Creating Constraints

You can create constraints with or without using a dialog box.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin:
  • From the View section of the action bar, select Show Constraints and from the Sketch section of the action bar, select Create Detected Constraints.
  • Create Detected Constraints option creates lasting constraints (if you do not use this icon, the geometry is only temporarily constrained, which means that it can subsequently be moved without being constrained).
See Also
Creating Constraints via SmartPick

Create Quick Constraints

You can create geometrical constraints quickly.

  1. Select the geometrical elements to be constrained.
  2. From the Sketch section of the action bar, click Geometrical Constraint .

    Based on the elements you selected, the most logical constraint type is displayed.



  3. Optional: Right-click the drawing, to display a context menu offering the other types of constraints available for the selected elements and choose one of them:

    • Parallelism

    • Perpendicularity

    • Coincidence

    For this scenario, we will select the offered constraint, that is parallelism.

  4. Click the drawing to accept the constraint offered.
    Both the lines are now constrained as parallel to each other.

  5. Modify the position of one of the lines, by moving one of its end points, for example.


    As you can see, the lines are constrained so as to remain parallel to each other, whatever the new position and/or length you assign to them.

Create Constraints Via a Dialog Box

You can create constraints easily via the dialog box. Such constraints can be created between similar elements. In other words, you can create constraints either between 2D elements, or between generated elements (not between a mix of these).

  1. Select the geometrical elements to be constrained.
  2. From the Sketch section of the action bar, click Constraint with Dialog Box .
    The Constraint Definition dialog box appears.
  3. In the Constraint Definition dialog box, select the Parallelism check box to specify that the selected lines should be parallel.

    You can preview the result.

    At this time, you can still select another option from the dialog box if you decide to apply another type of constraint.

  4. For the purpose of the scenario, click OK to validate.
    Both lines are now constrained as parallel to each other.
  5. Modify the position of one of the lines, by moving one of its end points, for example.


    As you can see, the lines are constrained so as to remain parallel to each other, whatever the new position and/or length you assign to them.