Defining sketches

Window select the whole sketch and use the FIX constraint. I would save before doing this on a large sketch. I believe it crashed on me once adding that many constraints all at once, but that was a long time ago.

If you are using 2004 then use "autodimension"

This was also available in 2003

Thanks for the responses. Blindingly obvious with 20-20 hindsight!!

Thanks again.

Les

Remember that sometimes it doesn't constrain everything fully, and you still have to tie something to the origin yourself. Unless you use it as the origin of your dims.

imo, having complicated sketches (i.e. trying to do everything in one sketch) seems to defeat the capabilities of mcad.

I agree yet there are times in which I need to model a part that was drawn on Acad when I was in diapers. In this case it is quickest to copy the whole profile and paste it into my model and extrude as is. It may be dirty but it works.

Corey

Solidworks will not allow "fix constraints" until all previous constraints are removed.

snipped-for-privacy@peoplepc.com (Kman) wrote in news:fbef69cd.0402121406.6f720919 @posting.google.com:

Why do you say this? Are you talking about sketches? I can add fixed constraints to a fully defined sketch. It may overdefine other relations, but you can add it. Is that what you mean? If not, I'm lost.

matt

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (BrownLF) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m14.aol.com:

You might also want to use the Tools, Relations, Constrain All and Scan Equal. This adds automatic sketch relations.

Also, I'm guessing that you're not talking about "Derived Sketch", but rather maybe some "converted entities"? Derived Sketches must only be positioned/oriented rather than fully dimensioned.

matt

another exception would be sketches for aluminum extrusion (80/20, ips, etc ...). i forgot that i import & fix all entities in one sketch for these items.

In 2004, you can also use model edges for the dim origins, which will also tie the sketch down.

Gotta ask ... whats dirty? The tip, or the diaper?

After you import a sketch into SolidWorks, you can click Tools, Relations, Constrain All. This will add apparent relations to the sketch and give you a report, too. It's not perfect, but it works pretty well. You have to do this before you do anything else to the sketch or the command won't be available, though (unless it has changed in 2004). Like you, I used to just go with the imported sketches, but I had a lot of problems with stuff not being parallel or horizontal/vertical and mating in assemblies became nightmarish. Live and learn.

Deb

I was referring to the "constrain all" command. Sorry, about my use of the termonology.

Kman