Sketching basics
Draw 2D profiles on a plane or flat face — the starting point of almost every 3D feature.
Nearly every solid starts as a sketch: a 2D profile drawn on a plane, which a feature such as Extrude (boss & cut) or Revolve then turns into 3D.
Starting a sketch
- Open the Sketch tab and pick a tool — you'll be asked for a plane — or select a base plane / flat face first.
- The view turns to face the plane; the ribbon now shows the sketch tools.
- Finish with ✔ (top of the panel) or press
Escwhen nothing is pending.
Drawing tools
- Line — click point to point;
Escends the chain. - Rectangle and Slot
- Circle, Arc, Ellipse
- Polygon and Spline
- Text — outlines that can be extruded or cut
Each shape commits as you draw it (the industry-standard flow) — there is no extra confirm step. Undo removes the last entity.
Editing tools
Trim, Extend, Offset, Mirror, Convert entities (project model edges into the sketch) and Project reshape what you drew.
Snapping
The cursor snaps to endpoints, midpoints, centres, intersections and to horizontal/vertical alignment while drawing — watch the glyph beside the cursor. On a model face it also snaps to existing edges and corners.
A valid profile
For a solid feature the profile should be a closed loop (or several nested loops — holes). Open contours work for thin features and for sheet-metal bends.
Related: Dimensions & constraints · Your first part (sketch → extrude) · Extrude (boss & cut)