Creating Constraints via SmartPick

This task shows you how to detect, create and visualize constraints using SmartPick. In this scenario, you are going to create two constrained parallel lines.
SmartPick dynamically detects the following geometrical constraints:
  • support lines and circles
  • alignment
  • parallelism
  • perpendicularity
  • tangency
  • concentricity
  • horizontality
  • verticality
  • middle point

You can choose whether or not you want to create the constraints detected by SmartPick. To create the constraints, you can either:

  • select the Create detected and feature-based constraints check box in Tools > Options > Mechanical Design > Drafting > Geometry tab.
  • or activate Create Detected Constraints in the Tools toolbar.
Make sure Show Constraints (to visualize detected and created constraints) and Create Detected Constraints are active.

  1. Create a first line.

  2. Create a second line.
     

    SmartPick can be used to create certain elements on the drawing. More precisely, only the elements which the cursor last went over will be used to apply SmartPick constraints. In other words, you simply need to move the cursor over the element you want to use as reference for a constraint.

    No element is picked.
     

  3. To detect parallelism constraints, go over the line to be used as reference.
     

    As a result, a parallelism constraint is detected and created.
     
  • When a constraint is detected by SmartPick, you can temporarily:
    • deactivate this constraint by maintaining the Shift key pressed.
    • lock this constraint by maintaining the Ctrl key pressed.
  • In a Generative Drafting context, you cannot create geometrical constraints for extremities and circle centers.
Note that the command Smartpick on background does not detect FTA construction geometries.