loft problem 1

[Tomso]

I'm trying to make a handle with nice curve(fillet is not good enough), but i'm having trouble with loft. I attached a file of the shape i'm trying to get, but when i try to loft using guides it doesnt work and i have no idea what i did wrong. I'm sure that it cant be that hard to make, its just that i dont know how to do it.

 

[AnnaWood]

Head over to Matt Lomabard's blog and have a look at his many posts on surfacing. I am sure there are some bits of advice that you can use.

http://www.dezignstuff.com/blog/

Cheers,

Anna Wood
SW2008 SP5.0, Windows Vista SP1
IBM ThinkPad T61p, T7800, FX570M, 4 gigs of RAM

http://www.solidmuse.com

http://www.phxswug.com

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Loft sections must be either all closed or all open. The sections (I assume) you are trying to use are mixed; that is not allowed.

Also, some of the end points in the sketches are not correctly constrained, and the 3DSketch2 sketch plane is askew.

 

[Tomso]

Thank you both for answering. CorBlimeyLimey, could you please explain a bit more. I know i'm doing things wrong. As for all closed or opened i know. This scetch is all wrong cause i tried so many times and just left it like that at the end. It is supose to be a knife handle with nice curve(like ark should aply).The first arc works, but the second doesnt and i dont know why. And how do i corectly constrain? Hope i'm not too much of a burdon. I been trying all day, with no luck.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

OK, I am assuming you are trying to loft from the closed profile in 3DSketch2, using 3DSketch6 as the guide curve.

If 3DSketch1 is the basic footprint of the handle, the other sketches need to be constrained to it and the guide curve. If you look at the LH geometry intersection of the 3DSketch2 it does not coincide with the corresponding intersection of 3DSketch1.

3DSketch7 is an open sketch as it consists of only an arc. If you want to use it as a loft profile with 3DSketch2 you need to add a chordal line. Also the arc is not constrained with any of the other geometry. It does not have to be to create the loft, but probably needs to be to create the shape you want.

If you also want to continue the loft along the full length of the guide curve, you don't need to use 3DSketch7, but you would need to create a 'matching' profile at it's end; or change 3DSketch1 to suit. To do that, switch the straight lines to construction, and the construction chord to a solid line.

As for how to constrain geometry, work through the introductory tutorials in the Help section?

 

[Tomso]

Again, thank you for taking your time to help. I'm ashamed to admit that after many tries i still cant get it to work properly. I can loft(if it is opened. I couldnt get it closed), but as soon as i try 3dschecth4 to be a guide it doesnt loft. I really dont know what i'm doing wrong. Constrains(whatever that means), intersections...it beats me. I'm sorry and i know i must look like a complete dumb ass to everyone who is going to read this. Any help is appreciated(again) because i'm stuck.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Sorry Tomso, I don't mean to sound harsh, but if you don't even understand the basic terms being used, then you need to get some training.

Work through the tutorials supplied in the Help section before further help can be given here. Also, download the free samples from

http://www.solidprofessor.com/downloadlms.asp

Find a local SWUG via

http://www.swugn.org/pages/find/directory.html

and seek help from someone there.

 

[Tomso]

No, its okay. I perfectly understand. I'm at a very basic level. Shame there are not many tutorials for SW on the internet(free). As for SWUG, there arent any in my country. That's some of the problem, cause some words i dont understand completely or meaning behind them, since English isn't my first language (like constrains). But again, i would like to thank you for your time and effort to help me out. I know it must be a bit frustrating trying to explain things to someone that just doesn't seem to get it(me). Will try to figure out how to make this handle. Hope i will be suspenseful and learn what i'm doing wrong.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Where are you located?

Actually there are plenty of SW tutorials on the net. Many of them are not relevant to what you currently want, and many are not good quality, but they do exist.

Start with the SolidProfessor samples I listed above.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5XBa9xoKp4&feature=related

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=solidworks+tutorials+free&btnG=Search&meta=

Also check out all the SW blogs.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=solidworks+blogs&btnG=Search&meta=

 

[Tomso]

I'm from Europe, but my country isnt listed. And i wouldn't be such a pain to you before and keep bugging you if this handle wasnt suppose to be finished next week. Not much time to learn how to do it. I did a lot of more strange shapes, but this really showed me how little i know when it comes to surfaces. Gave me a headache for sure
Will check links you posted. Thank you.

 

[rollupswx]

...this handle wasnt suppose to be finished next week

Is this a school assignment?
If not, how much formal training in SolidWorks did your employer provide.
If it is a school assignment your professor should have covered 2D sketching and sketch relations.

 

[Tomso]

No, its not a school assignment.
I'm doing this as a favor for a friend that is a knife designer. I never had problems before, because i didnt need this type of skill. I assumed if there was need, it will be easier. I was wrong. The problem with me is, i dont have means other then internet and i'm self skilled(or better yet not! skilled). The thing is, i did more complicated stuff then this(yes, most were in other program) and thought, yea, i can do that, but i'm missing knowledge on constrains and sketch relations. I did go through the links CorBlimeyLimey provided and i have to say some are very good indeed. Just a shame there arent more exact tutorials to what i need, since i'm short on time. But at least i have some idea now where the problem is. Thank you again CorBlimeyLimey for your help. I just need to learn relations better. i doubt i will finish on time but what can i say, i tried.