Datasheet

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Part I: Introducing SolidWorks Basics
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Brown: Dangling. The relation has lost track of the entity to which it was connected.
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Pink. The pink sketch status is no longer used.
There can be entities with different states within a single sketch. In addition, endpoints of lines can
have a different state than the rest of the sketched entity. For example, a line that is sketched horizon-
tally from the origin has a coincident at one endpoint to the origin, and the line itself is horizontal. As a
result, the line and first endpoint are black, but the other endpoint is underdefined because the length
of the line is not defined. Sketch states are indicated in the lower-right corner of the graphics window
and in the status bar. You can see that dragging one corner allows only the lines to move in certain
ways, as shown in Figure 1.23.
FIGURE 1.23
Sketch motion is becoming more constrained.
In addition to sketch relations, dimensions applied using the Smart Dimension tool are also part of
the parametric scheme. If you apply an angle dimension (by clicking the two angled lines with the
Smart Dimension tool) about the origin and try dragging again, as shown in Figure 1.24, you see that
the only aspect that is not locked down is the length of the sides. Notice also that when the angle
dimension is added, another line turns black.
FIGURE 1.24
Open degrees of freedom can be dragged.
Finally, adding length dimensions for the unequal sides completes the definition of the sketch, as
shown in Figure 1.25. At this point, all lines have turned black. This state is called “fully defined.”
Between the dimensions and sketch relations, there is enough information to re-create this sketch
exactly.
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