Relax Mode

Select or deselect Enable Relax Mode in Ribbon: Sketch tab Constrain Panel Constraint Settings: Relax mode tab to control the default behavior for Relax Mode.

Note: You can also toggle Relax Mode On and Off from the status bar or by pressing F11 in the 2D sketch environment.

Relax Mode allows you to modify geometry and apply new constraints to geometry that is already constrained.

With Relax Mode ON:

• Dragging geometry will remove conflicting constraints.
• Dimensions become Driven while dragging.

With Relax Mode OFF, dragging geometry will not remove existing constraints and dimensions.

Note: The ON or OFF mode state of the Relax Mode command persists between Inventor sessions.

By default the following changes with Relax Mode ON:

• If you add a constraint or dimension that conflicts with existing constraints the conflicting constraint will be deleted.
• If you add a constraint or dimension that conflicts with existing dimensions, the dimension will become a Driven Dimension.

By default the following will not be changed with Relax Mode ON:

• Coincident, Tangent, Symmetric, and Smooth constraints.
• Dimensions controlled by equations.

You can change the default behavior in the Constraints Settings dialog box in the Relax Mode tab.

If you add a constraint that overconstrains the sketch:

• Conflicting constraints and dimensions will be highlighted. Conflicting constraints will be removed, and conflicting dimensions will become a Driven Dimension.
• You are prompted to accept your change or revert.

With Relax Mode ON, there is no requirement to delete existing constraints or dimensions manually before adding new ones.

With Relax Mode OFF, you must delete existing constraints manually before you can add new ones.

	Relax Mode On	Relax Mode Off
When dragging constrained geometry:	The geometry can be freely dragged by: Removing conflicted constraints that are highlighted. Changing conflicted dimensions to be Driven during dragging.	Geometry that is already constrained cannot be freely dragged. If you want to drag the geometry, you need to: Find the conflicted constraints and delete them manually. Ffind the conflicted dimensions, and change them to be Driven or delete them manually.
When adding a constraint or dimension for constrained geometry:	The constraint or dimension can be added for geometry that are already constrained by: Removing conflicted constraints that are highlighted. Changing conflicted dimensions to be Driven dimensions.	A warning message can be given that adding this constraint or dimension will make over-constraint. If you want to add the new constraint or dimension, you need to: Find the conflicted constraints and delete them manually. Find the conflicted dimensions, and change them to be Driven or delete them manually.

Note:

• Relax Dragging: You can relax all constraints except Pattern and Project. When there are unexpected results occurring in relax dragging, remove Pattern and Project constraints manually. For other constraints, you can choose whether or not to relax in the Relax Mode tab in Constraint Settings command.
• Solution for over-constraint in Relax Mode: All conflicted constraints can be removed except Coincident, Smooth, Tangent, Symmetry, Pattern and Project. When new constraints and dimensions cannot be added successfully, check these constraints and try to remove them manually if they cause conflicts.