Help figuring out angle...

[cp3]

If you take a look at the picture I included, Im trying to get that (light blue) arc to be 18" long, starting from the 45 degree angle coming out, but Im having a really hard time figuring out how to do that. Do you guys have any ideas? Im sure its pretty simple I just cant get it..

Thanks in advance!

 

[vc66]

I'm not sure if I understand, but here goes...

Dimension your 45° angled line from the horizontal black line. Delete the horizontal constraint on the horizontal black line. Dimension the arc-length (select the two end-points of the arc and then the arc itself), and enter 18"...

If i'm not mistaken as to the nature of your problem, that should do the trick.

V

 

[cp3]

Ok, sorry Im really new to this.. So I go to DimXpert right? Which dimension type do I use? Ive never had to dimension anything before..

 

[Waidesworld]

Don't use dimension expert, just regular dimension, then click on the top line, Ctrl-click on the bottom line and then Ctrl-click on the arc itself. Enter 18 as your number and afterwards you can make the top line horizontal.

 

[MikeHalloran]

It doesn't seem to be necessary to delete the constraint.

You're indirectly defining the radius of the circle, apparently.

No, no DimXpert. Just SmartDimension from the Sketch tab.

First, dimension the angle of the line at 45 degrees, by picking the two lines, so that it will really be at 45 degrees. (If you have already dimensioned the length of the line, it will then turn black.) SW will display an angle. If it's not 45 degrees already, just type in 45, and SW will force it to be 45 degrees.

Then, pick the ends of the arc and then the arc itself, as instructed already. SW will display the arc length, with an arc above the number. If it doesn't happen to be what you want, just type in what you _do_ want, and SW will force it, and adjust the arc radius as necessary.







Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[vc66]

It doesn't seem to be necessary to delete the constraint.

I ASSumed he wanted to keep the diameter constant!

V

 

[MikeHalloran]

Since the circle was blue, I ASSumed he was trying to force it to whatever it had to be to maintain the 45 degrees, which he had also not forced, while forcing the arc length to an arbitrary value. Problem statement insufficient; could go either way.


Uh, cp3, the really weird thing about Solidworks is that stuff doesn't necessarily stay where you put it. It stays where you _force_ it to be, with dimensions, mates and constraints.

That's part of its power, in that you don't have to tie things down right away.

There are good reasons for not 'fixing' everything as you create it, but a side effect is that, much later, you may change something that you think is totally unrelated, and everything you've done suddenly changes shape or size, or you get a long string of strange error messages. When that happens, and it will, ... DON'T PANIC.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA