Hi everybody,
Thought I'd share this method I've been using for a while to better control rotating elements in a family. Have any of you used it yourself, or tried it before?
Reference lines are important to use when modeling rotating elements. They actually have fixed points, unlike reference planes. This allows one to better set up parametric points of rotation that actually work. Typically only one reference line is used, but have you ever tried using more than one? Generally, constraints will fail if dimensions are placed between two reference lines. Automatic Sketch Dimensions are constantly being formed between two reference lines if they are on the same work plane. This makes making more complex rotational elements difficult.
In comes "Edit Work Plane". The first reference line controlling the point of rotation becomes the 'leader'. All other reference lines at this point become 'followers'. Reference lines can modified to sit on the work plane of a reference line. This removes many issues with constraints between multiple reference lines, as now ASDs are made with relation to their edited work plane, not any other work plane. Ever tried to constrain two lines (symbolic, model, reference) to the same point that share the same work plane? Constraints fail, and neither point will stay where it was constrained. I've been using this technique for a while now to some pretty good success, and the options it has opened up to certain family categories is immense.
Please see the attached family for an example of something that would typically be really difficult to model conventionally.
Thought I'd share this method I've been using for a while to better control rotating elements in a family. Have any of you used it yourself, or tried it before?
Reference lines are important to use when modeling rotating elements. They actually have fixed points, unlike reference planes. This allows one to better set up parametric points of rotation that actually work. Typically only one reference line is used, but have you ever tried using more than one? Generally, constraints will fail if dimensions are placed between two reference lines. Automatic Sketch Dimensions are constantly being formed between two reference lines if they are on the same work plane. This makes making more complex rotational elements difficult.
In comes "Edit Work Plane". The first reference line controlling the point of rotation becomes the 'leader'. All other reference lines at this point become 'followers'. Reference lines can modified to sit on the work plane of a reference line. This removes many issues with constraints between multiple reference lines, as now ASDs are made with relation to their edited work plane, not any other work plane. Ever tried to constrain two lines (symbolic, model, reference) to the same point that share the same work plane? Constraints fail, and neither point will stay where it was constrained. I've been using this technique for a while now to some pretty good success, and the options it has opened up to certain family categories is immense.
Please see the attached family for an example of something that would typically be really difficult to model conventionally.
Attached Files
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