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Here's where you'll want to change to Solidworks. I do surface modeling of complex shapes (I design acrylic spas, also carved legs and frames for billiard tables) for a living. I have used various different CAD modeling sofwares over the years, but when it comes to producing complex surfaces and solids, Solidworks has features (such as 3-d sketching) that make it far superior to any other cad system I've seen or used.
If this is a one time event, then you can muddle through it in Pro-E using creative alternatives. If not, take a closer look at Solidworks. The use of 3-d sketches in conjunction with creating guides to control tangency and curvature continuitybetween surface patches makes Pro-E continuity control and Unigraphics continuity control look like childish substitutes.
Related Question:
I too am creating a 3D sweep. I was able to use proengineertips' advice to intersect some curves and get the results I wanted - but now I'd like to combine those into one big curve (i.e. merge) so that I can do a single sweep.
View attachment 2821this is what I hope the final product will look like. It only looks like the lines connect - it's made from 4 curves:
3 copies of the legs (decending loops)
1 circle cut to the end points of loops to create the appropriate segments
alternatively, if you are using the insert > swept > protrusion tool (menu manager interface), use 'tangent chain' when you are selecting the trajectory.
The followingis a quoted statement from a CAD article comparing Solidworks surfacing to Pro-e; "Pro/Engineer Wildfire maintains C2 continuity between adjacent surfaces under more conditions than SolidWorks..."
From that statement most people might assume Pro-E is a superiorsurface modeler. There is, though, a key phrase in the above statement; "under more conditions".What is not said expicitly, is what all experienced surface modelers know - the software's surface to surface control will fail under numerous conditions.
In the average tutorial or demo file, with all of a half dozen suface patches, (ie.. cell phone case, computer mouse, or toaster case) Pro-e's cute little C2 slider works as it was meant to. After all,these as very simple models and inideal conditions. The average amateur surface modeler would be convinced Pro-e has all the answers to superior surface modeling after doing a few of these files.
My average projectwill haveover 3000 surface patches. About ten percent fall into the catagory of complex geometry (complex meaning the software modeler's surface to surface controls fail). The majority of those patches that do fail, can easily be dealt with guides drawn on a plane. Key word there being 'majority'. It is within this last group of failed patches where Solidworks shines superior to Pro-e. The ability to directly create 3-d guides, and to be ableto control these 3-d guides' tangency and continuity, is one of biggest differences between Solidworks and Pro-e.
(In the same article that I pulled the above quote from, the author said that you could not control continuity and tangency with solidworks 3-d splines. This is not true. The author clearly didn't understandhis topic.)
An interesting aspect to this Pro-E forum is how eager Pro-etards are to defend the PTC brand. Clearly, of the two responders who felt compelled to defend PTC by hurling insults, neither have more than a rudimentary understanding of the issue of surface modeling.
Not that I want to hurt anymore Pro-etards' feelings, but Solid Edge's surfacing is also superior to Pro-E's.
I dun understand why there are peoples who always like to promote Solidworks here. We are just a group of pro/E users who are helping each other and share knowledge here. This is a PRO/E FORUM!! Difficulties and Solution finding is very common!
Whatever is it. Solidworks the best! OK? feel happy?
not yet satisfied? Pro/E the lousiest will gives better feel I think..
I've posted a few replies regards to the similar case and return as the 'full supporter' of PTC?! Thats why I've felt tired on software comparison posting. This is the last one I wish!!
I really hope that solidwork user can find you own forum and write your opinion there. I know that there are not much of active solidworks forum out there but please, support one and grow it.
I'm not PTC sales guy or PTC full supporter. I know Solidworks and I feel that it is a decent software. However, I put Pro/E as my 1st preference due to a lot of reasons. Different software has different strenth.. thats all.
I'll STOP talking about this because it is not worth of my time..
For 3D sketch and sweep issue, lets put it simple..
>> I'm not engineer hired by PTC. I'm just an engineer who has my own work. I used about 40 mins trying to help here but I failed. I stop not because of the ability of the software but I'm doing a project in tight schedule.
Who's hurling insults at whom? I don't believe I ever referred to you as a "Solidworks-etard"!
I believe you are the person hurling insults around. Your post doesn't even make sense. It backs up MY point: "Pro/Engineer Wildfire maintains C2 continuity between adjacent surfaces under more conditions than SolidWorks..."
You are also mistaken in your comment about my having only a "rudimentary understanding of the issue of surface modeling". I own my own business and evaluated Solidworks closely before purchasing ProEngineer. I have well over 10,000 hours of CAD experience including surface modeling of complex parts.
Do yourself a favor and wander your way back to your Solidworks cave! There, now you have your insult.
To make your life easier, I'd suggest using a pattern to reduce the
amount of your work with the curves. If you have a sweep starting and
ending on the circular portion curves by making planes to either side
of the center of the spline section.
And in terms of Solid works being better at 3d curves. Pro/E datum
curves put the Curve through points and the few other options for curve
types in solid works to shame. Datum points don't exist in
Solidworks at least not on any version I've used, so to create a curve
through points you need to create reference geometry for the points you
want.
In many cases curve by equation is a huge time saver over solidworks.
solidworks may be good for 3d sketches depending of the types of parts
you make but Pro/E should never be refered to as a childish substitute.
Yes, Yes, I see your point Mr.Benevolent Proengineeringtips; you're "just a group of pro/E users who are helping each other and share knowledge here"following with aninference that I don't belong here.
Who were you helping and what were you sharing when you posted, "how do SW position themself as a modern MCAD software?" When you wrote that, I don't believe anyone was proffering SW as superior or inferior; just you, and out of the blue, and I don't see how that remark was informative to that query.
It is kind of you to help others find solutions for their Pro-E questions. The kindest pointers I ever got with regards to 3-d modeling was when others began pointing out the benifits of moving on to better CAD software. Make no mistake, my original response to the above query was with every bit of kindness as yours, and the subsequent insults were unwarranted.
No, not quite; I don't understand. You wrote UG in your list. Which one of their two equally capable CAD products are you refering to, Solid Edge or NX? The former being about 1/3 the price of the latter, but equal to the latterin modeling capabilities. (in fact, better when it comes to surfacing)Solid Edgeis a windows based interface that represents UG's future, andNX is awarmed over, windowized, update of their old Unix based CAD system. Both are great products.
I suppose you are refering to price and not making a judgement about each of the mentioned product's CADcapablities. But, go ahead little whacker, enlighten me about the commonly used CAD products on the market. "Understand?????No Comments."
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