Solid Features in Sheetmetal (Wildfire)

[Lazar]

Finally got onto Wildfire, and I must say, thus far, I likes what I sees. But I do need to ask a quick quesiton to the sheetmetal users out there.



When designing parts in sheetmetal, the majority of my features were sheetmetal features (walls, forms, etc.) but when I need to create weld tabs, I found it a lot easier to create regular solid protrusion features instead. They were easily identifiable, easier to pattern and control.



Now in Wildfire, it seems that when you design in sheetmetal, you are restricted to solid sheetmetal features only, and only have the ability to create regular solid cuts.



I know that if I play with the sheetmetal features, I can create my weld tabs as needed, but I am curious as to what methods others are following when designing weld tabs in sheetmetal parts.

 

[swcalvert]

I know that I've tried to add some solid features to a piece of sheetmetal before and was succesful. I know that PTC has said that you shouldn't do it. Just go to Insert and you should see all the solid features that are available in modeling.



Steve C

 

[Lazar]

Out of curiousity, what build of Wildfire are you using?



Regardless of which method I select to create a solid feature (Insert menu or Menu manager), it always results in a solid cut, and Wildfire will not allow me to toggle to a solid protrusion.



L

 

[swcalvert]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that. I did do a solid cut along with a sheetmetal feature (form) and it wouldn't update when I re-opened the file. I'm using 2003170.



I'm actually in a 'Prod Drawings in Wildfire class' as we speak, so I can't ask the instructor that question because he has already told me that his knowledge of the sheetmetal package is limited. I am in the sheetmetal class in the upcoming weeks, so I'll be asking that same question then. I wonder if WF 2.0 has more capibilities and can use ALL features in sheetmetal.



Steve C

 

[Lazar]

Hey, no worries about the solid cut.



Actually, the work around the I have come up with is to create a flat, unattached wall referencing the base wall and sized to the tab spec. Pattern it to as many instances as required and then Merge the leader and ref pattern the merge.



I guess alternatively, I could create the unattached wall, THEN merge it, group them and pattern the group. But this seems 6 of one and half a dozen of the other to me.



As far as WF 2.0, all I have heard is that the menu manager is finally gone from the sheetmetal picks.



But when you do take that class, if you could let me know what the instructor said, that would be great.



Thanks



L

 

[red_devil]

The menu manager has nearly gone from sheetmetal. The only commands that I have seen that do not use the menu manager is when you create an attached flat walls. All other features use the old menu manager. I suppose PTC are getting there slowly. I used the Preprod WF2, so the released version may be different.



Jeff

 

[supernova]

Just in case someone else might spend time on doing this - Ihave also tried to extrude a solid (in this case text) onto a sheetmetal surface using Wildfire 1, (having gone upfrom 2001); to be able to have coloured text visible on the model and associate itin detailer, (so do not use cosmetic or datum), andwas able to get advice from members of another forum. Modelling solution ideas were to use surfaces, or coloured sketched datums, or make an assembly of text and the part, or to leave a blank sheet available in detailing for anothergraphic program to complete the artwork. The 'make assembly' of a sheet metal part and text was chosen for now, as the text can still be solid,as I wastrying to get the text to show up as a close hatched cross section in Pro-detail for the panel artwork - (looks like solid black text). Then I could have coloured text in the model and black 'filled' text in the drawing, best of both worlds, andassociative, rather than exporting dwg to an outside program. Pro-e 2001 was able to do these two, but PTC have since confirmed that solid extrusion has been removed in Wildfire 1 & 2.2001 creates extruded solids including text in sheet metal, and parts can be read into Wildfire, or for parts that will allways be flat, to model the sheet metal part with solid text as a solid model in Wildfire and not to use the sheet metal facility.Extruding solids within sheet metal was useful for other reasons, though PTC may not have known why.