I created a loft of two semi circles and I want to add texture to the curved part. Both semi circles are different sizes so a wrap wont work. I need to add texture so that the surface is not smooth. How can I go about doing this? I am rather new to complex commands.
Thank you for any help
do you just need to "see" a texture (easy), or do you really need the texture in the 3D geometry (hard)?
Texture in 3D sir. Something like dipples you would see on a golf ball but the dipples must be parallal with the surface and follow the slope of the loft. I see it done all the time but I have never done this before.
Thank you for your time and help
This is difficult for SolidWorks to compute, sometimes impossible.
The only good solution is to use a feature pattern, and try and pattern bodies. Fill pattern and 3D Sketch Pattern both can accomplish what you are looking for, especially if you want to pattern little spheres (either embossed or debossed). Other shapes are much more difficult or impossible.
Can you tell me more about fill pattern?
Fill Pattern is great for this type of thing, but only on flat surfaces. Since yours is curved, you need to use a sketch driven pattern, using a 3D sketch as your Reference sketch (see my following post)
The Fill Pattern feature lets you select an area defined by co-planar faces or a sketch that lies on co-planar faces. The command fills the defined region with a pattern of features or a predefined cut shape.
To create a fill pattern, click Fill Pattern (Features toolbar) or , set the PropertyManager options, and click
.
Parameters control the pattern layout. You can create a sheet metal perforation-style pattern, or a pattern of concentric shapes typically used to enhance aesthetics.
Typical uses include:
| Perforation | Designed for sheet metal perforation patterns.
| |||||||
| Circular Square Polygon | Designed for filling arbitrary areas with a pattern that repeats on a concentric grid. These patterns have similar PropertyManager options:
| |||||||
The predefined cut shapes available are circles , squares
, diamonds
, and polygons
. You can control the parameters for each shape.
If you select a vertex, the shape seed feature is located at the vertex. Otherwise, the seed feature is located at the center of the fill boundary.
| Diamond cut shape. Square pattern using 4 instances per side. No vertex selected. | Same parameters except vertex is selected. |
Contents
Using sketch points within a sketch, you can specify a feature pattern. The seed feature propagates throughout the pattern to each point in the sketch. You can use sketch driven patterns for holes or other feature instances.
To build a sketch driven pattern:
| Depending on what you select as your Reference point, the position of the features you propagate will change. | |
| Origin used as the Reference point | |
| Selected Vertex used as the Reference point | |
You can also alter the relative position of the features you propagate when using a table driven pattern. |
| Multibody part with Body to Pattern and sketch points | Sketch driven pattern applied |
| Geometry pattern | Creates the pattern using only the geometry (faces and edges) of the features, rather than patterning and solving each instance of the features. The Geometry Pattern option speeds up the creation and rebuilding of the pattern. You cannot create geometry patterns of features that have faces merged with the rest of the part. Geometry pattern is not available with Bodies to Pattern. |
| Propagate Visual Properties | Propagates SolidWorks colors, textures, and cosmetic thread data to all pattern instances. |
| Sketch pattern with Centroid as the reference point | Sketch pattern with Selected point as the reference point |
Ok I have looked into using those but dont they only work for flat surfaces?
nope, 3d sketch pattern on cone of box:
Ok well I didnt know I could do that, but once I get the shape I want I do I have it follow a loft? I would like to do a cut in the surface and keep all cuts at the same depth along the loft. Is that possible?
Thank you Mr. Marsman
Mr Dept,
See below and attached. I have modified your model with how to apply this as a sketch pattern.
You Sir are the Awesome!!! I got it to work on my part which is a slight bit different then the one I uploaded but it worked!! Thank you
My name is Carl and thank you everyone for your input and help.
Trying to do this with something other than spheres is where SolidWorks has difficulty. There is no way to set the "normal direction" of the feature, so it cannot "follow" the curvy surface. It will simply pattern itself in the exact orientation that the first feature is. So with a sphere that does not matter, but with any other shape, this will be a problem. There is no way to do this perfectly with other shapes.
Mr Dept,
See below and attached. I have modified your model with how to apply this as a sketch pattern.