Vacuum Cleaner Hose
will
Solidworks?
http://www.bluelakeproducts.com/images/atrix_acc/31661&31671.jpg
I know that you can use a sweep - the outer sketch represents the
ridges and you use that as a guide curve... but this is a bendy long
hose. Is there not an easier way to do this other than spend hours
drawing a load of arcs in a 3D sketch (which are the ridges)?
Please help! I need to figure this out by tomorrow morning.
Thanks.
dev...@semmlerclan.com
You don't! Unless you want to bring SolidWorks to it's knees.
Jerry Steiger
"will" <will_...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:38a68770-0f83-4d3a...@j20g2000hsi.googlegroups.com...
> How on earth do you model a vucuum cleaner hose (with the ridges) in
> Solidworks?
>
> http://www.bluelakeproducts.com/images/atrix_acc/31661&31671.jpg
>
> I know that you can use a sweep - the outer sketch represents the
> ridges and you use that as a guide curve... but this is a bendy long
> hose. Is there not an easier way to do this other than spend hours
> drawing a load of arcs in a 3D sketch (which are the ridges)?
To do it "right" would require that you sweep a helix along the center line
of your long bendy hose. If it works, it will take an incredibly long time
to rebuild. If you just need it to look about right, you could pattern a
simple circular cut along your long bendy center line. This will still
probably be a real resource hog, but not nearly as bad as the helix. Check
out Mike Wilson's Curve Driven Pattern models
http://www.mikejwilson.com/solidworks/solidworks_files-02.htm
Would the PhotoWorks experts know a way to get a nice looking picture? Could
you use a texture?
Jerry Steiger
will
of ridges.
Dale Dunn
70ece5...@1g2000hsl.googlegroups.com:
> Why is sweeping a helix 'right'? - Its not a helix, its just a series
> of ridges.
>
The wire reinforced hoses are helical, I think. Molded plastic ones like
you linked to aren't. The real challenge will be modeling the effects of
bending the tube. Wherever the tube bends (everywhere) the ribs will have
different shapes that you (or the computer) will need to figure out.
No matter how you do this, it's going to be very compute intensive and
slow. If we knew what your end goal was, someone could give more specific
advice. Do you need an accurate model for flow computations, a rendering,
or just something to put on a drawing?
will
mapping this texture to a bendy tube for rendering.
zxys
But,.. wait!? This is a perfect metaphor on how much SW SUCKS!?!?!?
Hmm,... I like it!! 8^)
http://zxys.com/misc/vacuum-hose.jpg
http://zxys.com/misc/vacuum-hose.zip
Dale Dunn
@v67g2000hse.googlegroups.com:
> http://zxys.com/misc/vacuum-hose.zip
Learned something again...I didn't know a curve driven pattern had that
option.
Bo
> Its for a render - but I need to model it as there's no easy way of
> mapping this texture to a bendy tube for rendering.
I've been drawing corrugated tubing in 2D since the 70s and now in
SolidWorks, I only do small segments of straight sections, and leave a
"clear" toroidal section in bends. Otherwise I would never get any
other work done. That's just the way the cookie crumbles.
It would take a specialty add-on program to do bent corrugated tubes,
and my guess is it wouldn't make the developer much money and it would
certainly result in assemblies that would likely cause SolidWorks to
crawl, just like a lot of real splines or helical threads do now.
Bo
will
How would you do this with lines and arcs (not a spline)? Even if i
make a composite curve the pattern won't happen (plus there isn't an
entire face to select as with the spline).
IYM
(sorry) ;)
IYM
"will" <will_...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:38a68770-0f83-4d3a...@j20g2000hsi.googlegroups.com...
Jerry Steiger
news:2ec37abd-ef80-4e5f...@v67g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> It's possible.. and process intensive..
>
> But,.. wait!? This is a perfect metaphor on how much SW SUCKS!?!?!?
>
> Hmm,... I like it!! 8^)
So do I! For a guy who complains about SW so much, you sure can make the
bitch sit up and beg!
Jerry Steiger
Jerry Steiger
> Why is sweeping a helix 'right'? - Its not a helix, its just a series
> of ridges.
My bad. I assumed that they extruded the stuff with a helical die. How do
they make it with individual ridges?
Jerry Steiger
zxys
respect!? (or perfect valentines hint!?)
Anyhow it's one of those models which is fun but there are more real
problems with SW... so, the metaphor is one which I could not pass
up,...it's just so, kewl!
.. 8^)
will
not me.
Anyway if anyones interested (although you probably already know) Fit
Spline is useful for creating a spline from arcs and lines - probably
quicker for precision etc.
Bo
> "will" <will_us...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
Jerry, with individual ridges, the tubing is made with continuous
extruded thermoplastic material that is blown or vacuum expanded into
sets of moving mold blocks done in a dual mating "caterpillar track"
layout.
Search Google for "extruded corrugated tubing".
www.corma.com in Toronto, Canada makes such machines.
I actually worked with a machine designer friend to design a better
corrugator system after a bad experience with an early Corma in the
late 70s. The corrugators are simple in concept, but touchy to design
right to get consistently good tubing.
Jerry Steiger
Cool! Thanks, Bo.
Jerry Steiger