Hide Table of Contents

Drawing parameters

The Drawing parameters dialog box groups all settings specific to the current file. This can be a DWG file or a schematic drawing.

 

 

Menu: View > Drawing options

Right-click the status bar

Object snap-on modes

Activate object snap-on: Activates or deactivates the use of specific points. You can also click OSNAP on the status bar or press F11.

Each graphical entity has specific points that can be used to edit or to place other entities. For example, a line has two endpoints and a midpoint, a circle has its center and four quadrant points.

 

The green icon represents the marker form of each mode.

 

Endpoint: Snaps to the endpoint of a Line, Arc or other entity. The mode does not differentiate between the start or endpoint of the entity.

Middle point: Snaps to the midpoint of a Line or an Arc.

Center: Snaps to the center of a Circle, Ellipse, or Arc.

Node: Snaps to a point entity, dimension definition point, or Dimension text origin.

Quadrant: Snaps to the nearest quadrant of a Circle or Arc. Quadrants refer to the points of a Circle or Arc on the circumference at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°. These are the intersecting points of the axes of a coordinate system upon whose origin lies at the center of the Circle or Arc with the circumference of the Circle or Arc. Only the next visible quadrant of an Arc can be snapped.

Insert: Snaps to the insertion point of a Block insertion, an attribute, or a Text entity.

Perpendicular: Requires that a start point has been selected. Activating the Snap mode relates this point to the snapped point. For instance, select the endpoint for the perpendicular. the Perpendicular mode is activated. The result is a perpendicular Line from the endpoint to the selected entity.

Tangent: Requires that a start point has been selected. Activating the Snap mode relates this point to the snapped point. For instance, to create a Line tangent to a Circle, select the endpoint for the tangent Line; the Tangent mode is activated. The result is a tangent Line from the endpoint to the chosen entity.

Nearest: Snaps to the next situated point of an entity when at least one point of the entity lies within the borders of the cursor. If you select a point without using Nearest mode, the selected point might not be on the desired entity. This mode ensures that the entities share a point with the specified entity.

Intersection: Snaps to the intersection points of Lines, Arcs, and Circles, or any combination of them.

Drawing

You can turn parameters such as Ortho and Grid on or off by clicking them in the status bar or using keyboard shortcuts.

Snap On (F9): Locks the cursor on the Snap spacing parameter, as a virtual grid. This option must not be confused with the grid settings.

Grid On (F7): Shows or hides the grid in the drawing.

Ortho On (F8): Turns the ortho trap on or off; this fixes pointer movement on the X or Y axis.

Line Weight Active (F10): Turns the line weight on or off; this shows or hides the various line thicknesses.

Show wipeout frames: Shows or hides the wipeout outlines.

Snap spacing: Defines the space between two virtual snap points.

Grid spacing: Defines the space between two grid points.

Line type scale: Lets you modify the line aspect based on the units used in the current file. Only complex line types (such as axes and discontinuous) are impacted by this parameter. A scale factor is used on them to enlarge or reduce spaces and lines.

Measurement system: Allows to defines the unit system for measurement.

Grid zone: Defines the coordinates of the zone in which the grid is displayed. You can also click the button to graphically define this zone.



Provide feedback on this topic

SOLIDWORKS welcomes your feedback concerning the presentation, accuracy, and thoroughness of the documentation. Use the form below to send your comments and suggestions about this topic directly to our documentation team. The documentation team cannot answer technical support questions. Click here for information about technical support.

* Required

 
*Email:  
Subject:   Feedback on Help Topics
Page:   Drawing parameters
*Comment:  
*   I acknowledge I have read and I hereby accept the privacy policy under which my Personal Data will be used by Dassault Systèmes

Print Topic

Select the scope of content to print:

x

We have detected you are using a browser version older than Internet Explorer 7. For optimized display, we suggest upgrading your browser to Internet Explorer 7 or newer.

 Never show this message again
x

Web Help Content Version: SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2022 SP05

To disable Web help from within SOLIDWORKS and use local help instead, click Help > Use SOLIDWORKS Web Help.

To report problems encountered with the Web help interface and search, contact your local support representative. To provide feedback on individual help topics, use the “Feedback on this topic” link on the individual topic page.