Messed up my start_part in Wildfire

[swcalvert]

OK, I saw a PTC on-line TIP that dealed with changing the size of the default datum planes so that when you did the first sketch it would be a size that you could work with. Another words, 5 inches on my screen looked 5 inches, not 500. Now, when I do a new part, how do I get the datums to resize so that they are just a little bigger than my first extrusion/protrusion?



Steve C

 

[Guest]

Redefine the Datum Plane, then pick Attributes from the Redfine menu. Pick Default to have the datum plane automatically resize to your part.

 

[swcalvert]

I wonder if I shouldn't have changed them in the first place. Just trying to learn ways to make things better and faster.



Steve C

 

[dr_gallup]

I prefer to have the datums in the start part to resize with the part since my parts go all over the place in size. One of the easiest things to do is start the sketch of your first solid feature with a circle aligned to the default datums. Dimension the diameter and regen. Then change the size of the diameter to the approximate size of what you want to draw. Regen again and delete the circle. Now things will be drawn with approximately correct scale. This is pretty quick to do but I bet you could make a macro do it even faster.

 

[swcalvert]

Never thought of tricking the system like that. I'll give it a try.



Steve C