Representing Expanded Metal on a surface.

[cfee]

I have a cage I want to bound with expanded metal.

In ACAD, I'd set a UCS at the surface for the expanded metal, and b-hatch the closed region. The results were always excellent, especially as the flat hatch was nearly "free" in terms of file size, and I could apply a thickness if I "needed" 3D (still nearly "free").

How would I represent expanded metal on a side in S.E.?

Do I have to choose between doing without and too much detail?

Tks-
C. Fee
Fairly new user

 

[PatCouture]

One way to do it, is by applying a surface textures on the part, but it only represent it in the part or assembly files not in the draft, except if you do a render.

Patrick

 

[cfee]

Pat-
Thanks for your post. I have used this approach before, even in ACAD, where the ability to build an expanded metal surface is available, but I was hoping for a construction method that would allow me to model the expanded metal or a reasonable approximation, that would extend into draft.

I've noticed a number of representations native to ACAD that just aren't available in other programs. This one is important enough that I'll even consider modeling the shape(S) in ACAD and porting in. I'd rather not have to tho.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks-
C.Fee

 

[kjoiner]

C.Fee

If you want to model the expanded metal surface, you can create a diamond shaped cutout and then use the pattern tool to pattern the cutout and model the expanded metal. This will tend to load up the model since so many features are being created but it will work.
If you are working with a sheet metal part that has bends, you can unbend the part, add the cutouts, then re-bend the part. You may already know this but I thought I would offer the idea in case you run into that situation.

Kyle

 

[cfee]

Kjoiner-
Thanks for your input.

Yeah, that's what I expected. Oh well. I'm still looking for a better solution, but looks like I'm stuck, and its over something as simple as the most common of materials!

Thanks guys(?). I'll post here if I come up with anything better.

In the mean time, I'm still looking... any suggestions?

Thanks again,
C. Fee

 

[kjoiner]

C. Fee

I just loaded version 15 on my machine so I can't say for sure, but I seem to recall that you can now show sketches from the model in the draft views. If that's the case, then you can sketch the diamond pattern on the surface and it will show up in the draft file. The next time I'm working in SE, I'll give it a try. Modelling the cutouts using patterns is pretty much the way most mid-range solid modeling packages will handle this task.

Kyle

 

[PatCouture]

Yeah you are right Kjoiner, you can show your sketch in the draft I didn't thought about it but it could be a solution.

Patrick

 

[cfee]

Kyle & Pat-
Sounds GREAT! I'll look into that approach.

Sounds very similar to one of the ways we've routinely done it in ACAD in the past. Another in ACAD was to just add it in the draft view by b-hatching in place. A reasonable (quick, easy, and system-resources cheap) method, but the preferred method in ACAD is the 2-D region approach available as a surface in the model.

Anyway, I plan to look into the "sketch" approach on monday. Is there an arcane tab or setting I need to know about in order to display a sketch from the model in a draft view?

Thanks-
C. Fee

 

[PatCouture]

C. Fee

When you put your draft view in the draft, if you want to show the sketches you go in the properties of the draft view, click on the tap "display" and there is an icon in the middle right under the Annotations tab who is called parts list options, you click on it and then you have to click on list sketches. and then you can select the sketches you want to show in the tree.

Good luck

Patrick

 

[cfee]

Patrick-
Thanks! I'll check it out.
C. Fee

 

[cfee]

Patrick-
Sounds like a decent approach.

However, I was looking for a light-weight method of representing expended metal in a 3D model that would port to the draft of the part. Oh well. If I'm just going to show a region covered with sketch pattern, the more appropriate method would be to hatch in-view on the draft view.

In ACAD, I'd just hatch the 3D surface. It would then be a part of the 3D model. If I wanted it to extend to the projected draft view, I'd give it a minimal positive (non-zero) depth value, and everything would come through just fine, with a couple of extra steps, taking advantage of the benefits mentioned. The _added_ benefit would be that the expanded metal surface would be nearly "free" in terms of model size. And this isn't even "Inventor". I'm just talking about basic ACAD 3D.

Thanks for your help.
C. Fee

 

[PatCouture]

Yeah I know exactly what you want to do and I don't really see an easy and effective way to do it, maybe this could be a good enhancement request

Patrick

 

[hocan]

In your post you talk about applying a thickness to your ACAD expanded metal hatch pattern. How do you do this?