DorsetStrider
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| posted on 5/12/05 at 03:36 PM |
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Solidworks.......ARRRRRGH!
Hiya chaps.
Need some help. I've so far spent 19 hours working on solidworks trying to design my chassis. Know admittedly I am not familar with CAD
software but I thought CAD stood for computer AIDED design.  I'm sorry this is turning into a rant but it's either that
or blow up the entire world on general principle!
The problem I'm having is having got all the horizontal and verticals in place (where there is a 90 degree angle) I can't figure out how
to put in the diaganols..... do you have to creat each indervidual bar seperately with perfectly angled ends?
Any help would be very very gratefully received......but please use idoit proof language as well....I'm an idiot (at least this is how
solidworks has made me feel)
Who the f**K tightened this up!
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flak monkey
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| posted on 5/12/05 at 03:54 PM |
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You can create each bar individally with angled ends, and that is how I made my chassis in CAD.
You could equally create an angled workplane and work from that. Then use the weldments feature to trim the tubes to the correct angle for you. (try
searching for weldments in the help file)
I am not overly familiar with solidworks at the moment, but have used it in the past...
David
Sera
http://www.motosera.com
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Hammerhead
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| posted on 5/12/05 at 03:54 PM |
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I havent played with solidworks much - but in other 3d progs you can create straight line of box section (either vertical or horizontal) then rotate
them to the desired angle then reduce the length until the ends are hidden by the parts it butts up to.
I'm sure that doesn't make sense - but there are many ways of creating things in 3d. there is no RIGHT way. So just carry on
experimenting.
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cossey
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| posted on 5/12/05 at 04:00 PM |
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you can create a rectangle with the same length and width as the tube you are using (assuming square tube) then click on each corner point and
manually change it to the correct x y z coordinate. then extrude to the corect width of tube for round tube create a rectangle that is a wide as the
wall thickness then add a centre line parallel to the long side of the rectangle, the inner diametedr away and revolve extrude to form the tube.
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Genesis
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| posted on 5/12/05 at 04:41 PM |
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Drop Mad Dave a U2U he is very adapt at it. Uses weldments mostly for chassis design.
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DorsetStrider
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| posted on 5/12/05 at 04:45 PM |
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I've heard of this "Weldments" feature before but can't find it in solidworks  woe is me!!
Will have another look tonight. In the meantime thanks peeps. and keep the suggestions coming.
Who the f**K tightened this up!
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Mad Dave
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| posted on 5/12/05 at 05:12 PM |
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Weldments is only featured in 2005 onwards. If you have this then the best way to create a chassis is to use the 3D sketch feature to make a wire
frame and the add the weldments to it
If you need any help just U2U me
Dave
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jon_boy
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| posted on 5/12/05 at 07:29 PM |
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Im finding the best way (although its solid edge its meant to be the same) the i made all the lengths seperately using the family of parts feature to
make it quick (you make a base then just type in the names and lengths) then add the angles to the bits to the individual part. Then whack it all
togther in an assembly. Im now doing a family of assemblies where you start with a basic chassis and can add different bits with a click of a button,
like a reinforcement set which adds tubes to some diagnols, standard rear, de dion rear, or IRS rear. Hopefully going to make all the plans i have for
the rear section and have them interchangeable.
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bigandy
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| posted on 5/12/05 at 08:27 PM |
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The easiest way to put something like a diagonal tube into a model that already has the framework there, is to create a line (in a sketch), with a
point at it's centre, that follows the bar direction (use reference plane and line, to create the line between the two corners of the diagonal).
The sketch point should be constrained to the centre point of the line just created.
It doesn't have to be in the perfect place, so long as the direction of the line is in the correct direction, i.e. connecting the two corner
points together. You can then create another reference plane normal to the line just created, but intersecting the centre point of the reference
line.
Then sketch in the profile of the tube you wish to use on that reference plane, (align the view normal to that plane, to make sure you can tie the
sketch down to the correct points on the geometry that is already there). Then it is just a matter of doing using the extrude command using tube
profile sketch to generate the tube geometry. You can use the "up to next" feature to make sure the new tube ends in the right
place....
To then isolate that tube to get a cut pattern, you can use something like the "Split" command in the mold tool menu. This allows the new
tube to be isolated (and a seperate part created) which is useful for cutting out the tubes. Of course, if you have the version with weldments, you
can use that too!
Give me a shout if you need any more help....
Cheers
Andy
Dammit! Too many decisions....
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Alan B
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| posted on 5/12/05 at 09:12 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mad Dave
Weldments is only featured in 2005 onwards. If you have this then the best way to create a chassis is to use the 3D sketch feature to make a wire
frame and the add the weldments to it
If you need any help just U2U me
Dave
Hmmm?
SW2004 has weldments.....
Perhaps you mean it's from 2005 onwards that it works?......
I can see the potential power of it, but it seems very buggy....but as I say it may be better now...
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bigandy
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| posted on 5/12/05 at 09:32 PM |
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I've just been having a play around with the weldments feature on SW 2006 SP2 and it seems to work really nice! I've not done anything
too complicated yet, but it seems to be good for me!
Cheers
Andy
Dammit! Too many decisions....
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Tralfaz
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| posted on 6/12/05 at 02:22 AM |
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Are you all professionals or educators? How are you all getting the program, when I looked it was a fortune!
Perhaps the marketing is different in the UK?
Brian
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Mad Dave
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| posted on 6/12/05 at 08:30 AM |
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quote:
SW2004 has weldments.....
Perhaps you mean it's from 2005 onwards that it works?......
I used it but it was limited. From what I remember you could only put a weldment on a straight line and not bends
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Syd Bridge
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| posted on 6/12/05 at 09:23 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Tralfaz
Are you all professionals or educators? How are you all getting the program, when I looked it was a fortune!
Perhaps the marketing is different in the UK?
Brian
I pay for my legit copy, but my sons can get all the latest software off their uni server. Fancy Catia V5r16? £15k+, or£1
Find a uni student doing engineering, and I'll bet you find a goldmine of 'Student Version' ( ) software, all fully
functional!
Syd.
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bigandy
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| posted on 6/12/05 at 09:32 AM |
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I have the pleasure of working with Solidworks for the best part of 40hours per week as my paying job. Work were kind enough to give me a laptop with
it on, which allows me to take it home to use. The only thing is I have to remember to take the dongle home with me, or Soildworks becomes
Solid-doesn't-works. having said that though, I've recently discovered a way round the dongle restrictions....
Pretty much all the high end CAD software is available for next to nothing if you know where to look....
Cheers
Andy
Dammit! Too many decisions....
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