SolidWorks '06 revolving question

mladenko · Jul 13, 2007

hi guys,
i'm currently transferring from Catia V5R16 to SolidWorks '06 and i ran on problem so i thought some of you might help me. i want to make solid by revolving surface around axis. but it looks like it cannot be done unless surface and axis are in the same sketch (which was not the case in Catia). so is there any other way to do this, since i have axis and surface in different planes, so it can be placed in one sketch. maybe using 3D sketching?

and if anyone knows where i can find online manuals or something similar for SW'06. i would appreciate that

thanks guys

spock · Jul 13, 2007

I am away from my station and cant double check, but try preselecting your axis before beginning the revolve command.

bcstractor · Jul 13, 2007

Manuals for SW are in the header under "help".

Chris P

mladenko · Jul 13, 2007

@spock
no, it can't be done like that. i tried. there is an answer to this problem by making new plane with orientation i need, and then drawing axis and surface in the same sketch. but that is time consuming. need something faster

@bcstractor
thanks for the info, but i do need help here

header of what, and where. i lost my eyes here and didn't found anything titled as 'help'.. so help please

Mfassler · Jul 13, 2007

in your sketch draw the shape from centerline and revolve it done!!

mladenko · Jul 13, 2007

that's not my problem.. problem is revolving surface around axis, line, edge of a solid when they're not in the same plane and sketch...if that is possible

Mud · Jul 13, 2007

Isn't it easy to create a plane through the line/edge and use the line/edge as the axis? I can't picture how you would revolve something around a non-planar axis and have the geometry make sense. Can you post a picture of an example?

failsafe7 · Jul 13, 2007

I can't help with the SolidWorks question, but I can clarify what he is trying to say. In Catia, there is a command called "Revolve" that allows one to revolve ANY shape around an axis, so long as there are no self-intersections in the resultant geometry. So I could take a helix, and revolve it around an axis, and as long as the closing angle is less than 360 degrees, it will make a cylinder with a helical closing vertex. (cylinder with barber pole stripes)

Mud · Jul 13, 2007

I think I get it. I guess that's why Catia costs a little more than SW, eh?

ARB · Jul 13, 2007

I am not sure that you can do what you want. I messed around with it a little and it was not really jumping out at me how to do it.

BadBeta · Jul 13, 2007

Provided failsafe7 is correct, and I understand him correctly, you could achieve this by:

If it is a flat surface:
1. Setting up a plane using your axis and a point from the surface.
2. Convert or project the surface edges you want to revolve around the axis to that plane. (You might have to make a formal reference axis based on your line).
3. Make the solid.

If it is a non-flat surface you want to revolve the recipe is the same except that you will get different projections depending on above points 1.'s plane angle in relation to the surface. Whatever you want should be possible though, unless your surface produces overlapping lines when they are convertet/ projected.

If you want to make a setup like failsafe7's examples with a helix which becomes a barbersomething you will need to use sweep instead of revolve - make a plane normal to the revolve axis and draw a circle on it. Use that and the projected surface sketch for the sweep.

mladenko · Jul 14, 2007

OK. when i read my posts i saw that they were a bit confusing.

yes, any line formed by revolving, cutting, extrusion can be used as axis to revolve anything you want (as failsafe7 already wrote). Since Catia is software i know how to work in and SW comes from the same 'source' (Dassault Systems) i thought that you can do the same here. But if you have problems like me, just follow BadBeta's advice. It's a bit time consuming, but will do the work.

Thank you so much for your help

bcstractor · Jul 14, 2007

OK - to repeat - the online "manuals" are under help.

To do this you do exactly what you want to do. Make sure the sketch is selected, hit Revolved Boss and hit the pink rectangle showing axis and then hit the axis.

Worked first time.

Chris P

ARB · Jul 14, 2007

Just to clarify for my own curiosity. Are you looking to create a revolved surface or are you trying to revolve an existing surface body?

failsafe7 · Jul 14, 2007

To do this you do exactly what you want to do. Make sure the sketch is selected, hit Revolved Boss and hit the pink rectangle showing axis and then hit the axis.

I think you should read a little closer before imposing your "manuals" comment, over and over. Manuals have limitations - they usually suck. While most people don't read the instructions, give a little credit once in awhile. He asked a valid question, that reaches beyond the basic functionality.

He asked how to revolve something non-planar - therefore, it isn't going to be a sketch. Is that clear enough?

bcstractor · Jul 15, 2007

If it's not possible to select a surface in the menu then it will not do it.

"Reaches beyond the basic functionality".

It's not in the help files which is the only "manual" you can get from Solidworks.

Thanks for the put down after I actually researched the issue. This is why Solidworks sucks. They want you to buy CATIA to get the missing functionality.

You pay less you get less.

Chris P

mladenko · Jul 16, 2007

thanks

i appreciate your help guys

failsafe7 · Jul 16, 2007

They want you to buy CATIA to get the missing functionality.

Defend that statement. Seriously, are you going to tell everyone that ANY company would bring a mid-range CAD product to the level of a high-end CAD product, without charging more money? I find that way of thinking convoluted!

Besides that, they are two separate companies within a company. There are a myriad of legal issues that keep SW and Catia 2 distinct products, that in all likelihood, will NEVER enjoy interoperability, despite being owned by the same parent. (see who owns the SW modeling kernel, and you'll understand why)

You pay less you get less.

Ummm... yes. (duh)

If you want more CAD for just a bit more money, (or not?) maybe you should be looking at the Catia Design Express packages. Once you get the high end CAD, you'll be bitching about all the nice "little" things that you had in mid-range software, that you think you deserve for the higher price tag. (and are noticeably absent)

Thanks for the put down after I actually researched the issue.

I didn't put you down. You gave a snappy answer, and missed the point of the whole question. Bad on you, and be more careful next time. As it is, this person knew EXACTLY what they wanted to do, and described it accordingly.

mladenko · Jul 19, 2007

here is elaborated that you can't revolve non-planar surface/edge/line around other line as axis. and way to do this 'trick' is with making guide line and sweeping selected surface. But after a period of head banging i found out easier solution for this problem. inserting axis from insert->reference geometry->axis will do the job. only axis inserted like that will be accepted as revolving one. and at the end, you just need to define axis in space and you're done. it's not as easy as in Catia, but it's not bad at all..

cheers,
Mladen

BadBeta · Jul 20, 2007

Interesting! Maybe there is actually a reason for that formal axis reference and not just using edge or lines. Then again, as the functionality is obviously there, I would want to be able to use any line - Solidworks 2009 are you listening???

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