Working with grids

The grid helps you draw and modify elements relative to known positions in the working window. It displays a series of intersecting lines or points, and X and Y coordinates, which enable you to draw 2D elements with precision. You can use the grid with all sketching, dimensioning, and annotation functions. It also works with IntelliSketch and the Select command.

For example, you can use the grid to:

synchronous environment

ordered environment

Grid display and setting options

You can use the Grid Options command to open the Grid Options dialog box, where you can specify grid appearance and turn grid display options on and off. For easy access, some of the options also are available as commands on the ribbon.

You can do this

Using these options in the dialog box

Or selecting this command on the ribbon

Display the grid.

Show Grid, plus one of the following:

  • As Lines

  • As Points

Show Grid

Turn alignment lines on and off.

Show Alignment Lines

Not available

Turn snap-to-grid on and off.

Show Grid, plus one of the following:

  • Using Lines

  • Using Points

Snap to Grid

Turn coordinate display on and off.

Show Readouts

Not available

Change grid spacing.

Angle

Major Line Spacing

Minor Spaces Per Major

Not available

Enter X and Y coordinates for the next point.

Enable Key-ins (X,Y)

XY Key-in

Display X and Y alignment lines.

Show Alignment Lines

Not available

Change grid line color.

Major Line Color

Minor Line Color

Not available

Change grid origin line colors

On the Colors tab in the Solid Edge Options dialog box, change the Select and Highlight colors.

Not available

Grid shortcut keys

You can use the following shortcut keys while working with grids:

You can do this

Using these shortcut keys

Reposition grid to current cursor position.

F8

Turn snap-to-grid on and off.

F9

Reset the grid origin point to zero.

F12

Displays the X and Y coordinate input boxes, with the cursor in the X box.

Alt+X

Displays the X and Y coordinate input boxes, with the cursor in the Y box.

Alt+Y

How grids work in the ordered environment

The grid is displayed in Draft and in profile and sketch mode as you draw, dimension, and annotate 2D elements. The X and Y coordinates it displays are relative to an origin point (A), which you can position anywhere in the window. The origin point is marked by the intersection of the X and Y origin lines.

As you move the cursor, the horizontal and vertical distance between the cursor position and the origin point is dynamically displayed (B).

If the Snap To Grid option is on when you add dimensions and annotations, they will snap to grid lines and points.

How grids work in the synchronous environment

The grid is available for drawing and editing 2D elements, and for adding 2D dimensions and annotations.

Grid visibility is somewhat different in Draft than in synchronous modeling environments. In Draft, when the grid is turned on, it is always visible. In synchronous modeling, the grid is visible only when a sketch plane is locked.

In 3D environments, the grid helps you draw horizontally and vertically with respect to part edges and model faces by displaying a series of intersecting lines or points, and by displaying alignment lines. The grid also helps you draw with precision by displaying X and Y coordinates that are relative to an origin point (A), which you can position anywhere in the window.

As you move the cursor, the horizontal and vertical distance (B) and orientation between the cursor position and the origin point is displayed and updated.

If the Snap To Grid option is on when you add dimensions and annotations, they will snap to grid lines and points.

Recognizing the grid origin

The grid origin is marked by the intersection of the X and Y origin lines.

Moving the grid origin

You can move the grid origin point using either of these commands:

Note:

The Reposition Origin and Zero Origin commands are available in synchronous modeling environments only when a sketch plane is locked.

See the Help topic, Reposition the grid origin point.

Changing the grid orientation

In ordered profile and sketch, the default orientation for the x-axis of the grid is horizontal to the profile or sketch reference plane. You can reorient the x-axis to any angle using the Angle option on the Grid Options dialog box.

In the synchronous modeling environment, the orientation of the grid axes matches the origin axes of the currently locked sketch plane. When you lock onto a different sketch plane, the origin axes reorient to the new plane. You can use the Reposition Origin command to do the following:

In Draft, the default orientation for the X-axis of the grid is horizontal. You can reorient the X-axis to any angle using the Angle option on the Grid Options dialog box.

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