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Newcomer to Solidworks from Inventor

Newcomer to Solidworks from Inventor

Newcomer to Solidworks from Inventor

(OP)
I am a newcomer to SW.
I have a basic question which I couldn't really get an answer to on my basics course.
If I have a sketch of a rectangle for example. If one side is dimensioned at 2 inches (this would be D1@Sketch1) . Is it possible to make the other edge always be whatever the 1st dimension was +1 inch?
I hate to say it but in Inventor I could simply enter D1+1 for the second dimension and it would always solve as 1 inch more than D1.
So far I can only see global variables as the only way to do this. Can't it be done within a part file itself? I though i could type D1@Sketch1+1 as an equation but it doesn't seem to work.
I am not bashing SW, just trying to find workaround in my new cadland.

Thanks

RE: Newcomer to Solidworks from Inventor

What version of SW are you running? 2012 has basically the same functionality. Just type "=" instead of a value to start making an equation.

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)

RE: Newcomer to Solidworks from Inventor

Also, you can use it pretty much just like Excel. As handleman mentioned, type "=" first then just click the dimension you want to reference followed by your function.

RE: Newcomer to Solidworks from Inventor

(OP)
I'm running 2012.
Great, sounds like I am missing something.
So if the first side dimensions is D1@Sketch1, then all I have to type into the box on the second dimension is =D1@Sketch1+1 ?
Then if I change D1@Sketch1 from 2 inches to 4 inches, the 2nd dimension will go from 3 to 5?

RE: Newcomer to Solidworks from Inventor

(OP)
Apologies....OK, got that. I was typing in brackets, not ". All good there then.
Now can I use that dim as a reference in another seperate sketch?

RE: Newcomer to Solidworks from Inventor

Yes. Dimension the driving side first. When you dimension the slave side, type in an = sign, then click on the driving dimension then type +1 and hit your green check and you're done.

Jeff Mirisola
Director of Engineering
M9 Defense
My Blog

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