The default option. The sketch plane is relative to the chosen geometry, but the origin point and orientation axes ( ) automatically follow default software projections.
: Pinpoints under-constrained or unconstrained geometry segments. Best Practices for Efficient Sketching in CATIA V5
Forces two lines to run parallel or at a strict 90-degree angle to one another.
Created by clicking a series of points. CATIA interpolates a smooth curve through these points. You can control the tangency and curvature tension at each individual point.
Created by defining three points, allowing you to draw a rectangle at an angle. catia+v5+sketch+tools
These five primary toggles control the fundamental behavior of your sketching environment: Grid (Display/Hide):
Includes dedicated options for drawing ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas based on mathematical focal points and control lines. 3. Operation Tools: Modifying Geometry
For a more hands-on experience, you can explore the Dassault Systèmes Learning Center for official tutorials.
: Never leave a sketch white (under-constrained) if it is going to drive critical production geometry. The default option
Her clock's face would not be numbers but petals—twelve overlapping blades that opened and closed with the hour, their intersections scattering slivers of light across a translucent dial. To generate those blades she used sketch tools like a sculptor uses chisels: sketch a base profile, offset to create thickness, use patterning to duplicate with precision. Each blade began as a constrained profile: three splines, two tangencies, a fixed point on the origin. The constraint was her language. It told Maia how the pieces could move relative to each other when the mechanism actuated. Where others saw restrictions, she saw choreography.
Forces circles or arcs to share the exact same center point. Dimensional Constraint The standard Constraint tool applies numeric measurements: Lengths of lines. Distances between points/lines. Diameters and radii of circles. Angles between two non-parallel lines. Understanding CATIA Sketch Color Codes
: A powerful way to apply multiple constraints to selected elements at once.
Whether you want to learn about and design links Best Practices for Efficient Sketching in CATIA V5
: Displays whether profiles are Open, Closed, or Implicitly Profiled. Solid features like Pads generally require fully closed profiles.
How do you know when a sketch is ready to be converted into a 3D pad, pocket, or shaft? CATIA V5 uses a strict, universal color-coding system to communicate sketch health:
Under-constrained. The geometry can still be dragged, moved, or resized. This leaves room for unpredictable design shifts.
(e.g., padding, pocketing)
Temporarily hides any 3D material cutting across your current sketch plane, giving you an un-obstructed 2D view.
