SolidWorks 2011 Parts Bible - Matt Lombard [307]
FIGURE 23.19
Use FeatureWorks to fully or partially deconstruct models to allow direct edit tools to work.
Evaluating Possible Future Improvements to a SolidWorks History-Based System
Recent developments in the CAD industry include a resurgence of direct editing CAD programs, and a direct edit type of functionality added to CAD programs that have been history-based for many years. Former SolidWorks CEO Jeff Ray has said that the future of SolidWorks will include more direct edit types of tools, and that the Instant3D functionality will play a role in that.
It is my strong belief that the marriage of direct edit and history modeling methods is far more beneficial to users than the either-or type of competition between the two that users have seen. Direct edit techniques do not have the power needed to tackle every type of task on their own, and history-based methods will certainly benefit from the additional flexibility that direct edit tools will bring. The details of this marriage as implemented in SolidWorks will remain to be seen for a couple of years.
The direct edit tools in SolidWorks 2011 are weak compared to those in Solid Edge ST3, but those tools are not widely used in SolidWorks. The industry as a whole, including CAD users, is becoming more aware of the potential benefits of direct editing, which does not require you to throw away your current history-based options, and this is a trend that can only grow. Modern direct edit CAD is also parametric; where it differs from SolidWorks is that it is not history-based.
One of the claims of direct edit marketing is that it unravels the tangled relationships created by history-based models. This is a double-edged sword, because most direct edit software cannot take advantage of the inherent benefits of performing operations in an order that you can control. Ironically, however, adding direct edit functionality to a history-based modeler in the way that SolidWorks has done actually compounds the tangled relationships. You need to establish some guidelines for how your company will implement these tools to get the greatest advantage while avoiding the potential pitfalls.
Tutorial: Importing and Repairing Solid Geometry
This tutorial walks you through the button-clicks to import CAD data from IGES and make some edits.
1. From the DVD, open the file called cover.igs. You can open this file by selecting it in the Open dialog box (File⇒Open) or dragging and dropping it from Windows Explorer.
2. Right-click the Imported1 feature and run Import Diagnosis. Notice that Import Diagnosis finds no errors on the part.
3. Look at the inside of the part, in the area near the part origin. Notice on one end of the tab, all the fillets come to a point, as shown in Figure 23.20. This is clearly not right, although Import Diagnosis did not identify it as a problem.
4. Open a sketch on the flat face from which the tab protrudes. Right-click any edge where the tab intersects the sketch face, and select Select Tangency. Then click the Convert Entities toolbar button, and click the green check mark icon to accept the result, and exit the sketch.
Figure 23.20
A corner where three fillets come together is not correct.
5. Right-click one of the long faces of the tab and select Select Tangency. This selects all but two faces of the tab. There are 16 faces altogether. Activate the Delete Face feature, and select the Delete and Patch option, select the two remaining faces of the tab, then accept the result. The model should remain