Roll cage tubing

[WayneCJ7]

I am very new to solid works 2001+ and am trying to get a model of a custom rock crawling buggy (no suspension at this time) completed so that construction can begin (big first bite I know). I have modeled the frame and a simplified version of the engine, but I am having difficulty getting the cage put in. Is it better to 1) draw each individual tube as it own part and then try to mate them in the assembly OR 2) is it possible to draw the entire cage as one 3D sketch and define it as a tube via a sweep or loft type of command or maybe using the piping controls.

Thanks for any help that comes.

 

[SBaugh]

You can draw it is one part, if thats what you want or you can draw each piece and assemble it. You can't make the entire cage in one 3dsketch and sweep the whole thing one time You will have to use several to get what you want.

You have to decide if you want to be able to break each piece out in a drawing and be able to see how it is designed using an assembly. If you make a part then you won't get that ability to see each part in a drawing and you can't break out features to see how it was built either.

Depends on what you want.

Regards, Scott Baugh, CSWP
3DVision Technologies

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.3dmca.com

faq731-376
When in doubt, always check the help

 

[HTMENG]

I think I would recommend your second idea, with a little twist. Draw your cage as a sketch first, and then save that as a part and insert it into an assembly. Then you can make each bar of the roll cage a different part defined in the assembly(sweeps sound like the easiest way to make each tube). That way if you want to make dimensional changes to the cage down the road all you have to do is change your base sketch and it will update all of the parts in the assembly.
Good luck
George

 

[Butane]

there are many ways that you could do this but here is one.
solidworks 2001+ allows you to create one solid geometry and you can use the split part command, and what this will do is allow you to create individual parts, in a single part file, it will create a assy. for you.
when modifing the assy, you controll it through the part file.

 

[WayneCJ7]

Thanks for the info.

A guy at work that uses ProE was able to explain some general theory about parametric drawing to me.

I was able to create the cage part by part using sweeps and basic extrusions. Then I pieced them all together using the planes for mating objects over a construction line equivalent of the frame.

I have finished two versions of the rock crawler and will be presenting them to the customer today.