How to Create a Plane in SOLIDWORKS

Reference planes in SOLIDWORKS help you create sketches, features, section views, symmetry references, and assembly relationships away from the default Front, Top, and Right planes. A well-defined plane makes the model easier to control and edit.

Use Reference Geometry

To create a plane, use Insert > Reference Geometry > Plane or the Reference Geometry command on the toolbar. SOLIDWORKS then asks for references that define the new plane.

The references can be faces, edges, vertices, axes, existing planes, or sketch entities. The required references depend on the type of plane you want to create.

Watch the preview as you select references. SOLIDWORKS will often infer a valid plane as soon as enough references are selected, but the first valid result may not be the plane you actually want.

Create an offset plane

An offset plane is parallel to an existing plane or planar face at a specified distance. Select the source plane or face, enter the offset distance, and reverse direction if needed.

Offset planes are useful for sketches that need to sit above or below a face, such as ribs, cuts, construction layouts, and imported profile locations.

Use dimensions or global variables for offsets that may change later. A named offset value can make design revisions faster and easier to understand.

Create an angled plane

An angled plane usually needs a line, edge, or axis plus a reference plane or face. Set the angle and confirm the preview. Angled planes are useful for sketches on sloped features, angled cuts, or construction geometry.

Use stable references when creating angled planes. A plane based on temporary or fragile geometry may fail when earlier features change.

When possible, base angled planes on major datums, centerlines, or intentional construction geometry. That keeps the plane connected to the design intent instead of an incidental edge.

Create a midplane

A midplane can be created between two parallel faces or planes. This is useful for symmetry, centered sketches, and features that need to stay halfway between two sides of a part.

Name important midplanes clearly. A model with several reference planes is much easier to edit when the planes explain their purpose.

Midplanes are also helpful in assemblies when components need to stay centered. A clear center plane can be used for mates, layouts, and mirrored features.

Keep planes organized

Too many unnamed planes can make a feature tree difficult to understand. Rename important planes, hide planes that are not currently needed, and use folders if the model has many reference features.

When a plane drives important geometry, avoid deleting it casually. Features, sketches, mates, and drawings may depend on it.

If a model has many planes, hide them after use and show only the ones needed for the current edit. This keeps the graphics area readable without removing useful construction geometry.

Troubleshooting

If SOLIDWORKS will not create the plane, check whether the selected references fully define a plane. If the plane flips unexpectedly, reverse the offset or angle direction. If a sketch moves after edits, review the references used to create its plane.

Good reference planes are part of good model structure. Use them when they make the design intent clearer, and keep them named and stable for future edits.

Before releasing a model, rebuild it and check that sketches attached to custom planes still solve correctly. A broken reference plane can cause several downstream features to fail at once.