SolidWorks 2011 Parts Bible - Matt Lombard [137]
I have heard many people complain about these new PropertyManagers. It is possible that people are just reacting to the interruption of the old workflow without stopping to see what benefits it offers. In my opinion, the new options add functionality, and if you understand how to use them, they will not interrupt your fast workflow.
Using Dynamic Mirror
As the name suggests, Dynamic Mirror mirrors sketch entities as they are created. You can activate it by selecting a centerline and clicking the Dynamic Mirror button on the Sketch toolbar. Dynamic Mirror is not on the toolbar by default; you need to choose Tools⇒Customize⇒Commands to add it to the toolbar. You can also access Dynamic Mirror by choosing Tools⇒Sketch Tools⇒Dynamic Mirror from the menu.
When you activate this function, the centerline displays with hatch marks on the ends and remains active until you turn off or exit the sketch. Figure 9.6 shows the centerline with hatch marks. Dynamic Mirror has no other interface.
The Dynamic Mirror function remains active until you turn it off. You can use the same toolbar icon you used to turn it on. The icon remains depressed until you release it or exit the sketch.
FIGURE 9.6
The Dynamic Mirror centerline with hatch marks
Using Symmetry sketch relation
I have covered the Symmetry sketch relation in previous chapters on sketching, but I mention it again here because it offers you a manual way to mirror sketch entities. There are editing situations when you may not want to create new geometry, but instead use existing entities with new relations driving them. To create the Symmetry sketch relation, you must have two similar items (such as lines or endpoints) and a centerline selected.
To add the symmetry relation after you have made the proper selection, use the popup toolbar interface, the Sketch PropertyManager, or the Add Relation toolbar button. These three options are shown in Figure 9.7.
You can find more information on manipulating sketch relations in Chapter 3.
FIGURE 9.7
Three ways to add a symmetric sketch constraint
Using Mirroring in 3D sketches
Chapter 8 deals with 3D sketches in more detail, but I discuss the mirror functionality here to connect it with the rest of the mirroring and patterning topics. Three-dimensional sketches can contain planes, and if you are sketching on a plane in a 3D sketch, you can mirror items on it. You cannot mirror general 3D sketch entities.
Sketch patterns are also unavailable in the 3D sketch, but you can use the Move, Rotate, and Copy sketch tools on planes in 3D sketches. Combining one questionable function (planes in 3D sketches) with another (sketch patterns) does not usually improve either one.
Exploring the Geometry Pattern Option
The SolidWorks Help file says that the Geometry Pattern option in feature patterns results in a faster pattern because it does not pattern the parametric relations. This claim is valid only when there is an end condition on the patterned feature such that the feature will actually pattern the end condition's parametric behavior. The part shown in Figure 9.8 falls into this category. The improved rebuild time goes from .30 to .11 seconds. Although a 60 percent reduction is significant, the most compelling argument for the use of the Geometry Pattern has nothing to do with rebuild time. It is to avoid the effect of patterning the end-condition parametrics.
In fact, the Geometry Pattern option's main intent is to pattern existing geometry without the parametric intelligence. The main mission of Geometry Pattern has nothing to do with rebuild speed.
Under some conditions, Geometry Pattern will not work. One example is any time a patterned face merges with a face that cannot be patterned. Figure 9.9 shows two patterns, one that can use Geometry