While the most basic SOLIDWORKS features require that only one sketch is made, others require more than that so that more complex shapes can be modeled. In this chapter, we will cover essential multi-sketch features, such as swept boss and swept cut, and lofted boss and lofted cut. In addition to that, we will define some new planes that are completely different than the default ones.
In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:
By the end of this chapter, we will be able to create complex-looking 3D models compared to what we have built already. They will also enable us to create irregular shapes compared to the previous chapter.
In this chapter, you will need to have access to SOLIDWORKS software.
Check out the following video to see the code in action: https://bit.ly/3pZxvo2
By default, SOLIDWORKS provides us with three planes that we can start sketching on. In addition, we can use any other straight surface as a plane. However, sometimes, we need planes that are different. In this case, we need to introduce our own planes. In this section, we will discuss how we can create additional planes in our 3D space. We will also introduce reference geometries.
Reference geometries are like the origin points we need for the different planes that we use for sketching. They are used as a base for sketches, features, and coordinate locations. In SOLIDWORKS, reference geometries include planes, coordinate systems, axes, and points. In this section, we will focus on planes.
Whenever we create a sketch, we start by selecting a sketch plane to base our sketch on. Previously, we used the default planes and the surfaces resulting from features. However, in some cases, we may need additional planes that do not exist. To illustrate this, take a look at the following example model.
The following model consists of a cube and a cylinder that intersect. The cube is a normal cube, just like the ones we've made in the previous chapters. However, the cylindrical part has been created with an angle. In the following diagram, we used a new plane (shown as Plane 1) to sketch and create that cylinder. Note that the plane is different than the default planes and different than all of the other surfaces.
In this section, we will learn how to introduce new planes, such as the one shown in the preceding diagram. But first, we will learn about some of the geometrical principles that define a plane.
When defining planes in a three-dimensional space, we need to take geometrical principles into account. Hence, before we get practical with SOLIDWORKS, we need to review some of the basic geometrical principles that define a plane. As you may recall, a plane can be understood as infinity and can extend surfaces in all directions. To define a plane, we only need to define a piece of it. There are eight common ways that a plane can be defined in space. The following are the ways in which they can be defined, along with an example of each:
Note that these are just the basic ways of defining planes in a space. In most cases, we can manipulate angles, distance, and geometric relations further to generate more diverse planes.
Once we are familiar with how to define a plane from a geometrical perspective, we can easily define a plane in SOLIDWORKS by selecting the different components to define it with. Now, we will learn how to define new planes in SOLIDWORKS.
Now that we know how to define planes in different ways in terms of geometry, we can start learning how to define new planes in SOLIDWORKS. To illustrate this, we will create the following model:
Note that, in the preceding model, we have used two additional planes: Plane 1, which is in orange, and Plane 2, which is in purple. They are defined as follows:
To create this model, we need to plan, sketch, and apply features. However, we will also create additional reference planes.
Our plan is to create the base cube first and then create a new reference plane. After that, we'll create the side extrusion using the new plane. Then, we'll create the second reference plane. Finally, we'll create a circular hole. Let's start applying this plan by following these steps:
The options for reference planes are simple. First, we need to select a reference. The reference could be a point, a plane, or a straight or curved surface. Then, we can select the relation of our new plane to that reference.
In the case of the plane we are creating, the first, second, and third references are all points. Also, the relation of these points to the new plane is that they are all coincident.
Note
We do not always need three references; the number of references depends on how we define the plane, as we explained in the Defining planes in geometry section. On top of these options, we will be told whether the plane is fully defined.
This concludes the process of creating the model.
Note that, in our resulting model, we can see that the two planes we introduced are visible. To make the model look cleaner, we can hide the new planes after they have fulfilled our needs. We can do this by right or left-clicking on the plane listing in the design tree and selecting the eye-shaped option, as shown in the following screenshot:
Once we've hidden the visible planes, our cleaner model will look as follows:
In this exercise, we created a reference plane with three points and two parallel lines. If we were to create a new plane based on any of the other six methods, we looked at earlier, for example, another plane, or two intersecting lines, we can simply follow the same steps. The only difference will be the reference selection and the available selected reference relations.
This concludes how to create planes as additional reference geometries in SOLIDWORKS. In this section, we covered the following topics:
Now that we know how to generate new plane reference geometries, we can start learning about our next set of features: swept boss and swept cut.
Swept boss and swept cut allow us to create shapes by sweeping a profile along a path. In this section, we will discuss swept boss and swept cut in detail. These features are opposites and require more than one sketch if we wish to apply them. We will learn about their definitions, how to apply them, and how to modify them.
Swept boss and swept cut are opposing features; one adds materials, while the other removes materials. Let's talk about them in more detail:
The following diagrams highlight the effect of the swept boss and swept cut features in a better way:
The preceding diagram shows Swept Boss, while the following diagram shows Swept Cut. Note that both features require two sketches before they can be applied:
Compared to the extruded boss and extruded cut, swept boss and swept cut provide us with more flexibility when it comes to extruding a shape. While extruded boss and extruded cut add and remove materials directly perpendicular to the sketch plane, swept boss and swept cut allow us to guide the extrusion as we see fit. Let's start applying them, beginning with swept boss.
In this section, we will demonstrate how to apply the swept boss feature. To do this, we will create the model shown in the following diagram:
To model this shape, we will go through the stages of planning, sketching, and applying features. Our plan will be to create a rectangular profile and then the path. After that, we will apply the swept boss feature. Follow these steps to do so:
a) Profile: Select the first rectangle we drew in step 1. We can select it by clicking on it on the canvas.
b) Path: Select the curve we sketched in step 2.
Once we've selected Profile and Path, we will see a preview of our shape, as shown in the following screenshot:
This concludes using the swept boss feature. Before we move forward with swept cut, let's talk about one of the aspects of the path and explain some of the other options that are available for the swept boss feature.
Note that for basic sweeps, the path must either intersect the profile itself or its extension so that it's captured by the feature. In the following screenshot, we have highlighted different types of acceptable and unacceptable paths. The unacceptable paths are indicated with an X sign.
Now that we know how to create a basic swept boss, we can discuss the different options we can use to create more complex swept boss applications.
Now, let's examine some of the other options that are available with the swept boss feature that we didn't utilize in the previous exercise. We will cover the options we missed from top to bottom, as shown in the following screenshot:
The following is a brief explanation of these options:
a) Follow Path: This will make the profile tilt along with the path.
b) Keep Normal Constant: This will keep the profile facing the same direction as it moves on the path.
The other was done by twisting a circle by three revolutions around the path, as shown in the following screenshot:
This concludes this exercise, which was all about applying the swept boss feature. We covered the following topics in this section:
Now, we can start learning about the opposite of swept boss, that is, swept cut.
In this section, we will demonstrate how to use the swept cut feature. To do this, we will create the model shown in the following diagram by adding a swept cut to the model we created earlier:
To model this shape, we will go through the procedure of planning, sketching, and applying the feature. Our plan will be to create the profile on our existing swept boss. After that, we will apply the swept cut feature by following the same path we had for the swept boss. To act on this plan, we will follow these steps:
Note
The path for this cut is the same path that we used to apply the swept boss feature. Hence, we don't need to create another path. Instead, we can reuse the one we already have. A reused sketch will be indicated in the design tree with a small icon of an open hand.
This concludes this exercise, which was all about applying the swept cut feature. The additional options that are available for the swept cut feature are the same as those for the swept boss festure. We covered the following topics in this section:
Now that we know how to apply the swept boss and swept cut features, we need to know how we can modify them.
Modifying features in SOLIDWORKS is done in the same way that it's done for all features; that is, by right- or left-clicking on the feature in the design tree and selecting Edit Feature. In addition to editing the feature, we can also edit the sketches that are guiding the feature. In the case of the swept boss and swept cut features, this includes the profile and path sketches. To demonstrate this, we will modify our previous model so that it looks as follows. These modifications have been annotated.
Note that this model is very similar to the one we created in the previous exercise. The only difference is the path. Hence, we will only modify the sketch we used for the path. To do that, follow these steps:
Tip
A shortcut to edit the dimension is to double-click on the sketch from the design tree and then adjust the displayed dimensions directly without getting into edit mode.
This concludes our exercise on editing swept boss and swept cut. In this section, we covered the following topics:
In this section, we covered how to apply and modify the swept boss and swept cut features. Next, we will cover another set of features: lofted boss and lofted cut.
Lofted boss and lofted cut allow us to create a shape by sketching sections of it. In this section, we will discuss the features of the lofted boss and lofted cut. These features are opposites, and so we require more than one sketch if we wish to apply them. We will learn about their definitions, how to apply them, and how to modify them.
With lofted boss and lofted cut, we are able to add or remove materials based on multiple cross sections. Let's talk about them in more detail:
These features are polar opposites: one adds materials, while the other removes materials in the same way. The following diagrams illustrate these features:
The preceding diagram shows Lofted Boss, while the following diagram shows Lofted Cut. Note that both features require at least two sketches if we wish to apply them. We can add as many sketches as we wish in order to define the sections:
Lofted boss and cut can provide us with a unique way of controlling how we add or remove materials compared to other features, such as swept boss and swept cut and extruded boss and extruded cut. Now that we know what lofted boss and lofted cut are used for, we can start applying them. Let's start by applying a lofted boss.
In this section, we will cover how to apply the lofted boss feature. To illustrate this, we will create the model shown in the following diagram:
To create this model, we will go through the steps of planning, sketching, and applying features. Our plan will be to utilize two planes to create two sketches and then apply the lofted boss feature. In this exercise, we'll have to create one additional reference plane based on the default right plane. Let's start by following these steps:
After approving the new plane, it will appear parallel to Right Plane, as shown in the following diagram:
Tip
You can show Right Plane in the canvas by right- or left-clicking on it in the design tree and selecting Show.
For the profiles, select the square first, then the hexagon. Note that the selection is order-sensitive. Once we do that, we will get the following review on the canvas. Note that there is one guideline in the preview to help us to define our loft. This line is controlled by the two green endpoints. To adjust it, we can drag the point to another location. This will change the shape of the loft. Take your time and adjust the guideline so that it looks as follows:
Note
The initial positioning of the guideline is determined by where you click on the sketch to select the profile.
This concludes our exercise on the lofted boss feature. In this exercise, we only covered the most basic lofted shape. However, this feature has many advanced options that we did not get around to using. We will explore these options next.
In the feature's PropertyManager, we will be able to find all of the feature's options. The following screenshot highlights PropertyManager for the lofted boss feature:
The following is a brief explanation of these options:
a) Direction vector: This pushes the loft toward a specific direction, as per an existing vector. To apply this, we may need to create additional lines to push the loft.
b) Normal to profile: This pushes the loft in a direction that's normal/perpendicular to the existing profile we used to build the loft.
This concludes the various options of the lofted boss feature. In this section, we covered the following topics:
Now that we know how to apply the lofted boss feature, we can start learning how to apply the lofted cut feature.
The lofted cut feature works the same as the lofted boss feature, except that it has the opposite effect. To show you how this feature works, we will build on the previous model and create the model shown in the following diagram:
Note that, for this model, we will only create an internal cut from the previous model. This cut is governed by two circles on each end. Like we did previously, we will create the model by planning, sketching, and then applying features. We will use the existing end faces for our shape to sketch two circles. Then, we will apply the lofted cut feature. Follow these steps to implement this plan:
Tip
Since both of our sketches are located on existing faces, we can hide the two visible planes and sketch on the faces that have been formed from the features instead. To hide a plane, we can right-click on it from the design tree and select the Hide option, which is the small eye icon.
We can use the cross-section viewing feature at the top of the canvas to view the shape from the inside as well. The result of doing this is shown in the following screenshot:
This concludes our exercise of applying the lofted cut feature. In this section, we covered the following topics:
Now that we know how to apply these two features, we need to know how we can modify them.
Modifying the lofted boss and lofted cut features follows the same procedure that we follow to modify any other feature. We can right-click on the feature to modify its options. We can also modify the sketches of the profile to adjust the shape of the loft.
Before we conclude this section, let's cover a key aspect of the lofted boss and lofted cut features: guide curves.
Guide curves provide us with much more flexibility when it comes to lofted features that we lack when applying the feature without them. Because of that, we will create the shape shown in the following diagram to learn about one way of using Guide Curves:
Let's go through our usual procedure of creating models: planning, sketching, and applying features. Our plan will be to create the two profiles and then create the two guidelines. After that, we will apply the lofted boss feature. Follow these steps to implement this plan:
Tip
We can hide Front Plane and Plane 1 to make our canvas clearer and less crowded.
Note
The guide curves must intersect with the profiles.
Note
Our loft will shift toward the guide curve.
Note that we have only applied two guide curves to govern the loft from the upper and lower sides. Hence, from the unguided side, we'll notice that the resulting shape is more elliptical. If we need more guidance when it comes to shape, we can increase the number of guide curves as we see fit. There is no limit to the number of profiles and guide curves we can have.
This concludes this section on lofted guide curves. We covered the following topics in this section:
In this section, we covered the lofted boss and lofted cut features, how to apply them, and how to modify them. We also learned about guide curves.
In this chapter, we learned about a set of features that allow us to create more complex 3D models than what we were able to create in the previous chapters. We learned about plane reference geometries, which allow us to add new reference planes in addition to the default ones. We also covered the swept boss and swept cut and lofted boss and lofted cut features. Each feature set requires more than one sketch if we wish to apply them. For each, we learned their definition, how to apply them, and how to modify them. The features that we covered in this chapter allow us to generate 3D models, such as flexible tubing and irregularly shaped casings.
In the next chapter, we will learn about mass properties, which allow us to assign materials and calculate different properties, such as the mass of our 3D models.
Answer the following questions to test your knowledge of this chapter:
Important Note
The answers to the preceding questions can be found at the end of this book.