OnShape: Applying Constraints

By: Matthew Jourden

Brighton High School
Brighton, MI

1. Navigate to Onshape.com > Login > Create > New Document > Name: Constraints > Select OK

2. Constraints are geometric definitions that lock geometry into place

a. Horizontal: Line extending linearly from 0 to 180 degrees
b. Vertical: Line extending linearly from 90 to 270 degrees
c. Parallel: two or more lines that are equidistant from each other
d. Perpendicular (Normal): two lines that are 90 degrees to each other
e. Dimension: User stated distance/size of a geometric entity
f. Equal Length: two or more geometric entities (lines, circles, arcs, etc.) that share the same dimensional value
g. Mid-Point: center point of a line
h. Tangent: line and circle sharing one point
i. Concentric: two or more geometric shapes that share the same center point
j. Coincident: Matches two non-connecting points (i.e. aligns points on the same plane, moves points together to
touch)

3. Select Sketch Icon > Select Front Datum (Plane) > Press n Key to rotate perpendicular to plane
4. Showing Constraint Icons: Check Show Constraints from the Sketch Properties Pop Up window

5. Constraint Tool Bar

Vertical
Tangent

Mid-Pt
Dimension

Perpendicular Equal Length

Coincident Parallel
Concentric

Horizontal
 6. Adding Constraints
a. Draw the following two lines > Set Dimension of the one line (we have already used the dimension tool
extensively from previous projects

b. Select the Vertical Line Icon > Left Click On each Line
Notice Following: 1. the lines snap vertical

2. Left Vertical Line holds its distance > Because of the Dimension Constraint

3. Right Vertical Line may have changed length because there is NOT a dimension constraint
Applied

c. Select the Constraint Equal Line > Select both Lines

d. Select Circle Tool > Place Cursor at the Center of the Line Horizontal Line > Square Icon will Appear to represent
Mid-Point of the line. (2nd Option Draw a circle anywhere on the line (except End Points) > Select Mid-Point
Tool > Select Circle and Line) > Left Click to Begin Drawing Circle > Drag Cursor to one of the end points > Left
Click to Place

Drag Cursor to End

Mid-Point of Point of Line
Line
e. Change Horizontal Line to Contruction Line: Select Horizontal Line > Select Contrsuction Tool Icon

1. Select Horizontal
Line
2. Select Construction
Icon

f. Draw Horizontal Line Connecting the two top points of the vertical Lines > Change Vertical Distance to 2.5 >
Trim the Top half of the circle

e. Slot Feature

i. Draw a Construction Vertical Line Starting at the Mid-Point of the Top Horizontal Line > Set distance to
1.25
ii. Draw a Circle from the lower end point of the circle > Set Diameter to .625

iii. Draw two Verical Lines from the top Horizontal Line down (shown in blue) NOTE: Be sure not to touch
the circle and extend the lines past the circle (we will trim this lines later)
 iv. Select Constraint Tangent > select one of the Vertical Lines and the Circle > Repeat for the other line >
Trim Lines and Circle as shown below
Notice: The vertical lines moves horizontially to the circle. Reason is because of constraints
a. Vertical Line has to be 90 to 270 degrees
b. Circle center point is anchored to the end point of the construction vertical line
c. Circle diameter is set (if diameter is not set then the circle would get bigger to meet the
contraint request, diameter could be set here and the lines and circle would move
approiretly)

Tangent Tool Moves Trim Lines as shown

Vertical Lines to Circle

v. Green Check Sketch

g. Press Shift +7 to go to Isometric View > Select Sketch 1 from Model Tree > Select Extrude Icon > Extrude
Distance = .500 > Green Check to Accept
 h. Adding Concentic Cylinder
i. Select Sketch > Select Front Surface of Object > Press n Key to look perpendiculiar (normal) to surface
ii. Two Options to draw Concentric feacures
1. Select Circle Tool > Place Cursor about at the center of the arc/circle > move cursor around
until Square Identifier appers > Left Click > Draw Circle > Set Size

Select Circle
Tool > Locate
Center of
Arc/Circle
Draw Circle

2. Select Circle Tool > Draw Circle > Set Size > Select Concentric Tool > Select each feature circle
will snape to center points.

Select
Concentric
Icomn

Draw Circle and Size Circle Select Edges of

Objects to be
concentric
 iii. Create a Circle that is concentric and the same size as the arc > Accept the Sketch > Extrude Distance =
.750

i. Add the following Feature > Note the Arcs are concentric to one another > Extrusion Distance Remove Material
.125

Final Part