Designing a Drawing

You can create a drawing using 2D drawing functions, or complete a model drawing adding line elements. The drawing tools create geometric constraints automatically, when the 2D constraint manager is enabled. A parametric drawing is created. The drawing can be made more accurate by adding constraints for defining the relation between the elements and dimensioning the elements. If the 2D constraint manager is disabled you have to draw a drawing exactly right dimensions.

2D Constraint Manager

Drawing Tools

A drawing can be fully drawn by using 2D drawing tools, or a model drawing can be completed by adding line elements.

When the 2D constraint manager is enabled, start creating the sketch by drawing the necessary line elements. The drawing tools create geometric constraints automatically. We recommend drawing the lines in approximately the correct proportions. The exact length of a line or the radius of a circle, for example, has no significance in sketching a drawing. The exact size, direction and positioning of the elements in relation to each other can be determined using constraints.

The following element types are available for drawing:

• Polyline

Two Points Line
Open Polyline
Closed Polyline
Rounded Open Polyline
Closed Rounded Polyline
Rectangle
Regular Polygon

• Circle/Arc

Circle by Selecting a Center Point and Radius Point
Circle by Selecting Three Radius Points
Arc by Selecting a Center Point and Two Radius Points
Arc by Selecting Three Radius Points
Tangential Arc

• Ellipse

Open Ellipse
Closed Ellipse

• Curve

Open Curve
Closed Curve
Freehand Line

When drawing lines, the following functions can be used to edit the lines, for example:

• Offset Line
• Bevel
• Rounding
• Trimming Lines
• Mirror

Selecting Line Properties

After selecting the line function before selecting line points you can select line properties, which are color, layer, line width, scale and line type. You can select properties from the contextual toolbar or by selecting the Properties function.

• Line Properties
• Selecting Line Properties

You can edit the line properties after drawing a line. Select a line and the Properties function.

Editing Lines in a Drawing

The following functions can be used to edit the elements in a drawing:

• Copy, cut, paste, delete
• Undo, redo
• Stretching and moving a line from a handle
• Adding and deleting line point

When an element has a geometric constraint, it cannot be modified by its handles. Lines can be edited by editing geometric constraints.

Adding Constraints to a Drawing

Geometric constraints are defined for the elements in a drawing in order to enable the editing of the drawing using dimension constraints. The available constraints for the elements include dimensions and geometric constraints like parallel, tangential, concentric, etc. The constraints can be used to control the size, direction and position of the elements in relation to each other. The 2D Constraint Manager must be enabled.

Selecting an Element
Element Handles
Adding Constraints in a Drawing