Update: Full article describing this challenge can be read here: https://www.engineersrule.com/impossiblemodeling-challenges-part-4-reverse-engineering-surfacing-direct-editing/
Hello SOLIDWORKS Power-Users and welcome to the 8th WPUC!
For eternal glory and 1000 points, provide the best solution to this problem:
1. Download the attached file Eyeglasses-start.x_t
2. Import it in SOLIDWORKS
3. Solve any topological problems
4. Remove all the holes as per these pictures. Do not use sketches or curves!
From:
To:
5. The goal is to get as close as possible to the initial body geometry and topology, before the holes were added. Note that Surface Fill will not get you to the initial topology, since it will change the number of faces and edges.
Please watch this video for more details:
Awards:
1. Win 1000 points for being the first to provide an acceptable solution
2. Win 1000 points by being the first to provide an acceptable solution with the minimum number of features in the tree
3. Win 2000 points and be proclaimed a SOLIDWORKS DEMIGOD by providing an out-of-this-world solution.
Your award will increase by 50% if you attach descriptive comments to all features in the tree. Tell your story, make your checker's life easier and share your knowledge with the Community.
Disclaimer: I would use my judgment to pick "the best" solution. It will be probably subjective, so you should provide as many details as possible about the advantages of your solution.
We will accept entries until Friday, June 9th 2017, at noon.
Thanks to all participants to the 8th WPUC, and many thanks to our sponsors:John Stoltzfus and Dave Bear!
This time, the challenge was to reverse engineer an imported SOLIDWORKS model. Getting as close as possible to the original the geometry and topology of the model, was the key to winning the awards. That meant limiting the use of features that would approximate the shape, like the Fill Surface.
Michael Lord has the merit to be the first one submitting a solution. He used very well the Delete and Patch Face command, to eliminate the holes and heal the surrounding faces. That is one of the best tools for reverse engineering in SOLIDWORKS. He used the Fill Surface to close some of the most complex gaps.
Kevin Pymm's first entry also used Fill Surface in one place. Kevin was the first who took advantage of the model's apparent symmetry, and saved a lot of time, by splitting it in two and working on one half only. His subsequent entries avoided the use of the Fill Surface, but they created many little facets in some areas.
Jaja Jojo's first entry used Fill Surface also.
Roland Schwarz's first entry proposed a model without holes, but also without pockets. The result, an elegant shape, but not the original one.
Paul Salvador submitted several entries, that got refined in time. His first acceptable solution was posted in Jun 6th at 12:13 pm. Very good use of Ruled Surface for recreating the original conditions before the fillets were applied. His solution has 2 more faces than the original model.
Dave Dinius shocked me with his original use of the Move Face command. Initially, it seemed to be a great replacement to the Untrim command. Spectacular!!!
He also helped in revealing bugs in the software. He demonstrated the instability of the Move Face command. Once is edited (with no change) and rebuilt, several features downstream will fail. Please submit the model to your VAR for getting SOLDIWORKS working on solving this problem. Again, a genial idea that would work well once the software gets repaired.
Dave also graciously provided a detailed play-by-play commentary to his model as a forum message. Thanks for that!
Roland Schwarz\s second submission was a sample of a typical work for a power-user who is not afraid to explore the model, by using a sculpting method. Change this, than that, with the ultimate goal to get the job done. He was consequent in using just reverse engineering tools and the end result is a beauty.
I am amazed on how much time Roland dedicated to this challenge. Take a look at the number of features:
101 features!!! Roland, you impressed me again!
Mark Biasotti's second entrance is a master's work of art.
Mark took advantage of most of the tools available in the surfacing toolbox. Take a look at his use of Replace Face!
Mark was also the first to add comments directly on the features. I love the new Comments Folder in SW 2017!!!
Can you imagine how useful having all the designer's thoughts embedded in the most important features of model could be for your team?
Jaja Jojo submitted a new entry on Jun 6th at 7:44 pm. A fairly small tree. He used a Loft and Boundary features for re-creating the fillet, thus adding a certain degree of approximation. To be fair, this is what most of us would use in real-life projects.
Steen Winther submitted a beautiful, elegant solution, fully commented. Only 18 features, which could be reduced to 16. Two extra faces compared to Mark's solution. Great job, Steen!
Krzysztof W. made great use of the Heal Edges command. The result is a great.
Read this, if you need more information about this feature: http://www.javelin-tech.com/blog/2012/03/imported-surface-edge-count/
It is time now to crown our winners!
Thanks to our sponsors, we can award more points than usual.
The hardest to figure out is who submitted the first acceptable solution. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Congratulations to Roland Schwarz for winning 1000 points for the first solution with the best final topology. 101 features, but the fastest to get the job done!!!
Congratulations to Mark Biasotti for winning 3000 points for the best solution, with the smallest number of features, that was fully commented.
Congratulations to Michael Lord for winning 500 points for providing the first entry before the rules were clarified.
Will also award 500 points each to Dave Dinius and Krzysztof W. for original solutions.
Videos to follow.
I have attached a file (SW2015), created by one of my students in the SURFACE MODELING class. You can see what geniuses I get in my classes. His solution (IMHO) is brilliant. What do you think?