Is there a way to let a dimension like 112.4 to round up to 112.5 ?
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Someone sent me a box shaped file that looks like a sheet metal part, in the iges format. She wants me to “flatten it out” in Solidworks.
Is my thinking wrong, or if this model was created in Solidworks, why wouldn’t it had been sent to me in the sldprt format? That being said, am I also on the right track thinking that this was probably drawn using another CAD system, maybe Catia, or Rhino, or Pro-E? If the latter is true, can a model drawn in one system be edited on another system? I really do not understand the functionality of the different formats used, iges, slt stp etc, other than if something was drawn in Rhino, for example, it can be saved as an iges and opened in Solidworks, but for viewing only? I do know that they are sometimes referred to as “dumb solids”. I see that there is no design tree, just the word “Imported”.
If someone would kindly explain the functions of all the formats used, and the limits involved, I would most certainly appreciate it. This principle has alluded me for some time now.
Thank you, and sorry for the long winded query,
Regina Alden
IGES and STEP (STP) and STL are probably the most common outputted file formats from ProE and Solidworks. Even though the geometry imported into your part is static (dumb solid) you can still modify it by adding cuts or boss features. If your imported geom is infact a Solid body (I hope it is), then you might be able to Flatten it by clicking on a flat surface and go to Insert –> Sheetmetal –> Bends and pray that it works.
Or what you can do is right click on the feature in the model tree and go to Feature Works and see if this function can decode the part, giving you features in your model tree to make the file parametric (not just a dumb solid anymore). It can be a crap shoot if this works or not.
It should work if your part file is not too complex.
If your imported feature is 3D curves then you won’t be able to do much since it won’t be solid geometry to work with. If your imported feature are surface patches, then you will have work to do to get your part solid in order to flatten it.
Hope this helps a little.
Regina,
You can see what CAD system output the iges file (works for step files too) by opening the file in Windows Notepad and reading the header info.
IGES and STEP files are plain text files.
Cheers,
Anna
I agree
Someone sent me a 3d pdf of a bottle and it was real nice. I have a call into the engineer and if he gets back to me I will post how he did it.
Thanks Ben
Sorry didn’t checked your earlier post on 3d PDF
I need to make a 3d pdf from a SolidWorks assy. The assy is about 733 kp in size but the 3d pdf generated is 29 meg! What am I doing wrong?
Thanks Ben
Nothing, the file format for SW and the file format conversion to PDF inflates things. You may try and make the assembly colors and textures as basic as possible. That is about all you can do. Also as nice as the 3D PDF can be it is pretty flaky in my eyes I have had about a 50% success ratio using it.
Did you tried Presentation Studio (http://labs.solidworks.com/Products/Product.aspx?name=pstudio)
I just downloaded some fantastic material files from Luxology Share Assets site but I’m having trouble getting the tire treads to work in PV360. If I simply copy the material folder into the material library as the tutorial explains, I usually crash when trying to apply it to a part. Then I tried copying just the .lxp file and it stopped crashing but didn’t show the material either. Anyone have experience with this?
Also… I had another downloaded material work fine, just the tire tread currently not working.
Seems you have stumped us. I am not a PhotoView guy but maybe if you contact Rob Rodriguez at his site http://robrodriguez.com/wordpress/ he may be able to help. I will see about getting him over here to help out…
This is a tricky one 
PhotoView crashes on certain LXO materials downloaded from the Luxology site because it can’t the files it needs. In your case it can’t find the texture files for the tread. PhotoView can’t find the files because the materials downloaded from the Luxology site are set up for a modo file structure. In order to make this work you have to duplicate the modo file structure.
The LXO file should be placed in install drive:/program files/SolidWorks/PhotoView 360/resrc/presets/materials. I like to make my own folder in the materials folder for my downloaded materials.
Now create this folder structure
install folder:/Program Files/Luxology/modo/content/Assets/Images/AssetSharing/Materials
Now copy the downloaded material texture files (or folders with the texture files) into the materials folder you created (last one in the string).
PV360 should now be able to find the texture files and use them.
Note: Some materials work better than others. PV360 has a very limited subset of the settings modo has. Once you’ve applied your downloaded material PV360 may not have enough controls available to adjust your material so it appears correctly. ie, the tire tread may apply in PV360 now that the work above has been done but you may not be able to scale, map and locate it correctly on your geometry.
The circular brushed texture on this guitar is from the asset sharing site and it happened to work great
http://files.solidworks.com/InternalMarketing/PressRoom/Consumer/Fender%20Flames%20FINAL.jpg
Thanks Ben, Rob… I tried what you said and put the downloaded materials into the following:
C:\Program Files\Luxology\modo\content\Assets\Images\AssetSharing\Materials
Nothing new shows up though in PV360 appearances window. It doesn’t find anything… I put 3 different materials in there.
Yes, I’ve found very limited control which is definitely frustrating. But I’ve been hearing that will all be fixed come 2011 eh? Looking forward to it.
When you say “nothing new shows up in the appearances window” you mean there isn’t a new material added or you mean the new material is there but still doesn’t apply the tire tread?
Are you on a 32 or 64 bit OS?
Yeah, sorry… there is no new material added. I’m assuming it would show a new folder/category in the top level of appearances, but nothing there. Running 32 bit XP Pro.
In this folder
install drive:/program files/SolidWorks/PhotoView 360/resrc/presets/materials.
Create a new folder called Assets (you can really name it anything) and add the lxo file only from the downloaded asset folder. If you open the appearance pallete in PV360 you should have a new folder named “assests” with a thumbnail for a material “tire tread”
Ok, added only the .lxp file to install drive:/program files/SolidWorks/PhotoView 360/resrc/presets/materials.
Materials show up in appearances palette like you say, but when I pull them over to the model it doesn’t apply the material at all.
Do I need to do anything with other files that download with it? There’s usually a subfolder with bump or displacement images and I’ve tried it with or without those extra files, no difference, still don’t work.
The other files (folders) in the download should be put in the this location.
install folder:/Program Files/Luxology/modo/content/Assets/Images/AssetSharing/Materials
If the tire tread doesn’t work try some different downloaded files that have textures (like the circular brushed steel). If those work then it just may be the tire tread material is too complicated for PV360.
Still nothing. I’ve placed texture files/folders into that ‘luxology’ path, and .lxp files into the ’solidworks/photoview 360′ path and it doesn’t work. Not the tire tread, or several others like circular brushed steel, pebbles, glowing wireframe.
The only constant I’ve found is that materials with no texture files work great, like honey-light, and orange skin.
What is the following path for? I even tried placing texture files into an asset folder under here but it didn’t help… C:\Program Files\SolidWorks Corp\PhotoView 360\resrc\presets\images
edit: running SW2010 SP2.0
Hello,
Please I need same info regarding sheet metal part:
1-What are the criteria for choosing what faces are available for converting a solid prt in a sheet metal and what faces are not available when use Convert to Sheet Metal feature?
2-please give me an example how to use break radius and break angle to Cross Braek feature?
Thank you all.
Sorin.
1.Criteria for face selection is that the face has to be flat or planer
2. To make a cross brake (there are many many different ways) you need to make a sketch on the face you want to brake and then use it as the bend line (you may want to look up and study sheet metal in the help menu) Here is a pdf that may get you on your way http://blogs.solidworks.com/teacher/files/Sheetmetal.pdf
I will reword to be more clear if I have a solid part with many faces such as plane, cones, cylindrical or other different faces What are the criteria for choosing what faces are available for converting a solid part in a sheet metal and what faces are not available when use Convert to Sheet Metal feature?
Thank you for pdf is very good do you have more material about Sheet Metal I’m very interested.
Regards,
Sorin,
What good is an additional UCS if all feature dimension references are to the original origin ?
I can be handy by putting it at a center of mass or some feature that you can reference other dimensions to. Also when importing parts or using scan data centering the model can be a pain in the arse. If you use a new UCS you can re-establish the geometry and orientation
Also, if you need to pass the information along to another group or someone to do some analysis, it can help. I’ve had to provide dimensional data to someone in Guidance and Navigation; and those GNC guys have their axes all pointing the wrong way! >:)
Hi everybody.
Can someone explain to me why it is the best to fully define a sketch before adding features like extruded boss or so to them?
if you make somethink complicated, and you must deadly accurate you need to defined the sketch. if not, when you adding dimension to another curve that have relations with the curve that you are not defined, the positions will change even the dimensions and you didn’t realize it
These can easily be modified by a user accidentally through things like instant 3D. If you constrain it then you cannot modify it as easily.
can somebody help? give me an example about modeling a headlamp of a car/motorcycle. I was challenged by my friend to do this. He using unigraphic, and I use Solidworks.
Appreciate for your help.
Thanks
Using a motorccycle headlamp for an example, it would be simple enough.
Simply sketch half of the profile of the body of the headlamp, and use the revolve function to complete the model, and then use the shell tool to hollow it out to about a .030″ wall thickness. Do the same thing with the lens and lens frame, making sure that the lens frame is .030″ larger in diameter, with a slight interior shoulder on both the body side and the lens side so that it can be assembled to the body by sliding over it and bottoming out on the shoulder, and the lens respectively.
Now you can render the body and lens frame in chrome, or colored with flames, (your choice), and the lens can be rendered in glass, for a pretty good representation of the real thing.
Guido
Did you checked on 3DCC (http://www.3dcontentcentral.com)
@guido: yes it’s the easy way. but can you give me an example file! so I can study with your drawing file
Here is the image Guido could not attach
Vuuch will be running a demo on Thursday, March 25, 2010 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM EDT You should go and check them out. Here is a email I got today for the signup FYI
Please join us for a one hour Vuuch web demo. Sign up here https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/603202912.
The live demo will show how by using Vuuch you can execute projects faster and gain control over product compliance, liability and regulatory deliverable without changing how people work.
Thanks
Vuuch
p.s. Chris feel free to add any details you want to the comments.
Hey Ben thanks for posting this. I look forward to having you community jion the webinar.
Im new to analyzing forces on parts. I am trying to do this but it is a small assembly. Is there a way to easily merge an assembly into a single part.
Dave
Choose ‘Save As’ in the file menu and then in the ‘Save As Type’ drop down choose part (this is just below the filename). Then make sure to choose the ‘All Components’ radio button under the ‘Geometry to save’ heading.
Another thing to keep in mind is that I am sure you are using the Cosmos express module. If you or your company have SW premium there is a full blown version that you can install and then doing an analysis on an assembly is possible. However in a few cases it is more expedient to do it the way you are currently.
thanks Ben, new question now. The simulation shows how the part bends under load. When I ran it I thought “whoa, that bent more than I thought!” I ended up rerunning the simulation with less and less force and at 10000 lbf and 1 lbf it still bends the same. What I am looking for is will my part deform at a 10,000 lb load. How do I find this?
What you ’see’ is an exageration of the bending not the actual bending. You need to look at a deformation plot (the numbers not the graphic) to see the deflections. I cannot remember how but you can right click on the results and then set the deformation scale to zero and then see real world representations of what is predicted to happen. Still put your faith in the numbers not what the display is showing you.
Hi all!
In a nutshell, part from 2009 opened in 2010, no picture. Can move the cursor around and edges and faces highlight, feature tree is still full, can edit features and do everything just not see anything. Tried saving in 2010, tried opening, nada.
I imagine others must have had this, does anyone know how to fix it? *or just knows what it feels like :)*
Simple stats:
vista 64bit
sw 2010 sp2.1
quadra fx1500 *though my workmates computer is higher speced and gets the same*
Part exported from 2009 sp5
Peace ya’ll!
If you have recently upgraded to SW2010, did you update the graphics card driver?
Can you post a sample part for testing on other installs?
try hitting ctr-Q. This forces Solidworks to do a full rebuild of a part. I’ve seen this problem before on my system.
Sounds like a graphics issue. You can verify by turning on software OpenGL and seeing if it works. If it does, update your graphics driver.
Hi people.
I am studying to thw CSWP-exam, and i have a very simple question, that i hope you can help me with:
When i add linked dimesions to sketch lines and give them names like ”A” and ”B”, how do i then change the value for the dimensions in a quick way?
Lets say i have given A a dimension of 50 and B a dimension of 70 and made an extrude-feature of 10. And now i wan’t to change A to 25 and B to 75.
Is it possible to do this without entering the sketch again. i have tried to double click on the values in the equation-folder in the featuremanager design tree, but nothing happens.
Thanks in advance
Double-clicking on the feature or sketch in the FM, or double-clicking the feature in the graphics area will expose the dimensions.
You could also look at using a Design Table or Equations.
Public discussion by Chris Williams, posted courtesy of Vuuch.
|
How do you change the color of a single surface in a part file? I am modeling an assembly in a single part just to get an idea of what I want to do. I want to color surfaces to define parts. |
Right click on the surface and then click the beach ball (appearances) in the dialog that comes up. Then choose face and color apporpriately.
Alternately if you have the task pane displayed (right hand side of the window, there are tabs with icons like a house etc etc) click on the beach ball and then navigate to the appearance you want and drag and drop it on the face and a dialog comes up asking if you want it on the face, boss, body etc etc…
Public discussion by Chris Williams, posted courtesy of Vuuch.
|
I’m working on a design for a new custom hardtail bagger and it looks like I will use these bags from Redneck Engineering (http://www.redneckengineering.com/bad_ass_bagger.htm). I started with the idea to use the Redneck bagger kit but have moved onto a different idea. The plan now is to use the Joker frame from American Motor Cycle (http://highly-dangerous.com/index3.htm) and turn it into a bagger. I put up a site at http://www.hardtailbagger.com where you can follow the entire process. My Proe skills are better than my SW skills which creates a problem. All the CAD parts I get are in SW. But my conceptual model is in Proe. Proe has this great feature, merge by referance. What it allows you to do is create a single part that represents the finished product. Then you merge this into other part files for each part and cut away what you do not want. What is cool is as you change that concpet part each specific part then changes. I should create a little video about this. I would love to know if there is a way to do this in SW? |
Comment by Josh Mings, posted courtesy of Vuuch.
| Like it. It can definitely be done in SolidWorks. you can use multi-bodies. |
Comment by Chris Williams, posted courtesy of Vuuch.
| Got any good training links for multi-bodies? |
Hey thanks I just read the material on those links and it looks like that’s the ticket. Looks to be it works just like Pro/E. Thanks
Ben 10:09 am on March 19, 2010 Permalink
Sure make sure that that the number following the .4 is 5 or higher… You could control the rounding via a design table as well with a logic statement saying that all figures are to be rounded to the nearest .5 but all of that is kludgy. Why not change the dimension to 112.5?
CBL 7:13 am on March 21, 2010 Permalink
I agree with Ben. If you want a dimension to show a certain value, then size the model to suit.
This isn’t AutoCAD … don’t cheat. ;o)