overlay SW part on dwg machine drawing

[moyesboy]

I have dwg data of my customers machine and I want to show how my 3D solidworks parts would fit onto it.

I've tried a couple of approaches.

Import the dwg as sketches into the assembly file, place them on appropriate workplanes. make them visible on my drawing.

As long as the resulting complex slketches are left alone and I don't try to edit them (bacuse they are too complex for that) this is sort of OK. I can position my 3D parts with mates to the sketch lines.
Controlling the lineweight/linstyle of the dwg data is then a load of work. Am I missing something?

I can also import the dwg data direct to the drawing, which has advantage as I can then manipulate the lines more easily and put them on levels to control the style and colour. However then when I add a view of my 3D parts and place them on top there seems no easy way to control their position relative to the imported dwg "background".
I must be missing something?

I'm guessing there is some better way to do this, it must be a common job!

 

[MadMango]

If I'm ready your problem properly, this is purely for a marketing type of document and won't be a released manufacturing drawing. I think this is something better left to more appropriate software, such as PhotoShop (or GIMP).

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[pietje]

My approach would be to make a drawing with the needed views, save it as a DWG and import/integrate the views into the DWG of your customer. The result will be easier to acquire in my opinion. Probably there are some tricks to have better control of your SW drawing, but I think autocad/dwgviewer is still better equipped for this purpose (keep in mind, I hate working with autocad ).

 

[MikeHalloran]

SW's 2D to 3D tools may be of help here.

Basically, you use the 2D data to build a (simplified if you like) SW model of your customer's part/ machine/ whatever.

Run through a simple part or two first.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[moyesboy]

Ok I worked this out.
I create my SW 3D assembly and a drawing with authographic views.

Then my DWG data I create separate DWG files for each of the corresponding views.
I also made those views into single blocks, but that stage can be also done in SW I think.

Then I import each dwg in turn. But to get them to follow the views about I seem to have to cut the gematery out of the strange extra dwg inport view thats created, then paste it back with the corresponding model view selected. Then I get my dwg geometry as a sketch that moves about with the view when I move it - maybe theres an easier way to do that.

Next, as that dwg geom is a single block, I can add dims between lines in it and my SW view. The dwg block moves to be positioned correctly relative to my 3D geomtery.

I can add extra sketch geometry or edit the dwg block as I wish.

It works. But its a little slow, (i5750 8GbRAM XP64, 2010 SP4). Also I had to do some manipulation of layers and colours in draftsight before I got the appearance I wanted.

 

[MikeHalloran]

You're working too hard.
The 2D to 3D tools allow you to import a multiview DWG, fold it in SW, and end up in SW 'model space', if you will, with sketches aligned in 3D so you can build solids by extruding pieces of the sketches, using points in orthogonal sketches as start and end planes.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[mjcole]

DWG Editor in 2009 0r 2010 release had capabillity to use Solidworks parts in the DWG Editor mode.

This was included in the 2009 Release Demos.

Been a while since I used that capability.

Michael

 

[moyesboy]

Yes thanks Mike. I'm aware of that.
When you have the 2D complex sketches in the SW 3D assembly (or part) then they become rather difficult to manipulate. The sketches are too complex. Fine if you have to use them to create some 3D but in this case its not necessary. In this case keeping the dwg in the SW drawing is actually less work.

As I want to throw my 3D parts on top of the 2D drawing that the customer is familiar with, it seems to work best for me to have the 2D geometry in the 2D SW drawing and this technique might be of use to others.