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      <title>Constraints</title>
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      <div class="title_topic3" id="xps10_pagetitle">Constraints</div>
      <hr noshade="true"><a name="ndxgenid_roadmap302"></a><p class="para_topic"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/commandref/ideas_rule.gif" border="0"></p>
      <p class="para_topic">In I-deas, you constrain a sketch using geometric and dimensional constraints.</p>
      <p class="para_topic"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/commandref/nx_rule.gif" border="0"></p>
      <p class="para_topic">NX uses the same concepts of geometric and dimensional constraints. Constraint creation is controlled with the <b class="uiTerm">Sketch Constraints</b> toolbar.
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      <ul class="unmarkedList">
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            <p class="para_item"><b class="uiTerm">Sketch Constraints</b> toolbar:
            </p>
            <p class="para_item"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/icons/sketch_constraints_toolbar.gif" border="0"> 
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      <p class="para_topic">As you sketch, constraints will be created, similar to sketching in I-deas. </p>
      <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/parts/sketch_profile2.gif"></p><a name="ndxgenid_roadmap303"></a><a name="ndxgenid_roadmap304"></a><div class="title_division">Snap Point</div>
      <p class="para_division">As you sketch curves, the <b class="uiTerm">Snap Point</b> buttons will become active on the Selection Bar. The active icons in this toolbar determine which geometric conditions are recognized. The cursor will snap to these locations, but a constraint is not necessarily created.
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         <li>
            <p class="para_item"><b class="uiTerm">Snap Point</b> buttons:
            </p>
            <p class="para_item"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/icons/snap_point.gif" border="0"></p>
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      <p class="para_division">Unlike in I-deas, the cursor will snap to 3D solid geometry off the plane as well as to objects on the sketch plane. This makes the I-deas Focus command unnecessary.</p><a name="ndxgenid_roadmap305"></a><a name="ndxgenid_roadmap306"></a><div class="title_division">Geometric constraints</div>
      <p class="para_division">Use the <b class="uiTerm">Infer Constraints</b> button in the <b class="uiTerm">Sketch Constraints</b> toolbar to determine which type of constraints the software should create as you sketch.
      </p>
      <ul class="unmarkedList">
         <li>
            <p class="para_item"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/icons/icon_infer_constraints.gif" border="0"> <b class="uiTerm">Infer Constraints</b> settings
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      <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/icons/infer_constraints_dialog.gif"></p>
      <p class="para_division">Click to depress the buttons representing the types of constraints to capture.</p>
      <p class="para_division">To create dimensions as you sketch, turn on the option <b class="uiTerm">Dimensional Constraints</b>. With this option on, dimensions are automatically created for values that you explicitly key in.
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            <td valign="top" align="left"><img align="left" src="../graphics/note.gif" alt="Note" title="Note"></td>
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               <div class="para_note"><a name="ndxgenid_roadmap307"></a><p class="para_note_body">The <b class="uiTerm">Snap Point</b> options on the Selection Bar and <b class="uiTerm">Infer Constraints</b> settings function something like the two columns in the <b class="uiTerm">Navigator Controls</b> in I-deas. The first recognizes geometric conditions, and the second creates sketch constraints.
                  </p>
                  <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/parts/ideas_navigator_controls.gif"></p>
                  <p class="para_note_body">The Snap Point options on the Selection Bar will be used in other functions in NX, such as when creating <a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('roadmap/06qt_surface_2.html');return(false);"> 3D non-sketch curves</a>, but the <b class="uiTerm">Infer Constraints</b> settings are specific to sketching.
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      <p class="para_division">Turn on the <b class="uiTerm">Show Constraints</b> button to display geometric constraint symbols as you sketch.
      </p>
      <ul class="unmarkedList">
         <li>
            <p class="para_item"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/icons/icon-show-constraints.gif" border="0"> <b class="uiTerm">Show Constraints</b></p>
         </li>
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      <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/parts/constraints2.gif"></p>
      <p class="para_division">White symbols indicate constraints. Yellow arrows indicated unconstrained degrees of freedom.</p>
      <p class="para_division">To manually (explicitly) create geometric constraints, use the <b class="uiTerm">Constraints</b> button.
      </p>
      <ul class="unmarkedList">
         <li>
            <p class="para_item"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/icons/icon-constraints.gif" border="0"> <b class="uiTerm">Constraints</b></p>
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      </ul>
      <p class="para_division">Select the curves to constrain. At the top of the screen, the software will display only the buttons for the possible constraints between the selected entities. The symbols used are slightly different than those in I-deas. For example, the buttons below create the constraint types <b class="uiTerm">Fixed</b>, <b class="uiTerm">Collinear</b>, <b class="uiTerm">Horizontal</b>, <b class="uiTerm">Vertical</b>, <b class="uiTerm">Parallel</b>, <b class="uiTerm">Perpendicular</b>, <b class="uiTerm">Equal Length</b>, <b class="uiTerm">Constant Length</b>, and <b class="uiTerm">Constant Angle</b>.
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      <ul class="unmarkedList">
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            <p class="para_item"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/icons/constraint-types-toolbar.gif" border="0"></p>
         </li>
      </ul><a name="ndxgenid_roadmap308"></a><a name="ndxgenid_roadmap309"></a><div class="title_division">Dimensional constraints</div>
      <p class="para_division">Create dimensional constraints using explicit commands or use the <b class="uiTerm">Inferred Dimensions</b> button.
      </p>
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            <td valign="top" align="left"><img align="left" src="../graphics/tip.gif" alt="Tip" title="Tip"></td>
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               <div class="para_tip"><a name="ndxgenid_roadmap310"></a><p class="para_tip_body">Change dimension text size using <b class="uiTerm">Preferences</b> &rarr; <b class="uiTerm">Sketch</b>.
                  </p>
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      <p class="para_division">To create the dimension as shown using the <b class="uiTerm">Inferred Dimensions</b> button, either select line 1 and place the dimension, or select lines 2 and 3. 
      </p>
      <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/parts/constraint_dim1.gif"></p>
      <table border="0">
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            <td valign="top" align="left"><img align="left" src="../graphics/tip.gif" alt="Tip" title="Tip"></td>
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               <div class="para_tip">
                  <p class="para_tip_body">It's potentially confusing to I-deas users when the preview is displayed before they expect it. After selecting line 2 above, a preview of the length of line 2 is displayed. Continue to select line 3 instead of clicking to place the dimension.</p>
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      <p class="para_division">To dimension to a <a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('roadmap/05qt_parts_6.html#qt_parts_selectvertices');return(false);">vertex</a>, select a line endpoint within the cursor select ball.
      </p>
      <p class="para_division">Use the on-screen <b class="uiTerm">Sketch Dimensions Dialog</b> button to modify dimension values and attributes.
      </p>
      <ul class="unmarkedList">
         <li>
            <p class="para_item"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/icons/icon_sketch_dimensions_dialog.gif" border="0"> <b class="uiTerm">Sketch Dimensions Dialog</b></p>
         </li>
      </ul><a name="ndxgenid_roadmap311"></a><a name="ndxgenid_roadmap312"></a><div class="title_division">Reviewing constraints</div>
      <p class="para_division">Use the <b class="uiTerm">Show/Remove Constraints</b> button to review all constraints in the sketch.
      </p>
      <ul class="unmarkedList">
         <li class="condense"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/icons/icon-show-remove-constraints.gif" border="0"> <b class="uiTerm">Show/Remove Constraints</b></li>
         <li class="condense"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/widgets/radio-on.gif" border="0"> <b class="uiTerm">All in Active Sketch</b></li>
         <li class="condense"><b class="uiTerm">Constraint Type</b> <img align="bottom" src="graphics/widgets/pull-down-menu.gif" border="0"> <b class="uiTerm">All</b></li>
         <li class="condense"><b class="uiTerm">Show Constraints</b> <img align="bottom" src="graphics/widgets/pull-down-menu.gif" border="0"> <b class="uiTerm">Both</b></li>
      </ul>
      <p class="para_division">Constraints selected in the list will be highlighted in the sketch. Use <b class="uiTerm">Remove Highlighted</b> to delete any undesired constraints.
      </p>
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            <td valign="top" align="left"><img align="left" src="../graphics/tip.gif" alt="Tip" title="Tip"></td>
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               <div class="para_tip">
                  <p class="para_tip_body">Color is also used in specific ways. Yellow geometry indicates an over constrained condition. Pink indicates constraints that conflict. Similar to the practice in I-deas, it's generally acceptable to apply redundant but consistent geometric constraints, but not redundant dimensional constraints.</p>
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      <p class="para_division">See also:</p>
      <ul class="unmarkedList">
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Help: <img align="bottom" src="graphics/widgets/book_closed.gif" border="0"> Design &rarr; Sketcher &rarr; Sketch Constraints Toolbar
            </p>
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