Sketch plane selection in Solidworks - Real Business Scenario

Scenario Mode

👤 Your Role: You are a mechanical design engineer using SolidWorks.

📋 Request: Your manager wants you to create a clear report on how to select the correct sketch plane for a new part design.

📊 Data: You have data on different planes available in SolidWorks (Front, Top, Right, and custom planes) and their typical use cases in part design.

🎯 Deliverable: Produce a step-by-step guide report with visual examples showing how to select the correct sketch plane for different design scenarios.

Sample Data

Plane Name	Orientation	Common Use Case	Example Part Feature
Front Plane	Vertical, facing front	Main front view sketches	Front profile of a bracket
Top Plane	Horizontal, facing up	Base or top features	Base of a box
Right Plane	Vertical, facing right	Side view sketches	Side profile of a lever
Custom Plane 1	Angled 45° to Front	Features at an angle	Chamfered edge

1

Step 1: Open SolidWorks and start a new part document.

No formula needed; just open the software and create a new part.

Expected Result

A new part document is ready for sketching.

2

Step 2: Identify the feature you want to create and determine its orientation.

Example: For a front profile, choose the Front Plane; for a base, choose the Top Plane.

Expected Result

You know which plane matches your feature orientation.

3

Step 3: Select the appropriate plane from the FeatureManager design tree.

Click on Front Plane, Top Plane, Right Plane, or a Custom Plane as needed.

Expected Result

The selected plane highlights in the graphics area.

4

Step 4: Right-click the selected plane and choose 'Sketch' to start a new sketch on that plane.

No formula; use the context menu to start sketching.

Expected Result

Sketch mode activates on the chosen plane.

5

Step 5: Create your sketch geometry aligned with the plane orientation.

Draw shapes like rectangles or circles that represent the feature on the plane.

Expected Result

Sketch geometry appears correctly oriented on the selected plane.

6

Step 6: If the feature requires an angled plane, create a custom plane first.

Use 'Reference Geometry' > 'Plane' and set angle (e.g., 45° to Front Plane).

Expected Result

Custom plane is created and visible in the design tree.

7

Step 7: Select the custom plane and start a sketch on it for angled features.

Right-click custom plane > Sketch.

Expected Result

Sketch mode activates on the angled custom plane.

8

Step 8: Save your part and document the plane selection steps with screenshots.

No formula; use Save and capture screenshots.

Expected Result

A report with step-by-step instructions and images is ready.

Final Result

Sketch Plane Selection Report

+----------------+----------------+-----------------------+
| Plane Name     | Orientation    | Common Use Case       |
+----------------+----------------+-----------------------+
| Front Plane    | Vertical, facing front | Main front view sketches |
| Top Plane      | Horizontal, facing up  | Base or top features   |
| Right Plane    | Vertical, facing right | Side view sketches    |
| Custom Plane 1 | Angled 45° to Front    | Features at an angle  |
+----------------+----------------+-----------------------+

Steps:
1. Open new part
2. Identify feature orientation
3. Select plane
4. Start sketch
5. Draw geometry
6. Create custom plane if needed
7. Sketch on custom plane
8. Save and document

✓Choosing the correct sketch plane ensures sketches align with design intent.

✓Standard planes (Front, Top, Right) cover most features.

✓Custom planes allow angled or complex feature sketches.

✓Documenting plane selection helps maintain design clarity.

Bonus Challenge

Create a dashboard in Power BI that visualizes the frequency of plane usage across multiple part designs.

Show Hint

Collect data on plane usage per part, then use bar charts to show which planes are most common.