Bending a previously drawn part??????? 1

[ongybill]

Yesterday I was attempting to bend an existing part. The arm on one of the roller limit switches we use had to be bent. It was bent down 90 degrees, the bent back up 90, into a Z shape to avoid an obstacle.

The only tool in SW I could find to try to do this was the flex command, but instead of bending it like a sheet metal brake would, it curved it like a conduit bender would.

Obviously I could redraw it bent with the sheetmetal tools, but that'd have taken a lot of time. Finally I just exported it to Vellum, bent it and reimported it. It's a dumb solid now, but it only took about 3 minutes, and I have deadlines.

Is there a way to bend existing parts so they reflect a part that's put in a brake and bent??? Am I just missing something simple with the flex command??

I'll admit I only spent about 45 minutes looking for a tool, and then trying to make it work, so it's quite possible I just missed it. This'd be useful fairly often.

(By chance, You can download the model at 3Dcontentcentral.com if you go to the user section and what's new in the last 30 days, or go under electrical switches. I was notified today that the model had just been posted there.)

 

[MadMango]

If it was a native SW file, you could have gone into the feature and edited the sketch.

[green]"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."[/green]
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[Scorch]

You do have a jog bend tool that will give you the bend you are looking for the tool button is most likely not on your toolbar which you can add. Or you can get to it by Insert-Sheetmetal-Jog.

Hope this helps.

Scorch

Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats.
--Howard Aiken, IBM engineer

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Obviously I could redraw it bent with the sheetmetal tools, but that'd have taken a lot of time.

If the arm was a seperate part (from the body, roller, etc) you may have been able to convert it to a Sheet Metal part & then added a Jog ... it should not have taken too long.
Even if the arm had to be drawn from scratch it should not have taken too long ... admittedly, probably more than "about 3 minutes"

Is there a way to bend existing parts so they reflect a part that's put in a brake and bent???

Only if it's a Sheet Metal part.

and I have deadlines.

You are not alone ... we all do!

Am I just missing something simple with the flex command??

No I don't think so ... that's not what Flex was intended for. Unfortunately I don't have access to SW2005 to check out the Flex capability.

Just out of curiosity, is Vellum considered a High-end or Mid-range program? How much does it cost?


Making the best use of this Forum. faq559-716
How to get answers to your SW questions. faq559-1091
Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of. faq559-520

 

[ongybill]

Thanks.

It is a native SW part, just wasn't sure how to edit the part.

The jog feature works.

I had to delete my initial extrude, and redo it as a sheet metal part, but then was able to get it to work. Not too bad since I could use the same sketch to make the Sheet Metal part.

Guess I just missed it.

Thanks again.

 

[ongybill]

As for Vellum, it's a high end program.

I was using Vellum Solids 2000, which came out in 1999, so I'm 6 years out of date. Their new software is much more powerful, but I've never used it.

It costs from $1-4000 (they have 4 levels). Cobalt would be the one that'd compare best to SW.

http://www.ashlar.com

Vellum's extremely stable. I've switched from a mac to a pc and still can open mac drawings that haven't been changed since 1988 w/o any problems except having to change the text font. I can easily convert solid models to 3D wireframes and vice-versa. Or convert my drawings to older versions for other users.

In many ways, such as 3D sketching, SW is 15 years behind Vellum. Even on many solids things, such as drawing everything from a 2D sketch, instead of true solid design, it's a serious step back from Vellum 2000.

Vellum has a design tree that works as well as SW's, but I seldom used it because there are several other ways to do things. Now I do almost everything using the LIST, which takes up 1/4 of the screen, so I zoom in and out much more to see details.

Sorry, I'm rambling. It's just I loved 3D solid design. SW is fine for drawing already designed things, but tedious & slow for designing. Hopefully I'll learn SW well enough to come to enjoy drawing again.

Anyway, I'm rambling, I'm too far out of date to really compare the two packages. Obvously, I prefer Vellum 2000 to SW 2005.

 

[SBaugh]

ognybill,

I don't mean to be harsh here, but if you want to complain about SW versus Vellum then go to comp.cad.solidworks and complain, because that's where everyone one complains at. Don't bring your complaints here because we all enjoy the software and find it to be best thing since sliced bread... I think I speak for about 95% of users here if not more.

If you going to learn SW at all, your going to have to forget about Vellum all together or you will not ever understand SW nor comprehend it. If you have a complaint take it to your VAR as well. If you think SW can improve on something the make an Enhancement Request. We don't want want to know how Vellum handles it. But we will tell you SW handles it.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
3DVision Technologies

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376
faq559-716 - SW Fora Users

 

[ongybill]

Wow!

Don't get why comparing 2 similar products gets such harsh reactions. Never gotten anything similar when I've compared good and bad points of a dewalt vs. powermatic table saw; Dewalt vs. Makita, Word Perfect vs. another word processor, ect., but just the suggestion that another software package has some advantages over SW seems to put people seriously on edge. You think I'd insulted someones baseball team, which'd be REALLY REALLY SERIOUS.<G>

Just don't understand the sensitivity over some software that'll likely be archaic, obsolete, and forgotten in a few years.

Anyway I thank everyone for the help, the jog command works well.

Guess, I'll go back to shutting up and lurking.

 

[Standing]

I 2nd that Scott

Bradley

 

[bearly]

Next time you might try the Insert Bends command. If I understand your question correctly, this feature will take a previously non-sheet metal body and add bends to it assuming it's a seperate part.

 

[ongybill]

bearly,

Thanks for the tip. After messing with it some, and looking at the help file. Insert bends does not add bends, but will convert a part you've drawn as a non-sheet metal part that has bends into a sheet metal part.

This lets you mess with the bend radius, K factor, & such.

If you try converting a flat plate it won't do it. Add a bend to the plate, it converts it to sheet metal.

 

[SBaugh]

Sorry ongybill! I don't want you to just lurk. It's great to see you active in the group, but I feel the way you compare is more like complaining about SW.

Examples:

It costs from $1-4000 (they have 4 levels). Cobalt would be the one that'd compare best to SW. www.ashlar.com

This looks more like an Advertisment to me.

Vellum's extremely stable. I've switched from a mac to a pc and still can open mac drawings that haven't been changed since 1988 w/o any problems except having to change the text font. I can easily convert solid models to 3D wireframes and vice-versa. Or convert my drawings to older versions for other users.

Are you implying SW isn't stable? That's what I get from that. Sounds more like a complaint to me, versus a compare.

In many ways, such as 3D sketching, SW is 15 years behind Vellum. Even on many solids things, such as drawing everything from a 2D sketch, instead of true solid design, it's a serious step back from Vellum 2000.

Maybe the 3D sketcher isn't as good as Vellum... I can't tell you because I have never used it. But since I have not used it and if I tried I would complain that SW does this better... etc... and the reason why i would say that is because I don't understand the software. Maybe it is better, but then again it's hard to tell if you don't know both of them. I have to take your word on it. But just maybe your not aware of or using it correctly. A new version is coming out soon with 3Dsketch improved. Maybe then SW will catch up to those 15 years... after all SW has only been out for about 10 years and 3D sketcher is only about 5-8 years old if that and the updates have been minimal. I seen some things with 3D sketch at SWWC that would blow your socks off... it did me and SW06 is suppose to make it better.

Vellum has a design tree that works as well as SW's, but I seldom used it because there are several other ways to do things. Now I do almost everything using the LIST, which takes up 1/4 of the screen, so I zoom in and out much more to see details.

If it takes up a 1/4 of your screen then you are using a very small resolution. Try increasing your Resolution to 1280x1024 or 1600x1200 Then you have plenty of real state and the Feature Manager doesn't take up hardly any space. On top of that you can adjust the size.

Sorry, I'm rambling. It's just I loved 3D solid design. SW is fine for drawing already designed things, but tedious & slow for designing. Hopefully I'll learn SW well enough to come to enjoy drawing again.

SW is great for designing things when you have the know how to do it. Don't complain about the software if you don't know how to use it. This statement above is a complaint plain an simple IMHO... because if SW was that bad of software then I don't think they would be where they are at today. Most people complain about the SW sucks for drawings and stuff that...?

I'm not trying to start a flame here ognybill, just don't bash something you don't fully understand yet, because I'm will to bet it's just something that the OE is doing wrong

Best Regards ognybill!


Scott Baugh, CSWP
3DVision Technologies

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376
faq559-716 - SW Fora Users

 

[ongybill]

Well, I won't deny I was griping about SW. One reason I use internet forums is to let a bit of steam off. And SW has a tendancy to get me steaming. I'd just added a few parts to a large assembly (900+ parts) for a parts drawing. When I unhid everything many of the parts had moved around, and I wasted 4 hours putting things back together. I was able to greatly improve the assy as I did so by adding more sub-assys; a tip I got here.

Still not sure if the mistake was me accidentally suppressing something while I added new parts, or the assy not being put together well by the engineer who initially drew it. I have started keeping 5 backup copies of every file, so hopefully I can just revert next time.

Wasn't really gonna talk about Vellum, but thought I'd answer the ? of what it cost, what type of software it was, and the implyed question of how it compares.

I explained the backwards compatability because I've seen so many comments complaining about SW's lack of this.

I will try messing with my screen resolution. As I said I appreciate the help.

I'm sure much of my frustration is simply the sink or swim method I've been forced to take with SW.

Could be worse, they could have made me sink or swim with Auto-CAD.

 

[rgrayclamps]

Hi, Ongybill:

Without seeing your assembly model, I am willing to bet that you did not use SW properly. If I were you, I would consult your VAR or any experts around you.

Alex

 

[MadMango]

I think most of us have transitioned from one CAD system to another, so you are not alone in experiencing the sink or swim syndrome.

ongybill if you haven't already, take a browse through this forums FAQ section. There are a lot of great tips there and a bunch of "must have" links to add to your bookmarks.

[green]"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."[/green]
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[Theophilus]

After about two weeks of grinding, I imagine you'll get past the toughest learning-curve hump--first two weeks is the worst of it.

By the way, the FAQs pointed to above will include some good practices within assemblies. Break things into their logical sub-assemblies and use the sub-assemblies in the context of the large assembly. This will save hours of angst and will boost performance while working in SW. Lots of best-practice sorts of things will come in reading posts and experience with the logic of SW.

Keep trudging--it will certainly pay off. I'm an industrial designer and often hear how "hard" it is to create cool forms in SW. It's "hard" to create cool forms in any program (accurately), but it can certainly be done with some practice and perseverence in SolidWorks. I'm self-taught and design exclusively in SolidWorks.


Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reality is no respecter of good intentions.

 

[ongybill]

Appreciate everyones encouragement.

I have gone through the FAQ's and learned a good deal.

Everyday I spend some time on self-training, here or elsewhere, and everyday I get a bit better with SW.

Anyway, enough of this thread.

Everyone take care.

Bill