Sketch rotate

dimension & constrain as needed to define the "geometric shape" of the sketch so that it will not "distort" when moving or rotating. you should be able to do this and not have the sketch fully defined/constrained.

next, select a linear line (that's not fully constrained) which is close to vertical or horizontal, and add said constraint. this in effect should "snap" the sketch into the desired position/orientation.

an example of this would be a sketch that has it's geometric shape fully defined, but is not associated with the origin. in this scenario, you would be able to drag the sketch by one of its end points and the entire sketch would follow and hold its shape.

hopefully this makes some sense.

cheers, kb

It's easy:

First make sure that there are no relations or dimensions relative to external geometry. Pick Tools:Relations:Display/Delete Relations in the drop down box pick External, delete any that appear in the list.

Next either add relations and/or dimensions to "hold the sketch together" to itself. You can add relations manually or if there are no relations in a sketch you can use the Constrain All function. It's under Tools:Relations:Constrain All. You can add dimensions manually or you can use the Auto Dimension function. It's under Tools:Dimensions:Auto Dimension. This could be use as a way to temporally hold the sketch together while moving it.

Then you could use the Modify Sketch function. (as long as there are NO external relations.) It's under Tools:Sketch Tools:Modify... while in the modify sketch mode you can move, rotate, mirror, and scale sketch objects.

Hope that helps

Wayne, This just worked for me in a simple test, not sure if this will work in your case, but...

Window select everything, and Fix, then rotate the sketch using Move or Copy Entities as required, and then you can again window select to Un-Fix everything then add constraints and dimensions.

HTH, Muggs

Wayne in 2004 you can rotate everything and drag and drop when it is completely un constrained. Tools>Sketch Tools>Rotate or Copy it is a new tool and it will do exactly what you are asking and is extremely easy to use, check it out

Corey

Ok, this response will cover all the suggestions prior to this.

Basically - no go. Now, before you jump all over me for being so stupid, please understand that I CAN get there, I'm just not willing to manually define everything to hold it together in order to do it. There are lots & lots of weird dimensions that would have to be created in order to lock in the shape, and I don't want to go through the time & trouble to do it at its seemingly arbitrary rotational position, then blow them away after the rotation, and do them right.

The move/rotate/copy function is great for moving as you can grab everything as is and move it as a blob, and 2005 works much better than before. Yes, you can also rotate that way, but you can't snap the rotation to anything - it moves in predefined increments. Since the existing angle is not some even number, I can't EXACTLY align it as desired. Close - sure, but I want it right.

The Constrain all function added only 7 relations - not nearly enough to hold its shape. Remember, this is a shape not unlike the Blob, and will require much thought as to the proper dimensioning method for proper production.

The Fix all function did just that - fixed everything to where I couldn't even rotate it.

AutoDimension locks in the dimensions as horizontal & vertical regardless of the method chosen. I thought maybe I could use a pair of perpendicular ref lines, autodim to those, then make sure they were not horizontal & vertical and rotate. Nope - overdefined.

Next?

WT

ok, if i had a need to do what you're attempting, acad (precision rotating) is what i would use. :)

cheers, kb

Couldn't you dimension the angle of the surface you want bring it out to 8 places write the number down and use it for your rotation. I think this should be as accurate as AutoCRUD. Should make everything right.

Corey

iirc, i think rotating by reference angle in acad is "dead on"

The problem with that is that you now have some number that is used to establish a rotation value. If your intention is to make a face horizontal, then it's close. But then when you go back later and try to mate to that face, you find that in fact, it isn't exactly horizontal and the mate doesn't work. Simplified explanation, but I think you get the picture.

WT

So, is this sparring match considered a draw?? Wah, wah, wah. :-)

WT

Wayne

Another way to do it which works well for imported sketches, frankly a kludge but quite effective, and doesn't require dimensions or relations. Use "Fix" (hiss, boo....) on the parent sketch Use the parent to make a Derived sketch. The derived sketch will be totally robust and totally repositionable (translate + rotate), using simple relations. I personally prefer to avoid the rather flaky, cryptic Modify Sketch toolset. And as for "Align", I've had that jerk the part origin off the intersection of the construction planes, for keeps!

Interesting concept - hadn't thought of that one, but I can see how it would work. What's even more interesting is that I was very limited on what I could do with it. I could manually rotate it, move it around, move it to a position, but I couldn't add any lines to it, or add a restraint like make a line horizontal, which was the original goal. But, I did discover that I could take that same line and make it collinear to a system plane. Got it!

WT

intersection

Sorry, I should have thought to mention that any relations to rotate or translate derived sketches have to be external, but you worked it out. Sometimes it pays to add a datum line to the parent sketch with one end at, say, the desired origin for the derived sketch, and the line trailing off at a useful angle, which will end up along one or other construction plane.

If you do need to add geometry to the repositioned sketch, converting the derived sketch to a new sketch on the same plane does the trick. OK, you end up with three sketches, but it does have advantages in certain situations.