Offset Surface Sweep Path

One of our members asked if I could model a wire that wraps around an oval core. This is pretty simple but uses some tools most do not get the chance to use much. These tools could be used to produce transformers, coils, electro-magnets, potentiometers or any situation where a path must be offset from a surface.
Run Time: 12min

Features / Tools used:

• Offset Surface
• Surface Sweep
• Intersection Curve
• Solid Sweep
• Composite Curve
• Multi Bodies

“How do I improve my design skils with SolidWorks??”
I get this question several times a month and I always take the time to respond as fully as possible. So while this is not a specific tutorial, these are the six steps I think are the most important to becoming a good designer.

1) If at all possible, work in a machine shop on manual machines for 2-4 years. I think this is the most important thing you can do.

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2) Utilize all the reference material you can.

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3) Get SolidWorks Certified.

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4)Always take on jobs that will require you to figure out how to get a portion of it completed.

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5) Ask if you can watch other people while they are using SolidWorks.

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6) Be eager to help others learn SolidWorks skills.

Driven Features with Derived Sketch

Here are a few cool tools when using sketches most of us forget are available in SolidWorks. Check these out and keep them in your tool box for when the time is right.
Run Time: 13min

Features / Tools used:

• Derived Sketch on Part
• Copied Sketch vs Derived
• Derived Sketch in an Assembly
• Quick Plane Tool
• Silhouette Edge
• Sketch Color

Spline on Surface Curve Driven Pattern

One of our members asked if I could model a baseball and use a curve driven pattern to make the stitches along the seam. Well Josh, here you go. I thought this was a great idea and after two months of on-and-off again trial and error, I trimmed it down to the simplest steps I could. Have fun with this one.
Run Time: 19min

Features / Tools used:

• 3D Spline on Surface
• Project Curve
• Curve Driven Pattern
• Sweep
• Dome Tool
• Split Line of Sphere

Date 11-27-2011
Up until a week ago, I was using my MacPro, Quad core, 2.96GHz with the standard GeForce GT 120 video card and 8G ram. Running Windows 7×64 through boot camp. While this did get me by, it was less than ideal. So I decided to build a new machine that will ONLY be used for SolidWorks. I must give a happy nod to Mr. Charles Culp at the SolidWorks user forums. He posts from time to time different computer configurations that are best suited for different levels of SolidWorks use. Scroll up and down to see the different configs.

With additional research I found information that some of you may want to know.
First: Processor speed is king. The multi cores primarily are only used to SAVE, RENDER and run SIMULATION. For the majority of use, SolidWorks is basically utilizing one core. So for most people a Quad-Core chip will be all you need. Simulation has been the only thing that has pegged my work machine to 100% across all 8 cores. Rendering, almost as much.

Second: The biggest bottle neck is the main drive device. A spinning hard drive can not compete with a SSD (Solid State Drive). This really comes into play when opening or saving files.

Third: 8G of ram will be more than enough for the majority of SolidWorks users. At my day job I use a Dell T7400 with two Quad Zeon 3.2GHz processors, 16G ram and a Quadro 5700 card. I design complicated tooling with multiple linear patterns, join features, cavity features etc. The most ram I have used just running SolidWorks was 10.3G. That was a very big file with a lot of heavy features.

Fourth: A gaming video card works differently than a workstation SolidWorks approved card. Gaming cards are designed to regenerate faster with fewer graphic triangles as compared to an approved SolidWorks card. With SolidWorks, there many more triangles defining the geometry of the modeled part and the regeneration is much slower than required for a good gaming card. Therefore, the workstation card will provide better detail and rendering effects on your monitor. Where the gaming card will provide fast refresh rates for better on screen action.

Fifth: Hyper threading does not necessarily improve overall performance. If I understand it correctly, Hyper Threading will effectively split the processors in two to help multi threaded programs thus potentially reducing the total capacity of each core. This is not ideal for single threaded programs. To verify this, I ran the SolidWorks performance test found in Programs/SolidWorks xxxx/ SolidWorks Tools, the results are listed below. I also ran this TEST at Solidmuse.com many people use for comparison.

Here are test results:
S3DD Machine / Hyper Off- Hyper On > T7400 Hyper Off

SW Perf Test
Graphics/ 33.6 – 33.7 > 82.1
Processor/ 78.5 – 79.5 > 138.7
I/O / 46.4 – 49.6 > 124.7
Overall / 158.5- 162.8 > 345.5
Render / 36.2 -35.9 > 78.3

SolidMuse Test
42.7 -43.3 > No Data

As you can see with the standard tests hyper threading only won in the rendering sector. As compared to the T7400, I believe its slower numbers are due to a slower reading hard drive, slower bus speed and a slower clock speed processor. Keep in mind too, benchmarks should not be the only factor in determining the quality of the machine / setup. My new machine outruns the $10,000 work computer by aprox 2.1x. Saves are almost instant and rebuilds are incredibly fast. Most of the increased speed on saves has to be the SSD CPU combination and 6GB/sec SATA. Later on when the prices come down, I intend to upgrade the SSDs to SATA III to take additional advantage of the bus speed available.

S3DD Computer Parts:
Case: Corsair 500R
PSU: Corsair TX550M
Processor: Intel i7 2600K
M/Board: ASUS P8P67 Pro 3.1
Memory: Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 (4x4G)
C Drive: Intel 120G SSD
Drive for File Storage: Intel 80G SSD
Graphics: ATI FirePro V4800
CPU Cooler: Cool Master Hyper 212 EVO

If I were doing a lot of rendering, I believe the only upgrade for me would to a higher end Graphics card and slightly bump up the over-clocking of the system. When more Simulations are required, perhaps just bump up the over-clocking when needed.
The main reason for choosing the ASUS board was the easy BIOS interface they have. There is an EASY page that you drive with the mouse making it one click away to over-clock the System, change the boot drive and more. Then there is also the advanced setting mode where you can adjust the whole system. This is where I turned on and off Hyper Threading. ASUS provides a user interface window that has buttons for upgrade, Monitor (CPU Hz and Temps) and Auto-Tune. Auto Tune goes through a multi step process changing voltages and Hz to get the optimum out of the system. The fastest setting it produced was 5.12 GHz. As expected everything tested faster there but the voltages would spike too high. I returned to the easy Over-Clock button to run the system at 4.4GHz where the voltages are low and the CPU has yet to exceed 32deg Cel.
I also added two Samsung LED HD 22″ monitors (the eyes are still pretty good).

So there you have it. While I did go for components that where a little above the recommendations by Mr. Culp, for me the peace of mind and ease of use made the decision. Hopefully this system will suit me fine for the next hand full of years.

Until next time, Have a Great Day
Mark

Common Boss Design

While most of us understand what we want to model, it has been brought to my attention that many people are bit confused when talking about Design Intent. In a “Nut Shell” -> Where will the model be used, what features remain unchanged, what features change and how, what manufacturing method will be used and how do I want to see the model when it is opened up are just a few of the things we need to consider when starting a model.
If you are lucky potential future changes will be brought to your attention before you begin. This rarely happens and Engineering Changes can become a chore if the model design is not thought out from the beginning. We will look at just a few things to ask yourself or your boss.
Run Time: 41min

Topics covered:

• Using Center Lines
• Using Primary Planes
• Extruding from Surfaces
• Keeping Holes Centered on Flange
• Automatic Equal Divisions
• and more

Equations in Driving Sketch

If you have not explored this yet, we will cover a very power feature used by many designers / engineers to make future component changes quick and easy. This method is great for a family of parts and assemblies the will share common feature locations such as bolt holes, boss locations or main body dimensions. You will need to be careful that your Driving Sketch is unique to the specific application or family of parts.
As a note: While I used the sketches of the circles and polygon for the geometry, another approach is to also use the end points of the lines, centers of the circles or mid points as well. Any geometry on the driving sketch can be used as locators for new geometry shapes.
Run Time: 16min

Tools Used:

• Equation Driven Dimensions
• Driving Sketches

Vary Sketch Pattern Option

Patterns can save us a bunch of time designing our stuff. While Patterns can be processor power suckers, in many cases there just is not any easier way to get the job done. We will look at several of the methods to use Patterns and leave the obvious ones alone.
Run Time: 36min

Types covered:

• Bi-Directional Linear Pattern
• Vary Sketch Linear Pattern
• Curve Driven Pattern
• Sketch Pattern
• Table Driven Pattern
• Fill Pattern
• Feature Driven Pattern

Compact Fluorescent Bulb

I have received a great suggestion from a member to show how to model a CFL Bulb. While the bottom should pose no problem for most, the twisting path for the glass tube can and does present problems requiring specific methods and tools to overcome. We will use surfaces, intersection curves and splines on surface to create the path. These bulbs come in many different shapes, this just happened to be one I had on hand. This is also only one way to do it so be sure to look around the net. There may be a better way for you.
Run Time: 21min

Tools Used:

• Tapered Helix
• Sweep
• Surface Revolve
• Intersection Curve
• Spline on Surface
• 3D Sketching Splines
• and more

Complex Torsion Spring

I have received several requests to expand upon the earlier Spring Tutorial and show how I would Model a Complex Torsion Spring. Thanks to member burninh2o for providing a jpg as a good example. I do cover making the transition from a coil to a straight section in better detail, so if you checked out the first Spring Tutorial, there may some new stuff to pick up in this one.
Run Time: 15min

Tools Used:

• Helix Variable Pitch
• Sweep
• Composite Curve
• Mirror