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Plane PropertyManager

You select geometry and apply constraints to the geometry to define reference planes.

To display this PropertyManager, click Plane (Reference Geometry toolbar).

Message

Follow the messages to create a plane and see the plane status. The Message box color, plane color, and PropertyManager messages help guide your selections. The plane status must be Fully defined to create the plane.

First Reference

First Reference Select the first reference to define the plane. Based on your selection, other constraint types appear.
Coincident Creates a plane that passes through the selected reference.
Parallel Creates a plane parallel to the selected plane. For example, select a face for one reference and a point for another reference. The software creates a plane that is parallel to the face and coincident to the point.
Perpendicular Creates a plane perpendicular to the selected reference. For example, select an edge or curve for one reference and a point or vertex for another reference. The plane is created perpendicular to the curve passing through the point. Set origin on curve places the origin of the plane on the curve. When cleared, the origin is placed on the vertex or point.
Project Projects a singular entity such as a point, vertex, origin, or coordinate system onto a non-planar surface.
Tangent Creates a plane tangent to cylindrical, conical, non-cylindrical, and non-planar faces.
At angle Creates a plane through an edge, axis, or sketch line at an angle to a cylindrical face or plane. You can specify the Number of planes to create .
Offset distance Creates a plane parallel to a plane or face, offset by a specified distance. You can specify the Number of planes to create .
Mid Plane Creates a mid plane between planar faces, reference planes, and 3D sketch planes. Select Mid Plane for both references.

Second Reference and Third Reference

These sections contain the same options as First Reference, depending on your selections and model geometry. Set these references as needed to create the desired plane.

Examples

Parallel
Perpendicular

Set origin on curve selected

Set origin on curve cleared
Project

Select the sketch point and the model surface. Two options appear in the PropertyManager: Nearest location on surface and Along sketch normal.


Nearest location on surface selected. The new plane is created at the point on the surface closest to the selected sketch point.

Along sketch normal selected. The new plane is created at the point on the surface obtained by projecting the sketch point normal to the plane on which the sketch point is located. Select Flip if the plane preview does not appear.
Tangent

Select a surface and a sketch point on the surface. The plane is created tangent to the surface and coincident to the sketch point.
At angle

Select a plane or planar face and select an edge, axis, or sketch line. Enter the angle.

If the selected line is in the same plane as the selected plane, the new plane rotates around the selected line.

If the selected line is parallel to the selected plane, the new plane moves to the parallel line and rotates around the line.


Multiple planes created at an angle to the selected face.


Select the cylinder's axis and apply a coincident constraint. Select the lower plane as another reference with an At Angle constraint of 30º. The new plane is created coincident to the cylinder's axis at a 30º angle to the lower plane.
Offset distance

Single offset plane

Multiple offset planes
Mid Plane


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Web Help Content Version: SOLIDWORKS 2012 SP05

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