Family Creating - Locking Shape Handles vs Sketch Lines to Reference Planes/Lines

[Marcusbar]

Hi everybody,

I'm  new at Family Creating and I have some understanding problems about the constraints logic and behaviour. 

The very first doubt is about  locking the Shape Handles, of an extrusion for example, versus locking the Sketching Lines, during the extrusion creation,  to the reference planes. I can even lock both of them and nothing changes but in this case editing the extrusion and selecting that sketching line two locks are shown.(See ex1, I locked both the left sketc. line and handle to the ref. plane). So I can choose to lock Shp. Handle or Sketch. Line or both, do the three scenarios change anything?

The second doubt is about locking to the Reference Line. In Ex2 (see the angled line) it looks to me that only locking the Sketching Lines all Parameters work, If I lock the Shp. Handle instead I get constraint problems.

Thanks.

P.S.

Can you suggest some reading or video references about how constraints work in detail?  

[ToanDN]

Lock sketch lines to ref lines or ref planes.  Do not lock shape handles.

[Marcusbar]

Thank you ToanDn.
In many Video Tutorials I can see locking shape handles, also at work I have been told that it's the same thing.
Honestly I would accept your suggestion as the way to go but can you explain why?
Thanks.

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

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@Marcusbar wrote:
Thank you ToanDn.
In many Video Tutorials I can see locking shape handles, also at work I have been told that it's the same thing.
Honestly I would accept your suggestion as the way to go but can you explain why?
Thanks.

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You can lock shape handles when placing the family in the project.  That is no problem.  But locking shape handles in the family itself is not recommended.  It may work and it may break, why take the chances?

[timlove · Accepted solution]

90% of the time it doesn't mater.  That 10% can be irritating though, such as when locking to a Reference Line that moves and pivots at Reference Plane intersections.  Locking the sketch lines is so much more successful than shape handles.  There are times, such as when controlling the extrusion depth, where locking shape handles may be the only option without creating and additional parameter to drive that. 

[Marcusbar]

Thank you,

last questions.

About annotations to turn in parameters. I guess I should always to Create them between Reference Planes/Lines and not directly between Shape Handles. But should I always do that? 

Then, do you prefer to insert the dimensions to turn into the parameters inside the sketch or outside? Again any difference? 

[ToanDN]

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@Marcusbar wrote:

Thank you,

last questions.

About annotations to turn in parameters. I guess I should always to Create them between Reference Planes/Lines and not directly between Shape Handles. But should I always do that? 

Then, do you prefer to insert the dimensions to turn into the parameters inside the sketch or outside? Again any difference? 

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You want to assign dimensional parameters to ref planes/ ref lines instead of geometry so that when you need to replace / delete the geometry you won't lose them and need to place them again.

[Marcusbar]

And what about creating dimensions inside the sketching progress? I've seen people assigning dimensions  between the sketch lines and Ref. Planes/Lines inside the sketching stage, before closing the extrusion or sweep.

Others instead create the model,again extrusion or sweep, they close it and only after that they dimension the lines to the Ref. Plane/Lines. Any difference between the two methods?

Thanks.

[Mike.FORM · Accepted solution]

If you have a dimension only related to one thing (ex. the width of the sweep profile shape) and nothing else, sometimes it can be beneficial to add the parameters inside the sketch so that you do not see it outside the sketch and it reduces clutter.

If you are creating many elements all with the same constraints/parameters it is better to have the reference planes/lines and dimensions outside the sketch so you can use it multiple situations.

[Marcusbar]

Clear. Thank you