{"id":8704,"date":"2018-12-11T07:00:43","date_gmt":"2018-12-11T15:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com/blogs\/autocad\/?p=8704"},"modified":"2020-04-07T21:41:58","modified_gmt":"2020-04-08T04:41:58","slug":"2d-constraints-tuesday-tips-seth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com/blogs\/autocad\/2d-constraints-tuesday-tips-seth\/","title":{"rendered":"2D Constraints for Civil People: Tuesday Tips With Seth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Happy Tuesday everyone! So, this Tuesday, I thought I would talk about a tip that not many civil engineering drafters use let alone are aware of: 2D parametric and geometric constraints. 2D constraints are mostly used in the mechanical and architectural world, but there are definitely applications for use in the civil world. In this tip, I will show you how you can use it for typical section details.<\/p>\n

A Brief Overview of Constraints<\/h2>\n

First, lets discuss where you can find the parametric tools. If you are a civil user using vanilla AutoCAD, you\u2019re all set. Simply navigate to the Ribbon > Parametric tab.<\/p>\n

\"AutoCAD<\/p>\n

However, if you are a Civil 3D user, there is no Parametric tab by default. Instead, navigate to the Workspace switching icon in the Status bar, and set your workspace to Drafting and Annotation, and you will find the Parametric tab there.<\/p>\n

\"Civil<\/p>\n

Let’s briefly look at the panels for those of you that have never used them. First is the Geometric panel which contains tools that allow you to add, show, and hide geometric constraints such as perpendicular, horizontal, vertical, parallel, etc.<\/p>\n

\"Geometric<\/p>\n

The Dimensional panel contains tools that allow you to add dimensional constraints that act like dimensions, but will actually affect the geometry. Its kind of like the opposite of the Dimension tool in that if you change a dimensional constraint, it updates the geometry. Some of the tools available are linear, aligned, angular, etc.<\/p>\n

\"AutoCAD<\/p>\n

Lastly, the Manage tab is used to delete constraints and manage dimensional constraint values and user parameters.<\/p>\n

A Civil Parametric Example<\/h2>\n

Now, my goal here is not to teach you the basics of parametrics. There are many articles, YouTube videos, etc. that show you the basics of how to use them. So, before you read on, here are some links to watch\/read:<\/p>\n