Creating Profiles

This task shows how to create a closed profile. A profile may also be open (if you click the profile end point in the free space). Profiles may be composed of lines and arcs which you create either by clicking or using the Sketch tools toolbar.

  1. Click Profile .
    The Sketch tools toolbar displays values for defining the profile.

Three profile mode options are available:

  • Line: (default mode)

  • Tangent Arc:

  • Three Point Arc:

 

  1. In the the Sketcher tools toolbar, Enter the coordinates for the first point and press Enter.

  1. n the the Sketcher tools toolbar, Enter the coordinates for the second point and press Enter.

The line appears as shown here, with the constraints corresponding to the line created via the Sketch tools toolbar options.
 
 

Note that at this step, you may also enter length L and angle A values.

  1. Select Tangent Arc .
    An arc follows the cursor, showing the tangent arc to be created.

When you sketch a profile using the cursor (in other words without using the Sketch tools toolbar and typically the Tangent Arc ) you can switch from the Line mode to the Tangent Arc mode by holding down the mouse left button, moving the cursor and then releasing the button to position the tangent arc end point. A rectangle appears representing the arc of circle.

Tangent arcs are always positioned in the direction of the element previously created.
 

  1. Click to indicate the arc end point.
 

The default mode is back to Line.

  1. Start drawing another line.
 

  1. Click to indicate the line end point.
 

  1. Click Three Points Arc .

  1. Click to indicate a point which the profile is going to go through (arc second point).

  1. Click the start point of the line first created.
    You thus define the three point arc end point.

  2. Optional: Select Automatic Dimensional Constraints to create following dimensional constraints for the profile elements, automatically.
    • Length and angle constraints for lines
    • Radius constraint for arcs of circles
    • Length constraint for distance between two parallel lines.
    The constraints that might make the profile over-constrained are not created.

 

The profile results as shown here: