Template:Sketcher Tools

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Sketcher Geometries

These are tools for creating objects.

• Point: Draws a point.
• Line by 2 point: Draws a line segment from 2 points.
• Arc: Draws an arc segment from center, radius, start angle and end angle.
• Arc by 3 Point: Draws an arc segment from two endpoints and another point on the circumference.
• Circle: Draws a circle from center and radius.
• Circle by 3 Point : Draws a circle from three points on the circumference.
• Create a conic:
  • Ellipse by center : Draws an ellipse by center point, major radius point and minor radius point. (v0.15)
  • Ellipse by 3 points : Draws an ellipse by major diameter (2 points) and minor radius point. (v0.15)
  • Arc of ellipse : Draws an arc of ellipse by center point, major radius point, starting point and ending point. (v0.15)
  • Arc of hyperbola: Draws an arc of hyperbola. (v0.17)
  • Arc of parabola: Draws an arc of parabola. (v0.17)
• Polyline (multiple-point line): Draws a line made of multiple line segments. Pressing the M key while drawing a Polyline toggles between the different polyline modes.
• Rectangle: Draws a rectangle from 2 opposite points.
• Triangle: Draws a regular triangle inscribed in a construction geometry circle. (v0.15)
• Square: Draws a regular square inscribed in a construction geometry circle. (v0.15)
• Pentagon: Draws a regular pentagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle. (v0.15)
• Hexagon: Draws a regular hexagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle. (v0.15)
• Heptagon: Draws a regular heptagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle. (v0.15)
• Octagon: Draws a regular octagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle. (v0.15)
• Slot: Draws an oval by selecting the center of one semicircle and an endpoint of the other semicircle.
• Fillet: Makes a fillet between two lines joined at one point. Select both lines or click on the corner point, then activate the tool.
• Trimming: Trims a line, circle or arc with respect to the clicked point.
• External Geometry: Creates an edge linked to external geometry.
• Construction Mode: A construction object will be shown in blue and will not be used in a 3D geometry operation. It is only visible while editing the Sketch that contains it. Selecting existing Sketcher geometry and then clicking this tool toggles that geometry between regular and construction mode. Selecting this tool when no Sketcher geometry is selected changes the mode (regular vs. construction) in which future objects will be created.

Sketcher Constraints

Constraints are used to define lengths, set rules between sketch elements, and to lock the sketch along the vertical and horizontal axes. Some constraints require the Helper constraints

Not associated with numeric data

• Coincident: Affixes a point onto (coincident with) one or more other points.
• Point On Object: Affixes a point onto another object such as a line, arc, or axis.
• Vertical: Constrains the selected lines or polyline elements to a true vertical orientation. More than one object can be selected before applying this constraint.
• Horizontal: Constrains the selected lines or polyline elements to a true horizontal orientation. More than one object can be selected before applying this constraint.
• Parallel: Constrains two or more lines parallel to one another.
• Perpendicular: Constrains two lines perpendicular to one another, or constrains a line perpendicular to an arc endpoint.
• Tangent: Creates a tangent constraint between two selected entities, or a co-linear constraint between two line segments. A line segment does not have to lie directly on an arc or circle to be constrained tangent to that arc or circle.
• Equal Length: Constrains two selected entities equal to one another. If used on circles or arcs their radii will be set equal.
• Symmetric: Constrains two points symmetrically about a line, or constrains the first two selected points symmetrically about a third selected point.
• Constrain Block: v0.17 and above Basically allows to block a geometric element in place with a single constraint. It should be particularly useful to work with B-Splines. See the Block Constraint forum topic.

Associated with numeric data

For these constraints you can use the expressions. The data may be taken from a spreadsheet.

• Lock: Constrains the selected item by setting vertical and horizontal distances relative to the origin, thereby locking the location of that item. These constraint distances can be edited later.
• Horizontal Distance: Fixes the horizontal distance between two points or line endpoints. If only one item is selected, the distance is set to the origin.
• Vertical Distance: Fixes the vertical distance between 2 points or line endpoints. If only one item is selected, the distance is set to the origin.
• Distance: Defines the distance of a selected line by constraining its length, or defines the distance between two points by constraining the distance between them.
• Radius: Defines the radius of a selected arc or circle by constraining the radius.
• Internal Angle: Defines the internal angle between two selected lines.
• Snell's Law: Constrains two lines to obey a refraction law to simulate the light going through an interface. (v 0.15)
• Internal Alignment: Aligns selected elements to selected shape (e.g. a line to become major axis of an ellipse).

• Toggle Constraint: Toggles the toolbar or the selected constraints to/from reference mode. v0.16

Other

• New sketch: Creates‎ a new sketch on a selected face or plane. If no face is selected while this tool is executed the user is prompted to select a plane from a pop-up window.

• Edit sketch: Edit the selected Sketch.

• Leave sketch: Leave the Sketch editing mode.

• View sketch: Sets the model view perpendicular to the sketch plane.

• View section: Creates a section plane that temporarily hides any matter in front of the sketch plane. available in version 0.18

• Map sketch to face: Maps a sketch to the previously selected face of a solid.

• Reorient sketch : Allows you to change the position of a sketch

• Validate sketch: It allows you to check if there are in the tolerance of different points and to match them.

• Merge sketches: Merge two or more sketches. [v 0.15]

• Mirror sketch: Mirror a sketch along the x-axis, the y-axis or the origin [v 0.16]

• Close Shape: Creates a closed shape by applying coincident constraints to endpoints [v 0.15]

• Connect Edges: Connect sketcher elements by applying coincident constraints to endpoints [v 0.15]

• Select Constraints: Selects the constraints of a sketcher element [v 0.15]

• Select Origin: Selects the origin of a sketch [v 0.15]

• Select Vertical Axis: Selects the vertical axis of a sketch [v 0.15]

• Select Horizontal Axis: Selects the horizontal axis of a sketch [v 0.15]

• Select Redundant Constraints: Selects redundant constraints of a sketch [v 0.15]

• Select Conflicting Constraints: Selects conflicting constraints of a sketch [v 0.15]

• Select Elements Associated with constraints: Select sketcher elements associated with constraints [v 0.15]

• Show/Hide internal geometry: Recreates missing/deletes unneeded geometry aligned to internal geometry of a selected element (applicable only to ellipse so far). [v 0.15]

• Symmetry: Copies a sketcher element symmetrical to a chosen line [v 0.16]

• Clone: Clones a sketcher element [v 0.16]

• Copy: Copies a sketcher element [v 0.16]

• Rectangular Array: Creates an array of selected sketcher elements [v 0.16]

• Switch Virtual Space: v 0.17 Allows you to "hide" constraints and make them visible again. See https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=26614

Preferences

• Preferences...: Preferences disposable in Sketcher Tools.