Breaking Constraints

The Sketcher enables you to break a constraint in order to edit an entity. For example, a circle that you want to edit may be tangent to a line that is also constrained to be vertical. You can edit the circle by breaking the circle's constraints with all the entities in the graphics display area.

Note: Alternatively, you can also break constraints by pressing the ALT key and then dragging the entity, as shown in the example below.

To break an entity's constraints with other entities:

Click the Select button from the Sketcher toolbar, or press exit until you are in Select mode.

Double-click on the entity that you want to make independent of other entities.

You can now edit the entity as you wish.

Notes:

Editing lines or circumferences will not break the coincidental constraint.
Editing points will break the coincidental constraint.
To break the tangent constraint, you must edit the entity from the point near the entity (marking the tangent constraint).

Example: Breaking Constraints Using the ALT Button

Add constraints for a circle residing inside a triangle, so the lines are tangent to the circle, as follows:

Click the Select button to enter selection mode.
Press the ALT button and then click and drag the entities that you want make independent of other entities, as follows:

In this example, all the constraints have been broken.