COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

SANTA CRUZ, LAGUNA

ENG’G 102: Computer-Aided Drafting

LABORATORY MANUAL

Lesson No. _
Sketcher Workbench

Submitted by:
_________________________
Student No. _______________

Submitted by:
Engr. Julian Carl A. Barias
Instructor
I. OBJECTIVE
• To study and have a hands-on exercise with FreeCAD specifically on the
Sketcher Workbench

II. LEARNING OUTCOME

• To know basic information about FreeCAD Sketcher.

• To be able to determine the different tools and commands under the
Sketcher Workbench
• To be able to use the different tools in Sketcher workbench
• To have an idea about constraints and their function in freeCAD.

III. MATERIALS NEEDED

• Laptop/Desktop Computer with Installed FreeCAD (At least Version 0.20.2)

 IV. DISCUSSION

• INTRODUCTION
The FreeCAD Sketcher Workbench is used to create 2D Sketches intended for use in the
PartDesign Workbench, Arch Workbench, and other workbenches. Generally, a 2D drawing is
considered the starting point for most CAD models, as a 2D sketch can be "extruded" to create a
3D shape; further 2D sketches can be used to create other features like pockets, ridges, or
extrusions on top of the previously built 3D shapes. Together with boolean operations defined in
the Part Workbench, the Sketcher forms the basis of the constructive solid geometry (CSG)
method of building solids. Moreover, together with the PartDesign Workbench operations, the
Sketcher also forms the basis of the feature editing methodology of creating solids.
The Sketcher workbench features "constraints", allowing 2D shapes to follow precise geometrical
definitions in terms of length, angles, and relationships (horizontality, verticality, perpendicularity,
etc.). A constraint solver calculates the constrained-extent of 2D geometry and allows interactive
exploration of the degrees-of-freedom of the sketch.

• WHAT ARE CONSTRAINTS?

Instead of dimensions, Constraints are used to limit the degrees of freedom of an object. For
example, a line without constraints has 4 Degrees of Freedom (abbreviated as "DOF"): it can be
moved horizontally or vertically, it can be stretched, and it can be rotated.
Applying a horizontal or vertical constraint, or an angle constraint (relative to another line or to
one of the axes), will limit its capacity to rotate, thus leaving it with 3 degrees of freedom. Locking
one of its points in relation to the origin will remove another 2 degrees of freedom. And applying
a dimension constraint will remove the last degree of freedom. The line is then considered fully-
constrained.
Multiple objects can be constrained between one another. Two lines can be joined through one
of their points with the coincident point constraint. An angle can be set between them, or they
can be set perpendicular. A line can be tangent to an arc or a circle, and so on. A complex Sketch
with multiple objects will have a number of different solutions, and making it fully-constrained
means that just one of these possible solutions has been reached based on the applied
constraints.
There are two kinds of constraints: geometric and dimensional. They are detailed in the 'Tools'
section below.

• TOOLS
General
Icon Name Description
Creates a new sketch on the face or dimension specified. If no face is selected
Create
during the execution of this utility, the user is requested to choose a plane from a
Sketch
pop-up window.

Edit Sketch Edit the chosen Sketch. This will launch the Sketcher Dialog window.

Map Sketch Maps a sketch to the previously selected face of a solid.

to Face
Reorient Allows the sketch to be attached to one of the primary dimensions.
Sketch
Validate Check the tolerance of various points and adjust them accordingly.
Sketch

Merge Merge two or more sketches.

Sketch

Mirror Mirror a sketch along the x-axis, the y-axis or the origin.
Sketch

Sketcher Edit Mode toolbar

Icon Name Description

Leave
Leave the editing mode of Sketch.
Sketch

View
Sets the model view perpendicular to the sketch plane.
Sketch

View Creates a section plane that temporarily conceals objects in front of the sketch
Section plane.
Sketcher Geometries
Icon Name Description

Point Draws a point

Creates a line segment connecting two coordinates. Regarding specific

Line
constraints, lines are infinite.
This icon can (1) Draws an arc segment from center, radius, start angle and end
Create an
angle and (2) Draws an arc segment from two endpoints and another point on
Arc
the circumference.
Create a This icon can (1) Draws a circle from center and radius and (2) Draws a circle
Circle from three points on the circumference.
Create a This icon can create the following conical sections: Ellipse by center, Ellipse by 3-
Conic points, Arc of Ellipse, Arc of Hyperbola, & Arc of parabola.
Create a This icon holds the following commands: B-spline by control points, Periodic B-
B-spline spline by control points, B-spline by knots, and Periodic B-spline by knots
Draws a line made of multiple line segments. Pressing the “M” key while
Polyline
drawing a Polyline toggles between the different polyline modes.
Create a This icon has some new functions in Version 0.20. It holds the following
rectangle commands: Rectangle, Centered Rectangle, and Rounded Rectangle
Create a
This icon holds the following commands: Triangle, Square, Pentagon, Hexagon,
regular
Heptagon, Octagon, Regular Polygon.
Polygon
Creates an oval by choosing the center of one semicircle and an endpoint of the
Slot
other.
Create a
This icon holds the following commands: Fillet, and Corner-preserving fillet
fillet

Trim Trims a line, circle, or arc relative to the point selected.

Extend Extends a line or arc to a boundary line, arc, ellipse, ellipse arc, or space point.

Split Splits an edge in two while maintaining the most of its constraints.

External
Creates a connected edge to external geometry.
Geometry
Carbon
Copies the geometry of an existing drawing.
Copy
Toggle Toggles sketch geometry between construction and sketch modes. The
construction construction geometry is displayed in cyan and is discarded when not in editing
geometry mode.
Sketcher Constraints
Constraints are used to designate lengths, set rules between sketch elements, and to lock the
sketch along the vertical and horizontal axes. Some constraints require use of Helper constraints.
Geometric Constraints
Icon Name Description
Attaches a point to one or more other (coincident) points. If two or more circles,
Coincident arcs, ellipses, or arcs of ellipses are selected, this constraint functions as a
concentric constraint.
Point on Affixes a point onto another object such as a line, arc, or axis.
object
Vertically constrains specified lines or polyline elements. It is possible to select
Vertical
multiple objects before applying this constraint.
Orients the specified lines or polyline elements horizontally. It is possible to
Horizontal
select multiple objects before applying this constraint.
Constrains two or more lines to remain parallel.
Parallel

Constrains two lines to be perpendicular to one another, or a line to be

Perpendicular
perpendicular to the endpoint of an arc.
Creates a tangent constraint or colinear constraint between two selected
Tangent entities or line segments. To be constrained tangent to an arc or circle, a line
segment need not reside directly on that arc or circle.
Constrains two specified entities to be equivalent. If applied to circles or arcs,
Equal
their radii are specified to be equal.
Two points are constrained symmetrically about a line, or the first two selected
Symmetric
points are constrained symmetrically about the third selected point.
It prevents an edge from shifting, or its vertices from adjusting their present
Block
positions. Fixing the position of B-Splines should prove particularly useful.
Dimensional Constraints
These are constraints associated with numerical data for which expressions can be used. The
information can be obtained from a spreadsheet.
Icon Name Description
Sets vertical and horizontal distances relative to the origin, constraining the
Lock selected object's location. These constraint distances are editable in the
future.
Horizontal Sets the horizontal distance between two nodes or endpoints of a line. The
distance distance is set to the origin if only one item is specified.
Vertical Sets the vertical distance between two nodes or endpoints of a line. The
distance distance is set to the origin if only one item is specified.
Defines the length of a line, the perpendicular distance between a point and
Distance a line, the distance between two points, or the distance between the edges
of two circles.
Constrain This is an icon in the Sketcher constraints toolbar that holds the following
radius or commands: Radius or weight, Diameter, Auto radius/diameter
diameter

Angle Defines the angle formed by two specified lines.

Special Constraints
Icon Name Description
Refraction Simulates light passing through an interface by enforcing a refraction law on
(Snell’s Law) two lines.

Constraint tools
These instruments can be used to modify the impact of constraints:
Icon Name Description
Toggle Toggles the reference mode of the toolbar or the selected constraints on
driving/reference or off.
constraint
Activate/deactivate Enable or disable a previously established constraint.
constraint
V. EXERCISE

a. Familiarize yourself with all of the icons in the Sketcher Workbench

b. Create a Square (300mm x 300mm), a Rectangle (300 mm x 500mm), and Circle (100mm
diameter) that is fully constrained.
c. Discuss the difficulties encountered in this exercise.