Easy way to remove constraints

[Anonymous]

Not sure if this is an idea or a bug or I'm still a novice user:

When one draws a curve on top of another curve, and insert points on the reference curve's constraint markers (centre, line middle, etc), the resulting figure seems to become irremediably locked to the first one — it cannot be subsequently moved. I have tried removing the contraint via the Constraint panel, to no avail. Locking and unlocking curves or curve elements to reference points, should be as easy as simply clicking on the constraint icon, to activate or deactivate it.

[TrippyLighting]

Start from scratch!

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately I have spent hours on this and I am more than half finished. I am almost two-thirds done now. Starting from scratch would be a very time consuming exercise. Is there any other way I can get the little circles to the desired height? I just want to get them unstuck so that they can move vertically together. Thank you.

[SirishaShashikanth]

Please see this screencast. Just select the constraint symbol(click exactly on the symbol) and click delete in your keyboard.Hope this helps

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/screencast/eed62f47-3580-4426-8b1a-bdc5c7532505

[TrippyLighting]

Can you share your design? (export as .f3d and attach to next post) 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your reply.

I attach my current design. Thanks.

[TrippyLighting]

I see that you posted this design in another thread where you've received a lot of feedback already.

What is it you still need?

Breaking this up into several sketches is definitely advisable.

However, I see that your first sketch already isn't fully defined (constrained and dimensioned).

Tha's where I'd start.

Once that first sketch is fully constrained move to the next sketch and fully define it and so forth.

Small fillets such as in the image below should be applied to the solid model as a solid feature and not in the sketch. This makes sketching quicker and less error-prone and it also results in more performant models.

[TrippyLighting]

HEre's another example of how you can make this easier on yourself.

Instead of sketching and dimensioning 9n individual identical circles, this could be done with 2 circles and 2 patterns. Again, not sketch patterns. Extrude one circle and pattern the extrude feature.

One of the more important skills is to recognize symmetries and patterns. That will go a long way to make sketching and modeling a lot more efficient.

[Anonymous]

Peter, thank you very much for your reply.

What I understood is that I should start wtih Sketch 1, define everything in sight if it is not defined, continue with Sketch 2, etc. until I finish defining everything. Is that not so?

I can see that having several sketches has several advantages. I reckon that one of them is that one can see or deal with one set of items without being perturbed by the others. However as I am making something simple I think that this is more than I need and one sketch for everything would give me more control of the design. I like to keep things simple.

[Anonymous]

Peter, thanks for this as well. Actually I have 11 circles. for some reason 9 of them have come on one sketch and 2 of them on another. Sketches are created automatically without my intervention. As all these circles are identical and have the same height I would have liked if they could have come on the same sketch.

[SirishaShashikanth]

I would recommend using a rectangular pattern tool for drawing 9 circles. This way you can avoid repetitive dimensioning. Equality for radius and dimension from bottom are automatically assumed with this command. Under Create look for Rectangular pattern tool in sketch environment.

Also you can just draw one circle (extrude or cut it) and pattern it 3d modelling space.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your suggestion. But now I have the circles. What can I do? If I cannot use the dimension too to put them in the right places how can I delete them and start again? I have almost finished my design and therefore would find it tedious to start with a new one. I attach the latest version. Thank you.

[SirishaShashikanth]

Ok. Now that you do not want to start from scratch, Start fully contraning the model from the first sketch. I have done that for sketch 1. I am attaching your model. I opened sketch 1 and made the horizontal line at the bottom inline with the origin using horizontal constraint. This has fully constrained the sketch.

We can know this by expanding browser and looking at sketch . It now has lock symbol attached to it.

Please open sketch 3 and fully constrain it by adding dimensions or constraints.

Make sure that when you exit the sketch, you see a lock symbol beside it.

[Anonymous]

Thank you very much for the improvements to my design and to the advice which you gave me. Now I can see that every time I have been opening this design I have been entering New Sketch in order to get access to the design tools. Thus I have been unwittingly creating new sketches every time. Many items that arguably should have been in the same sketch are separated. (The books which I read did not make this clear.)

What I also noticed that every time I click on a sketch certain items are highlighted. Therefore I have clicked on a sketch which highlights certain items and tried to insert dimensions. Unfortunately I always get the message that this is over constrained. My issue has been that I want to "break them loose" and insert the correct dimensions such that whatever I enter is accepted.

Next I plan to change certain dimensions which I entered as the original dimensions which I have received may need changes.

Thank you.

[SirishaShashikanth]

Good to know that there is some clarity.
Dimensions and constraints can always be removed and added to
accommodate changes.
If you have time to sketch from the beginning here are a few tips
1) Take the first sketch and constrain fully. Next move sketch two.
2) Instead of giving repetitive dimensions, try to use constraints. For
example, you can give equality constrain or use pattern command for
maintaining all circles at one dimension (dia 12 in your case) This saves
time during modifications as all the dimensions change at a time.


Hope you are doing well in your job.

[Anonymous]

Thank you very much for your advice. I now know how to do this and other designs next time I start with a new one. I will begin with a sketch, make many designs, and then continue with a new sketch for the next set of elements.

I just have the following questions:

1) If I start with a sketch, then shut down the application and my computer (to continue the next day, for example) can I continue with the same sketch which I had been doing before

2) After completion of the design or of a sketch can I change the dimensions

Thank you.

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I just have the following questions:

1) If I start with a sketch, then shut down the application and my computer (to continue the next day, for example) can I continue with the same sketch which I had been doing before

2) After completion of the design or of a sketch can I change the dimensions

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I already created 2 videos that demonstrate how to do that using  your part???

>>4:12<<

You didn't ask any questions about these videos?

https://youtu.be/e6iOm0IZJSs

[g-andresen]

Hi,

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@Anonymous wrote:

Thank you very much for your advice. I now know how to do this and other designs next time I start with a new one. I will begin with a sketch, make many designs, and then continue with a new sketch for the next set of elements.

I just have the following questions:

1) If I start with a sketch, then shut down the application and my computer (to continue the next day, for example) can I continue with the same sketch which I had been doing before

YES > doubleclick symbol or rightclick edit

2) After completion of the design or of a sketch can I change the dimensions

YES

Thank you.

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günther

[Manac3]

you are great person 🙂 Thank you