How to Create a New Plane in SOLIDWORKS

To create a new plane in SOLIDWORKS, select the geometry that will define it and apply the required constraints. For a simple offset plane, you need an existing plane or flat face and an offset distance. The steps below cover that common method first, followed by angled planes, midplanes, tangent planes, and troubleshooting.

Choose the Right Support Before Adding a Plane

A reference plane is a flat construction reference, not a solid surface or a feature that adds material. Its position and orientation depend on the geometry and constraints used to define it.

For a new sketch, Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS supplies Front, Top, and Right as default planes and also lets you sketch directly on planar model faces. If one of those supports already has the location and orientation you need, use it for the sketch.

Add a reference plane when the sketch needs a different position or orientation, or when another operation needs that reference. Planes also support section views and can serve as neutral planes for draft features, according to Dassault Systèmes’ SOLIDWORKS plane documentation.

Choose the plane’s references based on what the eventual sketch or feature needs, not simply which geometry is easiest to click.

How to Create an Offset Plane in SOLIDWORKS

An offset plane stays parallel to its supporting plane or flat face. It is the usual choice for placing a sketch away from an existing surface.

Prepare reference geometry that matches the plane’s intended position and orientation:

Intended Result	Reference Geometry to Prepare
A parallel plane at a specified distance	An existing plane or planar face
A plane tilted around a hinge	A plane or planar face, plus a straight line, edge, or axis
A plane halfway between parallel surfaces	Two parallel planes or planar faces
A plane passing through specific locations	Three points that are not on one straight line
A cross-sectional plane at a curve endpoint	A curve and its endpoint
A plane touching a cylindrical surface	The cylindrical face and a suitable orientation reference

Step 1: Open the Correct Document

Open the model that should contain the reference plane. Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS supports creating planes in both part and assembly documents.
Confirm the editing context. For a part feature, create the plane in that part; for an assembly-level reference, create it at the assembly level. If you are editing a component inside an assembly, make sure the intended component is active.

Step 2: Start the Plane Command

Exit any active sketch so you are working at the model level.
Choose Insert > Reference Geometry > Plane.

Step 3: Select the Reference and Set the Offset

In Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS, the Plane PropertyManager defines a reference plane from the geometry you select and the constraints you apply. Select an existing plane or flat face as the reference.
Use the offset-distance option to position the new plane parallel to that reference.
Enter the required distance in the document’s units. Check the displayed unit system before entering a value; you can also include a unit suffix such as mm or in in a dimension field.
Inspect the preview.

For this method, a planar reference and an offset distance provide the needed definition. You do not have to fill every reference field merely because it is available.

Step 4: Accept the Plane and Start a Sketch

Confirm that the preview is in the intended position and that the plane is fully defined. Click the green check mark.
Give it a descriptive name if its purpose will not be obvious later.
To use it immediately, select the plane and click Sketch. Draw and constrain your profile, then click Exit Sketch.

The plane is now a reference feature that the sketch depends on. Changing its offset later will reposition the attached sketch.

Create Angled Planes, Midplanes, and Other Reference Planes

The methods for angled planes, midplanes, planes through three points, and planes perpendicular to a curve use different reference geometry. Each starts with the Plane command, but the relationships, not just the selected objects, determine the result.

Angled Plane

An angled plane needs both a base orientation and a hinge about which to rotate.

Identify a base plane or planar face and a straight edge, sketch line, or reference axis lying in that plane. If no suitable hinge exists, create a sketch on the base plane, draw and constrain a construction line along the intended hinge, and exit the sketch.
Open Insert > Reference Geometry > Plane.
Select the base plane or face as one reference and the hinge line, edge, or axis as another.
Apply the angle relationship and enter the required angle in degrees (°). Check the preview carefully to confirm which side of the hinge the plane tilts toward.
When the plane is fully defined and correctly oriented, click the green check mark.

A base plane alone does not identify the hinge. If the angled preview is missing or ambiguous, check that the straight reference was selected successfully.

Midplane Between Parallel Faces

A midplane is useful when a sketch should remain centered as the surrounding geometry changes.

Open Insert > Reference Geometry > Plane.
Select the two parallel planar faces or planes as separate references.
Confirm that the preview lies halfway between the references, then click the green check mark.

This defines the plane from both sides rather than from a manually calculated offset. Moving either supporting face changes the midpoint accordingly.

Plane Through Three Points

Three noncollinear points define a unique plane.

Open Insert > Reference Geometry > Plane.
Select three suitable vertices, sketch points, or reference points, placing them in the reference fields.
Check that the resulting relationships make the plane coincident with all selected points.
Confirm that the preview is fully defined, then click the green check mark.

If all the points lie on one straight line, they do not define a unique plane. Replace one with a point off that line before accepting the feature.

Plane Perpendicular to a Curve at Its Endpoint

A plane perpendicular to a curve at its endpoint is useful for a profile at the end of a path, such as a sweep profile.

Open Insert > Reference Geometry > Plane.
Select the curve or curved edge and its endpoint as references.
Use a perpendicular relationship to the curve and a coincident relationship to the endpoint.
Inspect the preview: the plane should pass through the endpoint and be perpendicular to the curve’s local tangent there.
Click the green check mark to create the plane.

The curve’s local direction controls the orientation. A plane perpendicular to an unrelated model edge may not provide the correct starting support for the path.

Create a Plane on a Curved Surface or From the View

A curved face cannot directly support an ordinary planar sketch. You need a flat reference positioned relative to the surface, or a view-based plane when the viewing direction is the intended basis.

Tangent Plane on a Cylindrical Face

A tangent plane touches a curved surface locally; it does not wrap around that surface. For a straightforward cylindrical example, use a second reference to control the plane’s orientation.

Open Insert > Reference Geometry > Plane.
Select the cylindrical face and apply Tangent.
Select an existing plane or planar face parallel to the cylinder’s axis, then apply Parallel to that reference.
Inspect the preview and choose the tangent solution on the intended side of the cylinder.
Confirm that the plane is fully defined, then click the green check mark.

You can now select the new plane and start a sketch on it.

Do not assume that every freeform face and reference combination will produce a valid tangent plane. The surface shape and additional constraints must allow a flat plane satisfying the selected relationships.

Plane Based on the Current View

For view-oriented construction, Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS includes Normal to View plane creation and a Parallel to Screen shortcut. These are useful when you want to capture a viewing orientation rather than define an angle against existing model geometry.

To use the Parallel to Screen shortcut without opening the plane-definition panel:

Rotate the model to the intended viewing orientation.
Right-click the location on a model face through which the plane should pass.
Use the Parallel to Screen shortcut.
Confirm that the new plane appears in the design tree at the selected location.

The command creates the plane directly; it does not leave an unaccepted plane preview.

Use geometry-based references instead when the plane must preserve a deliberate relationship to the model as dimensions change.

Verify Your Plane and Fix Common Problems

A plane can look correct from one viewing angle while being offset, tilted, or attached to the wrong reference. Verify its relationships before building dependent features.

Checking Plane Position

After creating the plane, confirm the following:

Location: Rotate the model and check the plane from more than one direction.
Orientation: Verify the offset, angle, tangency, or other intended relationship.
Ownership: Check that the plane belongs to the correct part or assembly.
Sketch support: Confirm that the sketch was started on the intended plane.
Feature status: Check the design tree for warnings or rebuild errors.

The visible rectangle is only a display boundary. The mathematical plane extends indefinitely, so a sketch can extend beyond that rectangle. Enlarging the displayed rectangle does not increase the plane’s usable area.

Hiding or Showing Planes

In Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS, you can turn the display of planes on or off.

For appearance changes, adjust the plane display settings for color, transparency, and intersection options. Adjust these when a displayed plane obscures the model or is difficult to distinguish.

Hide a plane when it becomes distracting; do not delete it merely to remove it from view. Other sketches and features may depend on it.

Resolving Plane Definition Errors

The plane is not fully defined. The selected geometry still allows more than one location or orientation. For example, a plane containing a straight edge can rotate around that edge; adding a point off the edge can remove that freedom. Add a compatible reference, confirm the completed preview, and accept the plane.

The references conflict. The selected relationships cannot all be satisfied. Remove the conflicting reference or relationship and rebuild the definition using only the geometry needed for the intended result. Accept the plane only after a valid preview appears.

A previously working plane fails after a model edit. A supporting face, edge, or other reference may have changed or disappeared. Replace the missing or invalid reference, then confirm that the plane is fully defined. Then inspect related sketches and features.

Use origin planes or deliberate layout geometry for fixed design references. Use a model face when the plane is supposed to follow changes to that face.

Once the plane’s location, orientation, and references are correct, select it to create the intended sketch or use it as the reference for the downstream feature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make a New Plane Inside a Body in SOLIDWORKS?

Yes, you can create a reference plane inside a body. The plane does not split, cut, or add material to the body. Create a reference plane by selecting geometry and applying constraints to define it. The plane itself does not split, cut, or add material to the body.

How Do I Assign a Different Plane to an Existing Sketch?

A standard planar sketch needs a plane or planar face as its support. Select the replacement plane or planar face, then confirm the change. Check the sketch’s orientation, external relations, and dependent features afterward because changing the support can alter or break those relationships.

What Does Ctrl+Q Do in SOLIDWORKS?

A model rebuild regenerates features. It is useful for checking whether a plane and its dependent features regenerate successfully after an edit. It does not repair missing references or make incompatible plane constraints valid.

How Do I Set Default Units in SOLIDWORKS?

Set the current document’s units to the unit system you intend to use. For each new document, check the displayed unit system before entering dimensions. Existing documents retain their own unit settings.

How do you create a new plane in SOLIDWORKS?

To make a new reference plane, work in a part or assembly document, select geometry, and apply the constraints that establish the plane. Front, Top, and Right are the default planes available as possible starting references.