I work for a company that makes animatronic figures (i.e. robotic puppets). Our electro-mechanical systems have extensive data on the performance of the device, but our pneumatic systems are lacking in this regard. Actually, most of our systems are pneumatic. We would like to be able to detect...
It has been a number of years since this topic was discussed, so I thought it would be worth a new posting.
If a company only needs a seat of SolidWorks for a short-term project, what are their options?
I just checked with a local dealer, and while Dassault systems did offer some short-term...
I am dealing with a very large assembly, which has run into some memory limits in the version of Windows we are using.
I know I can freeze components, such as fasteners by setting a filter in the Hireachy window, and filtering for "screw*" and "washer*", etc, and then freezing them. but, this...
I am having a problem with small items, such as bolts or washers, turning invisible on me when I zoom out to see the entire model. At first I assumed it was related to the tesselation line settings, but the bolt heads have flat faces.
I can zoom in and regnerate the image and generally the...
I am not always certain if a particular failure to do something is my own misunderstanding of the program, or because of my I-Deas installatino being administered by people in another country. Also, my computer is "locked down" for security purposes.
I am having problems creating a macro to...
Is there a way to use a window to select multiple parts or sub-assemblies in an assembly?
It seems the AREA OPTIONS from the right-click menu has settings that allow you to choose between IN and ALL-IN, but when editing an assembly the IN option is ignored, and the ALL-IN option is always how a...
I have an assembly that has a number of hand rails. Each hand rail is mounted with a bracket that is a sub-assembly of its own. Each of the brackets uses about 22 fastener parts.
I should also mention that the company's policy is for fasteners to be at the top level of major assemblies...
I may be imagining this sort of thing, and my search of the internet and McMaster has not turned up anything...
An analogy to this is pouring a skim coat of cement over an irregular floor before you lay tile.
I am mating two machine assemblies, about the size of desks. One of the assemblies is...
I need to put an encoder mid-shaft on some old equipment we are retrofitting. We can't put anything at the end of the shaft. The shaft is about 1 3/4" Dia.
Is there such a thing as a clamp-on timing belt pulley that we can put on without having to dismantle the machine?
I have very vague...
I have a number of brackets and other similar types of shapes which need to be mated to an assembly. I am trying to do this without having to create each mate one-by-one. Smart mates are not viable for this type of part... a bracket.
I already have made copies of the parts (by using CNTL-drag...
We use a lot of connectors from Tyco electronics. Tyco has very detailed 3-d models of their connectors online, and this is what we use for our circuit board assemblies.
However, their models have every tiny internal detail... far more than what is needed for our uses. I expect they are...
I posted about calculating a toe-in angle for an electrical pivoting system for a theatrical set. The set is on casters for general pushing-around. To make the set revolve in the view of the audience, we are installing a pivot point that will lower in the center of the set and lock the set in...
I've been an AutoCAD draftsman and framing designer for over 15 years, generally working under an engineer. At my recommendation, we are likely to purchase Solidworks in the very near future and hope to take advantage of its basic FEA and dynamics.
The engineer I work for is definitely a...
