Align on Center

[madison]

Align on Center

What is the easiest way to center boxes with each other. I have a 1x10x70 and 2x4x60, so there should be 5" on either side; but if I change the 2x4 to 62" I want the difference to be 4". I just bought the product yesterday, so I'm a newby. Thanks!

 

[Aveilhe]

It sounds to me like you need to setup configurations for that chang and then modify the cnastraint from 5" to 4" ... then you can just toggle back and forth between the two designs

 

[madison]

I'd rather just have it aligned to the center, maybe by utilizing a plane, and then no matter what the dimensions change to, the pieces will always be centered.

 

[swertel]

Are you modeling a single part, or mating two parts in an assembly?

_____________
|
----------------------
| |
---------------------
|
------------------

Either way, start out modeling the 1X10 and 2X4 rectangle as a sketch centered around the origin.
Draw a rectangle.
Draw a reference line from the lower left corner to the upper right corner.
Contrain the midpoint of the reference line to the origin.
Dimension the rectangle as appropriate.
Extrude the rectangle the desired length by the midplane.

If a single part, start on the face of the box you just extruded and sketch/extrude the second box in the same manner.

If an assembly, create a second part in the same manner as the first box, i.e. centered about the origin and extrude via midplane.
When you mate the two boxes together, you align the part's planes and they will be centered.

 

[madison]

Center

What I actually did was use the symmetrical constrain tool to center my box to the y-axis since I only wanted it centered on the x-plane, not both the x & y plane. But I do like the idea of using the midpoint along a ref line going from corner to corner; I'm sure I'll use that on a future project. Thanks!