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  #1  
Old 01-19-2009, 09:35 AM
yellomello yellomello is offline
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Create 3D Sketch

I'm bran new to CoCreate Modeling and explicit geometry-based modeling, but I'm trying to do an assignment and would really appreciate any help.

I have a CoCreate model of a box frame assembly, and I have to remake the geometry of the frame using single lines, center-lines down the middles of the frame tubes. The 3D sketch then has to be exported into an FEA program for analysis.

I have tried to export this file as an IGES to Solidworks and creating planes and a center axis for every tube and then creating a 3D sketch of the geometry, but the frame assembly is quite large and this process is very slow. I am staring at the hourglass for 90 seconds for every axis that I add...

If someone can help me by telling me how I can do this efficiently in CoCreate it would save me a lot of time.
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Old 01-19-2009, 11:46 AM
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clausb clausb is offline
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Re: Create 3D Sketch

I don't think I really understand the task at hand yet (it's probably simply too late in the evening ); I guess it would help me a lot if you could attach a screenshot to illustrate what you're trying to do. Also, which version of CoCreate Modeling do you use?

Thanks,

Claus
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Old 01-19-2009, 03:44 PM
yellomello yellomello is offline
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Re: Create 3D Sketch

I've included some screenshots of what I'm trying to accomplish in Solidworks 2007. Basically I've set up at least one plane for every tube as I have explained already, and then defined an axis that runs down the middle of each tube. From there, I am making a 3D sketch to retrace the geometry. This is necessary so that I have a 3D line representation of the frame for my Finite Element Analysis.

I would like to learn how to do this exact same thing in CoCreate Ver 16.0. I've managed to create sketches using the 2D Co-Pilot however only on one single working plane. What I would like to have is one single 3D sketch of the entire frame.

Any help is much appreciated.
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Old 01-19-2009, 11:18 PM
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Re: Create 3D Sketch

Excellent, thanks a lot. I'm sure somebody (not me, though) will be able to pick up from here.
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Old 01-20-2009, 12:04 PM
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John Scheffel John Scheffel is offline
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Re: Create 3D Sketch

You can create 3D wireframe parts in Modeling using the options under the 3D Curve menu (icons looks sort of like a green sine wave). You can then export the 3D wireframe part to IGES from Modeling. Assuming your FEA package can import a 3D wireframe IGES file it should work.
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Old 01-20-2009, 01:39 PM
yellomello yellomello is offline
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Re: Create 3D Sketch

Hi John, I would probably use the 3D Curve - Line function since I only require straight lines and not splines. However, when I use the 3D Line function, I assumed that it would snap to the geometry just like with the 2D CoPilot, however, it does not do this. I have configured the 3D CoPilot settings but it doesn't seem to be working. Do I need to turn it on somehow? or does this CoPilot feature not exist for 3D geometry? Can someone please help me with this?
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Old 01-21-2009, 10:31 AM
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Re: Create 3D Sketch

Which version of Modeling are you running? What kind of geometry are you trying to snap to?

I tried 3D Curve/Line and it seems to snap to 3D geometry (edges, vertices). For your example I think the challenge will be getting the centroid of the frame member because there is no geometry to snap to at the centroid of the end faces. It is easy to create lines along the center axis of faces that have an axis (such as cylidrical faces) using the By Axis option, but that wont work for cross sections with no defined axis. I don't know of any easy way to snap to the centroid of more complex cross sections. Hopefully someone else will have a suggestion.
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Old 01-21-2009, 11:10 AM
yellomello yellomello is offline
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Re: Create 3D Sketch

Hi John,

I'm using version 16.0. I can get it to snap to edges and vertices, however not to midpoints of different objects. I'm not sure if I can turn this on somehow. Is the 3D CoPilot supposed to be similar to the 2D CoPilot?

The way that I am doing this in Solidworks is I am creating planes for the midplane of each tube and creating an axis down the center, and then tracing the axis of each tube. Do you know of a way to do something similar using CoCreate?
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Old 01-21-2009, 12:51 PM
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Re: Create 3D Sketch

You might want to look in Help/On Topics and search for "catch" to learn about Catch modes (CoCreate term for snap mode).

You can catch the center or circular elements or straight edges by changing the catch mode to center or using Ctrl-Shift-LeftMouseButton.

You should be able to catch 2D elements in work planes when creating 3D lines, so if you create workplanes at ends of the tubes you should be able to catch points in them. You might want to check out the Contour menu and the Project options. These can be used to project 3D elements into a workplane. With these you should be able to create geometry in the workplanes to define the center points of your tubes.
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