Setup
Basic Concepts
- determine appropriate origin
- the origin never moves
- consider X, Y, Z or Front, Right, Top (for rotating components)
- consider Front of Part or Front of Assembly
- define additional reference entities (e.g. optical path)
- first plane matters for drawing, since it determines "front" for drawing
- put origins at axes of symmetry
- put origin at the center of an optic, regardless of symmetry. Where is the center of an optic?
- place the origin where a mechanism motion could change symmetry
- feature manager displays a chronological sequence of modeling operations
- design intent determines how the model behaves when it is changed
- choosing the best profile
- establish the product space or vehicle space within which everything is positioned
- think about stages of building the model:
create the basic shape of the bottle
create a raised outline for the label
add the neck
fillet the bottom
shell the bottle
model the threads
- to help determine where to start building, make a list of the information you have:
Design Requirements
Sizes
Materials
Manufacturing Processes
The Application in which is will be used
- to model parts: identify symmetry and edges, then functional faces (circles, planes, mates)
- insert gusset features in any multibody, not just weldments
- choose your references carefully
- choose your references sparingly
- set up section views to allow you quick access to look inside
Along the Way
- chop things off, instead of fixing the model
- create a solid model, a surface model, or a hybrid model.
- configure Tools>Options
- determine driving dimensions and dependent versus independent dimensions
- instances, once placed, don't get renumbered. Don't use the max to assume that's the total.
- plan out the task before you tackle a difficult part:
determine the origin
indentify the functional shapes on the part
assign features to make each shape
- need to transfer use of having multiple 2d and or single 3d sketches. Path segments must be either connected, or discconnected but parallel
- define parting line and set up draft angle reference surfaces
- to define standards, determine whether to use ANSI or ISO, English or metric, tolerance types, and default plane names.
- create coordinate systems if you need to determine properties such as moment of inertia about points other than the world origin
Techniques
- Rename dimensions to ease with equations
- Tools>Options - Show Errors Every Rebuild | When Rebuild Error Occurs
- question the basic capabilities of the software: feature-based, parametric, solid modeling, fully associative, constraints, design intent
- SAT is fine as a neutral format, but what about file references
- use configurations for application-specific requirements. You can suppress unnecessary details for FEA analysis.
- suppress complex areas of a part that you are not working on to speed up performance
- use simplified representations of an assembly for use in large assemblies. Need to make sure they are all named the same (e.g. "simplified")
- use SolidWorks material database to create new materials
- create sub-weldments to break down large weldments (you need to select bodies, not features). If you have non-structural member components (e.g. sheetmetal, castings, machined plates) create separate assemblies with the weldment feature being the first feature.
