Update: Added a distinction between solutions with triangular facets and solutions with 4-edge polygonal facets.

Hello SOLIDWORKS Power Users and welcome to the Last SWPUC hosted on this Forum!

It is your opportunity to win over 170,000 points (i.e. all the forum points accumulated by the SWPUC donors) and big-time bragging rights, along with the title of:

"The Ultimate SOLIDWORKS Power-User"!!!

Many thanks to our donors who spent a long time transferring tens of thousands of points (which is a lot of work, considering that there is a maximum of 1000 points/ transaction):

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The challenge is very simple: Approximate a complex shape with a series of planar facets, similar with what the Loft Bend desired functionality in the Sheet Metal Module. 

If we, as a Community put our minds together, we might be able to formulate a pretty good solution that SOLIDWORKS might write it as a tool in a future version. This will be very useful for many designers from various industries.

Challenge:

1. Watch this video (also attached):

2. Download the attached Parasolid file and open it in SOLIDWORKS

3. Formulate a method for creating an approximation of the imported surface, containing only planar faces

Mandatory criteria:

For solutions using only 3 edge facets (triangular facets):

1. Each facet can have its vertices located only on the edges of the imported surface.
2. The facets can be knitted in one surface body with no gaps between facets
3. You can use any tools you want, including API features, as long as the final result is a SOLIDWORKS model that could be edited by the user.
4. If you use macros or API features, the code will be published and "donated" to the SOLIDWORKS Community.

For solutions using 4 edge facets:

1. Each facet can have its vertices located as close as possible to the edges of the imported surface.
2. If the facets were to be thickened outward, the gaps between them would be minimal and there would be no interferences.
3. You can use any tools you want, including API features, as long as the final result is a SOLIDWORKS model that could be edited by the user.
4. If you use macros or API features, the code will be published and "donated" to the SOLIDWORKS Community.

The chances of you winning this competition will increase by considering these goals (not mandatory):

1. Preference will be given to the solutions containing mainly 4-edged facets
2. Modeling efficiency (the user should be able to tesselate any surface fast) 
3. Ability to control the large value of the width of a facets (imagine cutting the facets from 6" wide planks)
4. Ability to control the maximum deviation from the imported surface.

For this challenge we accept teams

For example, if a SOLIDWORKS Power-Surfacer would like to team-up with a API Programmer to propose a joint solution, that would be welcome. You will both receive Power-User Certificates and will split the prize points.

Deadline: The 29th of March, 2021, 12:00 pm ET.

Good luck to all!

Mario Iocco‌, please keep an eye on this discussion.