Geometrical and dimensional constraints

Constraints define how a profile can change shape or size. The degrees of freedom of a profile can be reduced or eliminated by applying constraints, conditions which assign desired geometrical or dimensional characteristics to the profile. The program provides two types of constraints: geometrical and dimensional.

Geometrical constraints control the shape of the profile and the relationships of its entities. You can assign the following geometrical constraints to a profile:

• position or ground
• orientation
• parallelism
• perpendicularity
• coincidence
• tangency
• collinearity
• coplanarity
• equal length or radius
• equal curvature
• point on curve
• point on plane
• spline through points
• symmetry
• offset
• curve on selected edges of a solid or curves of a profile or generator lines of conic/cylindrical faces of solids.

Dimensional constraints control the size of the profile. These constraints are created as parametric drive dimensions assigned to the entities comprising the profile. Changing these dimensions changes the size of the profile. You can assign the following dimensional constraints to a profile:

• angle
• distance
• radius

Note that the profile is normally fixed in the Work Plane. Therefore, unless its position is identified by an external entity, you should assign an origin and orientation, by setting at least one ground point (a fixed point) and fixing the orientation of one of the profile's lines.

Related Topics

• Profiles
• Rules for applying constraints
• Applying constraints automatically

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