Plane alignment blues :(

[OldDogmeat]

Hello all,

I'm new here and am also new to SW but have a lot of past professional experience with various parametric and history based relational CAD and 3d modelling tools (Autocad + SME - many years ago, Autodesk 3D Studio, Maya, Softimage); so consider myself quite well versed in the thoery of 3D modelling in general.

I'm slowly learning SW but am finding certain aspects of the software quite awkward. I'm sure there are reasons for this and suspect it may be to do with the fact that the software is designed with real world manufacturing in mind and thus there being strict rules on solid and surface creation.

Anyway; I have a major issue atm with the alignment of a plane that I need orienting in a very precise way.

Here is a general overview image of what I am trying to achieve



In the above image I have 4 lengths of square section tubing (25mm SWG-16); The top and bottom tubes are both parallel with the top tube set back in the side view; they are also both square to the world; These two tubes are then linked with the 2 side tubes which are both tilted back as well as tilted outward (bottom to top) to meet the top and bottom tubes at thier ends as can be seen.

I need the two link tubes to meet the top and bottom tubes aligned so that the profile edges are flush with the top and bottom tubes.

I hope that makes sense

The way I have attempted to go about this is to try and create an extrusion profile with the correct alignment by creating a plane that is normal or perpendicular to a line drawn as a path between the top and bottom tubes as seen here :-



I have tried various (probably all) of the plane creation options; Normal to Curve, Through Lines/Points etc etc and nearly get what I am trying to achieve BUT the plane is slightly rotated on the splines pierce axis as shown here from a top view :-



and so the resultant extrusion, set to bi-directional upto Surface gives me the following :-



As you can hopefully see; the edges of the tube arent aligned with the bottom tube and it's obviously the same story at the top tube

Here's another view :-



I'm sure there's a simple way to achieve this but I have spent hours trying all sorts of madcap ideas to try and create a plane that is correctly oreineted to allow me to create a simple rectangle that is aligned as required.

Apologies if I have missed anything obvious here or if my cry for help is a result of my lack of knowledge or understanding of SW.

If anyone can tell me how to go about doing this properly I would be extremely grateful.

Thanks in advance.

Dan

[Kiwi]

Once the tube is cut on a angle, the tube profile on that plane is no longer 25 square and will not match your flat face edges.

[PEU]

not sure if this is what you want, but I guess you will figure it out using my example. All is resolved with cuts and mates.

Good Luck

[OldDogmeat]

Thanks everyone.

As Kiwi says, and I had expected this with a cut accross the profile at an angle, the cut profile would no longer be 25mm square; But what I handt visualised in my mind that the 2 tilts of the side tube with a profile cut accross through the top plane would result in the cut profile becoming a parallelagram.

Thanks for the Assembly Peu; You have nearly got the spec correct but havnt tilted the side tubes outwards as per my requirement (ie, there are two tilts of the side tube, first tilt back and second tilt outwards at the top); It's this second tilt that gives the parallelagram section cut.

I'd also posted this problem to another forum who have also been very helpful in explaining to me what was happening :-

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.c...=244441&page=1

[tobyaxis]

I'd also posted this problem to another forum who have also been very helpful in explaining to me what was happening :-

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.c...=244441&page=1

Those guys over at ET are very good.

[PEU]

mmm... take a look at the plane3 in this part, I think you should be able to go from there to your part.

good luck

[tobyaxis]

Will SW allow you to create a Plane on a Surface or Face?
I do this a lot with Alibre.

[Kiwi]

Will SW allow you to create a Plane on a Surface or Face?

Yes, this is the main way to create a plane.

[tobyaxis]

Yes, this is the main way to create a plane.

Kiwi,
I have to say Parametric RULES in CAD

[Tomorrow_man]

I think you may have the planes correct, the sketch needs to be aligned.

I used a loft and a couple of sketchs to define the plane.



TM