SolidWorks Intro Part 3

Dave Touretzky

HEART PUZZLE PIECES:


  1. Start a new part.
  2. Create an Extruded Base on the front plane.
  3. Sketch a rectangle away from the origin.
  4. Dimension the rectangle to be 1 inch high and 1.5 inches wide.
  5. Add a vertical centerline through the midpoints.
  6. Add a horizontal centerline as well.
  7. Add a point at the midpoint of the vertical line: select the point tool, hover over the vertical line until it turns orange, then move the mouse pointer to snap to the yellow midpoint indicator and left click to make the point.
  8. Add a midpoint relation between the point and the horizontal line: click on the point, shift-click on the horizontal line, and select "Midpoint".
  9. Snap the center of the rectangle to the origin. It should turn black.

    Making curves

  10. Select the spline
  11. Start a curve by clicking somewhere in the top left half of the rectangle.
  12. Put the second point below and to the left of the first one; double click to end the curve, or hit escape to exit the curve tool.
    • If not selected, click on the curve to select it.
  13. Play with the control points:
    • The diamond changes the angle of the curve but not the length.
    • The arrowhead changes the length but not the angle.
    • The dot changes both length and angle.
  14. Snap the two endpoints to the vertical centerline.
  15. Adjust the control points to make half a heart shape.
  16. Click on the Mirror Entities tool and mirror the curve to make a heart.

  17. Click on Exit Sketch and set the extrusion depth to 1/8 inch.

  18. Save your file as HeartTile.SLDPRT

    Making puzzle connectors with trim

  19. Edit the sketch again, and go to a Normal View.
  20. Draw a small circle centered slightly outside the right edge of the rectangle, centered on the edge midpoint.
    • To do this, select the circle tool, put the mouse on the right edge (which makes the midpoint visible)
    • Slide it up until you reach the midpoint, then move slightly to the right.
  21. Draw a horizontal centerline connecting the circle to the right edge.
  22. Dimension the circle diameter to 0.2 inches (radius 0.1 inches).
  23. Dimension the centerline to 0.07 inches.
  24. Draw another small circle centered slightly INSIDE the left edge of the rectangle, on its midpoint.
  25. Select the circle, then shift-click to select the other circle.
  26. Add an Equal relation between the two circles.
  27. Draw a horizontal centerline connecting the new circle to the left edge.
    • Note: this will overlap the existing mid-point centerline.
  28. Click on the centerline, which selects the long centerling. Right click and do "Select Other" to get the short one. (The currently selected sketch element is always the last one on the "Select Other" list, so choose the first one.)
  29. Shift-click on the other horizontal centerline.
  30. Add an Equal relation between the two centerlines.
    • Notice that the sketch contains crossed lines (intersecting contours).
  31. Click on Exit Sketch and you'll get an error because of intersecting contours.
  32. Go back in and edit the sketch.
  33. Click on the Trim Entities tool.
  34. Click and drag across the line segments you want to delete, so no lines cross.
  35. Use control-Z to undo if you make a mistake.
  36. The points that mark the edges of the long horizontal centerline are now blue. Click on the left point, shift click on the vertical line above it, and add a Coincident relation; this re-constrains the length of the horizontal centerline. Do the same for the right point. Everything should be black except the heart outline.
  37. Now you have a puzzle piece.
  38. Repeat the same process to add top and bottom connectors to the puzzle piece.
  39. Add a 0.25 inch radius fillet to the corners of the piece.

    Assembly of Pieces


  40. Make a new assembly and insert four heart tiles.
  41. Color two of them red and two yellow.
  42. Mate them together as if they were puzzle pieces.
  43. Save your assembly as HeartMosaic.SLDPRT

    Dealing with Kerf

  44. Go back to the part file.
  45. Do Insert > Face > Move, and set the move type to Offset.
  46. Set the offset value to 0.003 inches.
  47. Click on the innie and outie connector faces.
  48. Click OK to complete the feature.
  49. Save the part.

  50. Go back to the assembly and click on the rebuild button.
  51. Note the overlap in the pieces.
  52. Switch to the Evaluate tab.
  53. Click on "Inteference check", then click on the Calculate button.