1. change the sketch so that the offset is built into the members that you want shorter. 2. create a sketch block that you can insert into the model to do a cut-extrude through the tube at each end.
The reason for avoiding the trim feature is that it is a resource hog. You may not notice it in a small weldment but they add up if the weldments are large.
each of the above have pros and cons. 1. this requires more thought up front and can be a little harder to apply changes (depending on how you do the sketch).
2. this is just basically a manual version of the trim command but way easier on your hardware. this can just take a little bit of time and you may have to make sure you don't cut the wrong thing.
I hope that all of that makes sense. I try and avoid things that will just add bulk to the feature tree as my weldments can get large and complex. I have not tried the gap feature in SW 2009 yet so I can't coment on it. I think that my method will change when we impliment 2009 because you can call up cutlist items in an assembly drawing. This will allow me to avoid the insert part method in my weldments making them much smaller.
What I'm doing is creating a complex frame from Aluminium extrusion. I find the weldment feature easir to control than creating individual lengths of extrusion and adding them into an assembly.
I've created sketches of the profiles of the extrusion and saved them as lib features. I sketch up the profile of the frame and use the weldment tool to create the frame.
When extrusion is connecting to another piece at t right angle, I need to put in an end connector (the extrusion we use doesn't allow us to connect the members flush to each other). The thickness of these end connectors is 15mm. I'd like to be able to trim 15mm away from the surface to allow for insertion of one of these blocks and to make sure my cut lists are correct. I know that when I'm drawing the sketch I could dimension it to be 15mm away from line it will intersect but I'd prefer if I could trim it.
I don't think that the trim command make the file larger but it does take longer for the cpu to process.
If you don't want to use the sketch method you could try and create a sketch block that you keep in the design library that is the 15mm thick. Then you could do your frame as per usual and then create a sketch and insert this block multiple times into it. I don't use this method so I am probably not the best person to explain it.
If you need to use the trim command, try and incude as many members into one trim as posible and that should help speed things up.
Thanks,
John
There are a couple ways to do this.
1. change the sketch so that the offset is built into the members that you want shorter.
2. create a sketch block that you can insert into the model to do a cut-extrude through the tube at each end.
The reason for avoiding the trim feature is that it is a resource hog. You may not notice it in a small weldment but they add up if the weldments are large.
each of the above have pros and cons.
1. this requires more thought up front and can be a little harder to apply changes (depending on how you do the sketch).
2. this is just basically a manual version of the trim command but way easier on your hardware. this can just take a little bit of time and you may have to make sure you don't cut the wrong thing.
I hope that all of that makes sense. I try and avoid things that will just add bulk to the feature tree as my weldments can get large and complex. I have not tried the gap feature in SW 2009 yet so I can't coment on it. I think that my method will change when we impliment 2009 because you can call up cutlist items in an assembly drawing. This will allow me to avoid the insert part method in my weldments making them much smaller.
Lorne
I've created sketches of the profiles of the extrusion and saved them as lib features. I sketch up the profile of the frame and use the weldment tool to create the frame.
When extrusion is connecting to another piece at t right angle, I need to put in an end connector (the extrusion we use doesn't allow us to connect the members flush to each other). The thickness of these end connectors is 15mm. I'd like to be able to trim 15mm away from the surface to allow for insertion of one of these blocks and to make sure my cut lists are correct. I know that when I'm drawing the sketch I could dimension it to be 15mm away from line it will intersect but I'd prefer if I could trim it.
Do the trim commands make the file much larger?
I don't think that the trim command make the file larger but it does take longer for the cpu to process.
If you don't want to use the sketch method you could try and create a sketch block that you keep in the design library that is the 15mm thick. Then you could do your frame as per usual and then create a sketch and insert this block multiple times into it. I don't use this method so I am probably not the best person to explain it.
If you need to use the trim command, try and incude as many members into one trim as posible and that should help speed things up.
Lorne