Parameters vs. Smart Dimensions in SOLIDWORKS Sketches

One of the biggest benefits of taking certified, instructor-led SOLIDWORKS training is the knowledge shared by our team to help avoid common pitfalls or committing a SOLIDWORKS rookie mistake. While trying to learn on your own has the potential to go smoothly, it often leads to gaps in fundamental knowledge that could make you a more efficient SOLIDWORKS user.

If you are new to sketching in SOLIDWORKS, you may have found yourself using the Parameters property window to define the length of a line or the diameter of a circle. While this isn’t wrong, it is generally recommended to use the Smart Dimensions tool to define your geometry instead. There are a few key differences between the tools that we’ll discuss!

Parameters in the Property Manager

After you’ve created a sketch entity like a line or an arc, you can select it and view the Property Manager on the left side of the interface. In the image below, the selected line’s properties are shown, including its length and angle Parameters.

From here, it is possible to change the line length by modifying the value in the length parameter box. However, this is simply a one-time change and does not provide any permanent constraint on the geometry. While using this parameter box may seem intuitive, it will likely lead to issues as the line length is not constrained, meaning that changes to surrounding entities or dragging the line endpoints can still manipulate the line’s length.

Using the Smart Dimension Command

It is important to control your design with Smart Dimensions because they are permanent constraints that help to fully define the geometry. When an entity is “Fully Defined”, it means that a combination of dimensions and relations has been added to the entity to constrain its size, position, and relations to other geometry in the sketch.

Fully defined sketches eliminate any ambiguity or interpretation of the design by fully communicating the design intent. Keeping this in mind, the Smart Dimension command is the best option for locking in your design intent, supporting future edits, and keeping downstream features stable. It can be found towards the left end of the Sketch tab, as shown in the image below.

Accessing the Smart Dimension command

In the image below, multiple Smart Dimensions have been added to constrain the sketch. We have also added relations to the sketch in the form of horizontal, vertical, tangent, and parallel relationships as denoted by the green icons. The combination of dimensions and relations has provided enough information so that the sketch is fully defined.

Fully defined SOLIDWORKS sketch

Taking your SOLIDWORKS skills from novice to pro means learning when to use which tools for which tasks. The Parameters property box may still be useful for one-time adjustments, but when it comes to fully defining your sketch geometry, Smart Dimensions are the way to go.

Making SOLIDWORKS rookie mistakes is an integral part of the journey to becoming a SOLIDWORKS expert, but learning how to avoid them is how you can quickly go from novice to pro. Minimizing mouse movements and increasing modeling is the easiest way to set yourself apart from other users. While learning SOLIDWORKS can take many forms, the best way to do so is by getting information directly from the TriMech Group team. Our years of experience can help answer all your SOLIDWORKS-related questions and make you the SOLIDWORKS user you were meant to be.

To avoid further rookie mistakes, register for an upcoming training course here.