problem constraining

i am trying to constrain a small plate with two holes in it to a flange, both sets of holes have the same center to center distance, so i have no idea what's stopping it from working

i tried insert on both, or insert on one and center mate on the other, mate on both, or even mate and tangent, i was able to get it to work once (not sure which combination worked), but since then i had to change a dimension somewhere so now its not working again

here are the parts in question, where they go should be relatively obvious (if not check the center to center distance)

constraint problem.zip

I would have done this part differently. Continue the angled line center to center of the holes and dimensioned the aligned distance 39mm. Your distance is not 39mm.

Also you have repeating dimensions - use symmetry or equal constraints to avoid this.

Missing a perpendicular constraint in Sketch 3.

Don't use trig when you can use geometry.

7.5 is not same angle for both sketches.

If you want different angles you can still use different angles, but dimension the angles and center to center distance - not calculated distance.

i thought that might be it, but why doesn't it show that when you use the measure tool? that's what its for isn't it? and yeah, i was a little sloppy, i made this a few month ago before i was very good at it

so you're saying what i should have used was the angled lines instead of the perpendicular line?

and what do you think about how i did the holes? is it silly to extrude drilled holes but then use the hole tool for tapped holes? it seems a little easier to use extrude if its just drilled because it's one less step, or least, the steps are easier

any other tips you can give me?

oh and my sketch 3 has the perpendicular constraint, not sure why yours doesn't

why doesn't it show that when you use the measure tool?

See attached.

I would have used one sketch to locate all four holes to be patterned. (With one 15° to replace the 7.5 I show here using your example.) No circles for holes.

oh and my sketch 3 has the perpendicular constraint, not sure why yours doesn't

This is a pic of your Sketch3 with Show All Constraint - no perp constraint, in fact if you had perpendicular constraint it would not even allow you to place that redundant 194 dimension.

Use Sketch Points to create holes (in most cases) rather than extruding circles. Might be a wash in this example. Either way would be just as fast.

i did them separetely because only the outside ones are tapped, or do you mean draw all the initial extrusions/tappings and then do one big circular pattern for all of them? in which case i could also do the other extrusions at the same time, that's a lot of things at once, maybe i'll start doing that, makes for less patterns, might be sorta confusing sometimes, but i'm sure it'll be fine

yeah, not sure why i wouldn't have used perpendicular, likely because i hadn't gotten a full handle on that kind of thing when i drew this the first time

how do i use sketch points? i'm sure ive tried before because meaningless circles seems silly, but i couldn't get it to work for some reason