How to Align Corners in SOLIDWORKS with Virtual Sharps

There are times when you need to apply dimensions to help align corners in SOLIDWORKS, but can’t because of irregular geometry. Maybe because of a lack of perpendicularity, or other design choices and requirements, you need to dimension to a sharp corner that just isn’t there in your final design.

Virtual sharps can help align corners, apply constraints to unruley geometry, and help better showcase design intent in your SOLIDWORKS models.

What Are Virtual Sharps?

Virtual sharps are a tool in SOLIDWORKS that allow you to quickly and easily mark the intersection of two lines that may not otherwise intersect. In other words, any 2D views that may have something like a radius or chamfer applied where you would need to dimension to the corner being consumed by the feature can be handled using virtual sharps.

Virtual sharps showing the intersection of sketch entities

Why Virtual Sharps Matter

Before I learned about virtual sharps, I would have added construction lines to extend my sketches out to a point. This would also have required some colinear relations, which is more time-consuming than virtual sharps. Alternatively, you might need to add additional features to your designs to incorporate the reference points that Virtual Sharps can leverage.  

Where Can Virtual Sharps Be Used?

Virtual sharps only really have one major constraint, and that is staying in 2D. While in parts and assemblies, they can be leveraged in any typical sketches. Although they can be used in 3D sketches, the entities defining the virtual sharp need to be coplanar. When it comes to drawings, orthogonal views are going to be the most likely place of usage.

Options for creating virtual sharps

When it comes to options, virtual sharps have a few great aspects to them. Not only do all the variants behave the same way, but different variants can be used for parts, assemblies, or drawings.

How to Align Corners in SOLIDWORKS

There are two main ways to utilize virtual sharps to align corners in SOLIDWORKS. The first method involves using the Smart Dimension tool and the second uses user interface customization, which is my preferred method.

Aligning Corners with Smart Dimensions

With the Smart Dimension tool active, right-click on the first line that will be needed for the virtual sharp, and select Find Intersection from the menu. After this, it is as simple as selecting the other line to have your virtual sharp placed.

Using the Smart Dimension tool to align corners

One of the benefits of using the Smart Dimension workflow is that SOLIDWORKS will display an error if you make an incorrect selection or if the virtual sharp you are trying to create cannot be created. Alternatively, with a little customization, you can use my preferred method for virtual sharps through your in-context menu.

Aligning Corners Through Customization

To customize your in-context menu, select an entity in an open sketch. After clicking, you should see the in-context menu appear. Next, you’ll want to mouse over the in-context menu, right-click on it, and select Customize.

Customizing your in-context menu

In the Customize menu, you will want to find the sketch point button and drag it to your in-context menu. Back in your sketch, you can now select both lines you want to have for your virtual sharp and then select the Point button from your in-context menu.

Maintaining Consistency with SOLIDWORKS Templates

Virtual sharps are the first step in locking down your design intent and company standards. The first thing to do would be to speak with other people at your company to determine which variants you will be using and where.

Since virtual sharps are in the SOLIDWORKS Document Properties, it is important to update your templates to match the standards of your company. Beyond that, you will only need to share the knowledge you’ve learned about simplifying how you capture some of your more complex dimensions!

Looking to learn more time-saving SOLIDWORKS tips? Download our SOLIDWORKS Beginner’s Guide here.