Create and Edit Circles

Use the Circles tool to create circles for geometry construction or edit free circles, and create/toggle filled circles (that is, disk surfaces).

Create Circles

Use the Circles tool to create circles for geometry construction or create/toggle filled circles (for example, disk surfaces).

New circles are organized in the same component as the entity where the center point is placed.

When there is ambiguity, the Circles tool switches between possible inferred normals.

  1. From the Geometry ribbon, Create tools, click the Circles tool.


    Figure 1.
  2. Draw circle.
    1. Left-click on geometry or in space to create the circle's center point.
    2. Move your mouse to draw the circle's radius.
    3. Left-click to create the circle.
    Tip: Hold Ctrl to draw the circle's diameter.
  3. Modify the size and location of the circle.
    • Resize the circle by editing the diameter in the microdialog and pressing Enter.
    • Click in the microdialog to translate and rotate the circle using the Move tool.


    Figure 2.
Tip:
  • Clicking over a free line in space creates a circle on the line, normal to the line direction. Clicking over a line on top of a surface creates a circle on the line, but normal to the surface. Clicking in empty space creates a circle aligned with global coordinates.
  • Use snap points to snap to predefined points on your model such as end, middle, center, and intersection points.
  • Click in the microdialog to fill the shape.

Edit Circles

Use the Circles tool to edit free circles.

  1. From the Geometry ribbon, Create tools, click the Circles tool.


    Figure 3.
  2. Double-click on a free circle.
  3. Modify the size and location of the circle.
    • Resize the circle by editing the diameter in the microdialog and pressing Enter.
    • Click in the microdialog to translate and rotate the circle using the Move tool.

Keyboard Shortcuts & Mouse Controls

To do this Press
Create circle Left Mouse Click
Edit free circle Double Click
Draw circle diameter rather than radius Ctrl + Left Mouse Click
Snap to alternate orientation Tab
Exit tool Esc