Profile Sketches

You can edit the profile sketch of an edge flange or a cross break.

Edge flange requirements include:
  • One sketch line of the profile must lie on the edge you selected when creating the edge flange. This sketched line does not have to be the same length as the selected edge.
  • The profile can be multiple open or closed profiles, or multiple-enclosed profiles.

You can create edge flanges that are longer than the edge to which they are attached by editing the profile sketch.

If you create an edge flange on a nonlinear edge, you can edit the sketch for the nonlinear edge flange.

Cross breaks requirements include:
  • Endpoints of cross break sketch lines must be on an edge.
  • The lines must intersect.

In Tools > Options > Document Properties > Sheet Metal, under Edge Flange Options, you can select Automatically add Flange Length dimension to flange profiles.

When selected:
  • SOLIDWORKS automatically adds length dimensions to all edge flange profiles
  • The sketch dimension (not the feature dimension) controls the flange length

Editing Profile Sketches

To edit the profile sketch:

  1. Do one of the following:
    • When editing an edge flange feature, click Edit Flange Profile under Flange Parameters.
    • When editing a cross break, click Edit Cross Profile under Cross Break Parameters.
    The Profile Sketch dialog box appears.
  2. In the graphics area, drag one of the sketch entities to modify the sketch.
    You can use sketch tools (Sketch Tools toolbar) to modify the sketch. For example, in a edge flange, you can add a circle to the sketch to place a hole in the edge flange. You can also create edge flanges that are longer than the edge to which they are attached.
    shm_profile_sketch_01.gif shm_profile_sketch_02.gif shm_profile_sketch_03.gif
    Add edge flange Modify sketch Add sketch entity
  3. In the Profile Sketch dialog box, do one of the following:
    • Click Back to accept the changes to the profile sketch and to continue editing the feature.
    • Click Finish to accept the changes to the profile sketch and to create the feature.
    • Click Cancel to cancel the change to the profile sketch and close the PropertyManager.
    shm_profile_sketch_04.gif