Advanced Modeling
Techniques
Mark Biasotti
CAD Discipline Lead
Advanced Modeling
Techniques
Advanced Modeling
Techniques
Topics Covered:
-
Design Intent Explained
Importing from sketch and Pictures
Surface Connection C1 verses C2
Tolerance Problems and resolving Ambiguity
When to use Fill over Loft or Sweep
How to use 2D and 3D sketch Splines
How to control Sketch Splines
Explanation of C1 verses C2 continuity
Controlling Fill, Loft and Sweep features with Reference surfaces.
Using Surfaces Utilities: Trim, Extend, Untrim, Knit, Thicken, etc.
Tips for Debugging Shelling
Using Delete face and Replace Face
How to Part out housings using Base Derive, Split and Split
multi-body
Design Intent
Solids Modeling verses Surface Modeling
Approach
Solid Approach: Resultant edge is not accurate to the
Design Intent
Resultant edge
Surface Approach:Resultant edge IS accurate to the
Design Intent
Resultant edge
Solids vs. Surfacing
Solid Modeling
Approach
Surface Modeling
Approach
Main Form vs. Localized features
Main Form
Local Feature
Robustness, Shelling etc.
Chances are this will NOT Shell
Chances are this WILL
Importance of Surfacing
Features not possible using more familiar
extrude, cut, round etc.
N-Sided patch (Fill surface)
True Hybrid Surface/Solid
Modeling
Ability to go from Solid bodies to Surface bodies
back to Solid bodies in same part file.
Add Split Line
Delete Face
Add Surface
Solid
Make Solid
Solid
Surface
Surface
Solid
Surface Modeling Features
SPLIT LINE/DELETE FACE
TRIM SURFACE
FILL SURFACE
SWEEP SURFACE
LOFT SURFACE
Importing Design Intent
Curves Importing Design Intent
2D reference Profiles of Front, Side
Brought into part via
import geometry and
placed on sketch plane
Curves Picture in Sketch
Bitmap image on sketch plane
When no hard geometry
exists
TIPS For Importing Design Intent
1) Use DXF import to a drawing or IGES
import to a sketch.
2) Setup up reference sketches of this
imported geometry at the beginning of
your part that represent the Front, Top,
Side of the Design.
3) Use the Modify Sketch tool
to
position the import sketches.
4) Use Tools/Sketch Tools/Insert Picture
when no hard geometry exists.
C0, C1, C2 Tangency
Also C3, C4 types in some Class A surface modelers
C1 Tangency
Curvature Plot shows rate
of curvature at section of
surfaces
C2 Continuity
No Radii used; all C2
connection of surfaces
Surface Connection
C0 CONDITION
C1 CONDITION
(Tangency)
C2 CONDITION
(Continuity)
Curve and Surface Analysis
Open GL Shading
PhotoWorks Shading
Face Zebra Stripes
Face Curvature
Inspect Curvature
(intersection
(intersection curve)
curve)
Resolving Ambiguity
Multiple edges as a
result of the cut
SolidWorks
SolidWorks switches
switches side
side of
of cut
cut along
along existing
existing split
split
line
line edge
edge and
and alternates
alternates the
the side
side of
of cut
cut to
to remove
remove
material
material as
as it
it traverses
traverses the
the sweep
sweep path.
path.
Resolving Ambiguity - Workaround
Use Projected Curve
instead of Split line
Single Edge as
result of the cut
No
No more
more multiple
multiple edges
edges but
but instead
instead True
True Nature
Nature of
of
the
the cut
cut is
is revealed
revealed to
to be
be wavy.
wavy.
Resolving Ambiguity - Workaround
1) Dont cut along Solid
edges if you can afford to
over-cut
2) Build model using
surfaces connected by
curve network.
DONT
DO
Resolving Ambiguity
This method avoids ambiguity by building to,
and connecting directly to existing surface edges.
Add Split Line
Delete Face
Add Surface
Solid
Make Solid
Solid
Surface
Surface
Solid
Resolving Ambiguity
Use Replace Face instead of Knit-thicken
Shape
C2 Fillets
Sweep
Fill
Loft
Surface Features in
SolidWorks
Revolve
Extrude
Planar
2D Sketch Curves
Spline sketch entity
Inspect Curvature Plot Dynamically
Moving Frames for tweaking internal
points along the spline
Curvature Plot
Moving Frame
3D Sketch Curves
Like 2D sketch curves but not limited to planar.
Can be built and constrained in 3D space.
Sketch Curves
Surfaces are only as good as the
underlying curves that theyre built upon.
Arc Segments
Sketch curve
Single Spline
Sketch curve
Sketch Profiles for Surfacing
Multiple arc segments
No Continuity
More edges in surface
Profile more susceptible to
failure
Sketch Profiles for Surfacing
A few or one spline
elements
Continuity
Fewer Interim ISO lines
Profile less susceptible to
failure
2D Sketch Curves
Fit Spline Function automatically overlays
single Spline entity onto existing sketch
Elements.
Arc segment sketch
Fitted Spline Function
2pt Sketch Spline
3d Sketch Spline
Splines using existing references
Controlling with Construction
Controlling Tangency with
Construction
When to use Fill over Loft
3 Sided Loft will not offset because of
degenerate vertex between common
loft profile vertices.
Using Loft
Using Fill
degenerate vertex
Loft with Guide Curve Tangency
Profile 1 (with Tangency
Guide Curve 4
(with Tangency)
Guide Curve 3 (internal)
Guide Curve 2 (internal)
Profile 2 (with Tangency
Guide Curve 1
(with Tangency)
Using Fill
Different methods Loft to Point
Loft between profile and sketch Point.
Key is making sketch point normal to
profile.
Sketch Point (tangency normal to
profile that sketch point plane was
created)
Guide Curves (4ea.)
Sketch Profile
Different methods Loft 3 Profiles
Loft between three sketch profiles; all
with common end vertices.
Profile 2
Guide Curve
Profile 3
Profile 1
Different methods Sweep with
Guides
Sweep profile thru 2 guides to tangent
end point
Profile is swept to a point by
Guide curves
Path
Guide Curve 2
Profile
Guide Curve 1
Different methods Sweep with
Guide Closed loop
Sweep profile thru 2 guides to tangent
end point
Profile is swept around
circular path and follows
Profile
Guide curve 1
Guide Curve 1
Path
Different methods Using Fill
with Constraint Curves
Fill Surface built to single boundary with curves
constraining cross section
Constraint
Curve 1
Boundary
Constraint
Curve 2
Lofted Surface
Close Loop Loft with one Guide Curve
Profile 1
Profile 2
Profile 3
Profile 4
Guide
Curve
Controlling Fill Surface Feature
Using Reference surfaces for the
boundaries of the fill can dramatically
change the shape of the fill surface.
Using sketch
contact
Using tangent boundary
of Ref. Surface
Thicken Surface
Trim with Surface Mutual Trim Surface
Surface Utilities
in
SolidWorks
Extend Surface
Delete & Replace
Face
Knit Surface
Untrim Surface
Trimming and Extending
Trim and Mutual trim
Mutual Trim Knitting/Thickening
Exercise
exercise/exercise-knit-make-solid.SLDPRT
1) Open file and
extrude a surface
using
sketch Sketch-forside-top-surf .
2) Use the end
condition mid-plane
making sure surfaces
extend beyond
existing remote
surfaces.
Mutual Trim Knitting/Thickening
Exercise
3) Select the surface body filter tool
(customize it in if you dont have it in your
filters toolbar) and INSERT/SURFACE/KNIT
4) Select the five surface bodies and complete
the knit feature.
Mutual Trim Knitting/Thickening
Exercise
5) Deselect the surface bodies
filter.
6) INSERT/SURFACE/TRIM and
select the Surface-knit1 as the
trim tool.
7) Click on the inner part of the
Surface-extrude5 and RMB OK.
8) Shift select the last two features
in the FM and
INSERT/SURFACE/KNIT and
complete the feature.
Mutual Trim Knitting/Thickening
Exercise
9) The final step is to make
your surface body solid.
Go to
INSERT/BOSS/THICKEN.
10)Check the Create Solid
from enclose volume.
11)Click OK
12)Your surface body is now
a solid part.
Shelling Problems
Degenerate Vertex
3 sided surfaces
will not shell.
Shelling Problems
Use Multi-thickness settings to get shell to solve.
.2 inch multi-thickness
Here allows shell to solve
.25 inch multi-thickness
.125 inch shell
Shelling Exercise 1
exercise/exercise-shell-error1.SLDPRT
1) Try to discover the error that is causing
this keypad parts shell to fail.
2) Use the diagnostic cut to isolate the shell
problem by cutting away Known good
areas, and pinpoint bad areas.
Case Example of Shell
workaround
Shelling Tips
Test Surfaces as you build by using Offset Surface.
Cut away rest of model that you know is error free
Work within the shell while it is Suppress.
Beware of some Variable Fillets that will not shell.
Use multi-thickness to help shell to solve.
Avoid 3 Sided or Triangular surfaces.
Avoid Cut-with-Surface along surface to solid edges.
Replace Face/s
Replacement Surface/s
Target Face/s to be replace
Trim
Notice that surface does not
have to bound target face
Replace Face
Delete Face
Delete Faces
Base Part Technique
Base Part
Surfaces can
now be
included
Derived Parts
Split Part Technique
Master Model with Part All Solid parts Split out
line Quilts
Derived Parts
Split Part Technique
Rt. Click to let SWX Build an Assembly
automatically from your split parts.
Split Part Technique
Beware, Split Parts whos
Master Part fails,
can not be (currently)
redefined!
Split Part Multi-Body
Technique
1) Master Model
2) Split Part keep
check mark here to keep
multiple Bodies in part
3) Derive Parts out
