Creating a helix

[snowbell]

Hi,

I am trying to create a helix inside a hollow cylinder. I followed the steps in the given example: Removing helical volume from an existing part, provided in the help topics. However, I am unable to obtain what I want. Sometimes, the part of the cylinder which is supposed to have the helix in the inner part totally disappears. Anyone have any idea why?

I'm using CoCreate Modeling PE 20.0.0.34.

[gmatelich]

One guess would be that something about your helix isn't fully intersecting your cylinder. you could try making your helix longer than it needs to be - set it up so it starts before your cylinder and ends after than the cylinder.

If that doesn't work, perhaps you could add a picture of your setup.

[snowbell]

Hi,

I'm sorry but I'm still very new in creating 3D models, so I don't really understand how to make the helix intersect properly. Is that some way to adjust the 'radius' of the helix? Attached is a screenshot of the cylinder after I clicked the preview button after creating the helix by removing material.

Thanks a lot for your help!

[John Scheffel]

It still isn't clear to me what you are trying do. I don't see how the workplane in the image could be used to cut a helix in that cylinder.

Typically the workplane used to cut a helix would pass through the axis of the cylinder. The radius of the helix is controlled by the position of the 2D profile in the workplane relative to the Axis selected in the Helix Rem menu.

Think of the workplane 2D profile as a cutting tool that defines the shape you will cut along a helical path. The profile must be perpendicular to the helical path you want to follow. The Helix Rem menu defines how that shape will be moved along a helical path.

The attached images show a simple example of how to cut a square helical thread on the inside of a tube. The first image is the setup and the second is the resulting part. Are you trying to do something like this?

You might also want to look at the Spiral/Helix option under the 3D Curve menu and see if that will help achieve what you want.

[Mike Swartz]

When you do a helix (remove), what you are really doing is creating a new temporary part by using helix (add), then the temp part is subtracted from your active part. The preview will actually show both parts with the temp part colored green.

[snowbell]

Thanks a lot for all the clear explanation. That's exactly what I wanted to do. I just realised I have been doing it all wrong all the while, and finally, I know the correct method to create a helix now. Thanks once again. :)