I want to be sure that I'm using sketch techniques efficiently.
I'm making a sketch. In my part I have a rectangle in a landscape orientation. I want to sketch a rectangle right below it, with the original rectangles bottom edge coincident with the new rectangle's top edge. The new rectangle should have the same height as the old one, but a width that is one quarter of the original rectangle's width.
How do I accomplish this efficiently? (As few mouse clicks, no hard-coding numbers, etc.)
Also I'd like an answer for the case of 1/3 instead of 1/4 width. (Because 1/4 might be easy because it's a power of two.)
Dimension the first rectangle, then when you want to enter the dimension for the width of the second dimension, type = in the text box, then click on the width dimension of the first rectangle, then /4, then click OK. The screenshot shows just before clicking OK. That will set the width of the second rectangle as 1/4 of that of the first rectangle, and the dimension will update if the width of the first rectangle changes with later edits.
Cool. But I forgot to mention, I want the new rectangle's center to be vertically aligned with the old rectangle's center. How can I ensure that?
With relations. See the little box with the vertical lines near the center of each of my rectangles? That signifies that they have a vertical relationship. Ctrl+select them, then choose the appropriate relation from the Relations PropertyManager.
Another way would be to connect them with a vertical construction line.
Does this mean I have to manually create the diagonals and the point in the center? Because otherwise I don't see a point in the center.
Those rectangles were created with the Center Rectangle (click the drop-down on the Rectangle icon on the Sketch toolbar) tool. When that function is activated, you first click to place the center of the rectangle, then drag out to drop a corner. The crossed construction lines and the centerpoint are automatically placed.
I use that rectangle tool most of the time. Dropping the center on the origin or another sketch point helps keep things symmetric, and I like symmetric.
I created a rectangle using the other ways (Selecting three vertices I think.) That's because the center point wasn't any snap point. So I have to create the diagonals and center point manually?
There is any number of ways to do it.
Thanks!
**Edit** Beat me to it Glenn
Ctrl click the center of each of the rectangles and then add a vertical relation or you can just add a centerline connecting the two.
Chris
Dimension the first rectangle, then when you want to enter the dimension for the width of the second dimension, type = in the text box, then click on the width dimension of the first rectangle, then /4, then click OK. The screenshot shows just before clicking OK. That will set the width of the second rectangle as 1/4 of that of the first rectangle, and the dimension will update if the width of the first rectangle changes with later edits.