Assembly Using Point and Composite Curves

I have a composite curve made from a helix. It appears that another
component with a datum point on it cannot be made to mate with the
composite curve. However if the composite curve is straight it can be.
I am trying to assemble in such way that the component with the point
in it can travel along the helix. Thoughts - suggestions?

SW 2006

TIA

 

I think you can mate to the composite curve, but then the point will
stick to the same segment of the curve, right ?
The trick is to turn your composite curve into a real curve made of a
single spline. You can do this using Tools/Spline Tools/Fit Spline...

 

If I draw for example a 3D spline an then turn that sketch into a
composite curve (as in my helix). If I then take that part into an
assembly and select on the mate tool and select the composite curve
which is 3D. SW returns cannot use for mate. However if I draw a 2d
line an make that into a composite curve it will allow me to select for
a mate. SO until I can actually select the 3D curve in assembly mode I
am stuck.

What I am trying to do is a cam follower type of thing were the helix
curve is the path I want to follow (the cam) and want a point on
another part(the follower) to be mated to that cam path.

I may be out of luck.

 

I may be out of luck.

Sweep a dummy surface along the curve and use the surface's edge?

 

Have you tried the combination of a concentric and a rack and pinion
mate? The concentric would cause the part to rotate, and the rack and
pinion would make it translate.

 

If it is a composite curve, it is made form a helix AND something else,
right? Otherwise, you would have just tried to mate to the helix
without doing the composite curve.

If my assumption is right, try the following:
When making the mate, do not pick the composite curve on the screen.
Pick it from the feature tree.

I haven't tried this with mates (that I can recall) but I have done it
(many times, for many years) with sketch relations.

If you have a point in a sketch and make it coincident to a composite
curve by clicking the curve on the screen, you will only be coincident
to the 'sub-segment' of the composite curve that you picked.

If you have a point in a sketch and make it coincident to a composite
curve by clicking the curve in the feature manager, you will be
coincident to EVERY segment of the composite curve - the entire curve.

If such a mate is posible, i would suspect it follows the same rule as
the sketch relation

Please let me know if I my hunch is right regarding mates, or if I have
my head firmly planted in my ass on this one.
Thanks
Ed

 

(OK, couldn't get to sleep)

Yup, head firmly up ass #1.
I cannot mate a point to a composite curve picked from the tree, nor
can I mate a point to a 3D sketch with edges converted from the
composite curve if picked from the tree.
But I CAN get the mate you are looking for by making a point in one
part (origin in my simple sample) to a 3D sketch if I do a fitspline in
the 3D sketch over the edges converted into that 3D sketch from the
composite curve. I just have to pick the spline from the screen - not
the curve from the tree.

Head firmly up ass #2 - I meant to say 'pierce', not coincident in my
previous post with sketch relations to curves picked from the tree.
It's late.
Ed