Learn/Drafting/Dimensions, Text & Annotation
Lathe Mode
At a glance
- Toggle per-sketch in the sketch edit dialog
- X-axis relabeled Z (axial), Y-axis relabeled R or D (radial)
- Point dimensions display in D/Z or R/Z format — diameter mode doubles the radial value
- Sketch a lathe profile, add point dimensions, enable Lathe Mode, then print
- Printed output is ready for direct use with conversational lathe programming
- Lathe mode settings persist per sketch across sessions
Lathe Mode turns an ordinary sketch into a lathe profile drawing. It's a per-sketch toggle in the sketch dialog's Display section: switch it on and the axis labels change from X/Y to Z (axial, along the spindle) and R or D (radial), and every point dimension re-renders in lathe coordinates. The setting is stored on the sketch itself, so it saves with the file and comes back every time you edit that sketch.
Diameter vs radius
A second toggle, Diameter (D) / Radius (R), controls the radial readout. In diameter mode — the
default — the sketch Y value is doubled and shown as D:, matching how turned work is measured and
how conversational controls expect it entered. Radius mode shows the raw distance from centerline
as R:. Either way the axial position reads out as Z: alongside.
Workflow
Sketch the half-profile above the centerline, with the centerline running along the sketch X axis.
Drop a point dimension on each transition — every shoulder, groove, and taper start — then enable
Lathe Mode and each callout becomes a D/Z (or R/Z) pair. Print the sketch with the Sketch
Print sub-tool and the sheet is ready to key straight into a
conversational lathe control — no coordinate conversion at the machine.