Fully Define Sketch Text

[SPerman]

I've been using solidworks for years, and I thought that you couldn't fully define text in a sketch. I think I even asked on the old forum, and was told you had to explode it to make that happen. Today I stumbled across a video from Too Tall Toby, that solved the mystery.



My template file has the primary axis, and I typically have these visible at the part level. With the axis visible, I was unable to find the points Toby refers to, even using the filter. Once I made the axis invisible, the points were available.

[gupta9665]

As I prefer to fully define my sketch, I usually mate that point to the origin or to the sketch segment used to define the sketched text. But even than, many times I tend to ignore this extra step, and leave it underdefined as well.

[len_1962]

I've been using solidworks for years, and I thought that you couldn't fully define text in a sketch. I think I even asked on the old forum, and was told you had to explode it to make that happen. Today I stumbled across a video from Too Tall Toby, that solved the mystery.



My template file has the primary axis, and I typically have these visible at the part level. With the axis visible, I was unable to find the points Toby refers to, even using the filter. Once I made the axis invisible, the points were available.

Toby is awesome he and I worked together at the SW VAR here in AZ when he was just a young buck!
He has really excelled, winning model mania and VAR awards, once he left the last VAR he stated Too Tall and has helped many learn new tips and tricks.

One of my employees took his advanced class when he first offered, he loved it.

[Tera]

I was unable to find the points Toby refers to, even using the filter. Once I made the axis invisible, the points were available.

In my case, (SW2022 sp5), no matter the axis is visible or not, the point is created on the origin of the sketch, and doesn't move with mouse, as the video shows. I simply have to grab it, move it a little and then coincident it to the origin or somewhere else.
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[SPerman]

I'm sure back in 1996 there was a good reason to generate that point. 20 years later it just feels like another instance of sloppy programming that they've ignored for 20 years, so why put any energy into fixing it now.

[len_1962]

the point is just a locked down place holder, use this all the time for CAM setting work coordinate on the face to set my zero.

I dims on Text all the time to be able to tweak slew of it and want all of it to move at one time, I engrave or laser cut art work for personal projects.

[SPerman]

the point is just a locked down place holder, use this all the time for CAM setting work coordinate on the face to set my zero.

The problem is I (and I suspect many others) never knew the place holder was there.

[jcapriotti]

I'm sure back in 1996 there was a good reason to generate that point. 20 years later it just feels like another instance of sloppy programming that they've ignored for 20 years, so why put any energy into fixing it now.

I remember when it was added (1999?), and it was so needed as we used to draw the letters/numbers. The point was just a way to locate the text and fully define it.

Both Inventor and Solid Edge handle this much better. If I remember, SolidWorks added this first, then they just implemented it better, advantage of being first follower. The last time SolidWorks revisited the function was 2010 to enable linking text to custom properties. This would be an easy enhancement except it seems that the focus is on CloudWorks.

There should be several points, the one for each quadrant and the center.

[SPerman]

Nothing in the help references that point.

Sketch Text

[SPerman]

There should be several points, the one for each quadrant and the center.
image.png

I only see the one point, that defaults to the origin.

[AlexLachance]

I only see the one point, that defaults to the origin.
image.png

If I'm not mistaken, there was a construction line that came with the text originally that would be used to orientate the text. I think it was removed when they introduced the ability to make it follow a curve. and the point replaced it.

[jcapriotti]

I only see the one point, that defaults to the origin.
image.png

I meant that's how they should change it.....add boundary points/geometry that can be used to control the location.

[JSculley]

This isn't great advice. If you constrain the point to the origin, and then later delete the curve that the text is attached to, you will have a Sketch error (this is normal, anytime you delete the line). However, if you edit the sketch text to eliminate the rebuild error and don't choose a new line, the text will jump to the location of the point, which may be far away from the desired location. Better to keep the point near your text so it doesn't go flying off unexpectedly. Since you are attaching the text to a curve, it's safer to attach the point to the curve and add a dimension if necessary to fully pin it down.

[matt]

Dimensioning placement point was illustrated in my 2010 SW Bible. So this information has been out there for a while. Also putting the text on a curve and then dimensioning the curve or driving it parametrically is another option.

[TTevolve]

if I want to lock text into a specific location I always place it on a line or curve and then constrain the line/curve. The point is kind of out in space on letters or numbers that don't have a corner by the point (C, Y, V, Q, O).

[SPerman]

I want to make sure we are talking about the same thing. I always lock text in place by putting it on a curve. However, the sketch always had a "-" next to it because of the superfluous point that was undefined.

[TTevolve]

I want to make sure we are talking about the same thing. I always lock text in place by putting it on a curve. However, the sketch always had a "-" next to it because of the superfluous point that was undefined.

I believe you are correct, the sketch will never be fully constrained because of that point that just floats in space.

It does appear if you add dimensions or lock in that point the sketch can be fully defined.

[len_1962]

FYI you can also dissolve sketch text to geometry.
you can then trim it up and make it fixed
you can move it around, rotate and scale it 2 different ways
see 7 pics I did, I make alot of stuff to 3D printing, laser cutting and CNC engraving,.
being a model maker\prototyper someone always needs texted and have it tweaked, so between SW, CorelDraw, InkScape, Illustrator and LightBurn I can make some Cool stuff.