SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Part II: Building Intelligence into Your Parts

Metadata searches can be particularly useful in large assemblies or parts with long lists of features

that you need to access for various reasons. You can conduct searches for metadata through the

FeatureManager Filter at the top of the FeatureManager. The Advanced Search function in assemblies

can also search metadata sources. SolidWorks Explorer is a good first-level data management

solution that can search, display, and edit metadata and previews. Windows Explorer can also

search properties and tags.

Construction geometry

In SolidWorks, the only construction geometry that can be created directly is the construction line.

All other sketch entities can be converted to construction geometry by selecting the Construction

Geometry option within the sketch entity’s PropertyManager or by using the Construction

Geometry toggle toolbar button.

SolidWorks terminology is inconsistent, because it sometimes refers to construction lines as

centerlines. The two are really the same thing. Centerlines are used for revolved sketches and

mirroring, but there is no difference between a centerline and a construction line in SolidWorks.

Construction geometry is useful for many different types of situations. I use it frequently for

reference sketch data. You can make sketch relations to construction geometry, and can use it for

layout sketches or many other purposes limited mainly by your needs and imagination.

Tutorial: Editing and Copying

This tutorial guides you through some common sketch relation editing scenarios and using some

of the Copy, Move, and Derive tools. Follow these steps to learn about editing and copying

sketches:

1. Open the part named Chapter6 Tutorial1.sldprt from the CD-ROM. This part
   has several error flags on sketches. In cases where there are many errors, it is best to roll
   the part back and go through the errors one by one.


2. Drag the rollback bar from just after the last fillet feature to just after Extrude3. If
   Extrude3 is expanded so that you can see Sketch3 under it, then drop the rollback bar to
   after Sketch3. If a warning message appears, telling you that Sketch3 will be temporarily
   unabsorbed, then select Cancel and try the rollback again. Figure 6.15 shows before and
   after views for the rollback.


3. Edit Sketch3 and deselect the Sketch Relations display (View ➪ Sketch Relations).
   Relations with errors will still be displayed. Click Display/Delete Relations on the toolbar
   (the Eyeglasses tool), and set it to All in This Sketch. Notice that all the relations conflict,
   but only one is unsolvable: the Equal Radius relation. This appears to be a mistake
   because the two arcs cannot be equal.


4. Delete the Equal Radius relation. Select the relation in red and click the Delete button
   in the PropertyManager. (You can also press the Delete key on the keyboard.) The sketch
   is still not fixed.