SolidWorks Tube Trims

[RobbyObby]

I'm having some issues in Solidworks with regards to the tube trimming at mitered joints. No matter what combination of selections (allowing/ not allowing extensions, multiple structural members, etc.), I haven't been able to come up with a proper trim. Have any of you run into this same problem and found an easy workaround? I've never really had this problem before as we've always just used bent tubes, but due to to manufacturing tolerances and pricing, we're trying to use as little bent tubes as possible, hence the mitered joints.
Any help is appreciated.
I'm also using SW 2011-12.

Below is a picture of the issue I'm running into, for clarification. Don't mind the hastiness of the picture, it gets my point across.

http://s17.photobucket.com/alb...ent=JointExample.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b58/r_skater/?action=view&current=JointExample.jpg)

[Kenneth]

Weldments with solidworks is always hit or miss. Try selecting bodies when you make a new group and un-check allow extensions in certain areas when trimming.

[OspreysGoSWOOP]

Pick me! Pick me! I can *totally* answer this one!


Weldment trims in Solidworks are a finicky beast but the beast can be slayed. I learned this first hand when I designed our chassis.

First understand there are really 3 different ways to trim a weldment and they each have pros/cons.

1. Inside the weldment feature itself. Each node in a weldment feature assigns a trim order to intersecting groups. Bring up the trim order window by editing the weldment feature and single clicking on a node.

2. Standard trim/extend weldment tool. It's hit or miss with this one and it usually takes playing around with all the options to get it to work right. IIRC I generally don't like 'allow extensions' and I try to only trim/extend one node at a time per time/extend feature. If you're lucky you can get one or two nodes in, or trim multiple pipes to another pipe but don't count on it.

3. Extrude cut. This is sometimes useful if trim/extend is failing or the CAD model needs a type of trim that extrude cut offers that trim/extend can't do.

I'd love to help you out by looking over your CAD model. Send me a PM with your email address and we can start talking offline.

I'm pretty damn good with this stuff.

Cheers.

[RobbyObby]

Got it!
Instead of trimming the tubes to the intersecting bodies, I trimmed them instead to the faces of the intersecting tubes and that did the trick!