2013

Table Of Contents
With constraints, you can
Maintain design specifications and requirements by constraining the
geometry within a drawing
Apply multiple geometric constraints to objects instantly
Include formulas and equations within dimensional constraints
Make design changes quickly by changing the value of a variable
BEST PRACTICE It is recommended that you first apply geometric constraints to
determine the shape of a design, and then apply dimensional constraints to
determine the size of objects in a design.
Design Using Constraints
When you are creating or changing a design, a drawing will be in one of three
states:
Unconstrained. No constraints are applied to any geometry.
Underconstrained. Some constraints are applied to the geometry.
Fully constrained. All relevant geometric and dimensional constraints are
applied to the geometry. A fully constrained set of objects also needs to
include at least one Fix constraint to lock the location of the geometry.
Thus, there are two general methods for designing with constraints:
You can work in an underconstrained drawing and make changes as you
go, using a combination of editing commands, grips, and adding or
changing constraints.
You can create and fully constrain a drawing first, and then control the
design exclusively by relaxing and replacing geometric constraints, and
changing the values in dimensional constraints.
The method that you choose depends on your design practices and the
requirements of your discipline.
NOTE The program prevents you from applying any constraints that result in an
overconstrained condition.
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