3 Tips to Make 2D Sketch Easy and Enjoyable

Tip 1: Use Cosmetic Sketch to Add Symbols or Shape Marks

During the modeling process, sometimes it is necessary to add text like serial numbers or shape marks like logos to the product surfaces. The traditional way is to use the normal Sketch command to generate a sketch. However, the generated sketch will be the basis for modeling – by implementing commands like Extrude on the sketch, the model will be created. So, using Sketch to create symbols or shape marks on models may cause the mis-operations or confusion during the modeling process. In this case, Cosmetic Sketch, a new feature in ZW3D 2021 can help. You can create symbols or shape marks as the references for the latter modeling process. They are completely independent and will not affect your modeling work.

Figure 1. Create symbols or shape marks by Cosmetic Sketch

Furthermore, you can also add various kinds of hatch patterns and adjust their attributes like angle, spacing and color.

Figure 2. Customize hatch patterns

In addition, back to the modeling level, the cosmetic sketch can also be projected onto the specified surface! In other words, except for referencing, the needed symbols and shape marks can actually be realized on the 3D models.

Figure 3. Project the cosmetic sketch onto surface

Tip 2: Use Closed Rings to Highlight Closed Areas

When sketching figures, especially the complex ones, it is a big headache for us to check whether the figures are closed in order to avoid mistakes in the modeling process. Here is a useful tool to deal with it – Closed Rings, which is also available in ZW3D 2021, enables you to ensure whether a specific area is closed or not. As shown in the picture below, the closed rings will be tinted with green and it will be automatically updated if we make changes.

Figure 4. The closed rings will be tinted with green

Tip 3: Use Equal Curvature Constraint to Get Smoother Curves and Surfaces

When we are creating a surface model, we expect more ideal and smoother surface meeting higher industrial design standard. To realize this expectation, higher continuity level of curvature plays a significant role. You may not feel strange to G2 continuity, which can be achieved for two adjacent curves which are tangent. So how can the curvature reach G2 continuity? Let’s have a look. In ZW3D 2021, we can add the Equal Curvature Constraint to two adjacent and tangent curves. As the curvature comb in the picture below shows, the G2 continuity has been achieved.

Figure 5. Add the equal curvature constraint to two adjacent and tangent curves

When we move to the modeling level and check the zebra stripes, we can find that the surface with G2 continuity is much smoother than the one with G1 continuity.

Figure 6. Comparison between surfaces with G1 continuity (left) and G2 continuity (right)

With the 3 tips above, you can create the 2D sketch in an easier and more enjoyable way, significantly improving your design efficiency. Hurry up and try to practice these 3 tips in the brand new ZW3D 2021!