the OK button from the Mirror PropertyManager.

Figure 3­25 The Mirror PropertyManager

Figure 3­26 shows the sketched entities with the centerline and Figure 3­27
shows the resulting mirror image of the sketched entities.
 Figure 3­26 Selecting the sketched entities and the centerline

Figure 3­27 Sketch after mirroring the geometry

Mirroring Entities Dynamically CommandManager:

Sketch > Dynamic Mirror Entities (Customize to add)
SOLIDWORKS menus: Tools > Sketch Tools >
Dynamic Mirror Toolbar: Sketch > Dynamic Mirror
Entities (Customize to add) The Dynamic Mirror
Entities tool is used to mirror the entities dynamically
about a symmetry line while sketching. This tool is
recommended when you are drawing the symmetric
sketches. You need to add this tool to the Sketch
CommandManager by using the Customize dialog box,
as discussed earlier. To mirror the entities while
sketching, choose the Dynamic Mirror Entities button
from the Sketch CommandManager; the Mirror
PropertyManager will be displayed, as shown in Figure
3­28. The Message rollout in the Mirror
PropertyManager informs that you need to select a
sketch line or a linear model edge to mirror about. Select
a line, a centerline, or a model edge from the drawing
area that will be used as a symmetry line; the symmetry
symbols appear at both the ends of the centerline to
indicate that the automatic mirroring is activated, as
shown in Figure 3­29.

Figure 3­28 The Mirror PropertyManager

 Figure 3­29 The centerline and the symmetry symbols

Now, start drawing the sketch. The entity that you draw on one side of the
centerline will automatically be created on the other side of the mirror line
(centerline). As evident from Figure 3­30, the entities are mirrored automatically
while sketching. Figure 3­31 shows the complete sketch with automatic
mirroring. After completing the sketch using the automatic mirroring option, you
need to choose the Dynamic Mirror Entities tool again to exit the tool.

Figure 3­30 Sketch drawn using the Dynamic Mirror Entities tool
Figure 3­31 Sketch drawn using the Dynamic Mirror Entities tool
Moving Sketched Entities
CommandManager: Sketch > Move Entities flyout > Move Entities
SOLIDWORKS menus: Tools > Sketch Tools > Move
Toolbar: Sketch > Move Entities flyout > Move Entities The Move
Entities tool in the Sketch CommandManager is used to move an entity from
one location to other. To move an entity, invoke this tool from
the Sketch CommandManager or select the entities, right­click, and then
choose the Move Entities option from the shortcut menu. Remember that this
tool will be available only when at least one sketched entity is drawn. When you
invoke this tool, the Move PropertyManager will be displayed, as shown in
Figure 3­32, and you will be prompted to select the sketched items or the
annotations to be moved. The options in this PropertyManager are
discussed next.
Figure 3­32 Partial view of the Move PropertyManager
Entities to Move Rollout
The options in this rollout are used to select the entities to be moved. You will
notice that the Sketch items or annotations selection box is active in this
rollout. The names of the entities selected to be moved will be displayed in this
selection box. To remove an entity from the selection set, select it again from the
drawing area. Alternatively, you can select its name from the Sketch items or
annotations selection box and right­click to display the shortcut menu. Choose
the Delete option from the shortcut menu. If you choose the Clear Selections
option from the shortcut menu, all the entities in the selection set will be
removed.
You will notice that by default, the Keep relations check box is cleared. If you
move the sketched entities with this check box cleared, the relations applied to
the entities to be moved will be removed. If you select this check box and then
move the entities, then the relations applied to the sketched entities are retained
even if you move the entities. You will learn more about relations later in this
chapter.
Parameters Rollout
The Parameters rollout is used to specify the origin and destination positions of
the entities selected to move. The options in this rollout are discussed next.

From/To
The From/To radio button is selected by default. So, you can move the
selected entities from one point to another. To move the selected entities using
this option, click once in the Base point selection box; you will be prompted
to define the base point. Click anywhere in the drawing area to specify the
base point; a yellow circle will be displayed where the start point is specified
and you will be prompted to define the destination point. Select a point
anywhere in the drawing area to place the selected entities.

X/Y
The X/Y radio button is selected to move the selected entities by specifying
the relative coordinates of X and Y. On selecting this radio button, the Delta X
and Delta Y spinners will be displayed below this radio button. Set the values
of the destination coordinates in these spinners with respect to the current
location.
Repeat
If the Repeat button is chosen, the entities will move further with the
incremental distance specified in the Delta X and Delta Y spinners.

Figure 3­33 shows the selected entities being moved using the Move Entities
tool. In this figure, the selected rectangle is moved from its selected base point to
the new location.

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Figure 3­33 Moving the selected entities

Rotating Sketched Entities
CommandManager: Sketch > Move Entities flyout > Rotate Entities
SOLIDWORKS menus: Tools > Sketch Tools > Rotate Toolbar: Sketch >
Move Entities flyout > Rotate Entities To rotate the sketched entities, choose
the Rotate Entities tool from the Move Entities flyout in the Sketch
CommandManager, as shown in Figure 3­34. On doing so, the Rotate
PropertyManager will be displayed, as shown in Figure 3­35, and you will
be prompted to select the sketched items or annotations. Alternatively, to
display this Property Manager, right­click in the drawing area and choose
Rotate Entities from the shortcut menu displayed.

Figure 3­34 Tools in the Move Entities flyout

 Figure 3­35 Partial view of the Rotate PropertyManager

Select the entities to be rotated; the names of the selected entities will be
displayed in the Sketch items or annotations selection box of the Entities to
Rotate rollout. Next, click in the Base point selection box in the Parameters
rollout; you will be prompted to specify the center point of rotation. As soon as
you specify the center point, the Angle spinner in the Parameters rollout will be
highlighted. You can specify the angle of rotation using this spinner. You can
also drag the mouse on the screen to define the angle of rotation.

Figure 3­36 shows a rectangle being rotated by dragging the cursor to define the
angle of rotation. The lower right vertex of the rectangle is taken as the center
point of rotation.
 �
Figure 3­36 Dragging the cursor to rotate the rectangle
Scaling Sketched Entities
CommandManager: Sketch > Move Entities flyout > Scale Entities
SOLIDWORKS menus: Tools > Sketch Tools > Scale
Toolbar: Sketch > Move Entities flyout > Scale Entities To resize the entities,
choose the Scale Entities tool from the Move Entities flyout in the Sketch
CommandManager; the Scale PropertyManager will be displayed, as shown
in Figure 3­37, and you will be prompted to select the sketched items or
annotations. You can also invoke this PropertyManager by right clicking in
the drawing area to display a shortcut menu and then choosing the Scale
Entities tool from it.

Figure 3­37 Partial view of the Scale PropertyManager

Select the entities to be resized; the names of the selected entities will be
displayed in the Sketch items or annotations selection box of the Entities to
Scale rollout. After selecting the entities to be scaled, right­click; you will be
prompted to specify the point about which to scale. Specify the base point in the
drawing area by clicking the left mouse button.

After specifying the base point, specify the magnification factor in the Scale
Factor spinner of the Parameters rollout. The entities will be resized based on
the value set in this spinner.

If you need to create the copies of the selected entities, select the Copy check
box. Else, choose the OK button from the Scale PropertyManager; the selected
entities will be resized. On selecting the Copy check box, the Number of
Copies spinner will be displayed. Set the number of instances in this spinner and
choose the OK button from the Scale PropertyManager; the entities will be
resized and their copies will be created with an incremental scale factor with
respect to the original entities selected.
Note
If in a selected set, geometric dimensions are assigned to entities, then those
entities will not be modified.

Stretching Sketched Entities CommandManager: Sketch

> Move Entities flyout > Stretch Entities SOLIDWORKS
menus: Tools > Sketch Tools > Stretch Entities
Toolbar: Sketch > Move Entities flyout > Stretch Entities
To stretch the entities, choose the Stretch Entities tool
from the Move Entities flyout in the Sketch
CommandManager; the Stretch PropertyManager
will be displayed, as shown in Figure 3­38, and you will
be prompted to select the entities to stretch. Select the
entities to be stretched by using the cross­window
selection method, refer to Figure 3­39; the name of the
entities selected will be displayed in the Entities To
Stretch rollout of the Stretch PropertyManager. Click
in the Stretch about selection box in the Parameters
rollout and specify a point in the drawing area as the base
point, refer to Figure 3­40. Now, move the cursor to the
desired location; the selected entities will be stretched to
the specified location. Figure 3­41 shows the stretched
sketch.
 Figure 3­38 The Stretch PropertyManager

Figure 3­39 Selecting entities for stretching

Figure 3­40 Selecting the corner point for stretching

Figure 3­41 The sketch after stretching

You can also stretch entities along X and Y axes. To do so, select the X/Y radio
button from the Parameters rollout; the Parameters rollout will be modified, as
shown in Figure 3­42. Now, set the desired distance values in the Delta X and
Delta Y spinners; the dynamic preview of the selected entities to be stretched
will be displayed in the drawing area. Once you are done, choose the OK button
from the PropertyManager.

Figure 3­42 The Parameters rollout

Copying and Pasting Sketched Entities
CommandManager: Sketch > Move Entities flyout >
Copy Entities SOLIDWORKS menus: Tools > Sketch
Tools > Copy
Toolbar: Sketch > Move Entities flyout > Copy Entities
The Copy Entities tool allows you to copy the selected
sketched entity and paste it to other location. Note that
if dimensions are also selected along with the entities to
be copied, then the dimensions will also be copied along
with the sketched entities. To copy and paste the sketched
entities, choose the Copy Entities tool from the Move
Entities flyout in the Sketch CommandManager; the
Copy PropertyManager will be displayed, as shown in
Figure 3­43.
 Figure 3­43 The Copy PropertyManager

Select the entities that you want to copy and then select the From/To radio
button, if it is not selected by default. Next, click once in the Base point
selection box and then specify the base point. Now, move the cursor; you will
notice that the preview of the entities to be copied will be attached to the cursor.
Click at a location in the drawing area to place the copied entities. If you need to
create multiple copies, left­click at different locations. Else, right­click to invoke
the shortcut menu and then choose the OK option from it to exit the tool. On
selecting the X/Y radio button in the Parameters rollout of the Copy
PropertyManager, you need to specify the X and Y coordinates of the new
entities with respect to their current location and choose the OK button. Note
that on selecting the X/Y radio button, you cannot create multiple copies of the
selected entities.