4 Replies Latest reply on May 7, 2013 5:07 PM by Bill McEachern

    Dissapearing Tubes

    Ross Taylor
    Ross Taylor May 7, 2013 3:16 PM

      Hi,

      im currently tring to test an FSAE space frame design anf after meshing tubes dissapear with no errors appearing. please could someone tell me where i might be going wrong? I have attached the file. Thanks

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        • Re: Dissapearing Tubes
          Chris Michalski
          Chris Michalski May 7, 2013 3:19 PM (in response to Ross Taylor)

          Have you tried using a finer mesh?  Typically if there is no mesh shown in a given area it means that the mesh has not accurately recreated that portion of the geometry.

            • Re: Dissapearing Tubes
              Ross Taylor
              Ross Taylor May 7, 2013 3:50 PM (in response to Chris Michalski)

              yes i have tryed a finer mesh and this still does not work. I have tryed changing the mesh for just the dissapearing tubes also but they still dissapear

              Thanks for your reply though

                • Re: Dissapearing Tubes
                  Jared Conway
                  Jared Conway May 7, 2013 3:56 PM (in response to Ross Taylor)

                  beam mesh in this case so meshing won't really help

                  this is a modeling issue

                  i can repro in 2013 sp3.0 with a brand new study, cut list updated and joints recalculated

                  it looks like it has to do with the corner treatments

                  i'd see what you can do to make the model more simple (remove corner treatments, don't worry about the beams overlapping..etc) and see if that solves your problem. if it doesn,t remodel the ones that aren't meshing.

                  this would need some tech support to dig into exactly what the cause of failure is for each beam that isn't meshing. (ie, likely a software issue that needs to be reported to a reseller > solidworks)

                   

                  unfortunately this means some work on your end and nothing necessarily wrong that you're doing.

                    • Re: Dissapearing Tubes
                      Bill McEachern
                      Bill McEachern May 7, 2013 5:07 PM (in response to Jared Conway)

                      Gemerally speaking good beam models can be had by using the following techniques but they are evolving over the various releases - they are working pretty well for me:

                      1. Use the structural member command in swx to construct "frames" - structures of connected beams. Ensure all sketch end points intersect if the beams are connected at the sketch end pints.
                      2. do not apply any coner treatments. Do this once you have confirmed that the frame design is good to go.
                      3. To the extent practicable try not to make really short section of beams - like if the two beams intersect but not at an end point but very close to one - can lead to bits of beams dissapearing......it happens less if you follow the above two steps though. happens quite a bit on imported solids converted to beams.....at least it happens quite a bit for me.
                      4. you can not bond a beam end point to a shell or solid when the plane of the bonding surface is in the same plane as the axis of the beam or is tangent to the beam at that point for a curved beam - you need a bit of an angle or add a small plate to make the connection so that the projection of the beam end point onto the surface can be made.
                      5. in mixed mesh with beam - if the beam outer surfaces are coincident with the shell surface they will bond with the global option. I havent tried it using solids and beams as it never comes up - nobody I know stiffens a really thick hunk of skin - they just use concrete.