Sizebox and Shape handles in IRONCAD

The round Sizebox handles in IRONCAD give you as a user direct and precise control over dimensional changes of Shape features such as extrusions.

The vast majority of IRONCAD users know that you can easily drag a Sizebox handle(or several at the same time) to change the dimensions of a given shape to exact measurements, and virtually all IRONCAD users know that there are also right-click options on the handles, which allow you to bring up different options for snapping to other more or less easily accessible geometric points on different objects in the 3D scene.

But fewer people know that there is actually another set of handles on the same feature, which allow you to "draw directly" on the lines of the cross-section (Sketch). These are called Shape handles and instead have an angular shape and red color.

Switching between the round Sizebox handles and the angular Shape handles is easy and simple, either by clicking on the white switch icon located by the cyan extrusion arrow or by using the keyboard shortcut [TAB] when a shape is selected.

The Shape handle technology is super smart (and technically advanced under the hood) but at the same time very easy to use to directly draw and change various lines "inside" a sketch, without having to go in and edit it via Edit Cross-section. You work with the sketch's lines "outside" the sketch itself in a way that is completely unique to 3D CAD.

Using Shape handles can work well even if you have a "locked" sketch (via constraints), as the handles do not break the locks. However, keep in mind that the effect of your change is limited when using constraints. A "fully defined" sketch cannot be changed via handles, but only via the constraints that control the length and position of all lines in the sketch. This means that with a fully defined sketch you actually "lose" a certain amount of control and flexibility, which is why we rarely recommend the use of constraints in the sketch!

‍

‍

Associate Shape handles against a side

You can associate a Shape handle with an edge, which means that the line in the sketch will always be at the height of the selected edge. This function is somewhat similar to using a Mate constraint, with the exception that the geometry does not stop working if you choose to break the association. Constraints are never a requirement in IRONCAD and therefore you will not have problems with lost associations.

‍

‍

Drag the profiles in any direction you want

The Shape handles also allow users to select a reference point, which is offset from the handle, and then use the [Shift] Snap command to snap to a known point.

The Shape handles also have the ability to change the orientation so that you can pull the profiles in exactly the direction required. This is incredibly powerful and provides a kind of "dynamic control" in a wide variety of situations.

‍

Change several Sizebox handles at the same time

Another smart feature is that you can select multiple IntelliShapes at the same time by changing multiple Sizebox handles at the same time. For example, you can have multiple holes in a part and synchronize diameters or heights by first [Shift]-selecting the IntelliShapes and then editing the dimensions via the Property Browser.

‍

Move and edit size at the same time

In addition to resizing multiple features at once, you can also move some features while resizing others - at the same time! If you select all features (hold down the [Shift] key) and drag a round Sizebox handle, the the size of all.

However, if you switch between the Shape/Sizebox handle on certain individual features in your selection, the features set on the Shape handle will instead be moved when a Sizebox handle is dragged to adjust the size.

Here is another example where several features change shape and position at the same time by combining these two types of handles depending on what you need to do at a given moment (without having planned for it beforehand).

Set a Sizebox handle as "Active"

You can choose to set an "active" Sizebox handle, so that every time you enter the Sizebox mode on your feature , you will come to that particular Sizebox handle first. If you always make a size change from the same handle (e.g. the diameter of a cylinder), it might be a good idea to set that particular handle as "active".

‍