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How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

(OP)
I have an assembly that was created as a model at 40% scale.  I need to insert this into a different assembly that is 100% scale.  Is there a way in SolidWorks to scale the first assembly by 2.5 times to make it match the scale of the second assembly?

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

You could save the assembly as a part, then perform a scale operation to the part.

If necessary, save the part as an assembly after scaling to regain what you had.  I'd recommend saving your part and new assembly in a different directory, just to keep from messing something up or overwriting a file by accident.

Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reason trumps all.  And awe trumps reason.

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

That's too bad it was created that scale. Models should always be created 1/1 (or 1:1), 100% scale.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 05
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

Why would anyone model something at less than 100%?

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2005 SP5.0 on WinXP SP2
SolidWorks 2006 SP3.0 on WinXP SP2

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

So it would fit on the drawing sheet? tongue

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

1 inch = 2.54 centimeters

1/2.54=0.3937007874015748031496062992126

Is there a problem with units afoot?  Parts modelled to inch values in a centimeter-scaled file?

Imported parts?

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

Quote:

Is there a problem with units afoot?
I assume that was an intended pun? lol

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

The files take up less disk space if you scale them! tongue

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

So, I guess if they were FULL scale they would fill the HD?
shocked

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 05
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

(OP)
Actually, the part in question is both full scale and 40% scale, at the same time.  The part was designed to fit a 40% scale wind tunnel model.  This is a fairly standard automotive practice.  Once the parts are developed in scale (much less expensive to produce, and 40% scale wind tunnels are much cheaper to build and operate)then that same design must be reproduced in full scale to be used on the actual vehicle.  The part in question was designed to fit the scale model, so in that sense it is 100% scale, but now I need to scale it up to fit on the actual vehicle, so it needs to be 2.5x larger.

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

Can you create a DESIGN TABLE in the part?
Thsn scale up each dimension & keep 2 configurations?


Windows 2000 Professional / Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2006 SP02.0 / SpaceBall 4000 FLX
Diet Coke with Lime / Dark Chocolate
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

I think the modelerscaler macro thast CBL posted will dot he trick.

Still, even in this application, I would model everything full scale, then scale the assembly down (Save as Part file first) for the wind tunnel test.

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2005 SP5.0 on WinXP SP2
SolidWorks 2006 SP3.0 on WinXP SP2

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

Have you tried the ModelRescaler macro I suggested in my firat post.

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

I never used the SCALE FEATURE until a minute ago... I don't like it. I can't "get at" the dimensions later... I loose a little functionality.

But I'll put it in my hat for later & see if I have a need to use it.


Windows 2000 Professional / Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2006 SP02.0 / SpaceBall 4000 FLX
Diet Coke with Lime / Dark Chocolate
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

(OP)
I tried the ModelRescaler macro, but it didn't change anything.  I got the dialog box to open, entered my scale and hit "Apply", then the computer thought for a moment, and that was it.  No change to the part. Must have tried it a dozen times, and always the same result.

I wound up just using the Scale function.  It didn't scale the part's distance from the origin, so I had to manually move the part to its proper location, and I think I lose some ability to edit the part, but at least the part is the right size now.

Thanks for all of the help everyone!

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

This is similar to dealing with shrinkage, only bigger. (Just like a real p**** only smaller.)
Design the part the way it should be. That is the real CAD part/assembly. Create a scale configuration and make separate drawings. The real part and the scale model part should never have the same part number anyway, IMHO. All you need do is supress the scale factor for the real item. You can also do this at an assembly level, then join the parts for a monolithic scale model for testing.
Any method you use should be explainable, reproducible, and reliable.

--
Hardie "Crashj" Johnson
SW 2005 SP 4.0 (reluctant to change)
Matrox Millenium G550
AMD Athalon 1.8 GHz 512 Meg RAM

RE: How to Scale an Assembly from 40% to 100%?

gearhead ... what version of SW are you using? That macro was written to work with SW03. It may have to be "tweaked" to work with whatever version you are using. I know for a fact it worked well in the past.

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

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