Mirror 2D Sketches in SOLIDWORKS: Mirror Entities & Dynamic Mirror Entities

Article by Zach Brown on Mar 01, 2022

SOLIDWORKS Mirror Entities and Dynamic Mirror Entities are two excellent tools for mirroring 2D sketches. Mirror Entities allows a user to mirror their sketches about a common centerline after the sketch has been created. With Dynamic Mirror Entities, geometry can be sketched and mirrored simultaneously. 

Mirror Entities

Where to find Mirror Entities in SOLIDWORKS:

  • Tools Sketch Tools Mirror
  • Click Mirror Entities on the Sketch Toolbar

With Mirror Entities, a 2D sketch must first have sketch entities to mirror and a centerline to mirror about. Click Mirror Entities on the Sketch Toolbar.

Location of Mirror Entities Tool in SOLIDWORKS

Mirror PropertyManager

Click in the Entities to mirror box to activate it. Then, window-select the entities to be mirrored.

Click the Mirror about box to activate, then select the centerline.

A preview will appear. If it looks good click OK.

Mirror PropertyManager in SOLIDWORKS

Dynamic Mirror Entities

Where to find Dynamic Mirror Entities in SOLIDWORKS:

  • Tools Sketch Tools Dynamic Mirror
  • Dynamic Mirror can be added to the toolbar by searching for the command and dragging over the icon. 

Add SOLIDWORKS Dynamic Mirror Entities to Toolbar

To use a Dynamic Mirror entity, a 2D sketch only needs a centerline or model edge to mirror about.

Select a centerline or a model edge. 

How to Use SOLIDWORKS Dynamic Mirror

Notice two perpendicular lines above and below the selected centerline. This indicates Dynamic Mirror Mode is active. 

SOLIDWORKS Dynamic Mirror Mode

Start sketching a horizontal line from the centerline to the left. SOLIDWORKS creates a single line across the centerline instead of two connected lines.

Sketch another vertical line down from the horizontal line endpoint.

Sketch another horizontal line and stop at the centerline to create the rectangle. SOLIDWORKS creates another single line here.

Mirror 2D Sketches in SOLIDWORKS Using Entities

Of course, geometry does not have to be connected to the centerline. Add some holes on either side of the centerline. 

To exit Dynamic Mirror mode, deselect the Dynamic Mirror icon.

SOLIDWORKS Dynamic Mirror Tutorial

I hope you found this tutorial helpful. Learn more about this subject by checking out the additional resources listed below.

More SOLIDWORKS Tutorials

SOLIDWORKS Convert Entities Quick Tip 

SOLIDWORKS Silhouette Entities - What's New

5 SOLIDWORKS Tips You May Have Never Seen Before

How to Mirror Parts in SOLIDWORKS 2 Different Ways

Introduction to SOLIDWORKS Mates: Standard, Advanced, & Mechanical

VIEW ALL SOLIDWORKS TUTORIALS

 

About Zach Brown

Zach Brown is a certified SOLIDWORKS Expert and a Technical Support Engineer. Prior to working at GoEngineer, he spent 15 years as a mechanical designer, CAD support tech, and instructor using SOLIDWORKS. His hobbies include playing guitar, riding motorcycles, and skiing.

View all posts by Zach Brown