Creating angled reference planes
Creating angled reference planes
(OP)
Hi, wondering if anyone can help me. I cannot work out how to create an angled reference plane (when the angle is not known).
If I have two parallel ref planes, and another two ref planes intersecting them at 90° which are also parallel with each other, I can create four separate parallel ref axis where those four planes intersect.
My question is: how do I then create another ref plane which joins two of those ref axis which are at an unknown angle from each other? None of the ref plane creation options seems to enable you to create a plane between two parallel ref axis.
Sorry if my explaination is confusing.
If I have two parallel ref planes, and another two ref planes intersecting them at 90° which are also parallel with each other, I can create four separate parallel ref axis where those four planes intersect.
My question is: how do I then create another ref plane which joins two of those ref axis which are at an unknown angle from each other? None of the ref plane creation options seems to enable you to create a plane between two parallel ref axis.
Sorry if my explaination is confusing.






RE: Creating angled reference planes
Select the first parallel Plane you want to bridge with an angled Ref Plane, create a sketch on it and draw a line where you want the plane to intersect (this can also be at an angle), then exit the sketch. Now create a sketch on the other parallel plane and insert a point where you want the Ref Plane to intersect and exit the sketch. Finally Ctrl Select both the line and the point before selecting insert Reference Plane and yiu will get the plane passing through the Line and Point. The individual sketches can now be edited for position if required and the plane will follow.
I hope this helps.
Trevor Clarke. (R & D) Scientific Instruments.Somerset. UK
SW2007x64 SP3.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 4Gb Ram ATI FireGL V7100 Driver: 8.323.0.0
SW2007x32 SP4.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 2Gb Ram NVIDIA Quadro FX 500 Driver: 6.14.10.7756
RE: Creating angled reference planes
Just add some sketches to your planes which are collinear to the axis you already have then you will be able to add a plane. This plane will us the "Throught Lines/Points" settings and will pass through the axis you need.
John H. Dunten, CD
Certified Drafter
RE: Creating angled reference planes
Timelord
RE: Creating angled reference planes
It does seem a bit strange to me that there is no option to link two parallel reference axis with a reference plane...
RE: Creating angled reference planes
In the case of 2 parallel axes, the plane that results from placing a point on one of the axes is identical regardless of the location of the point. With 2 non-parallel axes, the definition of the plane changes as the location of the point changes.
If Solidworks allowed you to define a plane through 2 parallel axes, what would happen if the definition of one of the axes changed such that it was no longer parallel with the other? My guess is a software crash...
RE: Creating angled reference planes
Exactly! To use SW terminology, the use of two parallel axes would "over define" the Plane and it could easily become "unsolvable" and leave you staring at the hourglass.
Trevor Clarke. (R & D) Scientific Instruments.Somerset. UK
SW2007x64 SP3.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 4Gb Ram ATI FireGL V7100 Driver: 8.323.0.0
SW2007x32 SP4.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 2Gb Ram NVIDIA Quadro FX 500 Driver: 6.14.10.7756
RE: Creating angled reference planes
-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)
RE: Creating angled reference planes
Or you can do a plane through one axis at an angle to a planr and derive the angle by
ANG = atan(A/B) where A is the Spacing between the first set of parallel planes and B is the distance between the others perpendicular to the first.
Michael