You can access the Datum toolset in any module by selecting ToolsDatum from the main menu bar. The Create Datum dialog box appears, and you choose the type of datum to create—point, axis, plane, or coordinate system (CSYS)—from the buttons in the Type region at the top of the dialog box. The Method list changes to reflect the datum you create. Select the desired datum tool from the Method list, and follow the prompts in the prompt area to create the datum. “An overview of datum creation techniques,” Section 40.5, provides an overview of the methods available for each type of datum. More information on creating datum geometry on parts and assemblies is provided in “Using the Datum toolset in the Part module,” Section 11.16.1, and “Using datum geometry in the Assembly module,” Section 13.7.1. More information on displaying datum geometry is provided in “Controlling datum display,” Section 50.6.

You can also access the Datum toolset from the module toolbox; Figure 40–3 shows the hidden icons for all the datum tools in the module toolboxes.

To see a brief tooltip containing a definition of each datum tool, hold the mouse over the tool for a moment. For information on using toolboxes and selecting hidden icons, see “Using toolboxes that contain hidden icons,” Section 3.3.2.