Sketch based features

Sketch Based Feature is a BricsCAD feature that allows you to edit a 2D entity used to create a 3D solid and automatically update the 3D solid.

The EXTRUDE, LOFT, SWEEP, and REVOLVE commands and their options Subtract and Unite create sketch features when the CREATESKETCHFEATURE system variable is ON. The sketch features are available in the Mechanical Browser panel.

Create a 3D solid

  1. Turn ON the CREATESKETCHFEATURE system variable.
  2. Draw a 2D entity, such as a closed polyline.
  3. Optionally, add parametrics to the Sketch entity.
  4. Launch the EXTRUDE, LOFT, SWEEP, or REVOLVE command to create the 3D Solid.

Edit the 3D solid by editing the corresponding sketch entity

A Sketch entity is created from the 2D entity as a block and moved to a new layer: BC_SKETCHES. This layer is turned Off by default.

All Sketch Based Features will be visible in the Mechanical Browser panel.

Method 1

To edit the Sketch entity, right-click the entity in the Mechanical Browser panel and select Edit geometry.

After save the changes for the Sketch feature (BCLOSE command), the 3D solid is automatically updated.

Method 2

To edit the Sketch feature you can also use the BEDIT command that opens the Create or Edit Block Definition dialog box from where you select the Sketch feature to open it in Block Editor.

To modify a sketch based feature solid, there are two methods:

Method 1

Click the Solid in the Mechanical Browser and adjust the properties in the bottom of the Mechanical Browser panel.

Method 2
Launch the UPDATESKETCH command and specify in the Command line the name of the feature, the name of the parameter, and its new value.