Mirror a Weldment Profile

[TateJ]

I'm using the WELDMENT feature to make a weatherstrip seal around a cabinet door. The sketch that drives the "sweep" is in context (in my assembly part). I made the custom profile feature & is works fine. but how do I get the profile sketch to MIRROR in my part? all I can do by locating it is to rotate it. This is making me crazier!

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​

 

[TateJ]

So I made a second weldment profile - mirrored. This is an acceptable work-arond for now... Should I make an ER for this?

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​

 

[J-C]

Yes....this urgently needs an ER. Need the ability to flip the profile.

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2006 SP5.0 on WinXP SP2
SolidWorks 2007 SP2.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[SolidAir]

Another method to "mirror" a profile is to make the path go in the opposite direction.

And yes summit an ER, I have done so twice.

SA

 

[StefanHamminga]

Same here, I submitted this (I think) for SW2005 allready... Something like a 'flip profile' handle on each segment would be great, that would also speed up creation of symetric frames (by allowing you to skip the mirror body feature).

Stefan Hamminga
EngIT Solutions
CSWP/Mechanical designer/AI student

 

[TateJ]

Another method to "mirror" a profile is to make the path go in the opposite direction.

How do you do that consistently? I can't get it to work every time.

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​

 

[handleman]

This is certainly a pain, and would be a nice feature to add. However, the reason this issue keeps coming up is that people keep using the weldment features for far more than they were intended for - making frames out of standard (symmetric) structural steel shapes. Instead, people use it as a "quickie sweep" type tool. It usually works pretty well (as a pipe wrench will work as a hammer). If SW added all the functionality to weldment structural members that I've seen people wish for they would have to change the name to something different.

 

[TateJ]

It's more than just a "quickie sweep"... I can get the total length of my swept piece in the properties.
...can't do that with just a plain sweep.

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​

 

[StefanHamminga]

I don't agree there, if it were only for simple frames they could have named it 'simple frame creator' and be done with it.

Thing is that the weldment features are a nice way of doing some things that, if done the 'regular' way, where a huge amount of work to say the least... That is why we keep hearing people requesting improvements, because people like how it works.
If people wouldn't care they would just model it like they used to do before weldments were introduced.


Stefan Hamminga
EngIT Solutions
CSWP/Mechanical designer/AI student

 

[TateJ]

Also... not all structural profiles are symmetrical... like a 3x2 angle.

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​

 

[draftsman101]

I think that you need to expand the mirror bodys tab in the mirror box and then select the body you want to mirror. This will create a new piece in the cut list then I think you have to select both bodys in the tree and right click and select combine.

But I could be wrong!!!

 

[TateJ]

I think that you need to expand the mirror bodys tab...

That's another good work-around... No... you're not wrong

Thanks...

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​

 

[J-C]

Maybe this should be submitted as a bug instead.....and its not using it for other stuff that it wasn't intended for.....angles and c channels have this problem. There is no way to easily flip them....that is IMO a bug issue....or rather a critical ommision.

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2006 SP5.0 on WinXP SP2
SolidWorks 2007 SP2.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[handleman]

Symmetric stuff doesn't need "flipping", just rotation and selection of a different anchor point.

 

[edsongebo]

TateJ, Handleman and others...SolidWorks folks need to know this feature has a potential flaw regardless of what it does and how the function is used. They need feedback to make things right for US. Also, if we don't tell them they don't know how to create what we need from the software. It's possible they never thought the weldment feature would be used other than what it was intended to be used for. If you registered and watched the webcast last week you heard John Hirshtick and Rick Chin used the phrase "absurd ideal" throughout whole webcast. They developed the software on just that premise.

Edson Gebo
Mechanical Designer/Drafter
SW2007 SP2.0
Cadra 2006 (yup 2D still exists)
-------------------------------------
Sometimes Success Begins at Failure
-------------------------------------

 

[TateJ]

Your enhancement request has been submitted.

Due to the volume and variety of suggestions, we cannot provide personal responses to each suggestion.

Thank you for your support of SolidWorks. We appreciate your input, and look forward to making SolidWorks products better with your ideas.

I'm guessing this has been ER'd before... but "Oops, I did it again."

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​

 

[edsongebo]

not so...it's a generic response...they get tons of ER's. SolidWorks has a staff that searches thru them. Some get put on the back burner...others (similar ones that get requested a lot) make it to the top of the pile for the next phase of research. They don't have the manpower to act on all requests at once. Some of them just are not worth the effort to spend time on either. But they log ALL requests, complaints, and problems.

Edson Gebo
Mechanical Designer/Drafter
SW2007 SP2.0
Cadra 2006 (yup 2D still exists)
-------------------------------------
Sometimes Success Begins at Failure
-------------------------------------

 

[SolidAir]

TateJ,

My weldments are never very complicated so I do not have the problem you run into.

SA

 

[draftsman101]

I am glad that your weldments aren't very complicated. Look at this project that I am working on. (F.Y.I: Its all a weldment w/ custom shapes)

http://www.mydatabus.com/public/WorkFiles/d/Fusulage.jpg

 

[TateJ]

I think I want YOUR job Draftsman101.

Windows XP / Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 5000
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com

FAQ376​