How to Draw Polygon in SolidWorks: Step-by-Step Guide

To draw a polygon in SolidWorks, open a sketch on a plane, then select the Polygon tool from the Sketch toolbar. Click to place the center, drag to size, and specify the number of sides in the property manager to create your polygon.

Syntax

The basic steps to draw a polygon in SolidWorks are:

• Start a Sketch: Select a plane or face to sketch on.
• Select Polygon Tool: Click the Polygon icon in the Sketch toolbar.
• Set Center Point: Click to place the polygon's center.
• Drag to Size: Move the cursor outward to define the polygon size.
• Set Number of Sides: Enter the desired number of sides in the property manager.
• Confirm: Click to finish the polygon.

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1. Open SolidWorks and create a new part.
2. Click on a plane (e.g., Front Plane) and select 'Sketch'.
3. Click the 'Polygon' tool in the Sketch toolbar.
4. Click once to set the center point.
5. Drag the mouse outward to size the polygon.
6. In the property manager, enter the number of sides (e.g., 6 for hexagon).
7. Click to place the polygon.

Example

This example shows how to draw a hexagon on the Front Plane:

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1. Open SolidWorks and start a new part.
2. Select the Front Plane and click 'Sketch'.
3. Choose the 'Polygon' tool from the Sketch toolbar.
4. Click once on the origin to set the center.
5. Drag outward to size the polygon.
6. In the property manager, set 'Number of Sides' to 6.
7. Click again to finalize the hexagon.
8. Use 'Smart Dimension' to set side length if needed.

Output

A regular hexagon sketch appears centered on the Front Plane with six equal sides.

Common Pitfalls

• Not selecting a plane before starting the sketch causes the polygon tool to be unavailable.
• Forgetting to specify the number of sides results in a default 3-sided polygon (triangle).
• Dragging too small or too large without dimensioning can cause inaccurate shapes.
• Not fully defining the polygon with dimensions or relations can lead to unstable sketches.

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Wrong way:
1. Try to use Polygon tool without starting a sketch.
2. Result: Tool is disabled or no polygon appears.

Right way:
1. Select a plane and start a sketch.
2. Use Polygon tool and specify sides.
3. Dimension polygon to fix size.

Quick Reference

Step	Action	Tip
1	Select Plane	Choose Front, Top, or Right Plane to start sketch
2	Start Sketch	Click 'Sketch' button to enter sketch mode
3	Select Polygon Tool	Find it in the Sketch toolbar
4	Place Center Point	Click once where polygon center should be
5	Drag to Size	Move mouse outward to size polygon
6	Set Number of Sides	Enter desired sides in property manager
7	Confirm Polygon	Click again to finalize shape
8	Dimension Polygon	Use Smart Dimension to fix size and position

Key Takeaways

Always start a sketch on a plane before using the Polygon tool.

Specify the number of sides in the property manager to get the desired polygon shape.

Use Smart Dimension to fully define the polygon size and position.

Avoid trying to draw polygons outside of sketch mode as the tool will be disabled.

Check your sketch is fully defined to prevent errors in later modeling steps.