modeling wires

[2ms1]

Can anyone recommend a good approach to modeling things like the set
of 8 parallel wires coming out of the motor shown in the picture below? I
normally don't model individual wires like this there's never been a need
to (I just model a tube representing their bundled outer diameter or
whatever).

Now, however, I am trying to make a completely photorealistic model of a
product that has some of these motors with the wires coming out. I'm
going to be using the model together with Hypershot where I then intend
to make the wires the same colors and texture as seen in picture.

But I don't know a good way of modeling them in the first place other
than I guess using the Style tool and drawing 8 freeform curves, which is
extremely time consuming and awkward since using computer screen
(2D) to try and place spline points in 3D space.


Edited by: 2ms1

 

[rohitms]

y dont u try CABLING for a change

 

[2ms1]

It does look very useful, but how easy is it to learn? I
have to get this thing done today (along with million other
things) and just kinda assumed it would be impossible to
learn a whole new application within an hour or two.
Getting functional in ISDX took me like weeks, for example.

 

[jimshaw]

My default for a quickie like this is to use a sweep through a 3D curve. The 3D curve is created by intersecting two planar curves sketched on perpendicular planes.This simple procedure starts to fall apart if the curves get too crazy, though.


It would take you forever in Pro/Cable if you've never used it before...

 

[2ms1]

That's an interesting idea. So for eight wires you setup
8
planes that each go through a pair of endpoints of a
wire,
then you make 8 more planes that go through the same
endpoints but are normal to the first planes, then you
make
spline curves in sketcher to "draw" the wires, then you
extrude each spline, and finally you intersect each pair
of spline extrusions?

Is this correct? If so, could you tell me what you use
for
the third reference (the endpoints of each wire being the
first two references) when drawing the first 8 planes?
Edited by: 2ms1

 

[jimshaw]

It's a little bit easier than that


1. You only need two planes, for example Top and Right


2. On Top, create 8 separate sketch featureswhich describe the paths of the wire when viewed from top (like how they lie on the table in your pic)


3. On Right, create 8 more sketches which describe the path of the wire when viewed from the right (along the table in your pic).


4. Highlight the two sketches you want to intersect, and sleect edit>intersect from the menu, viola! Use this is your sweep trajectory.


In some case, the paths are shared when viewed from either reference plane. luckily, you can use a sketch for as many "intersections" as you want.


Does this make sense? This is very, very,crude, and if the trajectories are complex this procedure is not the best practice.

 

[JeanT]

Hi jimshaw,

I didn't knew this tip.
That's great. I tried it and it works really fine.

Many thanks to you and the other people on this forum who share your knowledge

 

[michael3130]

I use that technique too for modelling the wires, works great. Here's an example below.

 

[jimshaw]

Hi jimshaw,

I didn't knew this tip.
That's great. I tried it and it works really fine.

Many thanks to you and the other people on this forum who share your knowledge

Glad to help!

 

[Zestje]

I use the same technique too...

If you create datums (the connection points for the cables) in each part and use external copygeometry to copy these into the wire part to use as staring/mid/end points you can easily create cables which go through multiple parts that auto-adjust to changes.

 

[design-engine]

Pro/CABLE is the way to go! For one you get all the cable or individual wire lengths to display in your nail board drawing. You can drive you wires/cables from a 2d wiring diagram. This simplifies everything for you and creates spools with information like wires color, diam etc.

Finally, It pays very well.... so if you finally get the pink slip you can use that to slip into a high paying job elsewhere

And how do you learn? There are plenty of classes offered by various parties. Do a search in Google for one. Realize that learning and bettering yourself is the root of happiness.

Using VSS is not the way to do wires/cables. Neither is ISDX.... Get with the program and help your company succeed! Quit trying to reinvent techniques!

Jim, tell us about wildfire 5.0 cabling!
Edited by: design-engine

 

[zpaolo]

I use the same technique too...
If you create datums (the connection points for the cables) in each part and use external copygeometry to copy these into the wire part to use as staring/mid/end points you can easily create cables which go through multiple parts that auto-adjust to changes.

Just a question, in this case, if I understood well, you create a part in which you make features for each wire. For example, you need three wires, you define a part and inside this part define the VSS for the three wires. Or you can define a single "wire part" and put many instances in an assembly, each referring to a couple of terminals? (I knew leo greene had a tutorial on this topic, but it's not so straightforward for everyday use, although extremely flexible)

Paolo

 

[jimshaw]

Jim, tell us about wildfire 5.0 cabling!

Short answer: There is no better way to design a cable harness than using Pro/Cable, particularly if your EE guys route it in RSD. There just is nothing faster or smarter. Seriously.


That being said, I fear it is a cadillac when all 2ms1 needs here is a kia. The setup costs and time to realize a positive ROI with a full up cable solution are a bit higher than a user in WF3 Student Edition can muster. (Just reading my customer here )


Companies who claim cabling to be one of their core competancies,on the other hand, are foolish to support best practices which do not include Pro/Cable... and they will never be as efficient as a company who does.

 

[Zestje]

I haven't tried cabling yet, but the occisional time I must make some kind of cable as part of a project I use the mentioned technique. When the time comes I must do more cabling, I defenitely will want to learn it.

@Zpaolo:
My cable layout is e.g.: From a point in part A through a hole in part B to a point in part C.

I only create datum points or sketches on the parts which influence my cable 'layout'. Then in each of these parts I create a publish geometry with these datums.

I make a part for the cable(s) (usally one for all cables, since my requirement is only to show that calbes are present and that go fram A through B to C). In this part I create external copygeometries for the datums of all the referenced parts A, B and C.
Now I have start point, mid point and end point in the cable part. I then use the method of intersecting 2 sketches between each 2 datums (from A to B and from B to C) to create the curves to sweep the cable along.
For not so complicated cables I find this to be easy and most of all parametric when changing any of the parts A, B or C.

 

[zpaolo]

@Zpaolo:
My cable layout is e.g.: From a point in part A through a hole in part B to a point in part C.

I only create datum points or sketches on the parts which influence my cable 'layout'. Then in each of these parts I create a publish geometry with these datums.

Thank you, that's more or less what I did in a project where a lot of 25um diameter wire bonding were needed.

Paolo

 

[design-engine]

tell us about Pro/CABLE wf5.0!!! was not included in my wf5.0 beta test last november.

Maybe If I say.... 'please'
Edited by: design-engine