Solidworks Midterm

What are common causes for getting unwanted Failures

1. To over constrain a sketch with too many dimensions or relations. 2.Missing relations in sketches or features, often happens after features have been reordered within the model tree, or if past geometry is deleted or moved. To fix this edit the sketch that has an error. Look for brown geometry by clicking on points and lines. If you see brown geometry remove the relations that show up brown in the list. 3.Missing sketch planes for previous sketches, happens when a sketch plane gets moved or deleted. To fix this re-assign the sketch to another new or existing plane with a right click of the feature in the Model Tree.

What are the 3 primary strategies when constructing parts in SolidWorks?

1.Build parts up using many simple features. 2.start with creating the larger form elements, working your way down to the smaller details. 3.Work in a cubist fashion. In many cases you wait to fillet or round over sharp edges until working at the end of the feature tree manager list.

in Assembly Mode what does "Floating" and "Fixing" components do?

? (right click, model tree). It locks or unlocks different parts within your assembly file.

What are two sketch elements necessary when building a Revolve Feature?

A closed profile and a construction line to revolve around

When working in sketch mode, what geometric circumstance is needed in order to build most features?

A closed shape

What is the difference between a Parent & Child features in SolidWorks?

A parent feature is built up in the model tree first, the child feature follows it in the tree. The child feature relies upon and cannot exist with or the parent feature. The bond between the family is the relations and dimensions shared by two different features.

Surface Boundary Tool: (surfaces)

A powerful surfacing command that patches together several 3-dimensional curves into one complex surface. The demo stool demo shows how it works.

Assembly Basics:

A. Orienting parts with the Move Tool (free drag", "to xyz position", and "by xyz delta"). B. Orienting parts with the Rotate Tool ("Free-drag" and "By xyz delta"). C. Floating and Fixing components within Assembly Mode (right click, model tree). D. Constraining and orienting objects within Assembly Mode by using the Mate Tool. E. Deleting mate constraints through the model tree. F. As demonstrated, nesting two complex parts together in Assembly Mode using the Flip-Flop Cut method.

What is Draft Angle when in the context of a molded plastic part?

All molded plastic parts have a slight taper to all vertical surfaces. Never will you have a true 90 wall with a molded part. This is due to the need to slip freely out of the mold when opening, 90 degree edges will stick in the mold.

What does Master Modeling refer to when working SW?

Allows you to develop more than 1 shape or "Body" at a time in Part Mode. It also lets you carve away reliefs from other bodies.

3D Sketches: (surfaces)

Are very good for generating guide curves for Lofts and sweeps.

Delete Face tool: (surfaces)

As seen in the teapot demo, this tool is a great time saver for cleaning up messy little unwanted things that might happen in Solid bodies.

What do black and blue lines indicate?

Black lines are constrained. blue lines are free to move.

Besides the Move tool what is another way we can move and orient parts within an assembly file?

Constraining and orienting objects within Assembly Mode by using the "Mate Tool".

The Patch-Work-Quilt Method: (surfaces)

Create a 3D patchwork quilt of surfaces to create a volume.

Surface Modeling

Deals with objects without inner volume. Like a balloon.

What are some ways we can more sustainably design when using plastic?

Design objects that can easily be disassembled at the landfills. Use as little screws and hardware as possible, if possible design snaps and connection right into the plastic parts without any additional hardware. With products manufactured by the millions even small design decisions we make can have huge impact on the natural environment. Use one type of screw head when screws are used make it easier at the landfills. The term is "Design for Disassembly". Only use screws to the length you need, don't use extra-long screws. Mining metals from the earth has huge negative environmental impact on our environment. Every ounce of metal we incorporate in to our products should be as efficiently as possible. Avoid using glue, it is very difficult to disassemble at the landfills. Especially gluing 2 un-similar materials together. Design Click Fits and snaps to be accessible from the outside of the products for ease of disassembly. Whatever manufacturing process you are using, as the designer you should become the expert on that material and the best way to use it with sustainable considerations behind your design decisions.

How do you move features back within the model tree?

Drag and drop. If you have parent child relationships between features it can create havoc when reordered through the model tree, be prepared to fix the errors if this happens. In some cases it is easier to delete the features that get errors and recreate them in the desired order within the Feature model tree.

What are Driven & Driving Dimensions?

Driving Dimensions (black): They are parametric and drive the movement and changes to the geometry. Driven Dimensions (blue): They are there just for visual display of a dimension

Feature based modeling

Each alteration to the object is recorded as a feature. each feature can be adjusted later throughout the process. it allows you to go back without having to recreate the entire model from scratch.

"Move tool"

How we can orient parts in assembly mode.

what is an Undercut?

In other words, hollow enclosed shapes with detail inside. If you think of a ship in a bottle molded in plastic, that you would have to have the bottle cut in half so the inner detailed areas of the bottle could be molded in 2 half's and then glued together to give the appearance that the hollow shape would have detail within it.

What does Right Click - Select Other do for you?

In sketch mode it allows you to select lines mistakenly layered on top of each other. Outside of sketch mode Right Click - Select Other allows you to select faces that are on the back side of objects. This saves you time, you don't have to keep rotating the part around in order to make simple selections.

When constructing Draft Features, what does the Neutral Plane refer to?

It is the first option needed within the feature building window, and it refers to the need for you to select a surface that is perpendicular to the way the draft angle splays outward from the object.

Move Body Tool

Lets you move and rotate body's around to different locations, suppress them to make them move back to the original spot.

Configurations Tab

Lets you store different moves or rotations of bodies that lets you quickly view differ configurations of your models.

"Cut"

Refers to removing material

Creating a Solid from Imported Surfaces from Rhino: (surfaces)

Rhino surfaces can be used imported and turned into a solid.

How do you build a new Feature back within the model tree?

Roll back the model to the desired position within the model tree and build the new feature, the new feature will stay located back in the tree after you roll it forward.

Solids modeling

Solid modeling objects have volumetric surfaces. if you cut it in half you can see the inner mass.

Parametric Modeling

Solidworks is based on math and if the math changes the values change. Basically there are steps it records so we can go back in time and change earlier values which causes the later steps to change as well.

The Widdeling Method: (surfaces)

Start with a solid and use surfaces to carve away at a body.

Convert Entities tool in Sketch Mode

The Convert Entities tool converts previous geometry edges as duplicate lines to the current sketch. The new lines are associated with the older edge. This sets up a Parent Child relationship. If the original edge moves the child (the new sketch) moves with it. It can act like glue between features. The relation shows up in the Command Manager as an "On Edge" relation, which can be deleted as with other relation. Sometimes we don't need associated lines just a duplicate geometry like in the keyboard example.

What tool is used to colorize Bodies in SW?

The Edit Appearance command.

With a Swept Feature what order should the sketches be build in the model tree?

The Path sketch should be first, and the profile sketch should be second.

Why use the Modify Sketch tool?

The modify sketch tool lets you more easily more the geometry if you encounter this problem. When you use it there can be no relations from previous geometry or sketches, delete them if you have to

With a Shell Feature command what is needed first when opening that command window?

The selection "Open Ends", openings in the shell enclosure.

Spline on Surface drawing tool: (surfaces)

This awesome tool lets you draw spline curves directly on surfaces and solids. It's handy for cutting hole in surfaces.

Projected Curves: (surfaces)

This tool will take one 3-dimensional line from a top view, and a second complex line form a side view and blend the geometry together into a third hybrid line. The bike saddle demo shows a good example of how this works.

What are the 3 different areas of the solid works interface once you start a part file?

Top menu display choices, the command manger, and the model tree.

What are "2 Directional Linear Patterns"?

When building 2 Directional Pattern Features it is a way of creating a matrix of duplicate shapes running off in 2 directions. The second direction choice is located within the Pattern Feature dialog window, a second straight edge or straight line will need to be selected.

Nominal wall thickness

When designing plastic objects to be molded you need to have a Nominal Wall Thickness in order for parts to not distort as they come out of the mold. Nominal means constant wall thickness throughout the part.

Can you have angled planes when lofting something?

Yes

When creating "Linear Pattern Features", and working within the first field within the dialog window: what do you need to select in order to create duplicates that run off into one direction?

You need to select a pre-existing edge running in the desired direction for the duplicates to lineup, or select a pre-existing sketch of a straight line drawn in the desired direction. If you move the line it will also reshape the direction of the pattern.

2 ways to turn lines from blue to black?

add relations or dimensions

Last step when creating most features.

adding depth with a feature tool.

Sketch planes

allow you to build on more than just the top right left axis

Loft feature

allows you to create shapes between different drawings in separate planes.

Part mode

builds an object made up of features

How to edit a past sketch

click edit sketch in layer of model tree

What are dashed lines?

construction lines.

2 optional stems when creating a feature.

dimensions and setting up relations.

"Up to Surface"

it lets you build geometry referencing entities outside the geometry you have previously built.

Drawing mode

lets you create dimensioned drawings of a part for fabrication or documentation.

"Tools-options"

lets you set up different measurements and change other defaults.

assembly mode

lets you simulate putting the parts together

how to edit past feature

press edit feature icon in layer of model tree

"Boss"

refers to adding material

First two steps when creating a feature?

select plane to sketch on, sketch on profile of that plane.

What command will allow a strategy for you to build features up to an object from sketch planes located away from the object?

the up to surface or up to bodies commands. This strategy is needed to achieve certain geometric circumstances. Up to Surface command not only works with flat plane surfaces but also with complex wavy surfaces with relief. Up to Bodies lets us hit several surfaces.

"Pierce relation"

this will ensure Guide Curve points are accurately placed with points on the section view sketches. can be used for sweeps or lofts.

Master Modeling

using parent child relations to create new forms.

"tools-customize"

what you see in your bars. lets you set up custom tools in the manager or the floating tool bars.

Scale Feature tool

you can use it to also scale in just one axis, effectively letting you take a shape that is built up with many features, and pinch that shape squishing them all as one object. The Scale feature tool lets you squish forms.

Why use Relations in sketch mode?

you use them to position and constrain geometry in controlled ways. they also ensure accuracy and they build intelligence between certain geometric circumstances of sketches.They are commonly used alone or with dimensions in order to control the shape and position of sketched geometry. Relations are parametric and can be deleted