Sketcher overview

Sketches define 2D profiles that features such as extrude, revolve, sweep, loft, rib, and wrap sketch can consume. A sketch is stored in the IR as entities plus constraints on a plane; bodies are generated later by the OCCT kernels.

Planes

The sketch wizard can place a sketch on XY (top), XZ (front), or YZ (right). The IR also supports datum planes and face-based sketch planes; when a feature or assistant creates those references, the kernel resolves the plane during regeneration.

Entities

The sketcher supports line, arc, circle, rectangle, polygon, ellipse, spline, slot, trim, offset, sketch fillet, sketch chamfer, and mirror tools. The inline sketch form can quickly author rectangle, circle, polygon, and parametric-curve profiles. The Open 2D editor button opens the canvas editor for mixed entities and direct point placement.

Constraints and dimensions

Constraints describe design intent: coincident endpoints, parallel or perpendicular lines, equal sizes, horizontal and vertical alignment, tangent curves, concentric circles, and more. Dimensions are constraints with numeric values. They can be literal millimetres or formulas that reference document variables.

Use D in the sketcher for the dimension tool. Construction geometry is available with C, and selected geometry can toggle construction mode with ⇧ C.

From sketch to feature

Closed profiles can become solid features. Extrude creates a prism from a sketch; revolve turns a profile around an axis; sweep follows a path; loft blends between profiles. Open curves are useful for reference curves and paths, but body-producing features usually need closed profiles.