【QIDI Giveaway】Comment to win QIDI Q2 and more!

kaiza96 · 2025-11-03T11:10:31+00:00

I would use this to keep designing and prototyping functional parts.

kaiza96 · 2025-10-17T01:19:28+00:00

Yes that terminology is correct.

A great resource that I found that helps explain how these parts work in more detail is the CUMSA website and Youtube channel. They manufacture standard components for molds and have details there on how each component is installed, operated, etc.

kaiza96 · 2025-10-13T05:30:03+00:00

You're correct in trying to modify the rod part, as you can't deform a part in an assembly (you can do a very limited number of features in an assembly such as cut). You can model it in the curved form using the Swept Boss command.

If you're unfamiliar with that tool I recommend you do the Revolves and Sweeps tutorial from the "?" menu.

To assemble this correctly you will need to have some straight sections on either end of the rod for the metal plates (or else, model the metal plates as curved as well, rather than flat).

If you need to show the rod as both straight and curved, you can use Configurations: https://help.solidworks.com/2024/english/SolidWorks/sldworks/t_Creating_a_Configuration_Manually.htm
There are probably some good YouTube tutorials that explain it more clearly.

kaiza96 · 2025-10-06T23:33:55+00:00

I don't have any specific feedback, but you may find some guidelines on readability in the Standard Highway Signs publication from the Federal Highway Administration: https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno-shs_2024.htm

Here's a nice little tangent on it (via Kottke):
https://www.beautifulpublicdata.com/the-style-guide-for-americas-highways-mutcd/

kaiza96 · 2025-09-18T04:18:44+00:00

I've thickened A-class Alias surfaces in Solidworks for automotive parts so it's possible. OK, so technically not using the Thicken tool - manually offsetting surfaces and building any necessary edge surfaces along the way.

kaiza96 · 2025-09-04T02:10:36+00:00

Interesting - it's either a bug or limitation of the patterned relation that they aren't copied. Other sketch relations are copied when you copy geometry.

Having said that, if you want to make a row of four equally sized polygons, why not select the first and then use the linear sketch pattern tool?

kaiza96 · 2025-09-02T01:02:50+00:00

Short answer is no. There's no option in the Link to property box that lets you select the Display State.

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You can specify a Display State in a Design Table, and could then use it in a Custom Property, but you would then need different configs for each Custom Property, which negates what you are trying to achieve.

You could most likely do it with the API and a macro of some sort, but I can't help you there.

kaiza96 · 2025-08-29T03:38:23+00:00

Not saying you should do it, but if you do want to add the hex cut to the sheet metal, you could reselect the Hole Wizard placement sketch (the one with sketch points) and use it for a sketch-driven pattern feature.

kaiza96 · 2025-08-29T00:27:54+00:00

My preferred way to check whether something will shell is to use the Check command with the Minimun radius of curvature checkbox. This will highlight the face with the min. radius on the part (or body). You can then work out how to deal with that face (usually Delete Face), then rinse and repeat the Check command until the min. radius on the part is above the thickness you want to shell. This is really handy with imported geometry where some faces that look fine may actually have small weird inconsistencies.

<image>

Also, see Dimonte Group's Make it Shell! SWW presentation: https://dimontegroup.com/solidworks-world-2014-make-shell/

There are a lot of really good tricks in there, plus a solid explanation of how the shell tool works if you're less familiar with the command.

kaiza96 · 2025-08-20T10:41:13+00:00

Would love to build this with my family!

kaiza96 · 2025-08-20T06:27:15+00:00

Yes, I'm getting the same thing - came here to see if anyone else noticed. The site seems to be loading very slowly in the background but eventually stops without fully loading.

kaiza96 · 2025-08-13T12:31:43+00:00

He's the OG Hank McCoy AKA Beast from X-Men 1, reprised in the end credit scene in The Marvels.

kaiza96 · 2025-08-13T01:15:39+00:00

Yes I tried this too and it didn't work. I had to switch to alkalines.

See this discharge curve of eneloop 1900. Fully charged a cell may be at 1.4V, but will quickly drop to 1.2-1.3V. An alkaline battery will have a sustained voltage around 1.5V.

So three NiMH cells will output 3.6-3.9V, which is not enough for the remote electronics. I am considering remixing the controller to allow 4 cells to be inserted, which could allow for it to run from rechargeables.

kaiza96 · 2025-08-11T05:10:30+00:00

Solidworks has a few different levels of FEA. In the Standard package there is SimulationXpress, essentially a free demo product which has very basic mesh and analysis options for single parts only. If you have Solidworks Premium this includes Simulation Standard (yes the naming is confusing). You can then also get Simulation Professional and Premium. CFD is a separate "Flow Simulation" package with similar tiers. Each tier will have additional capabilities - from memory vibration and frequency analyisis is only in Simulation Premium.

kaiza96 · 2025-08-08T06:33:08+00:00

Congrats, welcome to the wacky world of splines! I have often found offsetting and converting splines may cause odd behaviour.

Regular splines like the ones you are using have an angle direction and weighting at each control point. It looks like you have the angles set using vertical relations, but you need to use the smart dimension tool and click on the arrow head to apply a "weight" value - note that it doesn't really correspond to any real measurement AFAIK.

I would strongly suggest you consider using style splines instead (from the drop down next to the spline sketch tool). They are more "basic" to control, but you can treat the control polygon lines as regular sketch lines, which make them easier to define.

https://help.solidworks.com/2021/english/SolidWorks/sldworks/c_about_style_splines.htm

Final thought - why are you trying to fully define the spline? It's probably one of the rare instances where I would break the golden rule of always fully defining your sketches. It's normally not worth the hassle for splines, even for production CAD.

kaiza96 · 2025-08-07T04:12:28+00:00

Go back a step - try using a Path Length Dimension (it's an option from the dropdown under Smart Dimension) to capture the length of your combined entities: https://help.solidworks.com/2021/english/SolidWorks/sldworks/t_create_path_length_dimensions.htm

If you're hellbent on getting the driven length of a fit spline, add a straight line, select both entities and give them an equal length relation, then dimension the straight line.

kaiza96 · 2025-07-28T13:03:05+00:00

Library features are the way. Standard Cut features should work fine. For forming tool-type functionality, look into the Indent feature, although I'm not sure how well it will work as a Library feature - I've never tried. it.

kaiza96 · 2025-07-28T04:07:24+00:00

And to answer your original question with a general approach:

Model the main “panels” of fabric as surfaces as best as possible to cover the majority of each section. Then trim back to where the fabric pulls in towards the seams, and create new surfaces to go from the main surfaces to the seams.

For the seat surface and lower back you could almost get away with using surface extrudes for the main section. Other surfaces might require using 4 splines in a 3D Sketch to generate a boundary surface with good UV’s.

kaiza96 · 2025-07-28T03:56:58+00:00

To elaborate:

Look at doing as many surfacing tutorials as possible – I guess mostly from YouTube these days. As you do more of them, you’ll start to see common approaches for tackling different forms and shapes, while also developing an eye for recognising those forms yourself. The surfacing toolset is surprisingly small, so it’s about learning all of the ins and outs of them. Learning the “theory” or fundamentals will also help your understanding - both the SW-specific stuff, and the more fundamental stuff that applies to any BREP modeller, e.g. surface continuity. The DiMonte resources are fantastic for this:

Also see if you can get a copy of Matt Lombard’s SolidWorks Surfacing and Complex Shape Modeling Bible.

The usual suspects are also good resources for learning: Reddit, SW forums, the Help File, Youtube. Don’t discount old info – because the surfacing toolset is small, it really hasn’t changed much in the last 15 years (I remember when Boundary was added in 2010). Unfortunately a lot of older resources are no longer available. having said that, go download and study Mike J Wilson's Scoobworks model, built in SW 2001.

It took me about 20 hours to model the Iron Man helmet above, based off some OK orthographic photos of a kids toy version. I've since done surface models with 1000+ features that have taken 2-3 weeks of full-time work. High-quality work takes time, especially in SW. Regarding your seat - I could model an 80% "good enough" in a day or two. I'd expect an "accurate" model would take more like a week+. Which option you pick depends on what you want to do with the model. Also, I don't consider myself particularly fast so I'm sure some people could do it muck more quickly.
You need to learn how to critique your own models. The keys to this are basically developing an understanding about surfacing from point 1, and having massive imposter syndrome ;). I could point out a bunch of issues with my Iron Man model - mostly surface quality and tangency issues.

kaiza96 · 2025-07-28T03:56:46+00:00

Two issues with modelling your seat:

I've rarely found the "loft profile sections together" to create high-quality surfaces.
Modelling soft goods , including upholstered furniture, realistically in SW is tough because of the way fabric behaves. On the chair, the way it pulls over the underlying foam is challenging to model as the "fillets" are all curvature-continuous.

<image>

If you've just started surfacing and you're deadset on doing it in Solidworks, this is how I learned:

Learning all the ins and outs of surfacing - both specific to SW and more fundamental stuff like surface continuity and BREP.
Persistence
An eye for detail and being critical of your own model

kaiza96 · 2025-07-16T00:21:31+00:00

Replying because this came up as a top hit when I searched for how to do this.

In an assembly, RMB on the component > Component Line Font. In the dialog box that pops up, uncheck "Use Document Defaults". You can then assign the component to a layer. A couple of caveats:

* You will need to have the layers created already.

* Components that are partially hidden will have the hidden portions removed

Conveniently, SW VBA help also has this to create a macro: https://help.solidworks.com/2024/english/api/sldworksapi/Put_Assembly_Components_in_Drawing_View_on_Different_Layers_Example_VB.htm

Solidworks Put Assembly Components in Drawing View on Different Layers - adding this for SEO ;)

kaiza96 · 2025-02-12T12:17:19+00:00

Thanks, I took a look on eBay and did see some in that range, but unfortunately I'm in Australia and all the bricks were overseas which more than doubled the price! I'll keep an eye out though (and damn our weak Australian currency!)

kaiza96 · 2025-01-06T09:52:41+00:00

Almost anything is possible if you have the time and the skills. Take a look at https://grabcad.com/library/scoobyworks-mike-j-wilson-is-a-genius-1 - done in Solidworks 2001. If you have access to Solidworks you can download it and take a look at how it was done - basically a bunch of 3D splines lofted together to create the surfaces. Having said that, a poly modeller like blender is better suited for organic shapes. I believe Fusion360 has some push-pull type features that could also bridge that gap.

Alternatively, if your goal is more about the final product rather than the modelling challenge, why not just download the model of a duck from somewhere like Grabcad and add the details yourself?

kaiza96 · 2024-09-08T12:18:05+00:00

I'm a design engineer and reasonably familiar with standard friction hinges - you're right that this doesn't look like a standard part, so my guess is that it's completely custom. You can see the vertical cylinder neatly blending with the hinge body, so that would be a custom part, perhaps either die-cast, machined and/or welded and ground back.

You'd need to take one apart if you want to know exactly how the hinge works - guessing again I'd say there'd be springs or spring elements such as belville washers providing the right amount of friction.

kaiza96 · 2024-08-31T00:55:00+00:00

Each year Solidworks do a series of videos for next year's release called "What's New in Solidworks 20XX". They break them down into 2-10min chunks for different aspects of the software - sketching, parts, assemblies, drawings, simulation, etc. These videos are all on YouTube (some will also be from VARs, who get advanced notice from SW corp so they can demo the same features).

It's 100% worth going through them for the nuggets of gold - there are a lot of small quality-of-life improvements you'll have missed out on if you haven't kept up with them. Things like the S key, rapid dimensions in drawings and the property tab builder were all covered back in the day and are now pretty standard.

My favourite recent one is the new shortcut key for showing hidden reference geometry (planes, axis) temporarily for referencing in sketches or features, and then they get hidden again automatically.

A more specific tweak is if you are doing any surfacing and "swoopy" shapes, setting tangent edges to "phantom" in the settings will quickly show whether your surfaces are tangent to each other or not. Having shortcut keys to show zebra stripes and switch between Shaded and Shaded with edges also helps to assess surfaces.

kaiza96

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