Circle and arc tools in Solidworks - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Circle and arc tools in SolidWorks help you draw round shapes easily. They solve the problem of creating perfect circles or arcs without manual drawing errors.

When you need to draw a perfect circle for a hole or round feature in your design.

When you want to create an arc to represent a curved edge or path.

When you need to define a circular pattern or boundary in your sketch.

When you want to quickly add round shapes without complex calculations.

When you need to modify or trim parts of a circle or arc in your sketch.

Steps

Step 1: Click

- Sketch tab > Circle tool dropdown

Circle tool options appear including Center Circle and Perimeter Circle

💡 Use Center Circle to draw a circle by defining center and radius

Step 2: Select

- Center Circle tool

Cursor changes to circle drawing mode

💡 Click once to set center point, move mouse, then click again to set radius

Step 3: Click

- Sketch tab > Arc tool dropdown

Arc tool options appear including 3 Point Arc, Centerpoint Arc, and Tangent Arc

💡 Choose 3 Point Arc to define arc by start, end, and a point on the arc

Step 4: Select

- 3 Point Arc tool

Cursor changes to arc drawing mode

💡 Click three points in order: start, end, and arc height point

Step 5: Use

- Modify handles on circle or arc

Adjust size or shape interactively

💡 Drag handles to resize or reposition arcs and circles

Before vs After

Before

Sketch has no round shapes, only straight lines and points

After

Sketch includes precise circles and arcs with defined sizes and positions

Settings Reference

Circle type

📍 Sketch tab > Circle tool dropdown

Choose how to define the circle: by center and radius or by perimeter points

Default: Center Circle

Arc type

📍 Sketch tab > Arc tool dropdown

Select method to draw arcs based on points or tangency

Default: 3 Point Arc

Display dimensions

📍 Sketch tab > Display/Delete Relations

Control visibility of dimension labels on circles and arcs

Default: Show

Common Mistakes

Trying to draw a circle by freehand without using the Circle tool

This causes inaccurate shapes and errors in the sketch

Always use the Circle tool to create perfect circles with defined centers and radii

Using the wrong arc tool for the desired shape

It can create arcs that do not match the design intent or are hard to control

Choose the arc tool that fits your needs: 3 Point Arc for flexible arcs, Centerpoint Arc for arcs with known center

Summary

Circle and arc tools let you draw perfect round shapes easily in SolidWorks sketches.

Use the correct tool type to match your design needs for circles or arcs.

Adjust and dimension these shapes precisely for accurate modeling.