Chain 1

[bvrml]

Hi,

Does someone know how to draw a chain? I already have one link. I can copy that one, but the constraints between the two links aren't copied.

Plz?

regards
bvrml

 

[jerry1423]

I think your best route to take would be to model the components of the link then use "assemblies" to create a complete chain.
It will be a bit of work, but I can't think of a way around it.

 

[bvrml]

Thank you for the reply jerry.

It will be indeed quite a work. luckely i only need one concentric constraint to connect two links.

 

[eex23]

will you try to animate your chain?

 

[bvrml]

You mean if i don't want to animate it, i can leave the constraints and just copy it with offset.

Yea, but it would be nice if i can insert my chain and just put it around the chainwheels. Thats why i need the constraints.

 

[eex23]

I think you need to constrain your chain in any case.
Some time ago I tried to design a chain and put it around the chain wheel, but with no success. Try to find some videos in youtube about modeling chains. as I remember there are few, but made with solid works or inventor.

 

[looslib]

There is a good chain tutorial for Pro/E, but I don't have access to PTC's website to get it right now.
If I did download a copy, not sure which of the 5 CDs of files it would be on. Maybe with my new 8GB USB memory device, I can consolidate and cleanup the CDs. In my spare time, of course!


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[bvrml]

Hi, thanks for the replies

I searched youtube about modeling chain. I saw a video where they draw the path the chain must follow, divide it into equal pieces and put a link at each point of the path (something like follow path or something).

But i never saw the doing constraints.
Is there something like autoconstraint in NX? If you putted the links right (by copying) it automaticly finds its constraints?

 

[bvrml]

I can copy the links, but they are not connected. But in Pro engineer, he copies the links following a pattern and it seems like it is constrainted. In NX it doesn't copy the constraints with it.

 

[hudson888]

You might be able to use some well crafted expressions and instance geometry almost as effectively as you might create an assembly. Either way setting the pitch of your links and calculating their number is probably going to be your greatest problem. It may after all turn out to be easier than mating/constraining each link individually.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

 

[potrero]

One possible approach you can take (if you want a large amount of control over the assembly and animation of the chain) is to build the chain up around a "skeleton" (design master, or control structure).

For example, create a part whose only purpose is to represent each of the links via a combination of sketch(es) and datums. Then, assemble the chain components to this part. One approach that has worked for us is to:

1. Create a sketch of the pitch line of your chain. This should be a tangent-continuous sketch composed of lines and arcs.

2. Join the sketch curves (Insert > Curve from Curves > Join) to create a new, single, continuous curve.

3. Create a new sketch representing every single link in the chain. (Tedious, but depending on what you want to achieve with this model, very useful). Mate the link ends to the Join Curve above. A simple angle expression can enable you to animate the chain links. Think about it...

4. Use a creative combination of datums, referencing your new "Chain Link" sketch, to give your eventual chain assembly robust mating datums.

5. Finally, make a new assembly, assemble this "design master" into it, and then assemble all your little links and pins to the "design master".

Hope this helps.