Chapter 27: Working with Surfaces
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FIGURE 27.30 The finished model
Summary
Surface functions have a wide range of uses other than for complex shape parts, but thinking about your models in terms of surface features requires a slightly different approach. Becoming comfort- able with the terminology, and the similarities and differences between solids and surfaces, is the first step toward embracing surfacing tools for everyday work.
You can think of surfaces as being reference geometry — stand-alone faces that you can use to complete various tasks.
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C H A P T E R
Employing Master Model Techniques
IN THIS CHAPTER
Applying Pull functions Applying Push functions Working with master model
techniques tutorial
In this book, the term master model is used to refer to a technique where an entire assembly is laid out or has its major faces constructed in a sin- gle part, and that part is then placed into other files from which the individual parts are created. Master model techniques are usually used in sit- uations that in-context design cannot deal with, or where in-context design is cumbersome.
Master model techniques are a product of four separate features or func- tions that have some similarities and some differences, and rely heavily on the knowledge of parent/child concepts, multiple bodies, and surface func- tions. The four features are Split, Save Bodies, Insert Part, and Insert Into New Part. In turn, these four features can be categorized into Push and Pull type functions.
As an example of a master model technique, consider the mouse model shown in Figure 28.1, which should be familiar by now. The overall shape is modeled as a single part, and is split into several bodies using multibody methods. Then, using these master model techniques, the individual bodies are used to create individual part files where detail features are added.
SolidWorks has four distinct features or functions that do essentially the same thing with subtle but important differences. The functionality of the four tools overlaps significantly, but none is an exact copy of another.
Understanding the concepts of parent and child documents is key to under- standing the concepts behind master model techniques. A parent document is always the driving document — the one that existed first — so changes to the parent propagate down to the child. The child document is always dependent upon the parent. In these master model schemes, it is not always possible to find the child document from the parent, but you can always find the parent from the child.
Part VI: Using Advanced Techniques
FIGURE 28.1 A mouse master model
The concepts of Push and Pull type functions are ones that I developed and you may not find them in other documentation. I found classifying the techniques helpful in understanding which tool was best for various situations. Push simply means that data from the parent document is pushed out to the child and the relationship is defined in the parent document. Pull means that the child document pulls data from the parent and the relationship is defined in the child document.
Here is a quick summary of the four tools that this chapter covers as master model tools:
l Insert Part. Enables you to pull all the solid and surface bodies, sketches, and even fea- tures from an existing part into the current part. Available as a toolbar icon and from the Insert menu.
l Insert Into New Part. Enables you to insert a selection of solid and surface bodies from the current part into a brand new part. Even though it is initiated from the parent docu- ment, it is classified as a Pull function because it doesn’t leave a feature in the parent, but does leave one in the child.
l Split. Enables you to split a single solid body into multiple solid bodies and save (push) each body out to a separate part file. Available as a toolbar icon and a menu entry in the Insert ➪ Features menu. Creates a feature in the FeatureManager of the originating (parent) part file.
Part VI: Using Advanced Techniques
FIGURE 28.2
The Insert Part PropertyManager
You cannot be selective about which bodies are pulled forward, but you can delete unwanted bod- ies once they have all been brought in (using Delete Solid/Surface). If you are trying to handle data efficiently, this may not be the best option for you. Because you have to first bring forward all the bodies and then delete those you don’t want, the body data is still stored inside the part. Remember that the Delete Bodies feature does not actually delete anything. It simply makes it inaccessible after a certain point in the part history. If you are inserting a part with many complex bodies, you may want to use a more selective method such as Insert Into New Part or Save Bodies, each of which I describe in more detail later in this chapter.