Meet the SOLIDWORKS Biad Tool

Meet the SOLIDWORKS Biad tool. When defining sketches, referencing sketched construction lines relative to existing geometry is often necessary. This is done to create critical angle dimensions. Thanks to the Biad this process is easier than ever.

Outil Biad de SOLIDWORKS

This tool has been in SOLIDWORKS since 2015, but without prior knowledge, it can be easily overlooked. This handy little tool enables you to create an angle dimension between a line and an imaginary horizontal or vertical line without the need for any extra construction geometry. It’s sort of like the triad in SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD but in 2D space.

How to use the SOLIDWORKS Biad Tool

While using the smart dimension tool, select a line you want to define and the end point at which you want to place the dimension. The order of selection does not matter. Doing so enables the Biad or (as SOLIDWORKS officially calls it) a crosshair.

Biad applied

Choosing one of the segments of the Biad allows you to create an angle dimension between your model’s line and an imaginary horizontal or vertical line represented by the Biad (crosshair’s segments).

Dimension applied

If you’re not happy with the given angle dimension, hitting the “escape” key with step you back to the Biad. Allowing you to make an alternate selection.

Thanks to this powerful tool, the days of unnecessarily creating extra construction geometry to dimension your drawings are finally over.