Sketching the Linkage

  1. Open a new part, click Sketch (Sketch toolbar) and open a sketch on the Front plane.
  2. Click Line (Sketch toolbar), and coincident with the origin, sketch a horizontal line to the right.
  3. Click Smart Dimension (Dimensions/Relations toolbar), and dimension the line to 76.

    Although dimensions are not required in this layout sketch, you add one dimension as a reference to proportion the rest of the sketch. This allows you to insert another compatibly sized block in the sketch. Later, when you build the crane, you learn how to scale blocks.
  4. Click Line (Sketch toolbar), and using inferences as you sketch, add three non-parallel and non-perpendicular sketch entities.

    As you drag the pointer, the line length updates dynamically.

  5. Press Esc to clear the tool.