Mechanical Templates - SmartSketch - Help

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SmartSketch Version
8.0(2014)
  • ANSI Template - This template has imperial units in decimal inches, ANSI sheet sizes and borders, implements the ANSI Y14.5 dimensioning standard, and provides ANSI Y14.5 GD&T and American Welding Society (AWS) Weld symbols.

  • ISO Template—This template has metric units in millimeters, ISO sheet sizes and borders, implements the ISO dimensioning standard, and provides ISO GD&T and Weld symbols.

The DIN, BSI, and JIS dimensioning standards are also available in these two templates.

When you open these templates, the Draw toolbar appears, containing tools to help you create precision drawings.

Part Design Workflow

  1. Set up the sheet.

    • Select an appropriate sheet size. The default scale is 1:1, which is appropriate for small parts.

  2. Sketch the part.

    • Draw the elements, using the tools from the Draw toolbar and the SmartSketch Settings command. As you draw, relationships are established that capture your design intent.

      As an example, the system remembers when you draw a line horizontally, vertically, or parallel to another line and maintains that information when you modify the drawing. You do not need to give much attention to the exact size of the part; it is often easier to dimension the part and change the dimensions later.

  3. Dimension the part.

    • Use SmartDimension and the other dimensioning tools to dimension the part. These dimensions drive dimensions that can be changed to iterate your design. Redundant dimensions are shown through the driven elements.

  4. Refine the drawing.

    • Select individual dimensions and change the values to iterate your design.

    • If you plan to use the part in a mechanism or assembly, then select all of the geometry and create a symbol with an appropriate name.

Mechanism Modeling Workflow

  • You can design mechanisms, using rigid body symbols.

  • You should set Maintain Relationships to On in the mechanism file.

  1. Prepare the parts.

    • You must save each part in the mechanism as a symbol and turn Allow Rotation by Relationships on, using the Symbol Authoring tools, so the parts can act as a rigid body in the mechanism.

  2. Start a new drawing.

    • You should create the mechanism in a new drawing with an appropriate sheet scale for the whole mechanism. Set the symbol browser to the location of the components.

  3. Drag the parts.

    • Drag the parts into their rough location on the sheet, but do not give much attention to precision placement or orientation.

  4. Connect the parts.

    • Use the tools on the Relationship toolbar to establish the relationships between the parts in the mechanism. Connect on the Draw toolbar allows you to connect a specific location on one part to a specific location on another part. Use relationship indicators to determine the connection type, such as end point to center point or end point to midpoint. You can also use specific tools to establish other relationships, such as tangent, parallel, perpendicular, colinear, concentric, and others.

  5. Create driving dimensions.

    • Use SmartDimension on the Dimension toolbar or other dimensioning tools to establish the controlling dimensions for the mechanism.

  6. Move the mechanism.

    • Select a driving dimension and change the value to move the mechanism into a specific configuration.

Production Drafting Workflow

You can produce full sets of production drawings according to the ANSI standards.

To produce a fairly complex production drawing, set Maintain Relationships off.

  1. Set up the sheet.

    • Choose an appropriate sheet size and scale that allow you to draw the part. The default scale is 1:1, which is appropriate for small parts on an A-Size sheet.

  2. Draw the views.

    • Draw a principle view of the part using the draw tools (with precision key-in values on the ribbon), SmartSketch Settings, and PinPoint. Draw other views using SmartSketch Settings to align key edges from each view.

  3. Annotate the drawing.

    • Use the text, dimensioning, GD&T symbols, and weld symbols to annotate the drawing. Note that text is entered in paper units regardless of the sheet scale. The following symbol sets are provided to aid in production drafting.

Content

Description

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) Symbols

Datum and feature control frames are provided according to the ANSI Y14.5 or ISO standard. Components of each frame are provided as symbols with appropriate drag points to fit into the frames.

Weld Symbols

The weld reference line and components are provided according to the American Welding Society (AWS) or ISO standard.

To use this functionality, you must install the Mechanical Solutions option.

See Also

Drawing Basic Elements
Drawing Connectors
Create a Template