Part sketch base scale

[kspabs]

Whenever I start a new part and sketch, my initial sketched lines start at lengths of 132000" for example. I'm primarily designing parts no larger than 50" in length.

While this is an easy fix, there are times were I sketch out a complicated shape only to realize that it's completely out of scale. Is there a way to change the range/scale of initial sketch sizes?

[tbraxton · Accepted solution]

If you are using start parts then one option is to place a sketch in the start part to scale the model. This could be a sketched line, circle or box. When starting a new model set the controlling dim of this sketch to the "size" desired. The model "size" is dynamic and changes based on the features created. By placing a sketch in the start part you can adjust it to the longest length of the part design you will be creating and it should yield the desired result. You can always delete this curve from the model once you have a real feature in the model.

I have never needed to do this and have built parts measured in microns up to several meters in size. You can of course scale an entire sketch inside sketcher if needed. You should also use absolute accuracy by default if you are not already.

[kdirth]

I don't know of any way to set an initial screen size.  Making one line and dimensioning it can set the relative size of the screen when you start,  With a completed complicated sketch,  window select the entire sketch and use Modify from the mouse menu or the tool bar under Sketch/Editing, selecting Lock Scale, to enter one dimension and scale everything else with it.

[kspabs]

This is pretty much what I've been doing, but wanted to see if there was a way to make things a little quicker. That's good to know, thank you.

[tbraxton]

Another option (not the one I would use) is to set the size of the datum planes in your start part. This will prevent the planes from changing size automatically when model size (bounding box) changes so if you model bounding box becomes much larger or smaller than the planes they will become difficult to view in the graphics window which from a UI standpoint is problematic.