SolidWorks 2011 Assemblies Bible - Matt Lombard [64]
FIGURE 7.9
Using the Clearance Verification PropertyManager
The secret to using Clearance Verification is to understand what it measures. Clearance Verification is only concerned with clearances less than the distance you specify. This means that parts that touch or interfere are listed as “Clearances” in the Results box.
If you are looking to find the minimum clearance between two parts in an assembly, this tool can do that, but you have to enter a value in the Minimum Acceptable Clearance box that is larger than the clearance you are looking for. Again, if you are looking for the minimum clearance between two parts, you may get a more intuitive result using the Dynamic Clearance options, which are part of the Move Component tool.
Notice that the Clearance Verification PropertyManager shown in Figure 7.9 is in many ways similar or identical to the Interference Detection PropertyManager shown in Figure 7.6. You will also find that the results can be fairly similar as well.
Using Dynamic Clearance
The Dynamic Clearance options are part of the Move Component tool. Move Component is on the Assembly toolbar, while Dynamic Clearance has a panel of its own in the middle of the Move Component PropertyManager.
To use Dynamic Clearance, activate the selection box in the upper-left corner of the panel (shown in Figure 7.10), and pick two parts that can move relative to one another. This example uses the fork assembly from the Bike model on the DVD, selecting the fork and the stem.
FIGURE 7.10
Selecting the Dynamic Clearance options in the Move Component PropertyManager
There is an icon in the Dynamic Clearance panel that looks exactly like the Clearance Verification icon, described earlier in this chapter. Clicking the icon enables you to enter a Clearance value. This Clearance value is the minimum clearance that the tool allows when you move the parts around.
Notice the dimension in parentheses, (.856), in the right image in Figure 7.10. This is the minimum clearance between the stem and the fork, and it changes dynamically as you move one of the parts. If you specify a minimum clearance value, then SolidWorks stops the motion of the part you are dragging when the clearance between the parts reaches that distance.
Working with Collision Detection
Collision Detection is another tool in the Move Component PropertyManager, and you can use it at the same time as Dynamic Clearance. You can find the option to turn on Collision Detection in the Options panel of the Move Component PropertyManager. When you activate it, several additional options appear, as shown in Figure 7.11.
FIGURE 7.11
Choosing the Collision Detection option activates other options.
You can use Collision Detection to find collisions caused by dynamic assembly motion (dragging parts on the screen with Move Component) using all the parts in the assembly (All Components), or just selected components (These Components). Obviously, there is a performance (speed) cost to calculating collisions for all parts, and so you should limit the parts used in Collision Detection if possible, especially for larger assemblies.
You can also set an option that stops motion at collision, which helps you visualize more realistic motion of the mechanism. The Dragged Part Only option only calculates interferences for the dragged part with those around it. Activating Collision Detection also activates other options in the Advanced Options panel, as follows:
• Highlight faces. When faces collide, they appear highlighted.
• Sound. When parts collide, they set off the Windows default beep (Windows Ding.wav).
• Ignore complex surfaces. Faces that are created by loft, boundary, or other complex methods are more time-consuming when calculating interferences. To increase performance, you can choose to ignore these types of faces.
Using Physical Dynamics
The name Physical