SolidWorks Optimizer

[mloew]

Is there an optimizer for SolidWorks? I'm not talking about within COSMOS, but in the core modeling module. I'm looking to optimize some of the geometry of a mechanism.

For those that are familiar with Pro/ENGINEER the equivalent is the Behavioral Modeling Extension (BMX).

Does anyone have any techniques for utilizing the lover in Excel with SolidWorks? That might be a good substitute for an integrated solution.

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,

Matthew Ian Loew

http://www.daxcon.com

 

[Eltron]

Have you checked the resources in the SW Utilities add-in?

Dan

http://www.eltronresearch.com

 

[smcadman]

Unfamiliar with ProE, but try Utilities > Simplify and see if that helps.

Flores

 

[josephv]

Hello Matthew,

As far as I know there is no SolidWorks equivalent of Behavioral Modeling Extension.

However, as the others pointed out there are a few tools like SolidWorks Utilities, Excel Design tables, equations and DriveWorksXpress that may be able to help you optimize your designs.

You mentioned that you want to optimize some geometry in a mechanism, could you provide us with more details?

 

[mloew]

Thank for the replies. While I can't describe the actual mechanism problem I can describe a similar problem that is easily solvable with BMX in Pro/E and I'd like to be able to solve similarly with SolidWorks.

I have two vertical posts of length A and B separated by a distance L between them. At the top of each post is a cable that run to the ground a distance along L of x. (Basically two right triangles with a the bases horizontal and collinear and sharing a single vertex.) I want to be able to vary the height of the posts to obtain a minimum cable length. Clearly this problem can be solved classically, but there are benefits to being able to solve problems like this automatically through an optimizer for when there are no (obvious) classically solutions. My mechanism problem is similar.

Best regards,

Matthew Ian Loew

http://www.daxcon.com

 

[josephv]

Hello Matthew,

You may want to try adding the dimensions you need to control to a design table, then use the Excel Solver to tool to find the "minimum cable length" or any other value you need to have optimized.

Here is a link on the Excel Solver tool:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HA011245951033.aspx

hope this helps,

 

[mloew]

That is more what I was thinking about. I'll try the linking of the design to a design table and into Excel. Are there any online tutorials for something like this?

Best regards,

Matthew Ian Loew

http://www.daxcon.com

 

[josephv]

From the main menu in SolidWorks ...

Help > SolidWorks Tutorials >

In the SolidWorks 2008 there is a Design Table tutorial under Productivity Enhancements Category. Other versions of SolidWorks have the Design Table tutorial right in the home page of the SolidWorks Tutorials (I believe).

Pls let us know how this works, sounds like an interesting project.

cheers,