SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Chapter 6: Getting More from Your Sketches  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Copying and Moving Sketch Entities

SolidWorks offers several different tools to help you move sketch entities around in a sketch. In

SolidWorks, it is usually recommended to keep the sketch as simple as you can, and to create

patterns using feature patterns rather than sketch patterns. The following section discusses the

Copying and Moving Sketch Entities.................................................................................

Move entities

Move entities enables you to move selected sketch entities by either selecting From and To points,
or by typing in XY coordinates for the move. When the Keep relations option is unselected, the
Move tool automatically detaches sketch segments whose endpoints are merged, as shown in
Figure 6.4. If Keep relations is selected, SolidWorks moves the entities and tries to maintain the
sketch relations and merged points. All the tools have a pushpin icon in the interface, which
enables you to use them many times when the pushpin icon is pushed in; they are deactivated after
one use if the pushpin icon is not pushed in.

FIGURE 6.4

Using the Move tool

Rotate entities

Rotate entities rotates selected entities in a sketch in the same way that Move entities works. You
can drag the angle or type it in manually. The green check mark icon is on the RMB, as shown in
the cursor display in Figure 6.5.