Is a table driven sketch profile possible in SW2007?

[mayhugh1]

Hi,
I have a cam profile which is a list of coordinates for every degree of the cam. Is it possible for SW to read the file (x,y) list and to create a sketch for me and perhaps connect the dots with a smooth curve for import into my CAM?
Thanks - terry

[BanduraMaker]

Yep, you could do it with a table. You might need to convert from polar coordinates to x,y though. You could however build that conversion into your table so that you can use whatever coordinates you have.

[mayhugh1]

Thanks for the reply. Could you please point me toward the tool or a particular topic in the help file that will help me get started.I looked through everything I have and couldn't find anything that seemed to pertain to creating a sketch with a table of values. I was able to figure out how to create features from a table but not how to create a sketch from a set of points. - Thanks, Terry

[BanduraMaker]

2012 SolidWorks Help - Curve Through XYZ Points

Curve through XYZ points would be my first choice but, I'm kind of a noob at this. dialogue might be slightly different in SW2007 than in 2012 but it will work the same.

I'm sure there's other ways of doing it too. e.g. you could make 361 points with the first being the last and give them dimensions from a baseline - In fact, now that I think about it - that would make it a true table driven part unlike curve through XYZ and, you could possibly do it in polar coordinates if you're clever.

Then just draw a spline through all of those points manually.

p.s. generally speaking, you need a fully defined sketch to do a table driven part from it. Draw a "generic" version of your cam profile and give it dimensions. Name the dimensions something useful as you're making them.

Now create a design table and add all the dimensions from that sketch to it. Voila!

p.p.s.. Check - there's probably a way to make curve through XYZ work in a design table..

[mcarvey]

So I've done this may times in SW 2005 so I'll share what worked with me. There may be better ways to do it.
1. See slide 1. First make a sketch that just has 20, or however many points you want on it. I used 20 just to make things easy, but I've gotten it to work with 128 before. Best to start with few points so you get the process. Also, older versions of excel have limits that cause problems if you use more than 128 points.
2. Manually dimentioning the XY coordinates gets old fast, so we'll use autodimention. In the sketch, go to tools-dimensions-autodimentions an do orgin ordinate settings. Out pops something like slide2.
3. Close this sketch, click on it and create a design table. Click okay and then save that design table. I like to append DT to my design tables so I know that they are in the solidworks DT format/order. when you open that table in excel, you'll get something like D1@sketch1, D2@sketch1, etc. This turns out not to be the dimensions for X1,X2,X3...Y1,Y2,y3 and NOT X1,Y1,X2,Y2,X3,Y3. Not too big of a deal- just make a spreadsheet that serves as an intermediary between your points (or equation, or whatever) and the X1,X2,X3..Y1,Y2,Y3 order that the default autodimentioned design table creates. or it can just be at the bottom of your coordinate spreadsheet.
4. Copy these X1,Y1,X2...Y2,X3,Y3 values from your intermediary file, highlight the values in the design table spreadsheet and to paste_special->values. They should be updated. Save table, exit excel, and then edit DT feature, select from file, and locate design table. It should not update the sketch and move the coordinates around. Note that the DT values cannot be negative, so you may have to shift them all by (+5,+5) or whatever.
5. Edit the sketch, and create a spline to connect the dots. (slide3) Extrude.
6. Create two plane that reflect your new orgin offset distance, and then create an axis for the cam.
7 Cut a hole or whatever in the came that corresponds to it's axis or rotation. (slide4)

Hope this helps,
-Matt