While there are other ways to do this, I think the simplest approach in a spot like this is to: 1) make a new reference plane, then 2) add the sketch there.įirst, we make a reference plane (by going to Features>Reference Geometry>Reference Plane on the CommandManager ribbon). If I sketch a line on that face, the extrusion will start from it. Perfect! The only problem is that the material needs to be offset from the front circular face of the part. This is a great opportunity to use the Rib feature in SOLIDWORKS, a feature that takes sketch entities, adds thickness around them, and extrudes material based on its profile that fully terminates on the surface(s) parallel to the sketch. Using a very similar part to the one pictured in my infographic, we have a circumstance where we must add structural support towards the middle of the object. I’ll even provide the example part (saved in SOLIDWORKS 2017) that shows this example in practice, along with the rest of the examples in my infographic. Sure! There are loads of examples, but I’ll provide one here. If none of the currently available planes/planar faces work for the operation you’re looking to do (sketch a circle, plot a hole, etc.), then sure make a plane of your own using the methods in the infographic! Do you have an example of when I might need to make a new plane?

My advice is simple: look to utilize system-defined planes (Front, Right, Top – available in every part you create) and/or existing model faces as sketch planes whenever possible. Sure, you could make a new plane for every sketch, but you certainly won’t need to inside SOLIDWORKS. Do I have to create a plane for every sketch? But why would you look to do this? I’ll offer some general advice on the topic here. So, as you can see, there are many, many ways to make new reference planes. Here’s one showing an aggregation of different plane-creation examples, as presented and taught in the SOLIDWORKS Essentials course.Ĭonsider printing this out or bookmarking this article in an accessible location! Let’s get started.īefore I really begin, there’s something I should tell you in good faith. In this article, I’ll discuss when/why you’d look to make new reference planes for your SOLIDWORKS geometry, as well as several methods of making them.

On the topic of planes: the word “plane” is used 337 times in the 2019 edition of the SOLIDWORKS Essentials course booklet. When speaking to beginner SOLIDWORKS users, I always recommend taking a course like SOLIDWORKS Essentials in order to get started on the right track with their SOLIDWORKS-using experience.

How to rib in solidworks 2019