Problems with drawings in SW 1

[oharag]

Here's a problem that I've encountered recently with SW Solidworks 2004 SP2.1. In a drawing I've placed a few views. I also started to sketch a schematic on the top overlay of the drawing (not the Sheet Format layer). The sketch also has text/notes associated with it. These notes have a leader and arrow. There is no association with each other (ie. notes and sketch are not constrained together). When I try to move this collection of sketches together the notes move, but the sketch does not. I then try to select just the sketch, and it's impossible to select it. It will not highlight with the cursor over top of it. Other sketches in the drawing also can not be selected. One sketch could be selected but I had to zoom in and move the cursor around a bit to finally select the sketch. Drag window selections only select the text and not the sketch.

Here's a couple of questions:

- What is the issue with not being able to select sketches on the drawing?
- Is there a way to lock the length and orientation of note arrows? When you drag a collection of notes with arrows the arrow ends stay fixed while the rest of the text moves together. It would be nicer to actual sketch a leader with an arrow on the end, and then attach text to this. The leader and arrow will always stay the the as sketched orientation.

A colleague of mine used to use SolidEdge. Edge would allow for sketches on the drawing layer without associating with any one sketch. When you wanted to associate a sketch with a drawing you would specifically select the view and insert a sketch. If you moved the view the sketch would move. The text on the top layer would not move if it were not associated with a view. With Solidworks all sketches are associated with a view even though you do not try to select any one view. When the view moves so does the sketch. When you copy a view and past on another drawing sheet the sketch comes with it. When you delete the view the sketch is deleted. Questions:

- Is there a way to disassociate sketches with drawings? Sketches exist on there own, and do not move, get copied, or are deleted with views.

oharag

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Create an Empty view on the drawing, then place your sketch & notes inside it. It can then do what you want.
If the Empty view icon is not in the Drawingstoolbar, RMB an empty Toolbar space & select Customize > Commands > Drawing & place the icon in the Drawing toolbar.

from (the City of) Barrie, Ontario.

Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.

 

[ctopher]

The sketch is part of the nearest view located to your sketch. Move the view borders until the works to edit the sketch. Then select the entire sketch, cntrl-x (cut), right click in dwg area, lock view focus, insert. Now whenever you need to edit the sketch, right click in dwg and lock view focus. Whenever the dwg is saved, it will change to unlock view focus. I hope this made some sense.
good luck

 

[rockguy]

You have really answered part of your own question. When you sketch in the drawing SW is associating the sketch with a view. If that view is not active you won't be able to select the sketch. Many times the view bounding boxes overlap and this complicates things even more. Couple ways I deal with this. I shrink the view bounding boxes as small as I can so they occcupy their own space and overlap as little as possible. This helps me find which view my drawing sketch is associated with.

The best way to deal with this is to lock the sheet focus. RMB on the drawing sheet and select Lock Sheet Focus. You should then be able to create a drawing sketch(s)that are independant of all drawing views. They are then easy to select and manipulate as you wish. They also don't move with drawing views. This should solve your problem.

On another note. It's being said SW 2005 has greatly upgraded drawing features. They may have addressed your issues better in the next release.

 

[oharag]

CorBlimeyLimey, thanks for the tip on Empty View. It looks like it'll work well. Move the view and everything moves together. A lot better than what I was trying to do (ie. drag select all objects and move, which causes arrows to get screwed up.

rockguy, thanks for the Lock Sheet Focus. This also will work. But, I may like the Empty View method better for moving sketch entities around.

It would be interesting if Solidworks will add the ability to create sketch groups. This will allow for moving of sketch entities around at the same time.

Any thoughts on the arrow/note issues? This issue is fixed by dragging around empty views with sketches attached to them.

I noticed something very strange with note arrows. If you select the text and drag it you can hit cntrl-z to undo drag. The text goes back to the same location. When you activate the note and drag the arrow end and hit cntrl-z the arrow does not return to the same location. Strange.

oharag

 

[rockguy]

oharag,

I think you will see this ability in 2005. Not only in drawings but also in part and assembly sketches.

 

[oharag]

There's been something I would love SW to add with selections options:

- a show only option.
Select the few components you would like shown. All the other components will automatically be hidden or suppressed. This is a fast way fo creating specific configurations for design purposes. Pro-Engineer had an excellent Simpified Rep creation options. You could Show only, Exclude only, Show surfaces of components only, etc...

- An unsuppress/unhide all option.
Sometimes I quickly select a component to Hide/Suppress. If it's part of a subassembly the subassembly is still is shown. When I try to find the component in the tree to reshow/unsuppress I have to dig down multiple levels to finally find it. I would like to RMC in the window and select Show/Unsuppress All. This will go through my whole assembly and reshow/unsuppress all.

oharag

 

[SBaugh]

1) a show only option.
2) unsuppress/unhide all option.

ER - Enhancement Request -

http://www.solidworks.com/pages/services/subscription/Enhancements.html?pid=383

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376