Impossible triangle with Solidworks

[Robert Lewis]

I have just purchased a single seat Solidworks a month before starting my own company (engineering sub-contracting), As a logo for my company, I thought I would like to use the impossible triangle. I am not an expert with Solidworks but can I heck get this to work. I have done a couple of part models and tried an assembly without luck. Maybe that's why they call it impossible!!! Any suggestions you guys?

[InspirationTool]

Maybe that's why they call it impossible!!!

I think you answered your own question.

However, here is an option which you *can* model:

http://www.physics.montana.edu/demon...etriangle.html

-Jeff

[unterhaus]

that's pretty funny, since solidworks isn't going to be able to model an impossible triangle. You probably could do it by faking things, but I can't visualize without having one in front of me.

That is a great link. You'd probably have to mess around a little with the lighting once you rendered the triangle, but that would work.

[MIKE JEFFERS]

was gonna say its an optical illusion
so that is what you'll need to create ....quite easy in solidworks
course you could allways just 2d it
mike

[HayTay]

With SolidWorks you can make the impossible... possible.
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Of course this is only 2D, you're on your own if you're looking for 3D (hence, the name Impossible Triangle ).

[unterhaus]

follow the link given above, and you'll see how you can do it. It's funny, because I had to work my butt off to get solidworks to recognize that one of my designs wasn't impossible. Don't really know what the problem was, probably some sort of tolerance buildup.

[Robert Lewis]

Hey thanks all you guys. You confirm what I thought must be the impossible. I must admit to being convinced an assembly might be possible but nah! Thanks HeyTay for your trouble - great
Robert

[HayTay]

Robert,

Couldn't you mock something up and cheat a wee bit using some clear acrylic to 'creatively' hold the pieces together to achieve something similar to the impossible 3D effect?

[Robert Lewis]

Hi HayTay - The thing is that I really wanted a 3D model of the triangle to make a logo for letterheads/envelopes etc. I was going to save the SW triangle model as a jpeg file and import it into another package to add text etc. I guessed it could be drawn in 2D and you demonstrated that. But me being me, I wanted it more complex. To be truthful I wanted to try and break away from the normal logos you see and create something really different - even eyecatching - even surreal (now I'm getting silly!)

[DareBee]

I currently don't have time to do this for you, but that is a simple part to model.
The only difficult area is the cutout that the right hand side visually fits into.
If you want it to look like the above link (3pcs) it is easiest to model as a single part using multi bodies as opposed to an assembly.

[sdantonio]

I have just purchased a single seat Solidworks a month before starting my own company (engineering sub-contracting), As a logo for my company, I thought I would like to use the impossible triangle. I am not an expert with Solidworks but can I heck get this to work. I have done a couple of part models and tried an assembly without luck. Maybe that's why they call it impossible!!! Any suggestions you guys?

What might be nice for your home page (I can't think of a way to implement it on a business card) is to make up an impossible triange and allow it to rotate as an animated gif so people can see it as a closed triangle some ofthe time and see it for what it really is the rest of the time. Actually a business card with a holographic image in the corner may be nice to consider.

[unicorn13]

Hi Robert

I have never used Solidworks, only a bit of autocad ( I'm only a beginner )

but if solidworks is able to import PovRay files you might want to have a look at this

http://runevision.com/show.asp?id=17

Source is available for free download from the index page

Regards
Andy