Thinking 3D

I got it! After all this time, I think I finally got it, and I’m finally thinking 3D. I’m also finally grasping the concept of design intent. I’m finally thinking in terms of parts and components and how these interact together, and how their interactions may change. I’m finally thinking parametrically! And the best of all is I’m doing all that before I even attempt to begin sketching anything!

And what a difference it makes! Once I add a bit of common sense and a dash of design intent into the mix, the job actually gets easier and even faster. Fully defining sketches has also become much easier. It’s funny, but once my preoccupation about this particular shifted from merely fully defining the sketch to applying dimensions and relations in a way that it responds to change according to my design intent, then everything else seemed to fall into place: fully defining the sketch happened almost naturally.

First of all, I realized that I had to stop and think about what I was trying to model. How is the object manufactured in real life? How is it supposed to work? Will it be assembled together with other parts to create a final product? If so, how is it supposed to interact with those other parts? What is likely to change and what should remain constant throughout those changes?

Second, in order to successfully model a part, I had to “break it down” into smaller pieces that, when put together, would merge and create the shapes and features that  I needed in my solid model. Sort  of like this:

This helps me decide what SolidWorks tools and features I should use to model each of those individual pieces. In this very simplified case, I only needed to use Extrude and Extrude-Cut in order to create this part, but there will be times when other features will do, or I may even discover that I can model it as a surface and then thicken it to a solid.

I also needed to examine the part and envision how it would look like and its position with respect to the three main planes: Top, Front and Right. In other words, what goes where? This would usually also help me decide if l needed to create extra planes, like in the following part, where Plane1 was created at an angle of 135 °.

 

It also helps to center and reference sketches from the origin. It not only makes it easier to fully define the sketch, but it’s also useful when mirroring and creating patterns as well.

Hmmm, I think I’m making lots of progress after all!

Comments

[Brian]

This is a great post for people trying to learn the software, Gabi! And I'm glad that you are progressing so well.

I really like the way you described your thought process. I just wish that everyone approched solid modeling this way!

Brian
http://www.cadfanatic.com/

[Everett Tsosie]

Congrats! This is the 1st instance I ever seen someone mention design intent and the key methods behind it. I know it goes much deeper. Especially, when it relates to sheet metal, gauge sizes, etc.

In like manner, "Configurations", "External References", "Contraints" can envelope and contradict one another. Such issue would also be good to post.