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How the Heck Is This Made? Creating SolidWorks Spirals, Sweeps and Helixes

Started by Josh M · 9 months ago

There is really an endless amount of interesting object you can make with SolidWorks and a lot of interesting and unusual way to get there. Some readers on the Most Obscure Feature Combo post had excellent ideas and I even got a few via email. This crazy spiral, by Jeff Mowrey (@idesignh ... Continue reading »

29 comments

  • JP

    9 months ago

    Simple Twist Sweep = Error 404 No file found
    reply
  • Josh M

    9 months ago

    Thanks JP, I've fixed the link, it should work now!
    reply
  • CADWatcher

    9 months ago

    The file simple-twist-sweep.SLDPRT seems to be corrupted, I get 23 kb instead of 798 announced...
    reply
  • CADWatcher

    9 months ago

    Ooops, sorry, it's Ok now (I think i just tried when you uploaded te file ;-)
    reply
  • jeff b

    9 months ago

    I wish my job brought modeling challenges like this to me, however dealing 90% of the time with sheet materials(metal, wood, acrylic) makes for bland vanilla modeling.
    reply
  • jeff b

    9 months ago

    http://picasaweb.google.com/jbareDesign/Solidwo...

    hmm, well rocking 07 stil at work here, so i couldn't check out the model. couldn't figure out how take the normally straight tapered helix sketch into a 360 degree bend. ended up using the flex feature, ah well check out the pic ^
    reply
  • Josh M

    9 months ago

    Hey Jeff, very cool. Jeff Mowrey used some spiral sweeps, intersecting 3D sketches and compound curves to make the final sweep taper. There's, as is usual with SolidWorks, several ways to create it.

    I work with the typical stuff a lot too, but I started seeing how surfacing and some of the other less used features, could help with what I was working on. I found surfacing can make some sheet metal operation easier. Mixing things up can bring about some great results. Try it out!
    reply
  • Decay

    9 months ago

    The first file is there, there's just a problem with the linkage. Paste the link into your browser of choice, and delete the "/public_html/" part of the URL. No problem. :)
    reply
  • Josh M

    9 months ago

    Thanks, good catch. I fixed the link so everyone could download it now.
    reply
  • hop

    9 months ago

    Are these done in SW 2009?

    I can't open them...
    reply
  • Josh M

    9 months ago

    Yeah, sorry, they are created in SolidWorks 2009. I just got our company all loaded up from 2007 and the switch has been pretty smooth so far. Just a few comments on getting use to the new look and some new features I've been showing them.
    reply
  • Josh M

    9 months ago

    I love Spirals
    reply
  • Dennis Hvam

    9 months ago

    Hey Josh, super homepage!

    Is there any way that you should save the "pretty spirals and helix's" :) is a 2008 Version. Some IT-admins are pretty far behind regarding the rollour of 2009.

    Thanks for all the info :)

    Dennis Hvam - Denmark.
    reply
  • Josh M

    9 months ago

    sorry Dennis, unfortunately I can't save down to previous versions. If I did this last week, they would have been in 07. Now ya have a reason to upgrade :)
    reply
  • Gabriel

    9 months ago

    Can someone explain to me, why to use composite curve's?

    Like in Jeff’s Spiral Spiral Spiral, he converts his 3D sketches to composit curvers first before using them to perform the last surface sweep. Why's that? Why not just use only the 3D Sketch itself?
    reply
  • Josh M

    9 months ago

    Yes Gabriel, you can use the 3D sketches to get the same result. many get in the habit of using them. Typically the'y be used when you need to links separate curves together.
    reply
  • mia

    9 months ago

    Thanks for posting. Does anyone know how to form a spring that maintains the shape of an hour glass or a bottle?
    reply
  • Josh M

    9 months ago

    Since a sweep twisting along path can't follow a guide curve you couldn't do it that way. You'll use a method like Jeff used to 1)create an hourglass revolved surface 2)create a helix through that surface 3)create a3D sketch through the intersecting surfaces 4)sweep a profile along the path. Here's an example file of a Hourglass spring.
    reply
  • rob

    9 months ago

    I'm trying to make a compound surface using "lofted surface". From the top view, its a slight S curve, between profiles, and a slight curve from the right profile . i am having difficulty doing this. its allowing me only one curve, either top of right view, using the center parameters spline. i've been trying to use both curves as a guide in multiple settings . does anyone have any suggestions??
    reply
  • Josh M

    9 months ago

    Hey Rob. Take a look at this Surface Loft with Compound Curve. For compound curves, 3D sketches are the secret. I remember this being a bit harder to do way back in the early days, but 3D sketches make curves in two axis really simple. hope this is close to what you're trying to do!
    reply
  • rob m.

    8 months ago

    Josh, thank you for you help. Unfortunately, i had to switch back to SW 2007, bc my trial version ran out (starving designer), so i couldn't open your link. I made a lot of progress before i had to switch back and now it looks like i cant save the part file so it works in SW 2007. is that possible? any suggestions? Thanks again bro
    reply
  • Josh M

    8 months ago

    Hey Rob, unfortunately there's no way to save a file to a previous version. there have been many an argument about this. It pretty much forces people to upgrade at some point.
    reply
  • peter

    8 months ago

    hi,

    How you create the 3dsketch for hour glass spring?

    thanks
    reply
  • Josh M

    8 months ago

    Hi Peter, you just need to create a surface in an hourglass shape, then a helix, then a 3D sketch that and use 'Intersection Curves' in the Sketch Tools. You can create a lot of useful ref geometry with the intersection guides!
    reply
  • peter

    8 months ago

    Hi Josh,
    I got it. Thank you.
    reply
  • mira

    6 months ago

    Hi, I have SW 2008 and i can't open the parts. Can you save them as 2008 please?I am interested in horglass spring. Thanks a lot, Mira.
    reply
  • Josh M

    6 months ago

    Hi Mira, I'm out of the country currently, I'll do my best to convert the hourglass spring. I tell the basic steps two comments above. Revolved surface in hourglass shape, create a helix, then use the Intersection Curves command to projects a path onto the hourglass shape that you can then sweep a path along. swoosh.
    reply
  • mira

    6 months ago

    Thanks for answering me Josh, I appreciate that. The thing is I'm still a beginner in SolidWorks and some of the things I just can't get them right that's why I ned to see how they were done before.
    Mira
    reply
  • Christian Mackin

    1 month ago

    I am trying to create true logarithmic spirals. Does anyone know how to do that in Solidworks?
    reply

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