Ever wanted to put a Center Mark on an Isometric view in a drawing ?
You can’t do it with the regular “Center Mark” tool, but the video below shows a pretty good solution…
VIDEO — ISO CENTER MARK .mp4
And here is the .sldblk file I created… ISO CENTER MARK .sldblk
In my opinion, one of the most underutilized tools in SolidWorks Simulation is the Design Study. Design studies allow you to easily set up a number of ‘what if’ scenarios and run them all with the click of a button. Sure, it might take a couple extra minutes to set up a few parameters, but the extra setup time will pay off handsomely later.
Let’s take a look at the effects of varying mesh size for a stress concentration. The first step is to create and run a Simulation Study to verify the model setup and boundary conditions. Second, set up a parameter for the global element size. Third, create a design study, using that parameter as a variable. Finally, add a constraint; in this case we’ll use the maximum stress from the Simulation study we previously created. When these steps are complete, run the design study and all of the scenarios with the click of a button!
Setting up a Parameter can be done in (at least) two ways. From the Evaluation tab of your Command Manager, you can left-click the down arrow on the Design Study icon and choose ‘Parameters’. Alternately, from your Simulation feature tree, you can right-click on “Parameters” and choose ‘Edit/Define…’. The keys to creating a Parameter are to provide a name, choose the appropriate category, then link that parameter to the item you want to vary in the design study. In this example, I want to link the Parameter to ‘Global Element’ size, so I’ll click on the Mesh icon from my Simulation study feature tree.
The next step is to insert a Design Study into your model. Use the down-arrows to add the Element Size variable to the Design Study. In the second column, I chose to use discrete values for element size. These can be typed in using a comma to separate values. In the Constraints section, use the pull-down menu to add a Simulation Data Sensor to the model, specifically to monitor the maximum stress. Be sure to choose the Simulation study you want the sensor to reference for data. Then un-check the ‘Optimization’ box and click ‘Run’.
When the Design Study is finished running all of the scenarios, you will have a plot for each constraint utilized. In the picture below, the stress plot from one of the scenarios is shown. I’ve also added a ‘Local Trend Graph‘ to show the stress concentration model does, indeed, show a diverging solution with regards to stress.
I could have arrived at the same information in a couple of ways not utilizing a Design Study. The most common method I encounter is a user creating ten Simulation studies, then manually meshing each with a different Global Element size. That is, quite simply, a waste of time! The extra few minutes spent creating Parameters and properly defining a Design Study can be done much faster than creating several individual studies. I’m certain with a little investigation you can find plenty of uses for this powerful tool. Now go make your products better with SolidWorks Simulation!
This is a follow-up post to a question that I was asked recently about THIS blog entry: http://www.3dvision.com/wordpress/2012/04/14/strengthening-ribs-in-sheetmetal-new-in-sw2012/
The question was basically “HOW do I MAKE a rib like that ?”
Easy !
Start out with this:
Then create your “Rib TOOL” as a separate BODY in the file…
Then you can use the INSERT–FEATURES–INDENT command to use that “Rib Tool” body to create the indentation in the sheet metal part.
You will then of course want to do a DELETE BODY on the Rib Tool body (just select the body in the tree and hit Delete on the keyboard), and then add any fillets (don’t forget both sides) if you want them to make it look something like this when finished.
Here is a link to the actual SolidWorks part file (2013 version) if you need more guidance: Sheetmetal REMOVE FACES
There you go !! Easy when you know how… 
Imagine you have a model with thousands of faces that you need to add draft, how do you select all of them?
Here is a great tip from our good friend Alin Vargatu, from Javelin. Here he shows how you can quickly select all faces on your model that need their draft modified.
I love Alin’s work. I’ve been begging him to give a little blog love to those of us who live south of the border for years. We would have done it sooner, but weren’t sure if we would be breaking any international blog smuggling laws.
I want to clear something up that is very confusing about making SUB-WELDMENTS.
I personally had swayed people away from the Sub-Weldment functionality for quite a while, because after you went to all the trouble to get all the properties you wanted in your Cut-List Items, you would lose it all when you made a sub-welment,
NO LONGER THE CASE AS OF SW2012 !!
Trust me, it DOES work, BUT it is somewhat confusing HOW to do this the CORRECT way…
The thing to remember with this is that the BODIES do NOT store any properties, only the Cut-List Item FOLDERS do.
So if you have never done an UPDATE to the cut-list first, you cannot expect the properties (that don’t exist yet) to propagate down to the sub-weldments like they are supposed to !
It sounds obvious when I explain it that way, but it was very confusing to me for a while, and I know it is still confusing to new users…
HERE are the steps TO SUCSESSFULLY MAKE A SUB-WELDMENT:
1. Go and create your weldment as normal
2. Update the cut-list
3. Ctrl+Select the BODIES you want to make into a sub-weldment (either from tree or from screen with bodies filter)
4. Rt+Clk, CREATE SUB-WELDMENT
5. Then UPDATE THE CUT-LIST AGAIN !!!
(you will end up with 3 levels in the folder which seems strange, but it DOES inherit the properties into the Sub-Weldment like it is supposed to…)
This will even take the properties with the sub-weldment if you save it out to a separate part file (using rt+clk, insert into new part on the sub-weldment), and they will be tied/related back to the original weldment file for updating !
Hope this helps !
Remember, as an alternative to actual “sub-weldments” done this way you can always just make a weldment, make another weldment, and then stick them into an assembly together. The above method just keeps it ALL in ONE multi-body weldment PART file. And NOW IT WORKS THE WAY IT SHOULD !
To review, I had 4 main design criteria for the Remote Control Hover Craft.
I proceeded forward with the design of the Hovercraft using SolidWorks 3D mechanical design software. SolidWorks allowed me to quickly develop and execute a first pass design, utilizing Multi-Body Parts, In context Assembly Modeling, Sketch Pictures, Fastening Features, Interference Detection, and several other standard options. All of this came together in an initial design that meets the above criteria.
The design started with the Top Plate part that houses the downward facing fan assembly and gives the craft its overall dimensional size. I kept the craft under the 8″ by 8″ tray size of the Stratasys UPrint 3D Printer. The part consists of multi-bodies; one for the plate and the other for the fan housing. These bodies have minimal tolerance so they are a snug fit when pressed together for final assembly. This design criteria is so that if the propeller needs to be serviced later total dis-assembly of the craft does not have to take place. Simply pull the fan unit upward out of the top plate.
Top Plate
Exploded View Front
Exploded View Back
The chassis continues with a bottom plate and separating ribs. The chassis is hollow as the air needs to fill this cavity before exiting out of the skirt. The skirt is intended to be a bicycle inner tube cut to size with holes cut around the inner bottom portion allowing the air to escape. The skirt will be held on by two fastening plates and standard hobby store machine screws.
Section View
The back cowling snaps into place with a Snap Hook. The Fastening Feature command was used to create this geometry. The Snap Hook will allow for ease of assembly, and the cowl contains a cross bar with built in motor mount sized for a 9V-11V brushed can motor. The Cowling and Top Plate will make up the mounting location for the dual rudder system. The system is driven by an S75 Nano servo available at most local hobby shops.
Cowl
The canopy will cover all of the electronics including the Receiver, two Electronic Speed Controls (ESC), And two Li-Poly 300MAH 11.1V Batteries. One ESC and battery per motor. I originally set out utilizing the Sketch Picture and Surfacing to create the canopy structure. This worked out well, however at this time I did not have the electronics in the full assembly. When trying to accommodate the electronics under the first variation of the canopy I visibly had interference. Luckily utilizing in-context editing and having a well planned design intent, the changes to the canopy allowed for an easy and quick change.
Sketch Picture
Interference Original Canopy
Receiver & ESCs
Batteries, Receiver, and ESCs
Canopy Design Change
There is still much to do with the modeling aspect, but for now I have a good working start to the project and a starting point to investigate the flow and stress characteristics of the design. The next step is to utilize Flow Simulation to verify the lift ability of the motor and propeller combination for the lift fan and the rear facing fan assembly.
Top
Front
Back
Side
The SolidWorks Customer Portal is a web-based hub for SolidWorks that centralizes the access to a wealth of information. SolidWorks Customer Portal allows you to:
The Customer Portal requires an account based on your email address and serial number (for full access). If you do not use your serial number, access will be limited. For full access to all features within the Customer Portal, you must also have a valid subscription service contract and a valid serial number.
3DVision is proud to offer a series of SolidWorks Simulation events that will be sure to teach you a thing or two.
Have you seen our Simulation webinars, and are intrigued about how easy the Simulation products are to use? Or have you always been curious about SolidWorks Simulation and just want to test drive it? Come and experience the product first-hand as one of our Simulation experts lead you step-by-step through setting up different types of analysis.
You will:
As you experience this FREE learning session, you will be able to relate its usage to your design situations.
This series of events will be offered at FOUR different dates and locations during the month of April:
April 2, 2013
Cincinnati, Ohio
8:30am – 12:00pm
Click here to register
April 4, 2013
Dayton, Ohio
8:30am – 12:00pm
Click here to register
April 9, 2013
Columbus, Ohio
8:30am – 12:00pm
Click here to register
April 18, 2013
Louisville, Kentucky
8:30am – 12:00pm
Click here to register
We hope to see you during this Simulation Series. You are welcome to bring along a sample of your product and show it to our experts so that they can comment on how they would tackle your engineering challenges.
DriveWorks webinars are proven to help greatly reduce the learning curve for SolidWorks. Join a few webinars in March to become more efficient with your automations and save countless hours of your time in the future.
DriveWorks Xpress Head Start Webinar
You will learn…
You will see how you can start automating YOUR designs straight away.
Register here for the March 5th webinar from 11:00am – 12:00pm
DriveWorks Solo Head Start Webinars
DriveWorks Solo Headstart Webinars are led by Certified DriveWorks Solo Application Engineers and are a great way to demonstrate how to Get Started with the Software! You will be taken through the quick and easy steps involved in automating your design process with DriveWorks Solo.
You will learn:
1 hour of your time today learning how to set up the software will save you countless more in the future!
Register here for the March 6th webinar from 11:00am – 12:00pm
Register here for the March 20th webinar from 11:00am – 12:00pm
DriveWorks Solo Training Part 1
In this session we will be going over the start of the DriveWorks Solo Training.
This will include:
Register here for the March 25th webinar from 11:00am – 12:00pm
DriveWorks Solo Training Part 2
In this session we will be going over the middle section of the DriveWorks Solo Training.
This will include:
Register here for the March 26th webinar from 11:00am – 12:00pm
DriveWorks Solo Training Part 3
In this session we will be going over the end of the DriveWorks Solo Training.
This will include:
Register here for the March 27th webinar from 11:00am – 12:00pm
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