When in part or assembly one can define new parameters or control the existing one from `tools>equations` But when using the drawing workbench this option does not exist. I am trying to draw something and I need to do it parametrically because there is a relation between two dimensions. I would appreciate if you could help me know where I can access the parameters and define equations etc.
There are no parts or assemblies. It is just a drawing. I can't see any feature tree here:
Foad Sojoodi Farimani wrote:
When in part or assembly one can define new parameters or control the existing one from `tools>equations` But when using the drawing workbench this option does not exist. I am trying to draw something and I need to do it parametrically because there is a relation between two dimensions. I would appreciate if you could help me know where I can access the parameters and define equations etc.
Draw everything in your part or assembly file, the SW drawing is basically a reader of the information you insert into the part or assembly file. You can control the model from the drawing "If" you call the driving information, using Insert/Model Items and selecting the dimension option. Then the dimensions will pull in being the same ones as the dimensions in the part file and you will be able to change the dimensions right there, however, that in my mind can be bad practice, depending on the components or assembly, because if that part controls another part you'll need to be sure that the changes you are making are working with the connecting components.
If you really want to do parametric modeling see the attached PDF
a little bit late for that I have already drawn everything in the drawing! I thought like FreeCAD drafting workbench, drawing module is a complete and independent section.
You can always use copy/paste to paste it to a sketch in order to create parts/assemblies. Any relations/dimensions that were in the drawing and weren't bound to the drawing will be brought to your sketch, should save you at least that ammount of work.
Select all the lines in your Drawing, and Ctrl+C. Open a new Part. Select a Plane and open a new sketch. Ctrl+V. That will transfer all the sketch lines from the Drawing to the Part sketch. You'll have much more flexibility in working with the sketch here. When finished you can insert a drawing view of the Part in your Drawing and show the sketch.
I tried the copy and paste option. It messes up the drawing. It becomes unusable. maybe I have to take a drawing from the sketch and then add add all the annotations etc to be sure about the drawing being nicely formatted...
It's never too late to start over, do it correctly for the best results in the end.. SolidWorks is primarily a Modeling Software first and a Drawing Software second. If you just want to draw 2D, draftsight.com would suffice, plus it's free.
I suggest going through the SolidWorks tutorial.
Is parametric 2D drawing possible in Draftsight?
This is the most important difference between ACAD drafting and SW modeling ideologies..
Foad Sojoodi Farimani wrote:
Is parametric 2D drawing possible in Draftsight?
I don't know and I don't care. Why not just do your sketch in a Part file, as everyone has recommended?
sorry?! John Stoltzfus suggested it and I was just asking! I indeed tried the copy and paste in the sketch and reported my issue. next time I will start from there.
I don't think it is to be honest, though I haven't really worked with DraftSight in any other way then a viewer, it looks about the same as AutoCAD which isn't parametric.
Edit: I believe you should stick with SolidWorks and just redo them as parts and assemblies. It might sound like a hefty task at first but you will enjoy having it done that way. It will also be easier to modify and visualize depending on how you designed it and how good you are at reading 2D drawings.
You can always do the tutorial, as Chris Saller stated
Try making a block out of it before copying it, that might help. If it doesn't then I'm afraid your only option is to redo them.
It is very unfortunate that there is no parametric 2D drawing application out there. There have been some issue requests for LibreCAD ages ago with no progress, Inkscape has some workarounds but nothing reliable as far as I know, FreeCAD has parametric 2D drawing but I'm not sure about the annotations and print quality.
Ask yourself this question, how would a parametric 2D drawing work? That should answer to you why there aren't many parametric 2D applications out there.
Parametric in 2D would just be duplicating the workload for the hell of it imo.
Alex Lachance wrote:
... looks about the same as AutoCAD which isn't parametric....
Even vanilla AutoCAD has been parametric 2D for many many years.
What are your really trying to achieve, could you post screen shots or a drawing of what you need. I think our version of parametric and your version of parametric may differ, even with just a 2D drawing you should be able to draw a line and then add a formula in the dimension dialog box.. I'm from "Just a Tad Confused State of Mind"
Well, you learn something new everyday I worked on AutoCAD 2000 for a few years and never seen anything about parametric. How does it work? I'm guessing it works with blocks and you do the linking between both through your parametrics?
This is my AutoCAD
Alex Lachance wrote:
How does it work? I'm guessing it works with blocks and you do the linking between both through your parametrics?
Works the same as in any other software that I have used that uses Parameters. (SolidWorks, Inventor, Creo, Fusion...)
Even though it is 2D, with a bit of clever manipulation you can also use it for kinematics.
Most of SW users happily abandoned ACAD before Parametric Tools became available there.
For Autodesk It was too little too late with this innovation.
Screenshot is not possible due to the confidentiality matter. I'm trying to make a drawing for one of my papers. There are some relationships between some dimensions which are not possible to apply geometrically using conventional "parametric features" of sketch toolbar. What I need is to assign some values as a function of other values in the drawing. for example if there is a line with length D1 and there is D4=F(D1).
Autodesk offers free student licences. I can even install it on my home computer. I'm gonna give it a try. If I want to be honest Autodesk Inventor has great potentials too. Specially regarding the equation driven curves. However it is not that great with very complex parametric modeling though. I had a lot of issues. That's why I cam back to SolidWorks.
Foad Sojoodi Farimani wrote:
However it is not that great with very complex parametric modeling though. ....
Do you have an example?
The drawing shows dimensions. Depending on how you show those dimensions you can double click a dimension that you have set up with an equation and change it and it should change the other dimensions set up with it. In the feature tree you may see the equations that you have set up and be able to get into it there. If not just right click on the drawing view and open the part or assembly and do it there.