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NEWSUG Meeting Minutes May 3, 2011, 5:00 p.m.

Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, Wisconsin While this report generally covers the meeting events, those events have been arranged into a logical sequence and refined with the purpose of making them helpful, rather than precisely representing the presentations as they happened. 22 people attended this meeting.

Click on these links for easy navigation: Announcements Tips and Tricks Creating and Managing Libraries Sketch Blocks Sweeps and Lofts Next Meeting

Announcements Jobs: Bob Braun is an informal employment clearing house. When he hears about a job opening, he sends a blind copy of the opening to everyone on his list of candidates. If you have an employment opportunity or an employment need, send a note to Bob at bob.braun4him@gmail.com. Meeting sign-up: Please remember to sign up for each meeting so that we can provide the correct amount of food for the dinner break. If you discover later that you cannot attend after all, just sign up again, except add a comment that you cannot attend as previously planned. Return to top

Tips and Tricks– Working with the Command Manager – Bob Braun

Command Manager: Flexible icons that minimizes needed toolbars Frees up screen area Makes needed features available Customizable to your needs

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Displaying Command Manager: Right click in menu area First item in drop down toggles Command Manager visibility Click on tabs to display different types of commands

Add Tabs: Right click in open tool area. Select Customize from near bottom of drop down menu

Active tabs are dark Right click on desired tab To show tab, select Show Tab To add a tab, select Add Tab Select OK Adding Features to Tabs: Open Customize dialog box Select Commands

tab Select the Category

you want Drag the icon you

want to the toolbar where you want it

Select OK

Propagating Changes: When you create or modify a Command Manager tab in drawings, parts or assemblies,

and you want to copy the same tab to the other environments: When in Customize, right click on tab and

select from drop down Displaying Tabs: Right click on existing tab Select the tabs you want displayed

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Creating and Managing CAD Libraries – Don Glaske, Marchant Schmidt Design Library Benefits:

Creating standards Pulling from one common location Streamline common designs Not creating redundant parts Improve productivity Design efficiency = quicker designs

Starting A Design Library:

What’s important to you? What does everyone commonly use? Your Design Library Items:

o Base Models o Templates - sketches, cutouts, stamping tools etc… o Stock Parts (Manufactured) o Commodities (Purchased Parts) o Annotations – Drawing Stamps and Notes o Products – items you commonly handle in projects

Or add to the existing SolidWorks Design Library:

You can add parts to the Design Library tab in the Task Pane The following tools are available on the Design Library tab:

Add to Library Add content to the Design Library

Add File Location Add an existing folder to the Design Library

Create New

Folder

Create a new folder on disk and in the Design Library

Refresh Refresh the view of the Design Library tab

You can drag copies of parts, assemblies, features, annotations, and so on from: o The Design Library into the graphics area. o The graphics area into the lower pane of the Design Library.

When you drag items into the Design Library, the Add to Library PropertyManager appears with a default file name, the default file type, and the selected folder for the Design Library folder.

o You can add multiple selections of features and sketches, but only one item at a time for other categories.

o To copy a complete assembly or part into the Design Library, select it in the FeatureManager design tree and drag to the lower pane.

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o To copy annotations or blocks into the Design Library, hold down Shift and drag from the graphics area to the lower pane. Annotations are saved with the extensions for favorites.

o To copy features, drag from either the FeatureManager design tree or the graphics area. Features are saved as library feature parts.

o NOTE: If you modify an item that you inserted from the Design Library, the item is also modified in the library. For instructions on creating an editable feature, go to the SolidWorks Help under Parts and Features >Features >Library Features >Creating a Library Feature.

You can also specify folders for Design Library in Tools, Options, System Options, File Locations.

Base Models/Templates:

Pre-Started Parts – Most Used By Your Company Sketches

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Belt Paths and/or Webs Shafts and/or Rolls Sketch Blocks Cutouts/Punches

◦ Clean-out slots, stamping tools, door hanger key slots etc…

Stock Parts:

All stock - manufactured parts Laser/Water Jet parts Stock manufactured parts and assemblies Stock Manufactured Weldments/Assemblies

Commodities:

All stock purchased parts Annotations:

Drawing Stamps Drawing Notes

o Parts Specific o Assembly Specific o Weldment Specific o Layout Specific o Customer Specific o Vendor Specific

Products:

Commonly used parts in your projects o Boxes, food, trays, etc…

Managing the Design Library:

Works best with a Gatekeeper However, gatekeeper can bottleneck the system, so a deputy may be needed Gatekeeper’s job is easier with the help of a PDM

An additional note about how to create library components and features: Be sure to check YouTube. There are many fine tutorials posted by Graphics Systems and by CATI and others.

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Sketch Blocks – Bob Braun Sketch Block General Principals:

Narrow application range o Sketches – drawing, part or assembly o Useful for repeated sketch feature o Useful for global sketch feature control

Can be nested Examples

o Schematic symbols o Mechanisms – limited animation o Lofted Profile

Blocks Toolbar:

Make block Edit block Insert block Add/remove

sketch entities from block

Rebuild parent sketches affected by block

Save sketch as a block Explode block Insert a belt or chain (not covered tonight)

Getting Started:

Make a sketch that includes the features you want in your block o Include wanted relationships like horizontal and aligned o Include needed dimensions (not visible in block)

Select the Make blocks icon o Select features that you want in the sketch block o Expand drop down to adjust insertion point location

OK check mark Making Blocks Useful:

Rename block to useful name o Find in Feature Manager o F2 to edit name

Insert Block:

Select Insert Block from tool bar (Also available under Tools|Blocks menu) Select the block you want from the Insert Blocks manager Select scale and angle from the Parameters menu Click where you want the block Add dimensions and relations to position

Edit Block:

Select block in graphics window or feature manager o If block is nested, select in feature manager to insure that you get the right block

Select Edit Block

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Edit block features as you wish Anything created while in edit mode will be added to the block Select Edit Block to end edit

Save Block to File:

If you want to use block in other drawings or assemblies, save it to a file Select the block Select Save Block Follow dialog boxes to save block Insert block from file with the Insert Block command – use the Browse button

Explode Block:

To explode a block o Select a block o Select the Explode Block icon

Block Attributes:

When editing a block, create a note In the text manager, give the block attribute a

name Exit block edit Click on a block In the block dialog box,

click on Attributes Edit the attributes (values) for the text you

previously named

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Sweeps and Lofts – Don Glaske Sweeps:

What is a Sweep and why should I use it? Sweep creates a base, boss, cut, or surface by moving a profile (section) along a

path. Allows you to create complex shapes easily.

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To Create a Sweep:

Sketch1 is the profile you want. Sketch2 is the profile’s path. Select Sweep Feature, select profile Sketch and then select profile path. See Below

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Select Sweep Feature, define profile’s Sketch and then define profile’s path Under Options, Orientation/twist type, select Twist Along Path With Normal

Constant Select Turns, 12

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Sweep Options:

Orientation/twist type: Follow Path Keep normal constant Follow path and first guide curve Follow first and second guide curves Twist Along Path Twist Along Path With Normal Constant

Most popular types are Follow Path and Twist Along Path

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Lofting:

Great for Transitions and odd shaped pieces, and for twisted webs. Sketch1 is the Inlet, create on a plane. Sketch2 is the Outlet, create on a parallel plane.

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Examples of Lofts:

Sheet Metal Transitions:

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Next Meeting: The next meeting will be September 27, 2011 at FVTC. The main presentation topics will be:

Title Blocks & Drawing Borders SolidWorks Explorer Sheet Metal Part 1