Working with Sketch Constraints

You can view, add, edit, and delete sketch constraints.

This task shows you how to:

View Constraints

You can view constraints that have been added to sketch entities.

In the active sketch, select one or more sketch entities.
Icons indicate the constraints affecting the selected entities.

For more information, see Types of Sketch Constraints.

Tip: You can drag the sketch entities to examine the effects of the constraints on the degrees of freedom of the entities.

Add Constraints Automatically

As you sketch, the app can automatically add constraints. Look for pointer feedback to indicate automatic constraints.

Context:

  • As you sketch lines:
    1. The pointer indicates, with an H or a V, when the line is horizontal or vertical.

    2. Click to complete the line and add the constraint.

  • As you sketch any entity:

    Move the pointer over another entity and click to automatically create constraints between the two entities.

In this example, you create tangent circles. The app automatically adds the tangent constraint.

  1. From the Sketch section of the action bar, click Center Circle and sketch a circle.


  2. Create a second circle tangent to the first:
    1. Click to place the center point of the second circle, and then move the pointer to the edge of the first circle.
      The pointer feedback indicates when you can click to add the constraint.

    2. Click to place the edge of the second circle.
    3. Press Esc.
  3. Select either circle.
    The sketch constraint icons indicate a tangent constraint between the two circles.

Add Constraints Manually

You can add sketch constraints manually between existing sketch entities and objects.

Context: In this example, you add a perpendicular constraint between two lines.

  1. In the active sketch, Ctrl + select the entities to which you want to add a constraint.

    The context toolbar shows only constraints that are possible for the selected sketch entities.
  2. On the context toolbar, click a constraint.



    The sketch entities move to satisfy the constraint. Icons indicate the constraint type.

Edit Constraints

You can edit sketch constraints to change which sketch entities they reference.

Context: In this example, the line is tangent to the circle on the left. Instead, you want it to be tangent to the circle on the right, so you edit the constraint.

  1. In the active sketch, select a sketch entity involved in the constraint you want to edit.
    Icons appear for the constraints affecting the selected entity.

  2. Click a constraint icon and, from the context toolbar, click Edit Constraint .


  3. In the dialog box, click beside the circle reference to remove it.
  4. In the 3D area, select the edge of the other circle to replace the reference you removed.
    The line becomes tangent to the circle on the right.

  5. Click OK.

Deactivate Constraints

You can suppress sketch constraints to make them less visible in your 3D area.

  1. In the active sketch, select a sketch entity involved in the constraint you want to edit.

    In the following example, a line is tangent to a circle and they have Coincident and Tangent constraints between them.



  2. Click a one of the constraint icons and select Deactivate from the context toolbar menu.


  3. Click in the work area to notice that the deactivated constraint appears gray.
    The deactivated constraint becomes gray rather than black.

  4. Optional: To unsuppress the restraint, click the suppressed constraint and select Activate from the context toolbar menu.

Delete Constraints

You can delete unwanted sketch constraints by selecting the icon for the unwanted constraint and pressing Delete.

In this example, a circle is tangent to a line and coincident with the line's endpoint. You want to delete the coincident constraint.

  1. Select a sketch entity involved in the constraint you want to delete.
    Icons indicate the constraints affecting the selected entity.

  2. Select the icon for the coincident constraint.


  3. Press Delete.
    The coincident restraint is removed.

    The circle remains tangent to the line, but is now free to move along the line.