Define sketch orientation

sergio.monti
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Define sketch orientation

Unread post by sergio.monti »

Hi all, I know this topic has been discussed before but I never found a good solution for it.
I would like to choose the orientation of the sketch on feature creation.
As you can see in the animation below, I have a part on which I want to create a cut and I want to keep the horizontal orientation for sketch but, due to the WCS orientation, it turns vertical.
Is there a way to define x-axis of sketch plane whatever the WCS is?
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Sketch orientation.gif
by matt » Thu Jul 15, 2021 12:38 pm
sergio.monti wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:29 am Hi all, I know this topic has been discussed before but I never found a good solution for it.
I would like to choose the orientation of the sketch on feature creation.
As you can see in the animation below, I have a part on which I want to create a cut and I want to keep the horizontal orientation for sketch but, due to the WCS orientation, it turns vertical.
Is there a way to define x-axis of sketch plane whatever the WCS is?
This is not Autocad, we don't have WCS. Geez. grumph >>>

Have you tried the Tools > Sketch Tools > Modify?

It's a little old and decrepit, but I think it might do what you are asking. No WCS, though.
image.png
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AlexLachance
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by AlexLachance »

sergio.monti wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:29 am Hi all, I know this topic has been discussed before but I never found a good solution for it.
I would like to choose the orientation of the sketch on feature creation.
As you can see in the animation below, I have a part on which I want to create a cut and I want to keep the horizontal orientation for sketch but, due to the WCS orientation, it turns vertical.
Is there a way to define x-axis of sketch plane whatever the WCS is?
You can definetly do this, all you need to do is update standard views, though I don't really recommend it all that much.
https://help.solidworks.com/2018/englis ... og_box.htm
image.png
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Andy
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by Andy »

Try this, in settings...

Image

Andy.
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zwei
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by zwei »

I dont think this is possible without changing the global coordinate...
I believe this is related to how SOLIDWORKS tread XYZ coordinate when you are sketching..

Just curious, why do you want to change the sketch orientation?
Far too many items in the world are designed, constructed and foisted upon us with no understanding-or even care-for how we will use them.
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matt
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by matt »

sergio.monti wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:29 am Hi all, I know this topic has been discussed before but I never found a good solution for it.
I would like to choose the orientation of the sketch on feature creation.
As you can see in the animation below, I have a part on which I want to create a cut and I want to keep the horizontal orientation for sketch but, due to the WCS orientation, it turns vertical.
Is there a way to define x-axis of sketch plane whatever the WCS is?
This is not Autocad, we don't have WCS. Geez. grumph >>>

Have you tried the Tools > Sketch Tools > Modify?

It's a little old and decrepit, but I think it might do what you are asking. No WCS, though.
image.png
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mike miller
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by mike miller »

matt wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 12:38 pm This is not Autocad, we don't have WCS. Geez. grumph >>>

Have you tried the Tools > Sketch Tools > Modify?

It's a little old and decrepit, but I think it might do what you are asking. No WCS, though.

image.png
This reminds me of the question: "How do I move the origin?" <()>


Now if you really want to make an ER suggestion, how about fixing the flipping problem? Anything from tangent arcs to tangent mates to angle mates to plane direction to dimensions. o[
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Andy
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by Andy »

I find it's easier to just learn and adapt, than fight the software! 🤣🤣🤣

Really, how much of an inconvenience is it having the "Auto-rotate the view to normal..." checked/unchecked and just getting on with it?
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SPerman
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by SPerman »

Whenever I create a sketch on the front (x-z) plane it insists on making Z down. Is there a fix for that? (2020 SP5)
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matt
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by matt »

SPerman wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 1:51 pm Whenever I create a sketch on the front (x-z) plane it insists on making Z down. Is there a fix for that? (2020 SP5)
Sketch on the other side of the plane.
sergio.monti
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by sergio.monti »

Andy wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 12:05 pm Try this, in settings...

Image

Andy.
It's not just visualization, hor-vert relations will still be stuck to sketch CS.
sergio.monti
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by sergio.monti »

matt wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 12:38 pm This is not Autocad, we don't have WCS. Geez. grumph >>>

Have you tried the Tools > Sketch Tools > Modify?

It's a little old and decrepit, but I think it might do what you are asking. No WCS, though.
I did't mean to refer to AutoCAD at all. I meant main coordinate system or whatever you want to call it :)

I found it, eventually, just above 'Modify', in Tools > Sketch Tools > Align (SW 2020 SP5.0)
image.png
image.png
That's exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks Matt
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SPerman
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by SPerman »

matt wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 5:52 pm Sketch on the other side of the plane.
That's what I do. I click on the front plane in the feature manager. Then click on Sketch in the command manager, and finally rotate the part 180 degrees. It's the need to rotate the part 180 degrees I am hoping to eliminate.
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matt
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by matt »

SPerman wrote: Sat Jul 17, 2021 10:38 am That's what I do. I click on the front plane in the feature manager. Then click on Sketch in the command manager, and finally rotate the part 180 degrees. It's the need to rotate the part 180 degrees I am hoping to eliminate.
Sorry, that should have been purple. You can't click on the other side of the plane, but there is a flip plane normal switch in the RMB menu that I think might do what you want.
Jim Steinmeyer
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by Jim Steinmeyer »

Dumb question, What is WCS? Is that the whole paper space / work space garbage that confused me back in autoCAD class 20 years ago?
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matt
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by matt »

Here is the Flip Plane Normal thing I was talking about. My sketch starts out like this:
image.png
But then I use the Flip Plane Normal thing, which is available from the RMB menu on the plane:
image.png
image.png (10.63 KiB) Viewed 2967 times
And that has this effect on the sketch, it essentially flips it 180 deg.
image.png
image.png (11.57 KiB) Viewed 2967 times
Uncle_Hairball
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by Uncle_Hairball »

Jim Steinmeyer wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 11:27 am Dumb question, What is WCS? Is that the whole paper space / work space garbage that confused me back in autoCAD class 20 years ago?
Weapon control system. Use it with a joystick to fly your helicopter.
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SPerman
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by SPerman »

Jim Steinmeyer wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 11:27 am Dumb question, What is WCS? Is that the whole paper space / work space garbage that confused me back in autoCAD class 20 years ago?
https://community.sw.siemens.com/s/arti ... tems-in-nx
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matt
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by matt »

Jim Steinmeyer wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 11:27 am Dumb question, What is WCS? Is that the whole paper space / work space garbage that confused me back in autoCAD class 20 years ago?
I think what he's referring to with WCS is World Coordinate System, as opposed to User Coordinate System, from Autocad.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad- ... -p/8028209
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Re: Define sketch orientation

Unread post by Jim Steinmeyer »

Thank you, I had AC in school then fortunately went straight to 3D in the workplace.
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