ST8: Sketching Enhancements

Sometimes it is the simplest things that will wind up saving you the most time because you spend more time doing them. If you can shave off just a couple of seconds from repetitive tasks, that one improved task will save you time worth having by the end of the day.

ST8 has enhanced some sketching functions that save time and add options to your daily tasks. Let’s take a look at 3 of these enhancements: Symmetric Line, Polygon by Midpoint and by Vertex, and the new Include command in the ordered environment.

Include Command

In ST8, the Include command in the ordered environment has been renamed to Project to Sketch. This gives it the same name and the same options dialog as its synchronous counterpart. Consistency like this helps users to make optimal use of both synchronous and ordered workflows. The new terminology also lines up better with other mid-range modelers that users switching to Solid Edge may be familiar with.

New Options for Polygon by Center

 There are two new options for Polygon by Center. These are By Vertex and By Midpoint. By Vertex uses a circle that (circumscribes) touches the polygon at all the vertices, and would allow you to specify a hexagon across the sharp corners. By Midpoint uses a circle inscribed on the polygon (across the flats). The “across the sharps” or “across the flats” ideas work differently for even vs odd number of sides.

The figure on the left is By Vertex/circumscribed/across the sharps and the one on the right is By Midpoint/inscribed/across the flats.

Symmetric Lines

Very frequently you draw lines that you want to be symmetric. In ST8, Solid Edge adds a tool that makes drawing lines with this type of relationship set up right out of the gate very easy. Here’s how it works. Click where you want the midpoint of the line to be, move the cursor, and press S on the keyboard, and the line extends past the first point. It’s tough to describe, but try it once, and you’ll get it immediately.