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IronCAD vs Solidworks Assembly Lesson 23
What is the advantage designing with shapes?
Using shapes eliminates the need to create a sketch and extrude or revolve. If you created each feature individually it is easier to modify directly. Imagine a complex part. Give this concept a try today.
Design of Water Control Valve in Solidworks
IronCAD vs Solidworks
While creating 3D models from drawing is the very best way to learn 3D CAD and maybe some design techniques is does not expose the designer to the design flexibility necessary in product design. IronCAD is all top down due to the single model environment. Creating mating parts is a cruise. But modeling is just one aspect of this well designed productive 3D CAD system.
I like to show step by step lessons So you can see the commands being used.
I always create the part before I watch the Video, so as to not taint my process. Of course, there are a multitude of ways to create a model. There is no right way, just more productive ways. From what I have seen from these very complicated processes done by the Solidworks Presenters, it is not just limited by the 3D CAD system.
Here is the drawing if you would like to follow along.
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We bring up the file and we can see our assembly.
We will only show the mating parts to be used in top down design.
We drag and drop a Sphere into the scene. If you drag and drop with the left button it automatically becomes part of the shape you drag and dropping it on. if you use the right button it gives you the option to make is a feature, a new part or an assembly feature.
Using the Triball we locate the sphere then we size it.
We drag and drop a Cut Extrusion to the top of sphere and size it.
Now we will locate the Triball at the center of sphere and use the inside handles of the Triball to mirror link copy the cut extrusion. Any linked feature will show as purple indicating that if you change one all will be affected.
We drag and drop a Cut Extrude to the center point of top circle.
Now we could size it but just editing the “size box” but will use the mating feature taking advantage of the top-down editing. We will pull the handle while holding down the shift key to recognize the features.
We will pull the bottom handle with the shift button held down to match the top face of the mating part.
We can now hide the mating part. Using the extrude wizard we create a sketching plane on the inside face of the shape and set it to add. We are not concerned about the location of the sketch the extrusion will have handles we can used to set the width later.
We will now create the sketch using StreamLIned Sketching. I project the bottom edge of the shape and create an offset.
I create a vertical line and trim the horizontal like and edit its length.
We create the entities to create the top of the handle.
We trim/ext or delete as necessary.
Now for the bottom of the handle. I know this must be very alien to most of you SW clone users, but this is how “drawing” was done manually. I am sure many of the AutoCAD users can relate.
Now we trim/ext and delete as necessary and we have the complete sketch. Any red dots mean it isn’t completed. I didn’t put in the two blends we will do that in the next step.
We will select okay and pull the extrusion to fit our next step. We instantly notice our hand extends into the other shape. We will fix that after we create the handle.
We will again use the “Extrude Wizard” and create a sketch plane on the top face of the handle and set it to remove. We won’t worry about the extrude length we will adjust it after we extrude it.
Now we will select okay and we have a bit of a mess.
With IronCAD we don’t have worry about design intent. We just move the handle features before the other features and our model is fine.
Now we add the blends.
We add the locking pin. We just drag and drop a cylinder onto the face size it and locate it with the Triball.
We add the blends and chamfer.
We are done with model and no constrained dimensions.
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IronCAD vs Solidworks Assembly Lesson 23
It is very important that you look into how you or your engineers are creating the parts. Streamline Sketching and Feature Based Modeling is easy to learn and implement. It, alone, will increase productivity 10X. Now, IronCAD with its unique integrated history/direct edit functionality can increase your productivity another 5X or more with changes! Again, time is money in engineering.
More on Streamline Sketching and Feature Based Modeling.
3D Modeling Techniques Defined
To experience this increased level of productivity, please download IronCAD for a 30 day evaluation. Legacy data is no problem, IronCAD can read the native files of all of the popular programs. IronCAD is a great replacement for the subscription only Autodesk and PTC products.
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Give me a call if you have any questions. I can set up a skype or gotomeeting to show this part or answer any of your questions on the operation of IronCAD. It truly is the very best conceptual 3D CAD system.
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