1-automate your design with equations 2012

8/13/2019 1-Automate Your Design With Equations 2012

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/1-automate-your-design-with-equations-2012 1/23

Automate your design withequations

Frank Ruepp, Product Manager, DefinitionDassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.



Who is the presenter and how to get thepresentation

Presenter:

Frank Ruepp

Product Definition Team

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



What we will learn today

We will get a general overviewabout top-down design

We will look at the basicequation functionality Assigning a parameter to a

dimension

We will look at the advancedequation functionality in orderto automate your design Linking an external parameter

file

Conditional statements

AND / OR operator

INT function

Suppressing / un-suppressingfeatures

Main Assembly

Sub Assembly

Layout Comp.Sub Assembly

Component 1

Component 2



Working with a Layout Component

A layout component should carryall the basic geometry that isreferenced by other components

Layout components usually shouldnot appear in the BOM

Layout components usually shouldnot have a weight

Layout components can contain

Reference geometry

Sketches

Perform general calculations(equations)

Patterns

― Tip: Delete the body but thepattern is still accepted as derivedpattern reference



Working with a Layout Component

Included geometry Sketches as (external) references

Ref geometry to place components

Feature patterns as the foundationof ‘Feature Driven’ assemblypatterns

Tip: Curve driven pattern

Exclude from BOM option forcomponents

Tip: Delete body so that it doesnot influence the assembly weight

Hide the component

Benefits:

Common placement of components

Concurrent engineering

Only one external referenceTrailer_layout



Basic equation functionality

How to access the equationsfunctionality:

Tools -> Equations

Double-click on dimension andstart to type your equation

RMB on the equations folder (aslong as there is already anequation existing)



Let’s have a look at the equationmanager

Equation manager layout

Different tabs for differenttasks

Equation tab – listing allglobal variables andequations

Dimension tab – listing allparameters used in thecomponent

Ordered view – list theequations in the orderthey are solved

Filter, undo and redo

Automatic rebuild, angularunits and automatic solveorder

Link to external file



Create an equation

Creating an equation:

Tip: Check that ‘Instant3D’ isturned off

Double-click a dimension(300mm)

Type an equal sign – that starts

the equation input Notice that we expand a

dropdown list with additionaloptions

Pick a different dimension (150mm)

Complete your equation byadding the mathematicaloperation (* 2)

Green “OK” arrows in order toaccept this equation

Trailer_layout -> width sketch -> 300 width = 150 height * 2



Can I have a pattern with 8.35instances?

No, you cannot. Pattern instances are rounded

SolidWorks automatically rounds to the nextwhole number

Instance(2) = 100 / 50 -> 2

Instance(2) = 124 / 50 -> 2.48

Instance(3) = 126 / 50 -> 2.52 Or you can use the INT function to get the

integer of a division

Instance(2) = INT(124 / 50) -> 2.48

Instance(2) = INT(126 / 50) -> 2.52

Example from the trailer_layout "D1@tankrestpattern" = int(("TrailerLength" -

1300) / 1000)

Trailer_layout -> INT



Import parameter file

Link an external parameter fileto a component

Equation editor has the optionto:

‘Import…’ an external parameter

file (trailer_spec.txt) Option to ‘Link to file’

This imports the parametersand equations defined in the ‘trailer_specs.txt’ file

‘Link to file’ updates thecomponent when a parameterchanges

Linked parameters cannot beedited

Trailer_tank_vessel -> trailer_specs.txt



Another direct assignment

Create an equation using theEquation Manager and dropdown list

Dimension view tab lists alldimensions

“Diameter@TankSketch”dimension (1800)

Equal sign starts equation input

Smart character recognition

Typing a letter lists all possiblematches (t)

Additional letter narrows downpossible matches (a)

Pick the matching globalvariable (TankDiameter)

Trailer_tank_vessel -> „diameter@Tanksketch“ = „TankDiameter“



Another direct assignment

Create an equation using theEquation Manager

Dimension view tab lists alldimensions

“length@TankSketch” (10000)


Pick the global variable “TrailerLength” from the globalvariables section

Trailer_tank_vessel -> “length@Tanksketch“ = “TrailerLength“



Conditional statement

Conditional statement DimensionValue = IF(ConditionValue > X ,

ThenValue, ElseValue)

Open Equation Editor

“Radius@TankFillet” (250)

Type an equal sign instead of the value (250)and continue to type “if” followed by abracket

Proposal after typing “ta”

Select the global variable “TankDiameter”

And finish the conditional statement:

=IF("TankDiameter" < 1500, 150, 250)

Confirm the equation and

Notice that nothing happens

But it will be soon

Trailer_tank_vessel -> TankDiameter -> Radius@TankFillet



Conditional statement

Legacy syntax: 2012:

DimensionValue = IF(ConditionValue = X , ThenValue,ElseValue)

2011 and earlier:

DimensionValue =IIF

(ConditionValueLike

X , ThenValue,ElseValue)

Trailer_tank_vessel -> TankDiameter -> Radius@TankFillet



Open the parameter file

Open the external file

“TankDiameter” = 1250

Save file

Rebuild button inside of theEquation Manager

Updates global variable

Updates fillet value based onthe conditional statement

###-Trailer



AND / OR in conjunction withconditional statements

Suppress the middle manway if ‘ManwaysNumber = 2 or 1 Additional feature suppression:

“manway2” folder gets suppressed

Equation handles the “OR” case "manway2"= IF("ManwaysNumber“ = 2 OR "ManwaysNumber“ = 1, "suppressed" ,

"unsuppressed" )

This will suppress the ‘manway2’ if ‘ManwaysNumber is either 2 or 1

Trailer_tank_vessel



Now let’s look at the complete assembly

Toggle to the ###-trailerassembly and make somechanges to the parameter file

"TrailerLength" = 5000

"TrailerWidth" = 2000

"TankDiameter" = 1200

"ManwaysNumber" = 1

Next one "TrailerLength" = 7500



"ManwaysNumber" = 2

Another one "TrailerLength" = 10000



"ManwaysNumber" = 3

And a last one “TrailerLength” = 12000

###-Trailer



What else you should know aboutequations..

Link a dimension to a global parameter Double click on a dimension (150)


Typing “test” lets you create globalvariables on the fly

Double click different dimension (150) Equal sign starts equation input

combined with type ahead capabilities(“te” -> “test”)

Double-click on either dimension allowsmodification of global paramter

Layout component



What else you should know aboutequations..

Filter the Equation Manager Automatic solve order

Manual Solve Order

Only possible after “Automaticsolve order” is turned off

Local Undo/Redo

Equation warnings

Tools -> Options -> SystemOptions ->Messages/Errors/Warnings

Automatic rebuild

Configurations



Helping SolidWorks Help You

Submit an Enhancement Request

Turn on the performance logger

Tools-Options-System Options-General… “Enable performanceemail”

Participate in the Beta program

Respond to surveys Host a Product Definition customer visit

Sign up at: www.solidworks.com/usability

Or drop me a business card with ‘visit’ on the back of it

Alpha Testing – Requires NDA

Specification Reviews – Requires NDA

http://www.solidworks.com/usability

http://www.solidworks.com/usability



Now we are at the end …

Hopefully you have learned some new things aboutSolidWorks which help you to speed up your design...

Thanks

1-automate your design with equations 2012

Documents