Recommended test
Make a box, cut a small pocket and save the finished body with its source sketch.
- Open the new Custom Solid workspace and apply a small Box.
- Choose Rectangle in 3D mode and draw inside a flat box face.
- Use Push/Pull with Subtract and a short inward distance; fix the distance, inspect the result and Apply.
- Save a .strek copy, reopen it and compare the body and sketch in the model browser.
Open the current workspace
Look for the coloured cylinder, pyramid and cube icon in the main menu to open Custom Solid.
Open the CAD app at its normal address, then choose Custom Solid. The Open Cascade (OCCT) workspace is now the default; no special URL parameter or existing body is needed. These guides describe that workspace.
Look for 3D mode, Sketch mode, Box, Cylinder, Prism and Edge finish. The earlier Rectangle/Path solid editor is a different workflow. Existing older custom solids are not automatically converted into the new body system.
Choose a starting point
| What you want to make | Start here |
|---|---|
| A block, round cylinder or triangular prism | Draw a 3D primitive. |
| A part from an outline or traced drawing | Choose a work plane, sketch a closed profile, then use Push/Pull. |
| A sketch at a specific angle to an edge | Choose Plane > At angle, pick a straight hinge and set the angle. |
| A pocket or raised detail on a solid | Sketch directly on a flat face, then choose Subtract or Join. |
| A region hinged or raised from one fixed edge | Choose Tilt or Wedge inside sketch Push/Pull. |
| Repeated sketch shapes around a circle or along a spline | Use Pattern > Along path. |
| A turned shape around an axis | Use Revolve. |
| A section carried along a curve | Use Sweep. |
| A transition between different sections | Use Loft with optional guide rails. |
| Rounded or angled body edges | Use Edge finish. |
In 3D mode, Push/Pull is below Select in the left rail, followed by Edge finish. New body, Join, Subtract and Intersect are choices inside the modelling panels. A combining operation also needs a Target body.
Work with sketches and bodies
Sketch mode edits a drawing on one plane. Use Look at plane for a straight-on view, or Orbit sketch to inspect it in context. Finish sketch saves the drawing and returns to 3D; it does not create a body by itself.
The model browser groups Reference planes, Sketches and Solid bodies. Click the eye beside an item to show or hide it: green means visible; a red crossed-out eye means hidden. Hover a row name for its details. Use the row menu for actions such as rename or delete.
Hide a sketch when it obscures the finished part. Hiding a source does not remove its solid. Deleting a body keeps its sketches, and deleting a sketch keeps bodies already made from it. Deleting a plane with a sketch asks you to remove both. Origin planes can be hidden but not deleted.
Preview and apply
For sketch or face Push/Pull, the pointer moves a lightweight outline while the existing body stays visible. Click again, press Enter or enter an exact distance to calculate the solid result. Inspect it before Apply. Cancel or Escape discards the pending solid change.
Snap is beside Show outlines in the 3D secondary header and in the sketch header while drawing. The sketch grid can be adjusted per plane. Hover or focus a ? beside a heading or label for tool help.
Grid spacing and small details
Sketch settings control the grid you see: selecting 1 mm shows 1 by 1 mm cells, with stronger lines every fifth cell. Zooming out keeps that spacing until the lines become too dense to distinguish. A zoom-in hint then replaces the grid; zoom closer to see it again. Snapping still uses your selected spacing.
Circle previews remain visible down to the existing 1 mm diameter minimum. Drag the circle or enter an exact radius, finish the sketch and Push/Pull it as usual. Use Snap Off or numeric entry when the grid spacing exceeds the detail. Pan and orbit follow the nearby part; see camera controls.
Curved solid outlines follow the surface detail, including small circles, joined curved parts and rounded edges. Dimensions and editable geometry stay the same. Reopen a saved project in Custom Solid to refresh older outlines.
Keep a recoverable project
Save .strek to retain exact bodies, source sketches, reference images and planes. Body edits are explicit operations: changing a source sketch does not automatically rebuild a finished solid. Undo/Redo is available in the workspace during the session; a saved file is the checkpoint for later work.
Use 3MF for printing and GLB for sharing display geometry. Neither replaces the editable project. Custom Solid operations apply to its own bodies; generated building members keep their separate building and framing workflows.