Solidworks Plane Names in Drawing
Utilizing SOLIDWORKS Reference Geometry for Complex Designs
For basic SOLIDWORKS models, users can oft complete designs by leveraging only the default planes and available model geometry. Withal, as the complexity of designs increases, it often becomes necessary to create and utilize reference geometry to produce models with advisable blueprint intent. Reference geometry includes planes, axes, coordinate systems, reference points, the center of mass, and mate preferences. In this article, we'll cover the basics of creating planes, axes, and coordinate systems to aid yous throughout your design process.
Fly Reel Pattern
In this example, a fly reel is existence designed, and then far everything has been smooth sailing.
At this point, we desire to create a rectangular cut on one of the larger cylindrical surfaces of the wing reel, but there is no flat surface to create a sketch. While offset options in the Extruded Cut command could be used to accomplish this, creating a plane tangent to the surface will be more robust, and will result in better design intent should the design be resized in the time to come.
Features Tab
All types of reference geometry are considered features and tin can be constitute in the Features tab. To brainstorm creating a plane, access the Features tab of the CommandManager, select Reference Geometry, and and then click Airplane.
New Planes
New planes are nigh always divers by existing geometry, and at that place are several combinations of entities that can be used. Up to three references can be used to ascertain the plane, with simple planes oft requiring only one. Some common combinations include a single confront, one edge, and i indicate/vertex, or three points/vertices. An example of a aeroplane defined by three vertices is shown below:
FeatureManager Design Tree
In our case, a aeroplane is needed that is both tangents to the larger cylindrical confront and parallel to the Right Plane. This requires the pick of two references. It should be noted that the social club of reference selection is not important. Select one of the larger cylindrical faces, then select the right plane from the FeatureManager Design Tree. You may need to use the flyout FeatureManager to make plane selections if they are not visible in the graphics area. The preview of the plane should look as seen below:
PropertyManager
Notice in the PropertyManager that several options still exist to reorient the plane, even though the aeroplane is fully defined. In some cases, planes may fail due to these options beingness set incorrectly, so we recommend trying a few of them before changing your reference selections.
In this case, set 2nd Reference orientation to parallel. This will change the orientation with respect to the Right Plane. If needed, the Flip Offset option in the Starting time Reference box could exist enabled to create the plane on the opposite side of the cylinder.
Once consummate, the newly created plane should appear as seen below, and a new feature should be added to the Design Tree.
Newly Created Aeroplane
At this signal, we are ready to add a sketch on the newly created airplane. A simple rectangular sketch was created through the utilize of a corner rectangle, attached to the edges of the cylinder with a height of 0.1 inches. All the same, ensuring that it is properly centered on the reel is not particularly easy. This could be done with a combination of the midpoint and/or coincident relations, but depending on geometry, these may not be readily bachelor.
Reference Axis
An alternative is to use a reference centrality. Axes are commonly used for revolved features and circular patterns, specially when no convenient sketch entity or model edge exists for those features. In this case, we will use an axis to assist us in centering the sketch.
Fortunately, axes are significantly easier to fully ascertain than planes, and the associated PropertyManager is fairly self-explanatory and is shown below.
It's important to remember that in guild to be used as a reference in sketches or features, axes (or any reference geometry, for that thing) must exist prior to creating the sketch or feature that references them. In this case, we've already completed most of the sketch, so to use an centrality for centering, we would need to exit the sketch and use the rollback bar to create the axis higher in the Design Tree.
However, there is one more play a joke on that can exist used, specifically when working with cylindrical or conical geometry. Every cylindrical or conical feature is automatically created with what is known as a temporary axis, which follows a straight path through the center of the feature. To leverage these automatic axes, they must be made visible from the Hide/Testify Items menu in the Heads-up View Toolbar:
Once the temporary axes were revealed, the center centrality was used in conjunction with 1 of the midpoints of either vertical sketch segment to create a coincident relation, centering the rectangle with respect to the connecting shaft. Finally, an Extruded Cut was created to produce the characteristic seen beneath:
At this bespeak, allow's suppose we demand to determine the coordinates of the heart of mass of the part. Luckily, SOLIDWORKS readily provides this information automatically in the Mass Properties dialog. Click on Mass Properties in the Evaluate tab of the CommandManager to see these results. Additionally, reference geometry for the center of mass location can be created from within this dialog, or from the Reference Geometry dropdown in the CommandManager.
While this information is helpful, it's possible that you may run into a state of affairs where the center of mass is needed with respect to some other location (mayhap relative to mounting hardware) for downstream applications such every bit stress simulation. When this is the instance, coordinate systems can be created and used to show this data. Coordinate systems can also exist exceptionally useful for use with the Measure tool when exporting SOLIDWORKS parts to another format, or in facilitating associates mates.
To evidence the middle of mass relative to the mounting location of the fly reel, we've sketched a structure line on the big circular face from the center to the left quadrant in order to attach the coordinate system. From hither, create a coordinate system past accessing Reference Geometry on the Features tab of the CommandManager and select Coordinate Organization. The first pick sets the origin, and as such should be the construction line endpoint at the centre of the reel. The remaining selections set the orientation of the axes and can employ linear or planar selections. It is non necessary to fix every management to fully define a coordinate system, and the reverse button may be used to flip the direction of an centrality.
The resulting model and coordinate organisation can exist seen below:
Finally, this coordinate system tin be used to represent the center of mass coordinates relative to this location. Access Mass Properties in one case again, and this time, use the Study coordinate values relative to the dropdown window to select the new coordinate system. The center of mass coordinates will update to the advisable values, equally shown below (specifically in the Z direction). Your results may differ depending on the orientation of your coordinate organization.
In this article, we covered the nuts of using reference geometry in the context of designing a wing reel. Reference planes were added to facilitate an extruded cut on a non-planar face, and a temporary centrality was used to align the rectangular sketch properly. Finally, a new coordinate arrangement was created to determine the coordinates of the center of mass from a relative location.
Do you have any additional tips or tricks for using reference geometry more effectively? Permit us know in the comments!
If you're interested in getting more easily-on with SOLIDWORKS, annals for Hawk Ridge Systems annual Design to Manufacturing Roadshow in a city near you! It will focus on What's New in SOLIDWORKS 2019.
Source: https://blogs.solidworks.com/tech/2018/11/solidworks-basics-of-reference-geometry.html
0 Response to "Solidworks Plane Names in Drawing"
Enregistrer un commentaire