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Parametric Modeling
Create parametric sketches, geometry, and PolyNURBS with construction history and variables.
Sketching
Create and edit 2D parametric sketch geometry.
Introduction to Sketching
Learn about sketching basics including the sketch plane, legend, constraints, context menu options, and construction geometry.
Underdefined, Fully Defined, and Overconstrained Sketches
The Sketch Legend and Model Browser icons indicate whether a sketch curve is underdefined, fully defined, or overconstrained.

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Tutorials
Start using Inspire with our interactive tutorials.
Parametric Modeling
Create parametric sketches, geometry, and PolyNURBS with construction history and variables.
- Construction History
  View and edit the construction history of your model.
- Variables
  Create and assign variables to parametrize a model. This allows you to quickly iterate and compare design concepts by tweaking the values of the variables.
- Global References
  Global references are the global origin, axes, and planes shown in the modeling window. They can be helpful when creating and defining your model.
- Sketching
  Create and edit 2D parametric sketch geometry.
  - Introduction to Sketching
    Learn about sketching basics including the sketch plane, legend, constraints, context menu options, and construction geometry.
    - Sketch Plane
      A sketch plane can be a global plane, a user-created reference plane, or a planar face of an existing part.
    - Underdefined, Fully Defined, and Overconstrained Sketches
      The Sketch Legend and Model Browser icons indicate whether a sketch curve is underdefined, fully defined, or overconstrained.
    - Projected or Intersected Sketches
      The Sketch Legend indicates whether a sketch entity is Projected or Intersected.
    - Sketch Constraints
      Apply geometric relationships such as tangency and perpendicularity to sketch curves.
    - Sketch Context Menu Options
      Create a sketch imprint, remove constraints, align axes, convert sketches to construction geometry, and show or hide grids, points, constraints, construction lines, dimensions, or intersection curves.
    - Construction Geometry
      Construction geometry is used as a reference to line up or define other geometry.
    - Select a Coincident Sketch Entity
      Select a coincident sketch entity to make precise modifications.
  - New Sketch
    Start a new sketch (S) and select a sketch plane.
  - Project
    Project selected geometry onto the sketch plane as construction geometry.
  - Intersect
    Extract curves resulting from the intersection of the sketch plane with selected parts or surfaces.
  - Point/Lines
    Sketch and edit a point, line, polyline (L), or line-arc.
  - Rectangles
    Sketch and edit a rectangle (R).
  - Polygons
    Sketch and edit a parallelogram or a regular polygon.
  - Circles
    Sketch and edit a circle (C).
  - Ellipses
    Sketch and edit an ellipse or an elliptical arc.
  - Arcs
    Sketch and edit an arc (A).
  - Splines
    Sketch and edit a spline (S).
  - Dimension
    Use the Dimension tool (D) to define and/or constrain the dimensions of a sketch.
  - Transform
    Translate or rotate sketch entities.
  - Trim/Break
    Trim (B) or split a sketch curve.
  - Extend
    Extend or shorten an entity of a sketch curve.
  - Fillet
    Round the corners of 2D sketch curves to create fillets (F) with the same radius or different radii.
  - Offset/Mirror
    Offset (O) or mirror (M) a sketch curve.
  - Pattern
    Create a linear or circular pattern of sketch entities.
  - Export DXF/DWG
    Export the current sketch as a .dxf or .dwg file.
- Geometry
  Create and modify parametric surfaces and solids.
- PolyMesh
  Create polymesh objects from other types of geometry and results.
- PolyNURBS
  Create free-form solid geometry that is smooth and continuous.
Implicit Modeling
Create implicit models with primitives, lattices, point clouds, fields, offsetting, Booleans, inverting, smoothing, morphing, and filleting.
Structures
Set up your model and run a structural analysis or optimization.
Motion
Set up and run a motion analysis, plot the results, and export the results.
Fluids
Prepare and run a computational fluid dynamics simulation.
Design Explorer
Evaluate designs by using geometric variables and applying a design-of-experiments (DOE) or optimization method. We recommend fully constraining your sketch when sketch variables are used in the design exploration.
Manufacture
Set up and run a basic porosity or thinning analysis.
Print 3D
Prepare and run an additive manufacturing simulation, and export a file for 3D printing.
Rendering
Adjust the materials and environment of objects in the scene to create a photorealistic image.
Inspire Python API
Learn how to access the Inspire Python API including online help, quick start demos, and the Extension Manager.
Reference
View the glossary, frequently asked questions, and errors and alerts.
Keyboard Shortcuts and Mouse Controls
Learn keyboard shortcuts and mouse controls for common operations.

Underdefined, Fully Defined, and Overconstrained Sketches

The Sketch Legend and Model Browser icons indicate whether a sketch curve is underdefined, fully defined, or overconstrained.

Ideally, sketches should be fully defined before creating geometry from them.

A sketch entity is underdefined when its dimensions and/or position in the sketch plane have not been fully specified.
A sketch entity is overconstrained when one or more conflicting constraints have been applied.
Underdefined or overconstrained sketch entities may result in errors in downstream modeling operations.

Sketch Legend

Model Browser Icons

Underdefined
Fully Defined
Overconstrained