• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 929 0

of the radiated surface. The second smaller selection box in the PropertyManager that contains Face<1> is called a seed face and causes the Knit to automatically select all the faces on the same side of the model as the selected seed face. The requirement here is that the Radiate goes completely around the model and separates the faces into faces on one side of the Radiate and faces on the other side of the Radiate. The use of the Radiate with the Seed Face selection is extremely useful for mold creation.

FIGURE 20.8

Using Radiate Surface with Knit

Knitting surfaces

The Knit Surface functionality is discussed previously in the terminology section as well as in the Radiate Surface section.

If the knit operation results in a watertight volume, the Try to form solid option turns the volume into a solid. You can also make a solid from a surface using two other functions. The Fill Surface has an option to merge the fill with a solid or to knit it into a surface body; if the knit surface body is closed, then it gives you the option to make it a solid. This is very nice, complete interface design, with options that save you many steps. The Fill Surface feature is described in more detail later in this chapter.

The Gap Control panel, shown in Figure 20.9, shows the gap between the edges of surfaces to be knit, and enables you to see the gaps in a certain range and force gaps of less than a specified tolerance value, called the Knitting Tolerance, to knit. This replaces the old Minimal Adjustment option in Knit, which SolidWorks did not go to any great length to help users understand. The Knitting Tolerance tools are easier to understand and more powerful when it comes to forcing knit features to work.

FIGURE 20.9

Knitting Surfaces with gaps using tolerances

With all powerful tools the possibility of misusing the tool always exists. The ability to play with tolerances is a double-edged sword. On one hand it gives you the ability to force surfaces to knit that may have otherwise not knit at all. On the other hand, if you allow a larger tolerance, SolidWorks may force together surfaces or edges that have problems that should be solved in other ways. such as removal and remodeling. Gap tolerances can cause problems during import operations to other software that doesn't have the capability to adjust tolerances. Certainly use the Gap Control options, but also be aware of the potential problems you might see with data downstream.

Using Thicken Surface

The other function that also creates a solid from a surface is the Thicken feature. If a surface body that encloses a volume is selected, then the option Create solid from enclosed volume appears on the Thicken PropertyManager, as shown in Figure 20.10. You can access the Thicken feature by choosing Insert⇒Boss/Base⇒Thicken from the menus.

FIGURE 20.10

The Thicken PropertyManager

Using Planar Surface

Planar Surfaces can be created quickly and are useful in many situations, not just for surfacing work. Because they are by definition planar, you can use them to sketch on and for other purposes that you may use a plane for, such as mirroring.

However, more commonly, Planar Surfaces are created from a closed sketch such as a rectangle. You can create multiple Planar Surfaces at once, and the surfaces do not need to all be on the same plane or even parallel. This is commonly done to close up holes in a surface model, such as at the bottom of cylindrical bosses on a plastic part, using a planar circular edge. A good example of this is the bike frame part in the material for Chapter 20 on the DVD, named Chapter 20– bike frame.sldprt.

Remember that a Planar Surface was used in Chapter 19 with the Split feature to split the leg off of an imported part. This was more effective than a sketch or a plane because the split was limited to the bounds of the Planar Surface, not infinite like the sketch or the plane.

The Planar Surface does not knit itself into the rest of the surface bodies around it automatically; you have to use the Knit feature to do this.

Using Extend