Chapter 3: Working with Sketches
work to this course, you should look into some of the shortcomings of 3D Planes. The planes are
treated just like another entity in the 3D sketch, which means you can assign sketch relations to
them, but it also means that they can move around within the sketch like sketch entities.Add Relation displays a PropertyManager window that enables you to apply sketch relations. This
interface appears to be obsolete because it is easier to simply select sketch items and apply relations
via the context toolbar or in the PropertyManager window that appears automatically when you
select them; however, there are some subtle workflow-related reasons for using this tool.
Two advantages exist to using the Add Relations dialog box over simply selecting sketch entities
and adding relations. When the Add Relation PropertyManager is active, you do not need to use
the Ctrl key to select multiple entities. You also do not need to clear a selection before making a
new selection for the next relation. These two reasons sound minor, but if you have a large number
of sketch relations to apply, the workflow goes much more smoothly using this tool than the
default method.Display/Delete Relations enables you to look through the relations in a sketch, and sort them
according to several categories. From this window, you can delete or suppress relations and replace
entities in relations.
Quick Snaps flyout enables you to quickly filter types of entities that sketch elements will snap to
when you move or create them. To access the tools, click the drop-down arrow to the right of the
toolbar button.
Mirror Entities mirrors selected sketch entities about a single selected centerline, and applies a
Symmetric sketch relation. In addition, a Dynamic Mirror function is described later in this chapter.
Note
PropertyManagers for sketch tools such as Mirror, Convert, Fillet, and Intersection Curve now include a selec-
tion box for the entities to be used in the operation. The Offset PropertyManager is one that is conspicuously
missing this functionality. nConvert Entities convert edges, curves, and sketch elements from other sketches into entities in the
current sketch. When edges are not parallel to the sketch plane, the Convert Entities feature proj-
ects them into the sketch plane. Some elements may be impossible to convert, such as a helix,
which would produce a projection that overlaps itself. Sketch entities created using Convert
Entities get an On Edge sketch relation.Offset Entities works like the Convert Entities feature, except that it offsets the sketch to one side
or the other of the projection of the original edge, sketch, or curve. Figure 3.11 shows the interface
for this command.