Sketching

A sketch is a flat drawing on a plane or on a flat face. Solids are made from closed shapes in a sketch.

Drawing

Line L
Draws straight lines, one after another.
  1. Click Line.
  2. Click where the line starts.
  3. Click where it ends. The next line starts there.
  4. Press Esc when you are done.
Rectangle R
Draws a rectangle from two opposite corners, from its middle, or from three corners for one at an angle.
  1. Click Rectangle. Pick 2-point, Center or 3-point in the sketch window.
  2. Click one corner.
  3. Click the opposite corner. Or press, drag and let go.
Corners: Rounded in the sketch window rounds all four corners to the Radius typed there. The radius stays a dimension you can change later.
Circle C
Draws a circle from its middle.
  1. Click Circle.
  2. Click the middle.
  3. Click again to set how big it is.
Arc A
Draws a piece of a circle through three points.
  1. Click Arc.
  2. Click where the arc starts.
  3. Click where it ends.
  4. Click a third point to set how far it bows.
Polygon
Draws a shape with equal sides, like a hexagon for a nut.
  1. Click Polygon.
  2. Click the middle.
  3. Click where one corner goes.
Ellipse
Draws an oval.
  1. Click Ellipse.
  2. Click the middle.
  3. Click the end of the long side.
  4. Click to set how wide it is.
Slot
Draws a slot: a straight track with round ends.
  1. Click Slot.
  2. Click the middle of one round end.
  3. Click the middle of the other end.
  4. Click to set how wide the slot is.
Spline
Draws a smooth curve through the points you click.
  1. Click Spline.
  2. Click each point the curve should pass through.
  3. Press Enter to finish the curve.
Point
Puts a single point in the sketch, for example to mark where a hole goes.
  1. Click Point.
  2. Click where the point goes.
Text
Writes words in the sketch. Extrude can then raise or cut the letters.
  1. Click Text.
  2. Click where the words start.
  3. Click again to set how tall the letters are.
  4. Type the words in the Text row of the sketch window.
In Extrude, a click takes one letter and a double-click the whole text. Right-click the text and choose Explode Text to turn the letters into plain lines you can trim; the words can then no longer be changed.
Insert Drawing
Brings a DXF or SVG file into the sketch at its true size: a laser-cut outline, a logo, artwork. Extrude can then raise or cut it.
  1. Click Insert Drawing.
  2. Choose the file.
  3. A DXF that does not say its unit asks whether it is in mm or inches.
  4. The drawing follows the pointer. Type a Scale if you need it bigger or smaller (1 is true size), then click where it goes.
The drawing comes in as ordinary sketch lines and curves, held where you placed it. Untick Held in place to change its lines.
Project P
Brings the outline of a face or an edge of the part into the sketch.
  1. Click Project.
  2. Click a face or an edge of the part. Click more if you need them.
  3. Press OK.
Mirror M
Copies shapes to the other side of a line.
  1. Click Mirror.
  2. Click the shapes to copy.
  3. Click Mirror line in the window.
  4. Click the line to mirror across.
  5. Press Apply.
Linear Pattern
Repeats a shape in a row.
  1. Click Linear Pattern.
  2. Click the shape to repeat.
  3. Click Direction in the window, then click a line that points the way the row runs.
  4. Set Count and Spacing.
  5. Press Done.
Circular Pattern
Repeats a shape around a point, like bolt holes on a ring.
  1. Click Circular Pattern.
  2. Click the shape to repeat.
  3. Click Center in the window, then click the point to go around.
  4. Set Count.
  5. Press Done.

Changing a drawing

Trim T
Cuts away the piece of a line you click, back to where it crosses another line.
  1. Click Trim.
  2. Click the piece you want gone.
Extend
Stretches a line until it meets the next line in its way.
  1. Click Extend.
  2. Click the line near the end that should grow.
Fillet
Rounds a corner of the drawing.
  1. Click Fillet on the sketch bar.
  2. Click the corner to round.
Chamfer
Cuts a corner of the drawing off at an angle.
  1. Click Chamfer on the sketch bar.
  2. Click the corner to cut off.
Offset O
Makes a larger or smaller copy of an outline, the same distance away all round.
  1. Click Offset.
  2. Click the outline.
  3. Move the pointer and click to set the distance, or type it in Distance.
Move
Moves or copies shapes of the sketch.
  1. Click Move on the sketch bar.
  2. Click the shapes to move.
  3. Click the point to move from, then where that point goes. Or type the X and Y distance.
  4. Tick Copy to leave the originals where they are.
  5. Press OK.
Scale
Makes shapes of the sketch bigger or smaller.
  1. Click Scale on the sketch bar.
  2. Click the shapes to scale.
  3. Click the point that stays put.
  4. Type the Scale factor: 2 doubles them, 0.5 halves them. Tick Copy to keep the originals.
  5. Press OK.
Copy and paste
Copies shapes of the sketch, with the constraints between them, into this sketch or another one.
  1. Click the shapes to copy.
  2. Press Ctrl+C to copy, or Ctrl+X to copy and delete them. Right-click has Copy, Cut and Paste too.
  3. Press Ctrl+V: the copy lands centred on the pointer, picked, ready to move.
  4. Ctrl+D copies the picked shapes to the pointer in one go.
The copy lets go of whatever tied the shapes to the rest of the sketch. What you copied stays ready to paste into any sketch you open later.
Construction X
Construction geometry: helper lines that line other sketch geometry up and make no profile. They show dashed.
  1. Click Construction to switch it on.
  2. Draw as usual: the lines come out dashed.
  3. Click Construction again to switch it off.

Dimensions and constraints

Dimension D
Sets a size: the length of a line, or the distance between two things.
  1. Click Dimension.
  2. Click a line, or two points.
  3. Click where the number should sit.
  4. Type the size and press Enter.
Horizontal
Makes a line level.
  1. Open Constraints and click Horizontal.
  2. Click the line.
Vertical
Makes a line upright.
  1. Open Constraints and click Vertical.
  2. Click the line.
Coincident
Joins two points, or keeps a point on a line or curve.
  1. Open Constraints and click Coincident.
  2. Click a point.
  3. Click the point to join it to, or the line or curve to keep it on.
Tangent
Makes a line touch a circle or an arc smoothly, without a corner.
  1. Open Constraints and click Tangent.
  2. Click the line.
  3. Click the circle or arc.
Equal
Gives two lines the same length, or two circles the same size.
  1. Open Constraints and click Equal.
  2. Click the first one.
  3. Click the second one.
Parallel
Makes two lines run side by side.
  1. Open Constraints and click Parallel.
  2. Click the first line.
  3. Click the second line.
Perpendicular
Makes two lines meet at a right angle.
  1. Open Constraints and click Perpendicular.
  2. Click the first line.
  3. Click the second line.
Angle
Sets the angle between two lines.
  1. Open Constraints and click Angle.
  2. Click the first line.
  3. Click the second line.
  4. Type the angle and press Enter.
Fix/Unfix
Holds a shape where it is. Click a fixed shape again to free it.
  1. Open Constraints and click Fix/Unfix.
  2. Click a point, line or curve.
Midpoint
Puts a point on the middle of a line.
  1. Open Constraints and click Midpoint.
  2. Click the point.
  3. Click the line.
Concentric
Gives two circles the same middle.
  1. Open Constraints and click Concentric.
  2. Click the first circle.
  3. Click the second circle.
Collinear
Puts two lines on the same straight line.
  1. Open Constraints and click Collinear.
  2. Click the first line.
  3. Click the second line.
Symmetry
Mirrors two points, lines or circles across a line.
  1. Open Constraints and click Symmetry.
  2. Click the first point, line or circle.
  3. Click the second one.
  4. Click the line of symmetry.

Press Finish Sketch to go back to 3D.

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