Blogs Tips & Tricks: How to Sketch a Feature

Tips & Tricks: How to Sketch a Feature

September 23, 2016

Whether you're extruding a bean or boring a hole, many features start with a 2D sketch. And now, in Creo Parametric, it now only takes two picks to get into Sketching mode, so you can quickly define your feature profile. That's just one way we’ve made it much more straightforward to create or change features in Creo Parametric. If you're still using Creo Parametric 2.0 or before, you'll now find that you can:

  • Work faster with improved action/object-based dimensioning for sketching.
  • Use new  and expanded tools in Sketching mode, including Center rectangle, Fillet with construction lines, and Construction mode options.
  • Select an existing sketch, planar face, or datum to reach Sketching mode.
  • Open the Section Orientation tool directly from the shortcut menu. 
  • Dynamically drag sketch dimensions to isolate and change individual dimensions when previewing features.

So, if you're just getting started, try out this tutorial to see how it works. Here, you'll create an extruded object as shown below:

Simple feature created by extruding a sketch in Creo Parametric

Simple feature created by extruding a sketch in Creo Parametric

Step 1: Getting started

  1. From the Model ribbon bar menu, select Extrude and then select the sketch plane. The Sketch tab opens.
  2. Creo Parametric starts the sketch in a 3D orientation. Deselect all of the Data Display Filters options.

Step 2: Sketching the circle and cutout

  1. On the Sketch tab, click Circle. Then, click on the datum plane and drag your mouse to create an oval.
  2. On the Sketch tab, click Line. Then, click and drag your mouse on the datum plane to create lines on the right side of the circle that form the cutout, like this:

Simple sketch created in Creo Parametric

Click on the datum plane and drag your mouse to sketch geometry.

  1. Trim away two pieces of the circle to create a closed loop. To do this, click the Delete Segment icon. Then, on the datum plane, draw an arc that intersects the segment of the circle that you want to delete, like this:

Completed segment in Creo Parametric sketch

After the segment has been deleted, Creo Parametric automatically shades the loop to display that it is closed.

  1. Controlling the dimensions of a sketch is simple. Select the Normal option. Click the portion of the sketch whose dimensions you want to change. Then, enter a new dimension.
  2. From the Sketch ribbon bar menu, click Rectangle.

Step 3: Add references and draw the rectangle

Currently, only one edge of the opening has a reference. You need references for both edges of the open slot and also the arc of the circle.  

  1. Press the Alt key and select the edge of the opening that does not have a reference assigned to it.
  2. Press the Alt key and click on the edge of the circle to create a reference.
  3. Draw the rectangle so the edges snap to the intersections of the cutout lines and to the arc of the circle, as shown below.

Completed sketch in Creo Parametric

You can also adjust the rectangle’s dimensions as needed.

Step 4: Complete the sketch

  1. Click OK on the Sketch ribbon bar menu.
  2. On the Extrude tab, adjust the depth of the circle and rectangle, so they match.

To see a demonstration of these steps, check out this video on PTC Univerity’s Learning Exchange.  You may need to create a PTC University Learning Exchange account if you don’t already have one. But the good news is that with a login, you’ll have access to hundreds of in-depth demonstrations and tutorials for PTC products.  

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Bettina Giemsa

I graduated from Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, with a Master of Arts in American Studies, Japanese, Economics * Started my career in Marketing on the agency side, spending almost 3 years in media planning * Ran Marketing at ITEDO Software GmbH, Germany from 2001-2006 where I first got in touch with the CAD business * Became part of the PTC Marketing organization when ITEDO was acquired by PTC in October 2006 * Currently, I work in PTC Customer Success, focusing on PTC University’s global Marketing program. Last, but not least, I am the mother of 2, enjoy running, riding and rock music among many other things.

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