The standard square I draw in sketchs has these centerlines in them. How do I turn them off?
Rob Edwards Dec 14, 2018 4:25 PM
Correct Answer
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The standard square I draw in sketchs has these centerlines in them. How do I turn them off?
Using the Center Rectangle sketch element on the sketch toolbar does this by default. You can delete them or use one of the other rectangle tools - corner rectangle or 3 point rectangle.
Rob,
Right, you can turn them on for the other types, but you can't turn off the construction lines from the center rectangle.
Sure, I don't see that Steven mentioned center rectangle.. he referred to standard?
We got all bases covered between us
Yeah, but the center rectangle is the only way to get those lines by default. The other types of rectangles don't make the lines by default, you'd have to actively turn them on. So to do it some way other than a center rectangle, he'd have to know about the setting already, or I guess he could be working on someone else's model...
I think that you both have valid points and I can see how both of your answers address the original question. In my point of view the title of the original questions points to Rob's answer, but the question after the image of the rectangle with the centerlines points me to Matt's answer. So, you are both right depending on what part of the post sticks in your head. It could be easy to miss the question after the image.
Rob Edwards wrote:
Rob
Damn, why did I never see that! Many thanks.
Well, except the construction lines span the enter rectangle, so there's still that pesky point in the middle that can do a gotcha when you use Hole Wizard. My preferred method has two construction lines that span half the rectangle. No need for a point. I guess I'll have to continue making DIY rectangles.
Dwight
yep.. that pesky point!
I never use them out the box for same reason.
My preferred Rectangle is a single vertical construction line. (I use the mid point and my models generally have just that axis of symetry)
and then a perpendicular relation to the btm.
the two dimensions width and height finish the job.
This is a very geeky conversation... I like it ha!
Now that you can hover over a line midpoint and select it to create external midpoint relations, the pesky point is no longer needed at all. Unfortunately, once Solidworks creates a pesky feature, it remains perpetually pesky into perpetuity.
If you use a stand-alone sketch to drive Hole Wizard features then that point at the center won't be a problem. I've been doing it for years.
Glenn Schroeder wrote:
If you use a stand-alone sketch to drive Hole Wizard features then that point at the center won't be a problem. I've been doing it for years.
Glenn,
Other than what you said above, what is the benefit of using a separate, stand-alone sketch for a hole wizard hole?
I have a colleague here who always does, but he can't give me a reason why, other than that he always has done.
I'm intrigued.
John
The reason I gave there is a big one since when I use the Hole Wizard it's almost always in a rectangular pattern, and often centered on the origin, but I also just like having the sketch above the feature to allow for easy edits.
When I go to the second page of the Hole Wizard property manager, of course the Point feature is active by default. If I'm going to use only the points, it's a hassle to fully define their positions. If I have a stand-alone sketch all I have to do is start dropping the points coincident with points in the driving sketch, and those points are fully defined. I know I could exit out of the point feature and add the construction lines, rectangle, etc inside the feature, but it just seems simpler to me to have the stand-alone sketch.
I know some people are hung up on keeping the tree as short as possible, but I rarely have Parts with long feature trees, so I don't mind having the extra feature.
What I don't understand is why SW won't fix the Hole Wizard to where you can pre-select an existing sketch to use as the HW sketch. This would match the workflow with all other features, and you wouldn't need that extra step of creating the second sketch. This would also allow you to run macros while creating the HW sketch, which can be helpful as well.
Josh Brady wrote:
What I don't understand is why SW won't fix the Hole Wizard to where you can pre-select an existing sketch to use as the HW sketch. This would match the workflow with all other features, and you wouldn't need that extra step of creating the second sketch. This would also allow you to run macros while creating the HW sketch, which can be helpful as well.
I'm just speculating, but maybe it's because the HW feature uses only sketch points to drive the feature?
Glenn Schroeder wrote:
I'm just speculating, but maybe it's because the HW feature uses only sketch points to drive the feature?
There's nothing special about the sketch itself... SW just drops holes in wherever a sketch point exists in the sketch. You can
-Create a hole wizard feature with a single hole, sketch completely unconstrained
-Exit the hole wizard,
-Select the sketch in the feature tree,
-Edit that sketch and add whatever the heck you want - more sketch points, construction lines, regular lines, squiggles, relations, etc.
-Exit the sketch
SolidWorks will add holes everywhere you dropped a sketch point. I've never seen an instance where I directly edited that sketch with any adverse effects. So why can't I just pre-sketch that sketch and then tell SW to use it as the HW sketch?
Josh Brady wrote:
What I don't understand is why SW won't fix the Hole Wizard to where you can pre-select an existing sketch to use as the HW sketch. This would match the workflow with all other features, and you wouldn't need that extra step of creating the second sketch. This would also allow you to run macros while creating the HW sketch, which can be helpful as well.
That is a good point, Josh.
I thought, too late, that a good idea for the top ten list would be to make the UI consistently allow Object-Action workflows in addition to Action-Object. What I mean by Object-Action is first select an Object, e.g. a sketch, a plane, or whatever and then select an Action, such as Hole Wizard Hole, Extruded Boss, Revolve, etc.
It seems inconsistent currently, sometimes you can do either/or, but other times only Action-Object is allowed.
Ah! Well, maybe next year...
John
Josh Brady wrote:
What I don't understand is why SW won't fix the Hole Wizard to where you can pre-select an existing sketch to use as the HW sketch. This would match the workflow with all other features, and you wouldn't need that extra step of creating the second sketch. This would also allow you to run macros while creating the HW sketch, which can be helpful as well.
What Josh said...Yes!
I'm guessing one reason is because HW uses Sketch Points, yet converting entities ignores them
You can have everything, but that takes more work. You delete the diagonals, add hor/vert relations from the center to the sides to the center point.
