Variable section sweep, demysified

[wilmath]

I am trying to go through Leo Greene's tutorial, variable sweep demystified and am having problems creating the starting model. The starting model is a compound curve, I first tried creating it all at once but the sections window would not open up.


I then only modeled half of it, which worked, then mirrored, then merged, but when I started the tutorial I could only get the trajectories in pieces whereas Leo had only two trajectories. I tried going into the details tab of the references to add the trajectories but could not get the pieces to act as one trajectory as Leo has in the tutorial.


Some pictures are below. The first one is trying to do the sweep with two trajectories, which did not work. The second one is creating half the model. The third one is the model mirrored, merged but when picking the trajectory only getting half.


Thanks


View attachment 4528

 

[kdem]

If you are using the Student version of WF3 you may not be able to use the method described in his video which is to use the SHIFT key while selecting curves to make a single trajectory. When you are using the details tab use the CTRL key to add curves to the trajectory.
Edited by: kdem

 

[wilmath]

Aha, I am using the student edition. I didn't know that ptc witheld some of the operations in that release.

 

[kdem]

Not sure but I think it happens when they released the student version that itwas an early datecode. Both of my home versions are of release M020. As things are corrected or added I'm not sure if the student version gets updated. This is corrected in the version of WF4. I've noticed that there aredifferences in behavior between the student and commercial versions. Another one you may find is the mass properties calculation using PRO_MP_MASS doesn't operate the same using simplified reps. In the commercial version it will update based on whether components are excluded the student version doesn't.

 

[wilmath]

I have the same version as you and redrew the model using a boundry blend.


I was able to get through part of the tutorial but when it came to the part where he wanted the sweep to be tangent to the compound curve using the tangent checkbox I ran into trouble.


For some reason that tangent checkbox is greyed out. Below is a photo.Why would that be greyed out?


Thanks RickView attachment 4534

 

[kdem]

The options should be normal to the origin trajectory and he references the boundary blend edge for chain 1 which allows the tangency control.

 

[wilmath]

Thanks for your help! Now I got it.