7.3 Hole Wizard Fundamentals

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1 Exam Overview & Logistics

1.1 Current Exam Facts & Format 1.2 Scoring, Points, Passing Score & Retakes 1.3 Time Management & Modeling Question Strategy

2 Workspace, Units & Design Intent

2.1 Interface & FeatureManager Tree 2.2 Document Units & MMGS Discipline 2.3 Design Intent Principles for CSWA

3 Sketch Foundations

3.1 Sketch Entities 3.2 Geometric Sketch Relations 3.3 Dimensions & Fully Defined Sketches

4 Sketch Construction Tools

4.1 Convert Entities, Offset & Mirror 4.2 Trim, Extend & Sketch Fillet/Chamfer 4.3 Construction Geometry & Sketch Planes

5 Extrude Boss & Cut

5.1 Extrude Boss/Base End Conditions 5.2 Extrude Cut Strategies 5.3 Contours, Thin Features & Common Extrude Traps

6 Revolves, Sweeps, Lofts & Edge Treatments

6.1 Revolve Boss & Revolve Cut 6.2 Sweep Boss/Base & Sweep Cut 6.3 Loft Boss/Base & Loft Cut 6.4 Fillet Features 6.5 Chamfer Features

7 Shell, Draft & Holes

7.1 Shell Feature 7.2 Draft Feature 7.3 Hole Wizard Fundamentals

8 Patterns & Mirror

8.1 Linear Pattern 8.2 Circular Pattern 8.3 Mirror Feature & Pattern Strategy 8.4 Fill Pattern & Choosing the Right Pattern Tool

9 Intermediate & Advanced Part Workflows

9.1 Multi-Feature Construction Order 9.2 Sketch Offset & Complex Profile Techniques 9.3 Editing, Rollback & Parent-Child

10 Materials & Mass Properties

10.1 Applying Materials & Density 10.2 Mass, Volume & Surface Area 10.3 Center of Mass, Coordinate Systems & Traps

11 Reference Geometry

11.1 Reference Planes 11.2 Axes, Points & Coordinate Systems 11.3 Mate References

12 Assembly Creation Basics

12.1 Inserting Components & Fixing the Base 12.2 Coincident, Concentric, Parallel, Perpendicular 12.3 Distance, Angle & Tangent Mates 12.4 Degrees of Freedom & Mate Diagnostics

13 Assembly Analysis & Advanced Mates

13.1 Advanced Mates Overview 13.2 Interference Detection 13.3 Assembly Mass Properties & Key Parameter Mods

14 Drafting Competencies

14.1 Standard & Projected Drawing Views 14.2 Section, Detail & Auxiliary Views 14.3 Dimensioning, BOM, Projection Standards & GD&T

7.3 Hole Wizard Fundamentals

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Hole Wizard builds standard holes (hole, counterbore, countersink, tap, and related types) using industry standards rather than freehand sketch circles alone.

The PropertyManager uses two main tabs: Type (hole style, standard, size, end condition) and Positions (sketch points locating each hole instance).

Hole Wizard creates a two-sketch architecture under the feature—typically a positioning sketch of points plus a hole profile/definition—edit the correct sketch for location vs size.

Simple Extruded Cut of a circle is fine for nonstandard holes; prefer Hole Wizard when the drawing shows standard fasteners, CB/CSKs, or tapped holes with standard callouts.

Diameter, depth, counterbore/countersink sizes, and thread specs are mass-critical: a 1 mm diameter error or wrong blind depth leaves material and fails numeric mass answers.

Last updated: August 2026

7.3 Hole Wizard Fundamentals

Quick Answer: Insert → Features → Hole Wizard (or Hole Wizard on the Features tab). On the Type tab, pick hole style ( Hole , Counterbore , Countersink , Tap , etc.), Standard , Type/Size , and End Condition (Through All, Blind depth, Up To Next, …). On the Positions tab, click to place sketch points (add dimensions/relations). OK creates standard hole geometry. Wrong size or depth = wrong mass.

Hole Wizard is on the official CSWA prep path because real mechanical parts are full of fastener holes. Exam drawings show callouts such as counterbored socket-head cap screw holes, countersunk flat-head holes, simple through holes, and tapped holes. Modeling each as a stack of manual extrude cuts is slow and error-prone; Hole Wizard packages the standard diameters, angles, and depths.

Type tab vs Positions tab

Hole Wizard’s PropertyManager is deliberately split into two tabs. Master both—candidates who only place points without setting type build the wrong hole family.

Type tab (what kind of hole)

Setting What you control
Hole specification / style Counterbore, Countersink, Hole, Tap, Legacy Hole, Slot variants (as available)
Standard ANSI Metric, ANSI Inch, ISO, etc.—match the drawing standard
Type / Size Fastener size (for example M6, M8, 1/4-20) driving hole diameters
Fit (where shown) Close, normal, loose—changes clearance diameter

End condition Through All, Blind (+ depth), Up To Next, Mid Plane, etc.

Options Cosmetic thread display, near side/far side countersink, head clearance values
Positions tab (where holes go)

Action Purpose
Click on faces Places sketch points for each hole instance
Multiple points Pattern of identical holes in one Hole Wizard feature
Dimensions & relations Fully define point locations (from edges, between points)
3D placement rules Points must lie on the selected face(s) appropriately

Workflow discipline:

Start Hole Wizard from the face that receives the holes (or select face first).

Configure Type completely before scattering random points.

Switch to Positions , place points, Fully Define the positions sketch.

Preview hole solids; verify through vs blind.

OK → check FeatureManager → Mass Properties when needed.

If you place positions first with a default type and forget to set counterbore size, you will cut wrong geometry at correct locations—still a failed mass.

Hole styles you must recognize

Style Geometry Typical drawing cue
Hole (simple) Cylindrical hole Ø callout, thru or depth
Counterbore (Cbore) Large cylindrical recess + through/smaller hole ⌴ counterbore symbol; SHCS clearance
Countersink (Csink) Conical recess + hole ⌵ countersink symbol; flat-head screw
Tap Hole sized for tapping + thread designation M8×1.25-6H or similar thread callout
Pipe tap etc. Specialty standards Less common on associate items—still Type options
Counterbore essentials

Counterbore creates a flat-bottomed larger diameter recess so a socket-head cap screw can sit flush or below the surface, plus a through or deeper hole for the screw shank.

Parameter Mass sensitivity
Counterbore diameter Removes a wide shallow disk of material
Counterbore depth Controls how much material leaves at the surface
Through hole diameter Removes the remaining cylinder
Through vs blind Blind leaves a floor plug of material
Countersink essentials

Countersink creates a conical seat. Angle (often 82° ANSI, 90° metric variants— use the standard the Type tab applies for the selected standard ) and countersink diameter/depth control the cone. Wrong standard can change cone angle and volume.

Tap essentials

A tap hole is not the same diameter as the free clearance hole for the same screw size. Tap drill size is smaller so threads can form. On CSWA, if the drawing shows a tapped hole, use Tap hole type with the matching size—do not substitute a clearance Hole of the major diameter. Cosmetic threads may display helical graphics without cutting a true helical solid; still the drill diameter and depth drive mass.

Standards and sizes

Standard family Example sizes Exam tip
ANSI Metric M3, M4, M5, M6, M8, M10… Match metric callouts on MMGS parts
ANSI Inch #6, #8, 1/4, 5/16… Match inch drawings; watch document units
ISO Metric series Similar vigilance on size letter/number

Units trap: Document units MMGS with an inch Hole Wizard size (or the reverse) can place correctly located but wrongly sized holes relative to the drawing. Align document units , dimension readouts , and Hole Wizard standard with the sheet.

Size trap: M6 clearance hole ≠ M8. One step up in fastener size jumps diameter enough to swing mass by more than rounding error—especially with many patterned holes.

Positions: sketch points, not circles

On the Positions tab you place points . You do not sketch the hole circle manually for standard Hole Wizard holes—the Type definition supplies diameters.

Good practice Bad practice
Point + dimension from two edges Freehand points with no dimensions
Symmetric relation between points Approximate spacing “by eye”
Construction lines for hole patterns Mixing random 2D circles into Positions
One Hole Wizard for identical holes Twenty separate wizards with same type

Fully define the positions sketch (black points). Under-defined points can drift if upstream faces move, breaking design intent on modification questions.

Multiple faces: Advanced placements can put holes on different faces in one feature; for timed CSWA, one face per Hole Wizard feature is often clearer unless the drawing clearly shares one standard hole set across faces.

Two-sketch architecture

After you OK Hole Wizard, expand the feature in the FeatureManager. You typically see two sketches (names vary by version):

Positions sketch — the sketch containing the points (locations).

Hole profile / definition sketch (or related sketch under the feature) — geometry driven by the Type parameters (diameters, countersink angles, etc.).

Edit goal What to edit
Move holes / change spacing Edit Positions sketch dimensions/relations
Change from M6 to M8, or CB depth Edit Feature → Type tab parameters
Change through to blind depth Edit Feature → End Condition
Delete one instance Delete its point in Positions sketch

Do not explode Hole Wizard into dumb extrudes unless you must—you lose standard intelligence and make modifications harder.

If a rebuild error points at a hole sketch, identify whether the point fell off a face (positions) or a size became impossible (type/end condition).

Hole Wizard vs simple Extruded Cut circle

Approach Use when
Hole Wizard Standard fastener holes, Cbore, Csink, Tap callouts, standard sizes
Extruded Cut of circle/slot Nonstandard Ø, slots not in wizard, rectangular openings, custom pockets
Revolved Cut Groove profiles, not simple fastener holes
Cut-Extrude + chamfer Fake countersink—slower, easier to mismatch standard angles

Exam speed: For 4× Ø6.6 THRU simple holes, either Extruded Cut of four circles (or one cut + linear pattern) or Hole Wizard simple Hole can work. For M5 CBORE for SHCS , Hole Wizard is the professional and safer path.

Design intent: Hole Wizard keeps size in the feature parameters. Extruded Cut stores diameter in a sketch dimension—also fine if you dimension carefully. Pick one consistent method per hole family.

End conditions and mass

End condition Mass behavior
Through All Pierces all material along direction; best for true thru holes when thickness may change
Blind + depth Leaves floor material; depth error = large mass error
Up To Next Stops at next face—good for pockets into stepped solids
Mid Plane Rare for holes; understand if offered

Blind depth trap: Drawing says 12 mm deep hole in a 20 mm plate. Blind 12 mm is correct; Through All removes more material. Conversely, Blind 12 mm when the sheet says THRU leaves a 8 mm plug and mass too high.

After thickness modifications: If plate thickness changes and holes must remain through, Through All tracks thickness; a fixed Blind depth may no longer pierce.

Exam mass sensitivity (diameter and depth)

Holes are pure material removal. Volume removed for a simple through cylinder is roughly πr² × thickness . Errors compound with hole count.

Error Example effect
Diameter 6 mm vs 8 mm Area ratio (4/3)² ≈ 1.78× more removal on the larger hole
10 holes each slightly oversized Mass low by a large margin
Counterbore depth 1 mm too deep Extra disk of material removed per hole
Wrong tap vs clearance diameter Systematic diameter error on every tapped hole
Forgot second hole point Entire hole missing → mass high

Checklist before submitting mass:

Count holes on the drawing vs points in Positions.

Verify Type size against callout (M6 vs M8, #8 vs 1/4).

Verify Cbore/Csink parameters if present.

Through vs blind matches THRU/DEEP notes.

Material still applied.

Mass Properties with required decimal places.

Modification questions involving holes

Typical CSWA mods:

Change hole diameter or fastener size
Change counterbore depth
Move hole center distance
Switch blind depth
Add or remove an instance

Fast path: Edit Feature or edit Positions sketch—do not delete the entire Hole Wizard and start over unless the hole family completely changes.

Practical CSWA Hole Wizard checklist

Read the hole callout: style, size, standard, thru/depth, count.

Type tab first: style → standard → size → end condition.

Positions: points fully defined to datums on the sheet.

Expand feature; confirm two-sketch structure if you need to edit later.

Prefer Hole Wizard for standard CB/CSK/Tap; Extruded Cut for nonstandard openings.

After any size/depth/position edit → rebuild → Mass Properties .

Hole Wizard is both a speed tool and a accuracy tool . Used well, it places standard geometry that matches industrial callouts; used carelessly (wrong tab, wrong size, blind vs thru), it is one of the fastest ways to lose a part-modeling score to a silent mass error.