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Need help with 3-D Drawing basics

loretoki

New member
<DIV>
Hi y'all,
I am evaluating SolidWorks as a 3D input generator to a Finite Element program (COMSOL) I have been able to do quite a bit by going through the tutorials but
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I have not suceded withdoing the followingin SolidWorks:<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:eek:ffice:eek:ffice" /></DIV>
<DIV>
(1) reset the coordinates of the origin oncean assembly has been loaded.</DIV>
<DIV>
(2) turn empty volumes inside the assemblyinto parts (air parts.)</DIV>
<DIV>
(3) surround the importedassembly with a sphere and define the part resulting from the subtraction the original assembly from the sphere.</DIV>
<DIV>
(4) cut the resulting assemblyalong one or moreplanes of symmetry.</DIV>
<DIV>
(5) assign variables to part dimensions after they have been imported.
I did manage to build the sphereof #3 but not the subtraction.
Your help with any of the above will be much appreciated!
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Take care,</DIV>
 
I am surprised by the overall luck of response in this forum. The ratio of VIEWing to RESPONDing actions is indicative of something.


I did get a call from a "mystery" Mr. SolidWorks Headquarters who left a message on my answering machine expressing his desire to put me in contact with the appropriate people to help me. Unfortunately, the "direct" phone number (1-978-318-5522) hegave does ring but has never been answered. Hopefully he was promoted.


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Hi loretoki,


In the head of your subject your talking about 3D basics. So everybody is looking what the question is. Then whenwe read your questionsit looks very difficult. So yes you get a view ratio andno you don't get an answer.


In your topic your talking about COMSOL. Is this something like COSMOSworks?


Maybe you can ask your questions in the cosmos topics and have more luck or asked them at your supplier which you get your evaluation from. I think that they should help you because the want to sell it to you.


With regards
 
Hi Joop,<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:eek:ffice:eek:ffice" />


Thanks for your reply. To me, the things I was asking forseemed very basic. I did attend an intro/demo class and I was quite impressed by SolidWorks capabilities.I obviously concluded prematurely that the things I stumbled with, once I got the evaluation copy and I was on my own, were trivial.


I did contact my local supplier prior to looking for a user's forum. I will let youdecide how helpfultheir responsewas, by pasting, below,their whole answer, except for the greeting and end-salutation.


"All of the items that you need to do are very possible and feasible with SolidWorks. These areas would easily be accomplished if you were to attend an Essentials class on the software. As an alternative, I can get one of my application engineers to assist you, but it would need to be on a coaching/consulting basis. A half day of our AEs time is $600. We can do this, or we can discuss getting your software in place and then having you take a day of one on one training instead of the Essentials class to cover areas that would be critical to what you are working on right now.
How do we best assist you such that you can get the software in place and start doing your research?"


Yes, the COMSOL/SolidWorks connectivity is a move in the direction of COSMOSworks. COMSOL-Multiphysics is a more general FE package that I use. For CAD my group uses ProEngineer.


I wantedtostudy the benefits of ProEngineer --> (SolidWorks <--> COMSOL) environment.


Thanks again and take care.
 
First of all, it costs money to evaluate software, especially for very specific tasks. Either you'll be charged for an evaluation fee, consulting fee, or for classes-and you'll need 3-4 classes to understand how to do in SW what you wish to do. From the nature of the wording of your question, you seem to have some ProE background. SW and ProE are different softwares and they call similar comands by different names. For #1-SW is not as dependent on coordinate systems as ProE. You can look up Coordinate System in the help file if you feel you need to add a coordinate system. The way you set up the assembly with respect to the assembly's coordinate system is all that you should need to be concerned about. For question 2, look up molds and/or surfaces (try using offset surface by 0). For question 3, look up multibody parts (make sure merge results is unclicked when making the sphere), and then look up combine bodies-this command combinesOR subtracts, even though it is one command. Question #4 should be easy to figure out-pick (or make and pick) any plane and click the sectino view icon. #5-no 3D modeling package does this automatically, although all packages are getting better at it. You are importing from another CAD package "dumb geometry". SW has an add-in called feature works, that will help you in this respect. You seem to be upset at everyone for not answering, but yourquestions are not simple, either in ProE orSW, and there any many ways to do the same thing. Take your time evaluating. Remeberthat both ProE and SW are, first of all, 3D modeling packages. Learn the modelingbasics first, either though books that you can purchase, lessons over the internet that can be purchased,and then move on to assemblies and analysis, even if you are familiar with another product.
 

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