AnsweredAssumed Answered

Can not select vertices/points in profile sketch for alignment

Question asked by Joseph Crowell on Aug 25, 2013
Latest reply on Aug 27, 2013 by Joseph Crowell

Like • Show 0 Likes0
Comment • 9

In the edit weldment interface, on a rare occasion, when I switch between "groups" of weldment, and click "locate profile," and not move the "camera" at all, I can then select a point and click on the "alignment" box and it works.

However, this does not always work. And I cannot figure out why I essentially can't select points.

I have tried the "filter vertices" option and it does nothing,

And it also will allow me to select lines, even with the filter vertices option. This is confusing.

I read something about video drivers being an issue, so I updated them but nothing changed.

I have a Lenovo W530 with a K2000 video card

Joseph Crowell Aug 27, 2013 2:00 PM

Correct Answer

Regarding my point selection issue,

I've found out that when (often) I can't select points, I can just move the camera a bit then click Locate Profile until it lets me. I still have some rather unique bug, it seems; but at least I have a quickly repeatable workaround for it, now.

Philip Lewis,

I see that I have been using the Alignment box incorrectly, now. Thanks. I thought it was the box that changes the "point" that the path "pierces" the profile sketch. What you showed makes so much more sense.

See the reply in context

No one else had this question

Outcomes

9 Replies

Brandon Morris Aug 26, 2013 11:22 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
i ran into this when i first made my weldment profiles. you have to make sure there are physical points in the weldment sketch itself. solid line midpoints and centerline midpoints dont register. go into your weldment sketch and add points where you want them
Like • Show 1 Like1
Actions
- Joseph Crowell @ Brandon Morris on Aug 26, 2013 9:51 PM
  Mark Correct
  Correct Answer
  I can't select manually inserted points either. When my mouse hovers over them, the entire drawing gets hi-lighted. When I click on them, the program just seems to struggle. It flips the profile around into seemingly random orientations for a few seconds then sometimes gives me something confusing, like in the 1st image. And sometimes it struggles for a few seconds then just gives me an error. But for the most part, whenever I hover over a manually inserted "point," I get what you see in the 2nd image. When I hover over a vertex, the program hilights any line attached to the vertex but never the vertex (except in the case where I switch between "groups" and hit "locate profile and it magically works sometimes, but I cant move the camera or I stop being able to select points/vertices.
  
  It's a pretty crippling bug. I essentialy cant use the weldment alignment feature without using black magic on the software.
  Like • Show 0 Likes0
  Actions
  - Philip Lewis @ Joseph Crowell on Aug 27, 2013 10:02 AM
    Mark Correct
    Correct Answer
    Are you trying to locate the profile or align it. I only ask because in the first screen shot there is a line from the profile sketch in the alignment box and in the second it looks like the alignment box is active.
    Like • Show 0 Likes0
    Actions
  - Philip Lewis @ Joseph Crowell on Aug 27, 2013 10:46 AM
    Mark Correct
    Correct Answer
    OK, I re-read your initial post. It looks like you are doing both. I usually use one or the other for general weldment member orientation. I use the angle (above the locate profile button) to orient my members. I only use alignment when I need the member to be in aligned to a previously existing structural member or sketch. I don't think the sketch selected in the first screen grab for alignment would work. It seems like it would be trying to align the member to its own sketch.
    
    As far as locating the profile goes, I can zoom and rotate and still select a point for location. If you can't it may be something with your installation. What version of solidworks are you using? I'm on 2013 Sp4.
    Like • Show 0 Likes0
    Actions
Glenn Schroeder Aug 27, 2013 11:24 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
Welcome to the forum. I agree with Philip. I use the Structural Shape function often, and I've never used the Alignment box. Have you tried orienting your profile using only the angle and the "Locate Profile" button?
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
- Joseph Crowell @ Glenn Schroeder on Aug 27, 2013 1:08 PM
  Mark Correct
  Correct Answer
  In the first picture, I don't understand why there is a "line" listed in the Alignment box. It also has the profile sketch essentially pointing backward compared to the shape that it is showing me. It randomly decided to give it that orientation after about 3 seconds of flip-flopping the sketch around while acting buggy and "laggy." This happens whenever I click almost anywhere on a profile sketch with the Alignment box hi-lighted.
  
  The alignment box is supposed to allow me to define a pierce "point" right?
  
  I am simply unable to click on any pierce "points" like vertices, endpoints, manually-inserted points, points of any nature. Hovering the mouse over points results in either the whole sketch being hi-lighted or just one line that's connected to the point being hi-lighted.
  
  Except when I use the little black-magic "trick" where I switch between "groups" of weldment, click locate profile and don't move the camera in the slightest, it will allow me to hi-light and select points normally but only about half the time. In the case that it works, I can select a point then click the Alignment box and it works.
  
  I think that theres a good possibility that I have a hardware issue or some other factor outside of SolidWorks that is creating this situation, but maybe not. I am new to the software and I can't troubleshoot this problem very well at all.
  
  I don't know what version of SolidWorks I have. It is the Student Design Kit downloaded around May 2013.
  I have a Lenovo W530 with a K2000 video card with latest drivers, Windows 7 Pro 64bit. This is the first real strangeness that I have encountered with this computer so far.
  Like • Show 0 Likes0
  Actions
  - Philip Lewis @ Joseph Crowell on Aug 27, 2013 1:33 PM
    Mark Correct
    Correct Answer
    I am not quite sure what you mean by pierce point but I used weldments for years and didn't use the alignment box. The first time I needed it was for the CSWP-Weldments practice exam. As long as you want your structural member to follow the sketch line then you will probably never use the alignment selection box.
    
    I have used nothing more than the locate profile button and the angle to align the profile below. After selecting the lines all I did was hit locate profile, select a point on the profile sketch, and then change the angle.
    
    An example of using the alignment box might be something like this:
    I chose the edge on the miter to tell the orientation.
    Like • Show 1 Like1
    Actions
    - Joseph Crowell @ Philip Lewis on Aug 27, 2013 2:00 PM
      Unmark Correct
      Correct Answer
      Regarding my point selection issue,
      
      I've found out that when (often) I can't select points, I can just move the camera a bit then click Locate Profile until it lets me. I still have some rather unique bug, it seems; but at least I have a quickly repeatable workaround for it, now.
      
      Philip Lewis,
      
      I see that I have been using the Alignment box incorrectly, now. Thanks. I thought it was the box that changes the "point" that the path "pierces" the profile sketch. What you showed makes so much more sense.
      Like • Show 0 Likes0
      Actions
  - Glenn Schroeder @ Joseph Crowell on Aug 27, 2013 1:38 PM
    Mark Correct
    Correct Answer
    Joseph Crowell wrote:
    
    The alignment box is supposed to allow me to define a pierce "point" right?
    
    No. That's what the "Locate Profile" button is for.
    Like • Show 1 Like1
    Actions

Can not select vertices/points in profile sketch for alignment

Outcomes

Related Content

Recommended Content