CAD Forum

Hey,

I know you all have been in this situation: You have made a nice sketch and ready to do some extruding or something but... You see that "(-)" mark in your sketch name. Then you go back to see what you forgot define but there simply isn't any. After 45 years of searching you finally find that blue dot hiding somewhere but it's already time to leave for a pension retirement.

The question is that is there any built-in tool to find that blue f***er or do I need to make another macro to make life a little easier XD

In some cases, fully defined sketch tool may help, but that really subjected to how complicated your sketch is...
You can turn off relation so that it only add dimension which make it slightly easier to figure out where is the undefined points

https://help.solidworks.com/2019/englis ... etches.htm

Zhen-Wei Tee wrote: ↑Mon Apr 25, 2022 7:29 am In some cases, fully defined sketch tool may help, but that really subjected to how complicated your sketch is...
You can turn off relation so that it only add dimension which make it slightly easier to figure out where is the undefined points

https://help.solidworks.com/2019/englis ... etches.htm

Ah sorry I forgot to mention, this is about 3D-sketch that doesn't support "Fully define sketch"-tool

Most 3D sketche can be done with multiple 2D sketches.
So 3D sketch is my last resort.

Don't know if there is such tool.
Usually when I am using 3DSketch I always check the "Along X/Y/Z" relations, sometimes it doesn't snap properly and solves the issue.

Might be helpful ^^

If you could share an example, even as a simple screenshot, I'm sure I could be of help. 3D sketches can be tricky to handle. It could be an endpoint missing a relation or a line missing a length, or missing a reference to define it's planarity(is that the right word?)

Thanks for answers guys. I fully understand the consept here, I use a lot of 3D-sketches for complex frames and pipings etc and I DO know HOW they are fully defined. Sometimes it just happens that there is blue dot that I just simply can't see or find and that is causing the headache here. So... basing on the answers here we can close the case unsolved

I've seen this issue even with 2D sketches (that someone else left undefined). In many instances, I find the culprit (usually a singular point) sitting on top of the origin camouflaged, so I tend to look there first now. I've also changed the color for unconstrained entities to red, which I find easier to see, even when there are small line segments. Despite this, if I'm really hunting with little luck, I'll change the background color. Another method I use to check, is enabling the 'show relations' option, and check the vertices to make sure they have the proper constraints, if something is missing, it can be quick to find.

Worst case, if you're the one doing the geometry, you could always start fresh. It's not the best option, but it's certainly "an" option...For me, I generally am fixing something someone else did, and if I take this route, it destroys the entire model, so I have to hunt down whatever is running wild

I have made a copy of the model before and work on the sketch in that model till I find the culprit. This way you don't accidentally exit the sketch and save only to find you screwed it up badly and can't go back. I am talking from experience here!