Easy Problem - but I forgot how to do it

[Spurs]

I completely reformatted my hard drive and reloaded solidworks - so my previous settings are gone

I am trying to move a sketch - but it wont let me drag or move it using xy co-ordinates - i seem to remember something a long time ago about another system setting that needs to be set a certain way to allow this.

Can someone remind me what it is? The help file doesnt really help

Thanks

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

I can't think of an option which enables/disables the sketch from being moved.

Are you sure a sketch element(s) isn't constrained in some way?
Are you able to move the sketch if you delete all its dimensions and constraints?

 

[dsgnr1]

automatic solve?
tools, sketch settings, auto solve.

dsgnr1

 

[fcsuper]

Also, is this a 3D sketch or 2D?

Matt Lorono
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources
Co-moderator of Solidworks Yahoo! Group
and Mechnical.Engineering Yahoo! Group

 

[Spurs]

Its a 2D sketch.

I am currently set as follows:
Automatica Relations on
Auto solve on
No Solve Move on

The sketch is not fully defined - all i want to do is move it in its entirety without it changing.

In my previous setup - whatever it was - I could highlight all of the elements of the sketch - right click on a arc, select move entities and then using the from/to control, pick the enter point of the arc and move it to a new positon - which takes the whole sketch with it.

Now with the above relations on, it distorts the arc.

 

[TheTick]

Draw two fixed perpendicular lines. Fully constrain the sketch with no external constraints or dimensions, using the perpendicular lines for datums. Then move the sketch by moving the datum lines.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Does any point of the sketch pass through the origin?

 

[handleman]

You can also select all entities, hold down the Ctrl button, and start to drag the sketch. Then, before you let up the mouse button, let up the Ctrl button. The entire sketch will move.

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

handleman,

That's a great idea. If any constraints exist, a "Moved entities have constraints which involve other entities. Would you like to delete these constraints?" option is offered. That option is not offered with the regular Move Entities function.

 

[ctopher]

Try:
Tools/Sketch tools/move
Move from/to by picking x/y or point to point.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated Jul 13, 2008)

 

[Spurs]

OK I have solved my own problem.

What I was doing was opening up a DXF file of a series of circular arcs which formed a closed sketch.

I then copied all of the entities and pasted it onto the sketch plane for the actual part I wanted to use this profile in.

When you cut and paste - for some reason - which I have never been able to figure out - the entire sketch shifts (as a whole) off of the orign in the original dxf file. So what I have been doing for years now is to simple move the sketch back onto the orign using the move command.

What I didnt realize until now was that during the move command, I had to uncheck the "keep relations" box below the entities to move box. I guess your system just always remembers that you dont check it and i never thought about it.

Now I can move the sketch as a complete entity without changing.

Can anyone explain why when I copy the entities from one sketch and then paste it onto another sketch plane that it shifts off of the origin?

Thanks




)
What I had was a series of circular arcs that formed a closed sketch. Some of the circular arcs should be centered on the orign

What I have is a series of circular arcs that came from a dxf file. They do not have relations fixed in the sketch, but they do form a continuous closed sketch which i can extrude into a 3D.

In the previous setup, I had no problem moving these arcs together as a single unit. Some of the arcs center on the origin so I usually just move the sketch so the center of those arc lie on the origin.

But - it still wont let me do it anymore in the new setup!

For some reason if i draw another circular arc into that same sketch - i can move it ok.

 

[ctopher]

Whenever I have to paste geometry from DXF, I fix the sketch and dimension it wherever it is placed first, then move it to the origin.
Otherwise, I will redraw from scratch to save the headache.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated Jul 13, 2008)

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Can anyone explain why when I copy the entities from one sketch and then paste it onto another sketch plane that it shifts off of the origin?

When you copy elements of a DXF sketch, I believe you'll find that the origin is translated as being the bottom left corner of the sheet it was drawn on. To get around that problem, turn the sketch into a block and then import the block. When creating a block, an insertion point is specified.

 

[TheTick]

Have you tried any of the 2D to 3D conversion tools?