Define a 2D Model drawing area

This procedure creates a working area in 2D model space where you can draw, dimension, and annotate your design at 1:1 scale and still maintain the correct text height--either 0.125 inches (English) or 3.50 mm (metric)--for the printed drawing sheet size.

Tip:

If you are importing a design file, you can drag the file onto a working sheet, click the Fit command to fit the design to the sheet, and then use the Inspect→Measure Distance command to determine the true width or height of the finished design. You can enter this value into the Width or Height field in the Drawing Area dialog box, and then click the Calculate Scale button.

  1. (Display the 2D Model sheet) From the ribbon, choose View tab→Sheet Views group→2D Model, and then click the document sheet tab labeled 2D Model.

  2. From the Application menu, choose the Drawing Area Setup command.

  3. In the Drawing Area dialog box, select the sheet size for the final printed drawing.

  4. In the Drawing Area dialog box, define the size of the 2D working area and the scale required to create geometry and place annotations using one of these methods: width x height or scale factor.

    • (Option 1) Type the Width and/or Height of the part or assembly to be created, and then click the Calculate Scale button.

    • (Option 2) Type the desired Scale, and then click the Calculate Width-Height button.

  5. In the Drawing Area dialog box, set the Place Block option, and then select a drawing border from the Place Block list.

    Note:

    • If there are no blocks in the current document, or if you want to use a border located in a different draft document, use the Browse button to locate a file that contains the drawing border block you want to use, and then select the border as described above.

    • To choose a drawing border created specifically for the AutoCAD environment, select one of the drawing border blocks from the TitleBlocks.dft file located in the \Program Files\Solid Edge ST6\Sample Blocks folder.

  6. Click OK to close the Drawing Area Setup dialog box and continue.

  7. (Place the border block) On the 2D Model sheet, click where you want to place the bottom-left corner of the border.

  8. (Optional) You can modify the current drawing border scale by typing a new value in the Block Scale box on the command bar.

  9. (Optional) If the Block Properties dialog box is displayed, you can type a new value for the sheet number and number of sheets, or edit any of the information displayed in the white cells. Click OK to dismiss the dialog box.

    The border is placed at the correct scale to encompass the intended geometry.

  10. Choose View tab→Orient group→Fit .

  11. Do one of the following:

    • Left-click to place the border in another location on the same sheet.

    • Right-click to end the place block function.

Tip:

  • You can edit the information in the drawing border title block by clicking the Blocks tab in the Layers pane, and then right-clicking the border block name and choosing Open. See the Help topic, Displaying blocks in the Library.

  • You can add geometry to the 2D Model Sheet using any of the following methods:

    • Drag an existing .dft file, .dwg file, or .dxf file onto the sheet.

    • Use the drawing tools to add geometry to an existing design or to create a new design from scratch.

  • You can add annotations and dimensions or modify existing ones.

    Note:

    • When you add a new annotation, you can override the current text scale using the Text Scale control on the displayed command bar. Changing the setting on the command bar changes the scale for all new text added to the current sheet.

    • Text height for existing annotations must be adjusted individually. Select the annotation, then click Properties on its shortcut menu. Changing the value in the Text Scale field on the Properties dialog box affects only the currently selected annotation text.

  • To create 2D model views from your finished design, change to the working sheet, and choose the Sketching tab→Drawing Views group→2D Model command .

    Note:

    In 2D Drafting, the 2D Model command is located on the Tables tab.

  • To print a drawing from the 2D Model sheet, use the Print Area option on the Print dialog box. This allows you to specify two diagonal points to specify the area that you want to print. See the Help topic, Print an Area on the Sheet to learn more.

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