Greetings all,
I work with a LOT of rectangular mirrors, for which I must create a part slightly larger on three sides. Thus I need a macro that will offset the top and sides (but not the bottom) by 0.75". I would attempt to make this myself, but I am hard-pressed for any time.
Will anybody take pity on an underpaid/overworked drafter?
Hope so,
-Chris Canterbury
You don't need any macro for that. There are several other ways:
1 Make a part mirror template with base sketch and use that. So when you make new pct s, just edit he dimensions
2 Use DriveWorksXpress
3 Configuration Publisher.
We have a dozen engineers, each of whom does things his/her own way. Trying to get all or most of them to do anything the same way (even part templates) would be impossible. I've tried with the drawings, but that went almost nowhere.
The only viable recourse I can see is a handy macro that will add said lines to my sketch. I work on models from all of the engineers, and they are only vaguely similar.
Am I missing something?
-CC
It really bad if they do things on their own. If it would be me, then I would create the required template, put on one common server/place and map everyone's system to that path.
Chris Canterbury:
I work on models from all of the engineers, and they are only vaguely similar.
The macro won't be an easy thing to use in this case.
Daily I wish I was the boss.
I thought that, since I'm adding a boss extrude to the model, a macro for a sketch would be easy. Perhaps I was wrong.
Pity.
Thank you for your insight.
We use several library features. My issue is that our mirrors differ in size by several feet (20" to 118"+). I need to add a boss to the back of every one that is 0.75" from the top and L/R sides. A macro to edit my sketch would be a great timsaver, but it seems non-viable.
Dang.
This is exactly what library features are meant to do. Draw a block. The dimensions don't matter.
Sketch a rectangle on the face of the block. Make it 3/4" from the left right and top.
Extrude it.
Select the second extrude in the feature tree, and then File...Save As...library feature. Give it a name. Now you can drag the library feature from the design library to the face of any size mirror, select a few edges to indicate Left Right and Top and Bottom and the extrude will be made to match the mirror.
If this doesn't sound feasible, you need to provide some additional information or a picture because from your description thus far, library features seem to be a good choice.
I get "Multiple bodies not supported for this feature." and I only have the second extrude selected.
-CC
I would agree with Jim on library feature. Upload 2-3 different samples and we can try to make something.
I'll ask my boss ASAP.
-CC
You could make example dummy files and that doesn't need to have all features or your production files.
I need to get my cat to the vet, but I'll post samples on monday.
Thanks!
-CC
Since I cannot upload a part, I'll offer that a dummy part would simply be a sheet of X by Y and 1/4" thick.
Sorry,
-CC
It seems that the network controls do not permit me to attach files. At least, not solidworks files as they are neither a pic nor a video (tried, doesn't work).
This image is of a mirror and the part I need to add (the border part). The sketches for the oddly shaped bits are contained within those parts; I simply convert them when in the sketch of the border part. The center-ish rectangle can be ignored. Generally, I select the edges and click offset (or the inverse). But that takes several more seconds than I like, and can be a pain with a very large mirror. (Plus my install of swx only usually highlights the selected edge.)
Hope this helps,
-CC
The models are already made; I need to add an extrude to them. Perhaps that's why I get a compile error: can't find project or library.
Thank you nonetheless,
-Chris