Linked dimensions in SolidWorks allow you to establish relationships between different dimensions in your sketch or model. These relationships ensure that when you modify one dimension, the linked dimensions adjust automatically to maintain the desired design intent. This powerful feature saves time and effort by reducing the need to manually update related dimensions.
Understanding Linked Dimensions
When you create a sketch or a 3D model in SolidWorks, you define various dimensions to specify the size and position of its elements. However, sometimes changing one dimension can affect other related dimensions. For example, if you increase the length of a rectangular shape, you may want its width to adjust proportionally.
SolidWorks provides two types of linked dimensions: driven dimensions and driving dimensions.
Driven Dimensions
A driven dimension is dependent on another driving dimension. When you modify a driving dimension, the driven dimension adjusts accordingly but does not influence other dimensions.
To create a driven dimension, follow these steps:
- Select “Smart Dimension” from the “Sketch” toolbar or “Dimensions/Smart Dimension” from the “CommandManager.”
- Select an entity or feature to which you want to apply a dimension.
- Select another entity or feature that defines the position or size relationship.
- Add the desired value for the driven dimension.
Driving Dimensions
A driving dimension controls one or more related driven dimensions. Modifying a driving dimension causes all associated driven dimensions to update accordingly.
To create a driving dimension, proceed as follows:
- Select “Smart Dimension” from the “Sketch” toolbar or “Dimensions/Smart Dimension” from the “CommandManager.”
- Select an entity or feature that defines a size relationship.
- Add the desired value for the driving dimension.
Editing Linked Dimensions
If you need to modify a linked dimension, SolidWorks provides several options. You can directly edit the dimension value or use other tools to adjust the linked dimensions.
To edit a linked dimension value, simply double-click on the dimension and enter the new desired value. SolidWorks will automatically update all related dimensions while maintaining their proportional relationships.
In addition to direct editing, you can also use various tools such as “Modify” or “Move Entities” to adjust linked dimensions. These tools allow you to drag and manipulate entities while maintaining their relationships with other dimensions.
Benefits of Linked Dimensions
Using linked dimensions in SolidWorks offers numerous benefits:
- Efficiency: By establishing relationships between dimensions, you can quickly update multiple dimensions simultaneously, saving time and effort.
- Design Intent: Linked dimensions help maintain design intent by ensuring that related dimensions adjust proportionally when modifications are made.
- Error Reduction: With linked dimensions, the chances of introducing errors during dimension updates are significantly reduced since changes propagate automatically.
In conclusion, linked dimensions in SolidWorks provide a powerful tool for establishing relationships between different dimensions in sketches or models. By using driven and driving dimensions, you can maintain design intent and efficiently update multiple related dimensions with ease.