Adding a sketched wire feature

Select ShapeWireSketch from the main menu bar to add a sketched planar wire feature to the part in the current viewport. The planar wire tool is always available, regardless of the modeling space of the part in the current viewport.

See Also
What is feature-based modeling?
Adding a wire feature
The Sketch module

Context:

You add a planar wire feature by sketching the feature on a selected plane. Abaqus/CAE removes any portion of the wire that overlaps an existing face. A sketch and the resulting planar wires are illustrated in the following figure:

The sketch fully defines a planar wire feature and can be modified using the Feature Manipulation toolset.

  1. From the main menu bar, select ShapeWireSketch.

    Abaqus/CAE displays prompts in the prompt area to guide you through the procedure.

    Tip: You can also add a sketched wire feature using the tool, located with the wire tools in the Part module toolbox. For a diagram of the tools in the Part module toolbox, see Using the Part module toolbox.

  2. If desired, specify the method you want to use to select an origin for your sketch of the sketched wire feature. Select one of the following options from the Sketch Origin field in the prompt area:

    • Select Auto-Calculate to place the sketch origin automatically.

    • Select Specify to define a custom sketch origin.

    • Select Session Default to use the custom origin you specified earlier in the session.

  3. If the modeling space of the part is two-dimensional or axisymmetric, Abaqus/CAE enters the Sketcher and aligns the X- and Y-axes of the part and the sketch.

    If the part is three-dimensional, do the following:

    1. Select the planar face on which the wire will be positioned. If no suitable face exists, you can select a datum plane.

      Tip: If you are unable to select the desired planar face, you can use the Selection toolbar to change the selection behavior. For more information, see Using the selection options.

    2. Select an edge and the orientation of the edge on the Sketcher grid. The edge must not be perpendicular to the selected face. By default, the selected edge will appear vertical and on the right side of the Sketcher grid. To choose a different orientation for the edge, click the arrow on the right side of the dialog box and choose an orientation from the list that appears.

      Tip: If the edge of the selected face is curved or does not provide the desired orientation, you can create a datum axis. You can then select the datum axis to control the orientation of the part on the Sketcher grid.

      Abaqus/CAE highlights the selected edge, enters the Sketcher, and rotates the part until the selected face aligns with the plane of the Sketcher grid and the selected edge aligns with the grid in the desired orientation.

      If you are unsure of the part's orientation relative to the Sketcher grid, use the view manipulation tools from the View Manipulation toolbar to view its position. Use the reset view tool to return to the original view.

  4. If you selected Specify as the Sketch Origin method, specify the origin location by clicking a point in the viewport or by entering the three-dimensional coordinates of the origin in the prompt area. You can also set this custom origin as the default origin for all sketches in your session by toggling on Set as session default.
  5. Use the Sketcher to sketch the planar wire. In the prompt area, click Done to indicate you have finished sketching.

    The part returns to its original orientation with the planar wire positioned on the selected face. The wire feature is created only where it extends beyond the faces of the part; a wire feature cannot overlap a face.