How to create a pattern normal to a curved surface
Hello, there is a lot of post about creating a pattern on a curved surface. The most frequent answer is to make it cosmetic instead of modeling.
The problem is that cosmetic can't be used for milling.
In case a very cleaver SW user have found a solution, we will all be very happy to know the trick.
The file attached is a SW 2016 Format.
4 Answers
I did a portion of it with a couple curve driven patterns and a linear pattern. See attached cad file for details.
Curving in three directions will definitely not work out well with most patterning options.
Depending on the shape of the texture you are applying, you might try extending the texture far beyond the surface, then trimming the texture away with a surface which was offset some distance from the original model face.
It works in some cases.
SolidWorks does have Fill Pattern options. They are are bit non-intuitive with some of their options, and the results seem best applied to mechanical things like cutouts for fan vents, but it may be worth seeing if they could be used.
For more complex features, I usually end up using a curve driven, or sketch point driven pattern.
SW can handle many (hundreds to thousands) parts open at once. But, it depends on how the assembly is created, and the capabilities of the computer.
SolidWorks will use multiple cores for some tasks, but realistically, those tasks are few, and the gains really only show up during simulations and renderings.
If something is taking several hours, then you either have the most complex parts ever created, or something else is wrong, and needs some troubleshooting.
Back to the same problem that illustrate very much my concerned about solidworks limit.
My surface is now curved on 3 dimensions and I'm stack to get the pattern done.
I tried to split the surface with lines that have the same pattern to be used as Guideline, but that's going to take me a whole day (if however it works).
I dream about having a "Scatter" function in SW, like the one on Maya or 3Dsmax.
Yup.
I've wanted to do similar patterns, but SolidWorks is really not great at such a task.
I suspect it would be to difficult to implement, but there needs to be enough people who want it as a feature, so fill out the feature request form.
The problem with Maya, 3DMax, and other applications, is that you won't be exporting a part from them for manufacturing. 3D printing formats can be exported without too much trouble, but a machine shop, or injection molder is not going to want to work with those files.