Does SolidWorks 2205 Have A Trace Tool ?

I find this tool very useful when using VX's sketcher. It saves a lot of
time that would be wasted trimming and deleting geometry.

Does SolidWorks have a trace tool that can be used in sketch mode ?

From the VX on-line help:

"This command create a trace profile from existing sketch geometry. Trace
profiles are handy when you want to use only a specified perimeter (profile)
of interconnecting geometry as the basis of the sketch. The Trace profile is
parametrically constrained to the underlying geometry. The underlying sketch
geometry however is ignored and not used to drive features."

jon

 

Guess were not up to SolidWorks 2205 yet. ;>)

Typo.... my bad.

jon

 

Hypothetically speaking...

If Solidworks 2005 was run on the hardware that's going to be available
200 years from now, these poor people may finally be able to get some
decent performance out of it. <g>

 

Jon,

Yes it does, it's called "convert edge". They can be either 2D planer
(projected), or 3D. You can choose whether or not you want them linked to
the underlying geometry or not. You can also use silhouette edges, surface
to surface, or surface to solid face intersections, and several others. All
can be driven, driving, or free standing.

Most of these have been around for quite a while.



Mark

 

Select Contour.

 

Poor clueless strikes again .....

 

Again?

 

Poor clueless strikes again .....

But, he gets an "E" for effort.

 

Thanks for the info, Mark. It's much appreciated.

The owner of Black Dragon Heavy Industries has issued non-revocable
criteria that *demand* that any CAD/CAM system implemented for
our international operations must conform to what he has had
written in stone in our lobby at our upstate NY world headquarters.

On this mammoth piece of pink granite (furnished to us
by Starret in the from of a lab grade surface plate.) it says :

Any CAD/CAM system that does not use the "THE SWISS ARMY
KNIFE CONCEPT" will not be tolerated.

As a result, what we at Black Dragon Heavy Industries refer to
as "SaladWorks", was removed from all of our machines worldwide.
The CD's were sent to our world headquarters in upstate New York
and presented to the owner in his penthouse lair. As this happened
quite sometime ago, my lack of knowledge on the current state of
mediocrity and poor performance in "SaladWorks" is far from up to
date and should be summarily noted.

Since both you and I agree that major forces in the market like
"SaladWorks" and MasterCAM offer us the opportunity for gainful
employment, because they are so prominent, I though I would try and
find out how "SaladWorks" is progressing. As your recently pointed
out to me money can be quite important. However, I must confide in
you that I personally can't see using "SaladWorks" for my own stuff
or recommending that someone else adopt it, now that I have started
down the path of VX seamless, unified, hybrid modeling enlightenment.

As you must know by now, the owner of BDHI himself has personally
decided to learn, and probably will be spreading the "Heavy Metal" in
regards to Cimatron Elite.

Most likely "Heavy Metal" would be his choice of words... as I would
lean more toward the more traditional choice of the word ...gospel.
Truth be known I'm a fan of "Heavy Metal" as long as it includes a large
dose of Hammond B2 with the required Leslie cabinet.

As for myself, I have been charged with properly evaluating VX for BDHI
and this will be an on going project. Again both Jim Scully's and your
input is very much appreciated.... a little more detail next time would be
helpful, Jim. :>)

Hopefully much progress will be made as I try and get to the bottom of what
CAD/CAM systems can receive the official "Swiss Army Knife" BDHI stamp
of approval.

Thanks again for the input and I hope we can do lots more specifics soon.

Jon Banquer

Director CAD/CAM research and testing for Black Dragon Heavy Industries at
out isolated, remote desert testing station... somewhere near Phoenix,
Arizona.

Presenter of the "Toss It" lecture at the upcoming SaladWorks World 2006.

SaladWorks World 2006 is sponsored by Black Dragon Heavy Industries...
the universally acknowledged world leader in everything that the head of
BDHI feels is important.

 

Jim,

Mark was very specific.

Could you please do the same in describing the "Select Contour" tool in
SolidWorks. What is the difference between the "Select Contour" tool
and what Mark described as the "Convert Edge" tool.

Maybe "Select Contour" is the 2D tool and "Convert Edge" is the 3D tool ?

jon

 

Well...

This .pdf describes what SolidEdge is doing about trying
to handle large assemblies. Wonder how well it really works ?

http://www.cad-portal.com/articles/article_images/8/SEDGE_V17-R8.pdf


"Support for massive assemblies contains one of the most technically
fascinating ways to automatically simplify assemblies. Using patent
pending algorithms, Solid Edge determines and eliminates interior
and small parts from large assemblies, thus producing a very lightweight
assembly as an alternate representation of the precise assembly, improving
display time and thus usability drastically. What makes this so usable is
that, at any time, the associated precise form of the assembly can be used
instead of the simplified version, if desired."

The author then goes on to give a test example that sounds impressive. Would
like to hear / know more... as I might have a need for handling large scale
assemblies at work very shortly.



jon

 

So you've never held an honest job for long?

 

RTFM, oh great clueless one.

 

Who's loading them with the forklift?

 

Jon...

You are truly, without doubt, and irrevocably deranged.




jon banquer wrote:

 

David,

Should I take that as a compliment ? ;>)

jon

 

'Convert Edge' is exactly that. It allows you to convert existing edges
to sketch geometry, which is not what your description of the Trace Tool
seems to describe.

'Select Contour' allows the selection of arbitrary closed regions of a
sketch to be used to create features. Multiple regions may be selected,
multiple features may be created from a single sketch using various
selected contours. Imagine two concentric circles in a sketch. Without
contour selection, an extrusion created with the sketch would result in
a tubular solid. Contour selection allows the same sketch to be used to
create three different possible extrusions. If the inner contour is
selected, a round prismatic solid is created with the diameter of the
smaller ciricle. If the contour between the circles is selected, the
'standard' tubular solid is created. If both the inner and outer
contours are selected, a round prismatic solid is created with a
diameter that matches the larger circle.

 

Jon,

Actually, now that I've re-read your question, Jims answer is closer to what
you described.

I don't use "select contour" much, but I can see how it would be very
usefull, (depending on your particular style).

Regards

Mark

 

Thanks, Jim. Greatly appreciated !

If you have the time it would be nice to catch up on how your doing
with CAMWorks. Hope I have the right, Jim. :>)

jon

 

That you made the effort to answer my question in a mostly hostile
newsgroup says a lot.... much more than the "right" answer. :>)

Thanks, Mark.

jon