I’m really struggling with some things here, namely the lack of construction lines (and the types of constraints they allow) and the inability to mirror sketch elements in sketch mode. I am also having trouble getting accurate repeating patters without the ability to do circular or linear patterning. Are there work around for these issues or workflow tutorials on how to modify your modeling strategy?
Im trying to put an equidistant bolt pattern with six holes on a cylindrical disk but with the holes tangent to the edge of the disk. In F360 I could dimension and constrain one circle in a sketch then pattern off it using the center point of the disk as the pattern axis. What would be the procedure here? Thanks for any help or for pointing me in the right direction.
Hi @LasOlas, welcome to the forum!
Thank you for sharing your feedback here, let me please answer your remarks below:
You pointed out right, there is no difference between sketch elements, each curve type is treated equally. Thankfully with the direct modeling approach, you can remove the unnecessary sketch elements anytime, they will not influence other sketch elements or 3D bodies. Speaking about sketches… I highly recommend using the Lock constraint after placing and dimensioning sketches
Sketch mirroring is possible with the Mirror tool from the Transform menu. It may feel strange that you have to leave the sketch interface, but it works well. Please do not confuse it with the Symmetry constraint which requires sketches on both sides of the symmetry line before selecting the symmetry line itself. Video 06-02-2021 12 00
Circular and linear patterns can be created with the Move/Rotate tool. There is a Copy Badge around the tool that copies the parts instead of just moving them. What is more important, the center point of the Move/Rotate tool can be snapped to specific points, like the center points of a circle. Video 06-02-2021 12 06
While only sketches can be constrained, please do not forget it is enough to create one hole that is aligned by its sketch, then you can array the hole itself by selecting the faces of it.
Here is one way to create a disc in Shapr3D with 6 holes near tangent to the diameter. Given that Shapr3D is a direct modeler, the workflow may be different to achieve a desired result.
I came across a bug or anomaly in Shapr3D or maybe the issue is within the Parasolid engine.
I cannot extrude a body with a hole truly tangent to the diameter. My workaround was to make the hole near tangent by 0.001mm.
@KPeter take note here. Can you confirm whether it is an issue within Shapr3D or within Parasolid?
Mike, I’ve run into this issue as well. My perception was that the overlapping lines, where tangent, create an “opening” in the outer circle. I’ll be curious to read what Peter has to say. McD
It’s a non-manifold geometry issue. CAD systems in general don’t like that because such geometry can’t physically exist. Some CAD systems are more tolerant, and actually even we could turn on support for non-manifold geometry, but we deliberately did not, as it would lead to other issues.
What you said about the inability to mirror sketch elements is very enlightening for me as a beginner. I was really hoping that I just hadn’t figured out how to do it. I have mainly used a modeling app that is similar in scope to Blender, and have hoped eventually to learn Shapr3D. Can anyone describe any strategy that might be employed to get around my continual experience of drawing something in Shapr3d, then desiring to mirror it? I’m bewildered about how to proceed without such functionality. Might a strategy be developed through which I create a drawing in a draw app, then import it as a sketch? Thanks.
We do fine without mirroring in sketch mode. Once you’ve created a closed shape, you can jump out of sketch mode, select any face it and mirror it. So it’s not crippling.
Yes mirroring in sketch mode would be nice and I have wondered why it’s not there.
Often I use CorelDraw to make text on paths or complex drawings and import as DXF. But I have used CorelDraw for more than 25 years.
Thanks. I would like to mirror a curve that is not in a closed sketch. But I get it, I think. I can close the sketch using simplest line possible, mirror, then delete lines I don’t want and close again with the lines I do want? Or is that not possible, either?
I must have lost my selection before I tried to use the mirror command on the only element of an open sketch, because I remember using the shortcut to search for it and it wasn’t among the choices that appeared. Whatever the cause, it happened several times. Clumsy, I know.
