You use the Sketcher to sketch the lines and curves that form the two-dimensional profile of a feature, to add constraints to the sketch, and to modify the sketch. This section describes some of the basic concepts used by the Sketcher and how these concepts influence the behavior of the Sketcher tools and appearance of the sketch. The following topics are covered:

• “The Sketcher tools,” Section 20.4.1

• “The Sketcher sheet and grid,” Section 20.4.2

• “How Abaqus/CAE orients your sketch,” Section 20.4.3

• “Realigning the sketch grid relative to the sketch,” Section 20.4.4

• “The Sketcher cursors and preselection,” Section 20.4.5

• “Using the chain method to select edges in the Sketcher,” Section 20.4.6

• “How Sketcher customization options are initialized and saved,” Section 20.4.7

• “Using the Query toolset in the Sketcher,” Section 20.4.8