Help with understanding Skeletons
Help with understanding Skeletons
(OP)
I've been researching the WEB for information on using skeletons in assemblies and sub-assemblies. I found many blurbs and brief tips, but I don't quite get the full picture.
I have so many questions but maybe someone knows of an online tutorial that shows creation of a simple skeleton and then applying it to an assembly.
I'm confused as to when to use a skeleton and what makes up a skeleton. Is it just for Top Down assembly? or for Bottom up also?
Is a skeleton just a part file with sketches of geometry and planes and axis, etc..that are related in position that represents the intent for the assembly?
Are these skeleton parts then inserted into a new empty assembly and then other modeled parts are inserted and mated to the skeleton sketches? Or am I totally confused?
How do skeletons interact with moving parts in the assembly?
Lets say I have a simple three piece Door Hinge assembly and the intent is to anchor the left half and let the right half swing 180 deg. Is this the correct approach?
1) create a skeleton part with a line representing a fixed location to anchor half the hinge and an axis for the pivot. Insert the skeleton part into a new assembly
2) insert a modeled part of the hinge pin into the assembly and mate it to the skeleton part axis
3) insert the left half of the hinge into the assembly and mate it to the skeleton line
4) insert the right half of the assembly and mate it to the axis
Please somebody straighten me out, I'm sure I got it wrong somewhere...
Sorry for my ignorance on this subject
Tom..
I have so many questions but maybe someone knows of an online tutorial that shows creation of a simple skeleton and then applying it to an assembly.
I'm confused as to when to use a skeleton and what makes up a skeleton. Is it just for Top Down assembly? or for Bottom up also?
Is a skeleton just a part file with sketches of geometry and planes and axis, etc..that are related in position that represents the intent for the assembly?
Are these skeleton parts then inserted into a new empty assembly and then other modeled parts are inserted and mated to the skeleton sketches? Or am I totally confused?
How do skeletons interact with moving parts in the assembly?
Lets say I have a simple three piece Door Hinge assembly and the intent is to anchor the left half and let the right half swing 180 deg. Is this the correct approach?
1) create a skeleton part with a line representing a fixed location to anchor half the hinge and an axis for the pivot. Insert the skeleton part into a new assembly
2) insert a modeled part of the hinge pin into the assembly and mate it to the skeleton part axis
3) insert the left half of the hinge into the assembly and mate it to the skeleton line
4) insert the right half of the assembly and mate it to the axis
Please somebody straighten me out, I'm sure I got it wrong somewhere...
Sorry for my ignorance on this subject
Tom..






RE: Help with understanding Skeletons
Flores
SW06 SP1.0
RE: Help with understanding Skeletons
A skeleton is used at the begining of an assy. It is mainly for use in "Top Down" design, but can also be partially used in "Bottom Up" design.
It can be a part, but usually it is not. The sketches, planes axes, etc, are usually the first features of an assy. Much like the standard reference planes.
SW06 has introduced 2D Blocks which can be manipulated (or animated) to check design intent/limits.
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091
RE: Help with understanding Skeletons
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Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091
RE: Help with understanding Skeletons
Typically, we would get a console model that had mounting points and a desired pivot axis ("environment"). I would start hinge design in the environment by inserting an assembly file, fixed (not mated) with common coordinates. In the assembly file, I would use 2D and 3D sketches to define pivot axes and mounting surfaces w.r.t. environment. Then, I would sketch a hinge profile in the assembly.
Since hinges move, it is important to have a "base position" or "design position" (usually closed and latched position). Base (non-moving) hinge leaf is created in hinge assembly, with profile sketch at top of base leaf feature tree made from converted entities linked to assembly level profile sketch.
For moving parts, I would insert envelope components and have them fixed in design position. All design context is applied only to the envelope component instance of the moving component. At a later point, I insert the moving component as a regular component (not envelope) and mate it w.r.t. the envelope component. Configurations (for open, closed positions) are used to control position of regular component w.r.t. the envelope component.
The advantage to this is that I can change the position of the regular component without changing the context (and dependent definitions). Changes to the assembly skeleton sketch would be reflected in the envelope component locked in design position, then carried through to the regular component that is moveable.
I like to use envelopes instead of regular components for fixed "design position" components because they don't show up in the BOM or in higher-level assemblies.
http://www.EsoxRepublic.com-SolidWorks API VB programming help
RE: Help with understanding Skeletons
TheTick, Thanks for the response, interesting advanced stuff here. All of my SW assemblies to date have been simple bottom up type used mostly for visualization. We don't use BOMs in our dept. Our tool room guys create there own Boms from the drawings we issue, and because most of our progressive die tool designs are designed and built concurrently prints are issued to the floor gradually so they are not bombarded with a huge Bom requirement. Using 2D Autocad, our assembly layouts are very basic we put the fine detail in the individual detail drawings or blocks in one drawing. We are learning how to walk before we run with SolidWorks... So for now SW Assembly files with Boms would be nice but not necessary. Having said that, I am self teaching SW and creating methodologies to expand its use in our Engineering dept. Using skeleton / layout sketches in assemblies may or may not be the best road for me. I need to better understand its advantages or not. I can tell you one thing, just about evert complex prog die we design is unique. No off the shelf components or even families of components. Therefore I'm leaning towards in-context assembly files with SW. I have a lot to learn....thanks for your help
tom