About Exploding Sketches

The Explode Capability

Exploding the sketch converts the entire wireframe geometry associated to the datum feature into a standard 2D geometry feature and the copy feature is then removed from the tree. Consequently, there is no more associativity between the exploded sketch and its reference sketch.

Exploding Sketches

To explode a sketch, right-click it in the tree and select Sketch.XXX object > Explode... .

When done:

• The sketch is not-up-to-date.
• The order and the number of geometrical elements appearing in the tree after an explode operation may differ from what can be seen in the reference sketch.
• Exploded sketches used by Part Design or Generative Shape Design features appear in Update Error dialog boxes. You need to reroute them one by one.

About Exploding Sketches

A sketch obtained by Copy > Paste > As Result With Link is a copy of its reference sketch. By default, the system keeps associativity between the resulting sketch and the original geometry as well as between resulting sketch position and the position of the sketch reference.

To manage this associativity, the duplicated sketches contain datum features. Datum features are the real features keeping associative links between the copies and reference sketches. The 3D geometrical results associated to reference sketch features are duplicated and associated to these datum features.

Thus :

• Associativity with the original geometry is controlled by these datum features managing associative copies of the 3D geometrical results associated to reference sketches. Consequently they cannot take into account the following data that is included in reference sketches:
  • Construction or axis line geometrical elements
  • Geometrical elements on which output or output profile features exist
  • Constraints and dimensions.

  Associativity with the original geometry is always kept till it is not removed using the Isolate command. The geometrical results can be different from reference sketches until datum features are not synchronized with reference sketches.

• Associativity with the original sketch position is managed by the sketch absolute axis feature definition. By default, it is defined as associative in position with its datum feature, thus with its reference sketch feature position. You can break this associativity if needed by defining your own sketch position. With the Sketch As Result With Link positioning capability, associativity with original position is explicitly identified via Positioned as reference support definition mode or can be retrieved afterward using this new definition mode.