Exercise 1 SOLIDWORKS

Basic Surface Modeling

Exercise 1: Use surface commands to create a

Basic Surface thin walled solid model.
Modeling Disclaimer: The primary purpose
of this exercise is to give you the
opportunity to practice using some of
the surfacing commands. In reality,
there is no compelling reason to build
this part using surfaces. The steps in
the procedure may be somewhat con-
trived so that certain commands will
be utilized.
This lab reinforces the following
skills:
 Extruded Surface
 Delete Face
 Trim Surface
 Revolved Surface
 Extend Surface
 Swept Surface
 Knit Surface
 Filleting Surfaces
 Thicken
Units: millimeters
1 Create a new part file.
Use the Part_MM template. Name it Baffle.
2 Sketch for extrude.
Create a sketch on
the Front reference
plane using this
geometry. The
76mm line is
horizontal.

3 Extruded surface.
Extrude a surface 127mm using
the end condition: MidPlane.

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SOLIDWORKS Exercise 1
Basic Surface Modeling

4 Trim the surface.

Create a sketch on the Top
reference plane as shown.

Click Trim Surface .

The active sketch is
automatically selected as the
Trim tool.

Click Keep selections and select

the inner portion of the surface.
Click OK .

5 Revolved surface.
Sketch on the Front reference
plane and revolve the geometry
as a surface.

Introducing: Extend You can make a surface larger by extending it along selected edges, or
Surface all edges. The extension can be an extrapolation of the existing surface,
or a ruled surface that is tangent to the existing surface.
The Same surface option attempts to extrapolate the curvature of the
existing surface. On analytical surfaces this option works very well and
results in a seamless extension. On algorithmic surfaces this option is
typically only useful for short distances.
The Linear option (tangent extension) works on any type of surface but
often creates a broken edge.
Where to Find It  CommandManager: Surfaces > Extend Surface
 Menu: Insert, Surface, Extend

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Exercise 1 SOLIDWORKS
Basic Surface Modeling

6 Extend surface.
Extend the top edge of the revolved surface so
that it extends well beyond the extruded surface.

7 Trim surface.
Trim both the extruded and revolved surfaces,
leaving the portions shown.
Tip Mutual Trim can be used.

8 Sweep surface.
For the profile, create a reference plane
normal to the edge of the surface and sketch
a 12mm long line.

Using the line as the sweep profile and the

edges of the surface as the sweep path,
create the surface shown.

9 Knit surface.
Combine the trimmed and swept surfaces into a single surface using
Knit Surface .

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SOLIDWORKS Exercise 1
Basic Surface Modeling

10 Surface fillet.
Add a fillet of 3mm radius to the surface
edges as shown in the illustration.

11 Thicken surface.
Click Thicken . Create the first solid
feature by adding 1.5mm thickness to the
inside of the surface.

12 Baffles.
Create two symmetrical baffles as shown using
Planar Surface and Thicken . Note that
the baffle plates are shown in a sectioned view.

13 Save and close the file.

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Exercise 2 SOLIDWORKS
Halyard Guide

Exercise 2: Use surface commands to model

Halyard Guide the halyard guide.
This lab reinforces the following
skills:
 Swept Surface
 Trim Surface
 Planar Surface
 Knit Surface
 Filleting Surfaces
 Thicken
Units: millimeters
1 Create a new part file.
Use the Part_MM template. Name it Halyard Guide.
2 Sketch first guide curve.
Open a sketch on the Right
reference plane and create the
arc shown at the right.
Name it Guide1.

3 Offset plane.
Create a plane offset 6.5mm below
the Top reference plane.

4 Sketch second guide curve.

Open a sketch on the offset plane (Plane1
in the illustration above) and create the arc
shown at the right.
Name it Guide2.

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SOLIDWORKS Exercise 2
Halyard Guide

5 Sketch the path.

Open a sketch on the Top
reference plane, and sketch a
Vertical line starting at the
Origin.
Add a relation so the length of
the line is driven by the second
guide curve sketch.
Name it Path.
6 Sketch the sweep profile.
Open a sketch on the Front
reference plane, and sketch an
arc centered on the Origin.
Sketch two tangent lines as
shown.
Sketch a vertical centerline
starting at the Origin.
7 Add relations.
Add a Symmetric relation
between the centerline and the
ends of the two tangent lines.

8 Add more relations.

Add a Pierce relation
between the end of the
tangent line and the second
guide curve.
Add a Coincident relation
between the arc and the end
of the first guide curve. The
sketch is now fully defined.
Name it Profile.

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Exercise 2 SOLIDWORKS
Halyard Guide

9 Sweep a surface.
Using the profile, path, and the two
guide curves, sweep a surface.
Important! Use Path Tangent for the
Start tangency type.
For Options, select Merge tangent
faces.

10 Trim the surface.

Surface
Trim the swept surface using to keep
the Top reference plane as
the trim tool.
Keep the uppermost portion
of the surface.

11 Sketch.
Open a sketch on the Top
reference plane.
Convert the edge of the
trimmed surface, and
complete the sketch using
the dimensions given.

12 Planar surface.
Use the sketch for a Planar Surface .
13 Second planar surface.
Mirror the first planar surface
to create the second one.

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SOLIDWORKS Exercise 2
Halyard Guide

14 Knit the surfaces and fillet

the edges.
Knit the three surfaces
together, and then fillet the
edges shown with a 4mm
radius fillet.

15 Thicken.
Create the first solid feature
by thickening the surface
2.5mm.
Check the preview to ensure
the material is added to the
correct side.

16 Mirror body.
Mirror the body and Merge result.

17 Fillet the edges.

Add a 0.5mm
radius fillet to the
edges of the part.

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Exercise 2 SOLIDWORKS
Halyard Guide

18 Countersunk hole.
Add four countersunk holes for M4 flat head machine screws using the
Hole Wizard .
Tip The hole pattern is centered on the Origin of the part.

19 Save and close the file.

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SOLIDWORKS Exercise 3
Finial Scroll

Exercise 3: A finial is a decorative end cap, in this case for a

Finial Scroll curtain rod. This finial model has several
features which will be completed over the
course of several exercises.
From a design point of view, a real part would
not likely have such a conglomeration of style
elements, but bringing them together allows one
part to serve as a showcase for several
techniques.
In this exercise you will create the helical scroll
for a decorative feature on the bottom of the
finial.
This lab reinforces the following skills:
 Swept Surface
 Trim Surface
 Knit Surface
 Curve Through Reference Points
Units: millimeters
1 Open a part file.
Open Finial_Scroll.sldprt.
2 Custom view.
Since we will be working on the bottom of the part, a
custom view, Bottom_Iso has already been created.
Access it by pressing the Spacebar or using the View
Orientation flyout menu in the Heads-up
toolbar.

3 Sketch a circle.
Open a sketch on the bottom
face and sketch a circle.
Add a Coincident relation
between the center and the
Origin.
Add a diameter dimension of
108mm.

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Exercise 3 SOLIDWORKS
Finial Scroll

4 Create a variable pitch helix.

Click Helix/Spiral .
For Defined By, select Pitch and Revolution
and use the Variable Pitch option.
Set the Start angle to 0.00° and the direction to
Clockwise.
Use the circle created in step 3 and the Region
parameters listed below:

Pitch Revolution Diameter

1 30.5mm 0 108mm
2 20mm 1 95mm
3 5mm 2 74mm
4 1.5mm 3 58.5mm

5 Convert entities.
Open a sketch on the Right reference plane.
Select the helix created in the previous step
and use Convert Entities to project it onto
the sketch plane.
Exit the sketch.

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SOLIDWORKS Exercise 3
Finial Scroll

6 Loft between sketch and helix.

Create a lofted surface between the sketch
and the helix. Use the default settings.
7 Hide the helix.

Ruled Surface To create the top faces of the helical feature, we will use the Ruled
Surface command.
The Ruled Surface command is used to create surfaces at selected
edges of a model. The ruled surface can be related to the existing
geometry in several ways using the options within the command.
In general, a Ruled Surface can be thought of as an
infinite number of line segments connecting
corresponding points on opposite sides of the surface.
In the case of a SOLIDWORKS ruled surface, one
edge is defined by the edge or edges of existing
geometry. The other edge is calculated by the system
based on the options you choose.
You can think of a ruled surface as being created by sliding a ruler or
straight edge along model edges. The ruler is oriented by one of the
following methods:
 Tangent to Surface
The ruled surface is tangent to a
surface at the selected edge.
The Alternate Face option can be
selected to determine which face
the surface is tangent to.
 Normal to Surface
The ruled surface is normal to a
surface at the selected edge.
The Alternate Face option can
be selected to determine which
face the surface to is normal to.

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Exercise 3 SOLIDWORKS
Finial Scroll

 Tapered to Vector
The ruled surface is created at
a specified angle to a direction
vector.
The Alternate Side option can
be selected to determine which
direction the taper is applied.
 Perpendicular to Vector
The ruled surface is
perpendicular to a
specified vector.
The Alternate Direction
option can be selected to
determine which direction the surface is created.
 Sweep
The ruled surface is built by
creating a swept surface using
the selected edges as a path.

Where to Find It  CommandManager: Surfaces > Ruled Surface

 Menu: Insert, Surface, Ruled Surface

8 Create a ruled surface.

Click Ruled Surface .
For Edge Selection, select the edge of the
helical surface.
For Type, select Normal to Surface.
Set the Distance/Direction to 15.00mm.
Ensure the direction is set such that the
created surface is in the direction shown.
Click OK .
Tip If desired, you can use the commands Copy Appearance and
Paste Appearance to add the yellow appearance to the new
surface feature as shown in the image. These tools are available in the
context toolbar.

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SOLIDWORKS Exercise 3
Finial Scroll

9 Create a planar surface.

Select the two edges shown to create a
Planar Surface .
Note SOLIDWORKS will make the surface even
if the boundary is not closed, as long as the
entities are coplanar.

10 Trim surface.
Click Trim Surface .
For Trim Type, select Mutual.
For Trimming Surfaces, select the 3
surfaces in the part.
Keep the selections indicated in the image.

11 Sketch a circle.
On the Right reference plane, sketch a circle
whose center is Coincident with the Origin.
Define the diameter by making the circle
Coincident with the vertex indicated in the
image.

12 Extrude a surface.
Use the sketch for an Extruded Surface .
Extrude 76mm in the direction shown.

13 Trim surfaces.
Trim the new extruded surface and the
scroll surface using the Mutual option.
Keep the outside of the scroll and upper part
of the extruded surface as shown.

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Exercise 3 SOLIDWORKS
Finial Scroll

14 Cap the end.

Click Planar Surface .
Select the edge of the trimmed, extruded
surface.
Click OK .

15 Hide the solid body.

16 Close the profile.

Click Curve Through Reference Points
.
Select the two vertices shown and click
OK .
Tip The view orientation shown in the image is
Isometric .

17 Cap the other end.

Select the curve from step 16 and the edge of
the trimmed helical surface and use this for a
planar surface.
18 Hide the Curve1 feature.
Hide the Curve1 feature so it doesn’t get in
the way in the next step.

19 Lofted surface.
Loft a surface using the two long edges as
profiles and the two short edges as guides.
20 Knit.
Knit together all the surface bodies in the
part.
Click the Create Solid option.

21 Show the other solid body.

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SOLIDWORKS Exercise 3
Finial Scroll

22 Combine solids.
Click Combine .
Use the Add option to merge the 2 solid
bodies.

23 Save and close the file.

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Exercise 4 SOLIDWORKS
Using Intersect

Exercise 4: In this exercise, you will use the Intersect

Using Intersect feature as an alternative technique to
complete the model from Module02.
This lab reinforces the following skills:
 Intersect
Units: millimeters
1 Open a part file.
Open
Intersect_Exercise.sldprt.

2 Intersect.
Click Intersect .
In the graphics window, box select
all four surfaces.
Tip Drag the cursor to box select the
surfaces in the graphics area or
select them from the Surface
Bodies folder.
Click Intersect in the
PropertyManager.

3 Regions to exclude.
There is only one solution or region
so do not select anything for the
Regions to Exclude.
Click Consume surfaces and then
click OK .

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SOLIDWORKS Exercise 4
Using Intersect

4 Results.
The internal region defined by the surfaces
is transformed into a solid body.

5 Save and close the file.

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Exercise 5 SOLIDWORKS
Camera Body

Exercise 5: In this exercise you will recreate a molded part from the legacy data of
Camera Body the tooling.

This lab reinforces the following skills:

 Intersect
Units: millimeters
1 Create a new part file.
Use the Part_MM template. Name it Camera_Body.
2 Import body.
Click Insert, Features, Imported .
In the Module03 folder, select the
Parasolid file Mold_Core.x_b and
click Open.

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SOLIDWORKS Exercise 5
Camera Body

3 Repeat.
Repeat the previous step this time
selecting the Parasolid file
Mold_Cavity.x_b.
Note Transparency has been applied to
the cavity body for illustration
purposes.

4 Intersect.
Use the Intersect tool to create
the camera body from the
negative space of the mold
tooling.
5 Save and close the file.

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Exercise 5 SOLIDWORKS
Camera Body

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