CAD Forum

HerrTick

Same "first thoughts" I have with EVERY SolidWorks release...

Why, oh, WHY must they have annual releases?

Oh, yeah... Profit!

HerrTick

I assume you know where the holes need to be in the formed state. For such cases I do something like this:

•In formed state, make tiny triangular holes with point at hole center.
•Capture hole centers and surface normals with 3D sketch
•Unfold
•Make holes
•Fold

HerrTick

image.png C2 discontinuity in your guide curves is causing issues with the c2 continuity for your surfaces. Looks like you only have c1. There are special cases where this may not matter, but this does indicate an issue with your source curves. Also, these curves are both parabolas. Almost certainl...

HerrTick

I am tackling a fairly complex surfacing problem. No, you're not. You're tackling a simple problem in a complicated way. Chop it up into simpler pieces. B-surfaces play best when 4-sided. You have a awkward, elongated 3-sided topology. Slice it up. I would also make a separate patch for the "s...

HerrTick

Besides hearing protection, it's also about stress reduction. Noise causes stress and contributes to fatigue.

HerrTick

I routinely switch between three CAD platforms (SW, NX, and Creo). I don't seem to have the difficulties you are having. Maybe it's a neuroplasticity thing? Try getting more sleep and cut back on HFCS.

HerrTick

If you program, you already know that the only publicly available functions are the ones you make public.

HerrTick

Instead of drafting after-the fact, build the draft into the part earlier. A draft is nothing more than a slanted sweep. Or maybe you can draft individual faces and build the transition manually. All that matters is that the part has draft, NOT whether you used the "right" feature to make ...

HerrTick

Traverse faces of each component

For each face
-->is it cylindrical
-->get the axis
-->get axis vector (transform matrix)

Either compare each axis to a reference vector/axis, or collet them all and see what lines up.

HerrTick

I like using color to help separate dimensions and notes from geometry. BUT, a drawing should always be readable if rendered in black-and-white.

HerrTick

The only reliable way I know of to control a plane normal outside of the feature dialog is to define the plane at the end of a sketched line (2d or 3D).

: image.png (13.77 KiB) Viewed 855 times

HerrTick

Set the option to open external references read-only. Take write access only when you need it. only save deliberate changes.

Also helpful to set collaboration mode so it's easy to toggle read-only/write-access

HerrTick

Forwarded to a friend.

I'm in the area (Hingham). Let's do lunch.

HerrTick

When it comes down to it, most designers aren't truly thinking in 3D. It's more like 2D+.

HerrTick

20 years ago, SW was an ant that could lift 10 times its own weight.

Now SW is an elephant that can only lift half its weight.

A few years from now, it will be a whale--biggest thing ever, and unable to lift a thing.

HerrTick

Every format has its foibles. A few years ago STEP had a habit of inverting spheres and toruses (commonly on corner blends), especially coming from Pro/E.

HerrTick

Some of that likely due to Fusion 360 export settings or kernel tolerances.

HerrTick

Thanks, JSCulley. I had forgotten about that.

I am habituated to PathCopyCopy becaue I like the ability to get the network paths. Helpful when not everyone on the system has the same letter designations on their network drives.

HerrTick

Breaking in a new laptop. Adding all my favorite tools. https://pathcopycopy.github.io/ PathCopyCopy is one of my absoute must-haves. Right-click on any file or folder in Windows explorer, and you can copy the file name, parent path, or full path. Commands available for network paths as well. I've b...

HerrTick

No. This is when I select sketch from a tree.

HerrTick

Seems to take only one face from the solid.

HerrTick

Belay that...

Works fine in a single part. Does not work when copying one body's edges in context of an assembly.

HerrTick

Seemes like I tried these things and they didnt work. They do now. Thanks for scaring SW into compliance.

HerrTick

Getting back to SW after 4+ years. I'm finding a few old tricks don't seem to work...

In a 3D sketch, how does one select all edges in a solid for Convert Entities?

HerrTick

One big plus for NX vs Creo is the direct modeling tools. If you need to manipulate unparameterized solids, NX has great tools (and has had them for over twenty years). NX also has a good suite of mesh manipulation tools and a good mesh-to-surface capability. I find NX does a better job of importing...

HerrTick

CATIA does not play nicely with other systems. Translating CATIA to other systems, even by neutral formats (e.g. STEP, IGES) does not work well. Internal tolerances of CATIA's modeling kernel often lead to problems when sending data to outside systems. The problem is rooted in the CATIA kernel itsel...

HerrTick

If you can pick a dimension or equation right by mouse, do that.

HerrTick

I doubt there is a challenge you will encounter that NX can't solve. One challenge NX can not solve is the availability of skilled NX users. I just spent 4 years doing NX. New users were not adapting as well as they ought. Recruiting NX talent is not easy. While you dislike SW for obvious reasons, ...

HerrTick

NEVER use an external sketch/curve/edge/face to create a feature. ALWAYS copy entities into an internal sketch or feature.

There's exceptions for everything. There are also exceptions to "There are exceptions for everything." NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

HerrTick

Geez, Paul! You work side-by-side with some of the greatest SolidWorks talent known to mankind, and you had to ask here?

HerrTick

If you're working at that scale, maybe it's time to move to something for civil or architecture.

HerrTick

Make your own in MS Paint

HerrTick

The The pandemic and the Ukraine invasion have caused a worldwide shortage of ones and zeroes. Thus, the price increase.

HerrTick

Likely there is a spoiler in the registry outside of your settings but in a position that still affects your settings.

HerrTick

Does anyone know anything about MicroStation?

You won't hear thsi from me very often, but... NO.

HerrTick

Sketch vertical/horizontal control is a shortcoming that Dassault should have fixed decades ago.

HerrTick

Another project timeline killer--adding or losing people.

Adding people can be worse than losing people.

Manager: "How far behind are we?"
Engineer: "Six weeks."
Manager: "What if we add two more people to the team?"
Engineer: "Sixteen weeks!"

HerrTick

Be careful substituting a loft for a revolve. You are substituting a tolerant feature (B-surface) for an analytic (torus). You may come close, but never exact. Up to you to decide how close is close enough.

HerrTick

Before you waste too much more time trying to flatten... WHY must you flatten? Are you building the tool? Are you purchasing flats to form in-house? If someone else is building the tool, don't do the flat for them. Good toolmakers have better tools for the job. Poor toolmakers don't have the right t...

HerrTick

My wife is sleeping with the guy who made that cartoon! Creo is far and away the most painful user experience. No doubt. But Creo also has excellent tools that aren't available anywhere else. They were once the best for variable section sweeps. They're the only one with "trajpar" parameter...

HerrTick

Wait... you won't have a straight edge. This is a revolved arc, resulting in a torus. Can not convert.

HerrTick

So you have a feature called "halving cut" that doesn't actually cut the feature in half. That's problem number 17.

Why not just make a 180° revolve?

If you make the cut edges through the center axis you get a straight edge that can be used in the convert operation.

HerrTick

Just rename your planes and views "X-Y", "Y-Z", and "Z-X"

HerrTick

I like using convert to sheet metal when I have a shape that is best controlled using a layout sketch. Especially Z-brackets. I had a job designing hinges for auto interiors. Those designs are best done at the assembly level with master sketches, which are then pushed to the parts. Forming hinge bar...

HerrTick

I like using layers to color components in assembly drawings.

HerrTick

If you don't like the auto relief, cut your own.

Defaults are just bad decisions outsourced to software settings.

HerrTick

Recently been getting a barrage of emails from a certain CAD vendor telling me their software will make projects go faster.

No, honey, It won't.

HerrTick

SolidWorks, et al let you play.

Creo lets you play doctor.

NX lets you play god.

HerrTick

Just noticed the new NX forum just now. No one else here. Hope that changes.

HerrTick

Now I need something like that for the screws, washers, nuts, and sockets that disappeared into the dark when working on car engines.

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