SolidWorks 2011 Assemblies Bible - Matt Lombard [169]
To access a large number of weldment profiles in various standards, open the Design Library and click the SolidWorks Content icon. Under that, the Weldments folder has several Zip files containing weldment profiles. Ctrl+click an icon to download the file, and then extract the contents of the Zip file to the library location you have established for your weldment profiles.
FIGURE 20.6
A 3D sketch of a frame
Grouping selected path segments
The concept of groups is simple. You can organize selected path segments within a structural member feature into two kinds of groups: parallel or contiguous. A single structural member may have multiple groups.
Parallel groups contain parallel path segments that do not touch. Parallel groups also require that you select the structural profile before you can select more than one path segment.
Contiguous groups contain path segments that touch end to end, two segments at a time. A contiguous group cannot have one path segment intersect in the middle of another, or more than two path segments intersecting at a corner.
Each group can only have a single orientation of the structural profile. For example, if each frame leg needs to have the profile rotated to a different orientation, you need to rotate the legs in four separate groups instead of all in a single group.
Given those requirements, if the frame shown in Figure 20.6 were to be created entirely from the same structural profile, say ANSI (American National Standards Institute) inch, square tube, 3 × 3 × .025, then it would require a minimum of five groups, as Figure 20.7 shows, in exploded form. The file used to create this image is included on the DVD under the name Weldment groups.sldprt.
FIGURE 20.7
Using groups to create the welded frame
The main advantages of the groups functionality are that each member within the group is automatically trimmed to other members of the group, and that you can control gaps within or between groups. The only trimming you need to take care of separately is the trimming between members of different groups.
Locating and orienting the profile
When you apply a profile to a path segment in a Structural Member feature, the profile must have some relationship to the path segment. The default point where the path “pierces” the profile is at the sketch Origin. To change the pierce point, you can click the Locate Profile button at the bottom of the Structural Member PropertyManager, which zooms the view to present the profile sketch so that you can select another sketch point to use as the pierce point. You can select any sketch point on the profile, including endpoints, sketch points, and virtual sharp points if they are present in the sketch.
Profile sketches are generally surrounded by several sketch points, which may seem unnecessary until you consider that you can use any of the points to position the profile. The Settings panel at the bottom of the Structural Member PropertyManager is shown in Figure 20.8 and displays a profile sketch with the interface.
FIGURE 20.8
Locating the profile
In addition to locating the profile sketch, you can also rotate the profile using the Angle field in the Settings panel. This rotates all the bodies that are created by the Structural Member feature at the same time. In the example of the four-legged frame, if the legs are rectangular or circular, they can all be created in the same Structural Member feature because they are all rotated in the same way. However, if the legs are made from an asymmetrical shape such as an angle, then each leg needs to be made using a separate Structural Member feature, with each leg rotated differently.
Using disjoint sketch segments
You can select disjoint sketch segments in a single Structural Member feature if they are parallel to the first