Flip-O-Flip – Which side of the Plane!!

Sometimes while working you model like this.

But then you realize that you need something like this.

So you can quickly change the extrude direction and get the required result.

But wait, there is another option too and I call it Flip-O-Flip

Let’s try it.

1. Right click or click on the sketch you want to Flip. In this case my sketch is on Top plane.

2. Select any other plane from the list.

3. I’ve selected Front Plane.

4. The feature changes accordingly.

5. Now repeat edit sketch plane again on the same sketch.

6. Select the original sketch plane. In this case it was the Top plane.

7. Here is the result.

Projecting Sketch onto Sketch – The lofted way!!

It had been few weeks since I’ve put up any trick or tutorial. Joseph Huntley from Scale Model Design And Fabrication Services, L.L.C recently asked one question “SolidWorks Google group (SWCad)“ where he need to have an intermediate sketch on an intermediate plane between two parallel sketches.

Usually one may use Projecting Sketched Curves with Sketch on Sketch option. But what he needs was as below so this option failed.

So basically how to get this intermediate sketch. Here is the way:

1. The trick is to use loft (either surface or solid). I’ve used a surface loft because eof open geometry.

2. Select the first sketch as the profile.

3. Select the second sketch as profile.

4. Hit OK.

5. Here is the result of surface loft.

6. Now right click on the loft and select “Add Loft Section” option.

7. Select the option “Use selected plane” in feature property manager and select the intermediate plane.

8. Hit OK

9. An extra sketch (a spline) will be added at the selected plane.

10. You can delete surface loft feature if required.

11. Here is final result after deleting surface loft feature.

Editing Sketch Polygon

Quick way to change number of sides in a sketched Polygon instead of deleting and recreating.

The game begins. Target is to change 6 sided polygon to 5 sided without deleting anything or recreating a new polygon from scratch.

Let’s become magician again.

1. Click on any entity (line) on the polygon sketch.



2. The line property manager will appear.



3. Right click on Patterned0 (or what ever pattern number is there) and select “Edit Polygon“



4. Polygon Property manager will appear.



5. Change the number to sides to 5 or what ever you want.



6. Click on OK to close the command.

Result is a 5 sided Polygon.

Linking Dimensions (values) – 2

Continued from part one, this post discuses the second method i.e. “Shared/Link Values method”

Shared/Link Values:

When dimensions are linked in this way, any member of the group can be used as a driving dimension. Changing any one of the linked values changes all others to which it is linked.

The variable name you specify becomes the name of the linked dimensions.

How to use Share/Link values to link two dimensions:

1. Start a new part and start a sketch on any of the plane. Draw a rectangle with any size.
2. Start dimensioning and give dimension of any one of the side but don’t click OK.
3. Click on arrow next to dimension and from the list select “Link Value”
4. Next you’ll see “Shared Values” window.
5. Give a variable name in the box (I have used W as variable name) and click OK to come out of the shared values window.
6. Click OK and come out of this window. Now you can see a link symbol in front of the dimension indicating that this is a linked dimension.
7. Now dimension the other side, click on the arrow in the dimension value modify box and select Link Value.
8. In the “Shared Values” window, click on the arrow and you can see W in the list.
9. If we want to keep both the values same, select the W from list else write a new variable (in case you want to link this dimension to a different one). As I’m linking both of them to each other, I have selected W. Notice the change of value.
10. Click OK and come out. You’ll see the similar link symbol as it is there in front of other dimension.
11. Change any of the dimension value and see the effect on the second one.

This was really a very example of using/creating linking dimension value. And similarly you can create many linked dimensions with different variable name and values.

Linking Dimensions (values)–1

As the post name suggested, here we will discuss on ways you can link two or more dimensions. The basic idea is make dimensions depend on each other and helps in quick updation of the dimension value.

The two ways via which dimensions can be linked are:

1. Using Equations
2. Shared/Link Values

Both the methods can be used in parts as well as assemblies.

Using Equations:

When dimensions are linked in this way, one member of the group is a driving dimension and second or others are driven dimension(s). Changing the value of driving dimension will change all others driven dimensions as per the equation has been set.

I have used a very basic sketch (rectangle) to explain the methods of using equations and link values.

How to use equations to link two dimensions:

1. Start a new part and start a sketch on any of the plane. Draw a rectangle with any size.
2. Start dimensioning and give dimension of any one of the side.
3. Dimension the other side but don’t click on OK.
4. Click on arrow next to dimension and from the list select “Add equation.”
5. You’ll see a add equation window pop up with the current dimension there (“D2@Sketch1” in this case) with = sign.
6. Now select the dimension already created in step 2 above and you’ll see that is added after = sign in the add equation window (“D1@Sketch1” in this case).
7. Now the equation is “D2@Sketch1″ = “D1@Sketch1″ which means the value of “D2@Sketch1″ will be same as of “D1@Sketch1″ (1.000” in this case)
8. Now say I want “D2@Sketch1″ to be half of “D1@Sketch1″. Simply add /2 at the end of the equation. Now the equation will look like “D2@Sketch1″ = “D1@Sketch1″/2.



9. Click OK to come out of equation editor and you can see the equation listed in the equation window.
10. Click OK to come out of equation window. You can notice the equation symbol in front of the dimension indicating that this is a driven dimension.
11. Change the driving dimension value and see the change in the driven dimension value.

This was really a very example of using/creating equations. You can try lot of other settings, values, etc. in equations. And similarly you can create many equations.