Modeling with Solidworks

[Oli]

Hey all,
We are modeling our chassis with Solidworks and would like to know whether it is possible to plot all points as key points and then extrude the lines between them to make tubes in the one file??

The way we have done it before is to make each tube separately and then construct the frame in a separate file – this can be inaccurate and time consuming.

Has anyone any pointers about how to best go about this?

Oli

[Oli]

Hey all,
We are modeling our chassis with Solidworks and would like to know whether it is possible to plot all points as key points and then extrude the lines between them to make tubes in the one file??

The way we have done it before is to make each tube separately and then construct the frame in a separate file – this can be inaccurate and time consuming.

Has anyone any pointers about how to best go about this?

Oli

[Kevin Hall]

We have always modelled with one part for the bulk of the chassis. Make the major planes of the chassis, and plot points. 3D sketches can then be used as guide curves for thin lofts in between to form the tubes

[Denny Trimble]

Yeah, we use 3D sketches first then draw extruded or swept tubes over them. This is very useful for exporting the 3D sketch into ANSYS as a wireframe model, so you can do a beam element analysis.

Here's an example:
http://students.washington.edu/dennyt/solidworks/frame_example.SLDPRT

In the 3D sketch, I specified the coordinates of each point in the "xyz" boxes on the left, then fixed each point. Then, I drew lines between points. Then, I ctrl-selected a line and its endpoint, and hit the "sketch" button. This automagically starts sketching on a plane at the point and perpendicular to the line. Sketch your circle, extrude up to the vertex at the end of the line, and you've got a tube.

Hope this helps.