SOLIDWORKS 2017 Shaded Sketch Contours

Upon first review, the new SOLIDWORKS Shaded Sketch Contours tool seemed to be simply a visual aid that we have had for quite some time in SOLIDWORKS (if you guessed “Check Sketch for Feature” you’re correct!).

After spending a few minutes with this tool enabled, it’s easy to see that it combines a few handy functions to get complex sketching done faster and easier than before. Take the sketch below for example:

Complex Sketch Profile

We all know what will happen if you attempt to grab any entity or point on this under defined sketch in order to move it onto the origin…BOOM, the sketch twists, bends, and flips its way to being a completely useless effort.

Enter stage right the Shaded Sketch Contour tool.

Enable this tool from Tools > Sketch Settings > Shaded Sketch Contours. The new tool will do two things for you:

1. Make you confident that your sketch is a “Fully Closed” profile by shading the area within the sketch geometry.
2. Give you the ability to click on an entity and drag the entire shape while it maintains it’s form (the “move” tool is not required).

Shaded Sketch

SOLIDWORKS Shaded Sketch Contours Advantages

Other operations you can perform with the SOLIDWORKS Shaded Sketch Contours enabled include:

• Apply relations to entities.
• Make blocks of the shaded sketch selections.
• Use shaded contours as input for the Mirror Entities and Offset Entities tools.
• Use the Extruded Boss/Base tool on the context toolbar by right-clicking the shaded
  sketch.

Keep the SOLIDWORKS Shaded Sketch Contours in mind the next time you are working on a complex sketch that has to be manipulated!

SOLIDWORKS 2017 Resources

Access our resources page to get everything you need to learn what’s new in SOLIDWORKS 2017, including tech tips, demonstrations, and upcoming product webinars.

WHAT’S NEW RESOURCES