative, you can click a plane to call the context-sensitive toolbar.
2. Select Sketch from the context bar (on top of the RMB menu).
Here is yet another way:
1. Click the Line tool. Notice the FeatureManager disappears and the PropertyManager
shows up in its place. The flyout FeatureManager has actually moved over into the
graphics window and has collapsed.
2. Click the down arrow next to the Part1 symbol.
3. Click a plane in the tree.
Clicking a straight edge creates a plane perpendicular to the end of the edge closest to
where you clicked. The plane will show up in the FeatureManager automatically. (This is
an obscure trick that a lot of existing users have forgotten.)
When you create a sketch, several tools become available, specifically all the sketch entities
and tools. Open sketches and selection filters are two very common sources of frustration for
new users. If you are having difficulty selecting items that you want because the software won’t
allow you to select specific items or because items are grayed out, you could have an open
sketch. Several indicators will let you know when you are in Sketch mode:

◆ The title bar of the SolidWorks window displays the text “Sketch X of Part Y.”
◆ The lower-right corner of the status bar displays the text “Editing Sketch X.”
◆ The Confirmation Corner displays a Sketch icon in the upper-right corner of the graph-
ics window.

◆ The Sketch toolbar button displays the text “Exit Sketch.”
◆ The red sketch origin is displayed.
◆ If you are using the grid, is displayed only in Sketch mode.
While most users find the sketch grid annoying or distracting, some new users use it as a
reminder that they are in Sketch mode. If you tend to forget or would like a visual cue, the sketch
grid is a useful option. You can find the settings for displaying the grid in Sketch mode at Tools ➢
Options ➢ Document Properties ➢ Grid/Snap.
A sketch can be edited only when it is open (unless Instant 3D is off—I recommend you turn it
off, except when you intend to use it). You can have only one sketch open at a time. SolidWorks
uses many indicators to show the state of a sketch, including the Confirmation Corner and
the taskbar.