cables in solidworks

[coolice2]

Hi !

I would like to ask your help in a problem, I can not solve. I had built together a machine, just to test SolidWorks possibilities weather I can recommend it or not, and I went fine with everything except, that I couldnt find out :

- How can I draw a cable (not electrical one, but a one which used on a fitness machine, steel cable covered with plastic.

Many many thanks for your help in advance,

Moore

 

[Standing]

Use sweep, the following from S/W help.
Sweep Overview
Sweep creates a base, boss, cut, or surface by moving a profile (section) along a path, according to these rules:
The profile must be closed for a base or boss sweep feature; the profile may be open or closed for a surface sweep feature.
The path may be open or closed.
The path may be a set of sketched curves contained in one sketch, a curve, or a set of model edges.
The start point of the path must lie on the plane of the profile.
Neither the section, the path, nor the resulting solid can be self-intersecting.

Bradley

 

[JNR]

Are you trying to build the actual twisted wire core? Please tell me you are not. That's like to modelling helical threads on standard fastener hardware.

John Richards Sr. Mech. Engr.
Rockwell Collins Flight Dynamics

There's no place like 127.0.0.1

 

[coolice2]

Hi !

Bradley : thanks a lot !!

Hohn : Yeah. If all the other part creation seamlessly down, what should i do ?

Moore

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Just model the outer plastic cover ... that,s really all that's needed. Modeling the twisted wire core would make the overall file size unecessarily large, take a long time to model, and give little, if any, tangible benefit.

from (the City of) Barrie, Ontario.

If you choke a smurf, what color does it turn?

 

[CADGemini]

If you really wanted to make the wire look like braided steel cable you could create the outer plastic cover like CBL had suggested and then apply a custom material texture to the part to get the braided cable look. Look in the solidworks help for applying custom material textures.

Anyways. just a thought. hope i could be of some help.

 

[coolice2]

You know, the only trouble, that this is a fitness machine. It means it has at least 7 rollers driving the cable, all in different angles.

how easy to draw with SolidWorks thats stupidly hard to position a peace of tube position with all rolles to look like proper cable...

Many thanks for all the comments !!

 

[ShaggyPE]

That problem is quite easy in solidworks. Especially if the rollers are all coplanar. You will have to create the cable "in-context" of your assembly. Use the rollers to offset half the cable diameter for your sketch path. Follow the other posts instructions on how to use the sweep command.

Use the help to search for 3D Sketch. This will allow you to create a sweep path in 3D space.