SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Chapter 3: Working with Sketches

Detach Segment on Drag is turned off by default. When you turn this setting on, the Detach

Segment on Drag feature enables you to pull a single sketch element away from a chain of ele-

ments. For example, if you had a rectangle and you wanted to detach one of the lines from the rest

of the rectangle without using this setting, you would have to draw extra geometry and then trim

and delete lines in order to release the endpoints.

Best Practice

It is recommended that you leave Detach Segment on Drag off. Turn it on only when you need it, and then

immediately turn it off again. This setting can be hazardous for everyday use, because it enables you to simply

drag sketch elements that may be otherwise fully defined.n

Override Dims on Drag is off by default. When you turn this setting on, it enables you to drag fully

defined sketch geometry, and the dimensions will update to match the dragged size. This is

another setting that you should use sparingly. It can be useful for doing concept work, but you

should leave it off when working with production data for obvious reasons.

Note

Combining Override Dims on Drag with Instant3D (formerly Move/Size Features) can be very handy for con-

cept work, enabling you to drag model faces and edge easily.n

Using Sketch Blocks

Sketch blocks are collections of sketch entities that can be treated as a single entity, and can be

reused within a single document or shared between documents. You can use sketch blocks in

parts, assemblies, and drawings. To create a sketch block, select a group of sketch entities and click

the Make Block button on the Blocks toolbar, or select Tools ➪ Blocks ➪ Make. Pre-selection is not

necessary, you can also select the entities after you invoke the command.

Blocks may be internal to a particular document, or they may be saved as an external file. The

externally saved block may be linked to each document where it is used, so that if the block is

changed, it updates in the documents where it is used.

You can use blocks in conjunction with the Make Path function mentioned earlier in this chapter

to create functional layouts for mechanisms. You can also use blocks in an assembly to build parts

in-context. Refer to Chapter 12 for a more in-depth examination of the assemblies aspects of

blocks in SolidWorks.

The following is a description of the various tools that are available on the Blocks toolbar:

l^ Make Block. Creates a sketch block from selected sketch entities. You can position a
manipulator to denote the insertion point for the block. Blocks may attach at any entity
endpoint, but the insertion point follows the cursor.