Getting started

When a new design is created, the default view is isometric. Drawing shapes in isometric may be difficult in some cases. It may be more convenient to view onto the workplane by pressing Shift + w on the keyboard.

Before attempting to create any drawing objects, a sketch must be selected.

The following instructions assume that the Design toolbar is visible.

To turn the design toolbar on:

• select Toolbars from the view menu
• select Design from the list

Lines

To draw a line:

• select the line tool
• move the pointer to the starting point of the line
• click and hold down the left mouse button
• drag pointer to the other end of the line
• release the mouse button

Horizontal and vertical lines

To draw horizontal or vertical lines:

• follow the instructions above but:
  • hold down the Shift key after the mouse is clicked
  • release the Shift key after the mouse button has been released

   

Click here to see how to move and edit a line

Rectangles

To draw a rectangle:

• select the rectangle tool
• move the pointer to the starting point of the rectangle
• click and hold down the left mouse button
• drag pointer to the other corner of the rectangle
• release the mouse button

Squares

To draw a square:

• follow the above instructions but:
  • hold down the Shift key after the mouse is clicked
  • release the Shift key after the mouse button has been released

   

Click here to see how to move and edit an square

Circles

To draw a circle:

• select the circle tool
• move the pointer to the centre of the circle
• click and hold down the left mouse button
• drag pointer away from the centre until the desired radius is reached
• release the mouse button

Click here to see how to move and edit a circle

Ellipses

To draw an ellipse:

• select the ellipse tool
• move the pointer to the centre point of the ellipse
• click and hold down the left mouse button
• drag pointer away from the centre until the desired ellipse is drawn
• release the mouse button

Click here to see how to move and edit an ellipse

Arcs

Arcs are used to

• fillet intersecting lines and circles
• fillet lines and or circles that do not intersect
• change a line to an arc

To fillet intersecting lines:

• select the arc tool

• move the mouse pointer to the intersection of the lines - both lines turn blue

• click and hold down the left mouse button

• drag pointer away from the corner until the desired arc is drawn

• release the mouse button

To fillet lines and/or arc that do not meet

• select the line using the line select tool

• select the arc tool

• move the pointer over the circle to prehighlight it

  • NOTE circle turns light blue and pointer turns to

• click and hold down the left mouse button

• drag pointer away from the circle until the desired fillet is drawn

• release the mouse button

To convert line to arc:

• select the line to be converted to an arc

• select the arc tool

• move the pointer to the centre of the line

• click and drag to form the curve

Click here to see how to move and edit an arc

Spline

To draw a spline:

• select the spline tool

• move the pointer to the starting point of the spline

• click and hold down the left mouse button

• drag pointer away from the starting point until the second point on the spline is reached

• release the mouse button

• without moving the pointer click and hold the left mouse button again

• drag pointer away from the point until the next point on the spline is reached

• repeat the click and drag procedure until the desired spline is completed

Click here to see how to move and edit a spline

Trimming

Often it is necessary to remove the ends of lines or parts of circles, arcs and ellipses when they overlap.

To remove this excess we use the trim tool from the design toolbar.

To trim a shape:

• select the trim tool

• move the pointerover the part to be removed

• the section of line or circle will become prehighlighted and turn bright blue

• click the left mouse button to remove the prehighlighted section