2D Geometry 

The Interactive Drafting workbench enables you to create 2D geometry.

As 2D geometry commands work exactly as in the Sketcher workbench, this section of the documentation actually points to the Sketcher User's Guide. As such, the information detailed in this section is presented in a Sketcher context. You should note that the Sketcher User's Guide contains images that correspond to the Sketcher workbench and therefore illustrate geometry in an environment that is different from the Interactive Drafting environment (symbols, background color, for example).
 

Before you begin creating 2D geometry

Before you begin creating 2D geometry, make sure you are familiar with such concepts as:

  Remember the following points:
  • Construction elements contained in 2D geometry are displayed only in the active view.
  • In order to help ensure that 2D geometry is not altered once it has been created, geometry edition is only allowed in the active view. Therefore, if you want to edit or move 2D geometry, you need to activate the view which contains the geometry. You can prevent 2D geometry from being inopportunely moved (and distorted) in active views by unselecting Prevent direct manipulation from Tools > Options > Mechanical Design > Drafting > Geometry tab.  
  • You can create as many 2D geometry elements of a given type as needed by double-clicking the appropriate icon (instead of single-clicking it).
  • While creating 2D geometry, you can create detected constraints automatically by activating the Create Detected Constraints icon in the Tools toolbar. You can view the created constraints by activating the Show Constraints icon in Visualization toolbar.
     

    In this case, note that if you create 2D geometrical elements with a common point, no constraint will be detected for this construction point, as it is unique. For example, say you create a circle and a line starting from the circle center as shown in the example below, the circle center point and the line end point is actually a single point. This is why no coincidence constraint will be created.

     
     

    No coincidence constraint on common point

    Coincidence constraint as there is no common point

 

 Create a point: Use the Tools Palette or click the point horizontal and vertical coordinates.

Create a point using coordinates: Enter in the Point Definition dialog box cartesian or polar coordinates.

Create an equidistant point: Enter in the Equidistant Point Definition dialog box the number and spacing of the points to be equidistantly created on a line or a curve-type element.

Create a point using intersection: Create one or more points by intersecting curve type elements via selection.

Create a point using projection: Create one or more points by projecting points onto curve type elements.

Create a line: Use the Tools Palette or click the line first and second points.

Create an infinite line: Use the Profile toolbar or click the infinite line first and second points.

Create a bi-tangent line: Click two elements one after the other to create a line that is tangent to these two elements.

Create a bisecting line: Click two lines.
Create a line normal to a curve: Click a point and then the curve.

Create a circle: Use the Tools Palette or click to define the circle center and then one point on the circle.

Create a three point circle: Use the Tools Palette or click to define the circle start point, second point and end point one after the other.

Create a circle using coordinates: Use the Circle Definition dialog box to define the circle center point and radius.

Create a tri-tangent circle: Click three elements one after the other to create a circle made of three tangent constraints.

Create an arc: Use the Tools Palette or click to define the arc center and then the arc start point and end point.

Create a three point arc: Use the Tools Palette or click to define the arc start point, end point and second point one after the other.

Create a three point arc with limits: Use the Tools Palette or click to define the arc start point, end point and second point one after the other.

Create an ellipse: Use the Tools Palette or click to define the ellipse center, major semi-axis and minor semi-axis endpoints one after the other.

Create a profile: Use the Tools Palette or click to define lines and arcs which the profile may be made of.

Create a rectangle: Use the Tools Palette or click the rectangle extremity points one after the other.

Create an oriented rectangle: Use the Tools Palette or click to define a first side for the rectangle and then a point corresponding to the rectangle length.

Create a parallelogram: Use the Tools Palette or click to define a first side for the parallelogram and then a point corresponding to the parallelogram length.

Create an elongated hole: Use the Tools Palette or click to define the center to center axis and then a point corresponding to the curved oblong profile length and angle.

Create a cylindrical elongated hole: Use the Tools Palette or click to define the center to center circular axis and then a point corresponding to the curved oblong profile length and angle.

Create a keyhole profile: Use the Tools Palette or click to define the center to center axis and then both points corresponding to both radii.

Create an hexagon: Use the Tools Palette or click to define the hexagon center and dimension.
Create centered rectangles: Use the Tools palette to define the rectangle center and dimensions.
Create centered parallelograms: Use the Tools palette to define a first side for the parallelogram and then a point corresponding to its length.

Create a spline: Click the points through which the spline will go.

Connect elements: Click the points through which the spline will go.

Create a parabola by focus: Click the focus, apex and then the parabola two extremity points.

Create a hyperbola by focus: Click the focus, center and apex, and then the hyperbola two extremity points.

Create a conic: Click the desired points and eccentricity for creating an ellipse, a circle, a parabola or a hyperbola, using tangents, if needed.