SOLIDWORKS possesses several different tools capable of running checks to determine if the geometry created is stable, functional, or will not create any additional complications. These tools are:
Forced Rebuild (CTRL+Q)
CTRL+Q is primarily used as a diagnostic tool used to ensure that no errors have been introduced into earlier features by more recent ones.
CTRL+Q is not intended to be used on a regular basis. Its purpose is for troubleshooting the model to determine if a newer version of the file was not able to read an older feature previously used. It is also intended to find if somewhere within the feature history if there is a "bad feature" introduced/created. In either of these cases, the intention would be to then report the problem to SOLIDWORKS.
With the different file types (parts/assemblies/drawings), CTRL+Q behaves slightly differently.
- Parts:
- CTRL+Q causes a complete rebuild of all the features in the model starting from the top-down in the Feature Manager Tree.
- CTRL+B only rebuild new or changes features and their associated child features.
- Assemblies:
- CTRL+Q will only rebuild assembly level features and mates. Any additional rebuild flags on any items will also be rebuilt.
- Drawings:
- CTRL+Q will rebuild any view that is based on a sketched line, such as a Detail View or Section View. Any additional rebuild flags on any items will also be rebuilt.
Verification on Rebuild
Verification on Rebuild is another diagnostic tool that will, when enabled, check all faces in the model rather than just the faces connected to features that have changed. Depending on the size of the file, this setting will lower your overall performance when rebuilding so it is advised to keep it off until doing any final model checks.
Verification on Rebuild only rebuilds features. Drawing views or assembly mates are not affected by this setting.
The Verification on Rebuild option can be turned on within SOLIDWORKS via Tools > Options > System Options > Performance > Verification on Rebuild (enable advanced body checking).
Check Entity
The Check Entity tool (found within the Evaluate Tab titled "Check") is intended to check the model geometry for undesirable geometry. You can choose to check all bodies, selected bodies, or choose only to check features. You can then determine to check for:
- Invalid Face(s)
- Invalid Edge(s)
- Short Edge(s)
- Open Surface(s)
- The Minimum Radius of Curvature
- The Maximum Edge Gap
- The Maximum Vertex Gap
The results will display under the 'Result List' whereby each requested value can be selected where it will highlight the component in the graphics area with an arrow pointing to the point of interest.
Geometry Analysis
Geometry Analysis identifies geometric entities in a part model that can cause problems in other applications, such as applications concerning Finite Element Modeling or Computer-Aided Machining. Similarly to the Check Entity tool, Geometry Analysis runs a scan on the model and identifies the following entities:
- Sliver Faces
- Faces with a very high aspect ratio. A user can specify the exact width of undesirable sliver faces.
- Small Faces
- Face where all edges are below a specified length and the area of the face is less than the square of the specified length of an edge.
- Short Edges
- Edges with a very short length that will highlight when under the specified value.
- Knife (sharp) Edges or Vertices
- Knife Edge where the angle between two adjacent faces is acute.
- Knife Vertex is where the angle between two adjacent edges is acute.
- Discontinuous Edges or Faces
- Any face/edge where the underlying surface/curve geometry has position or tangent discontinuity.
Control parameters within the tool allows one to specify values to identify certain geometric entities, such as gathering all short edges under a certain value.
Unlike the Check Entity, the Geometry Analysis's report can be saved as an HTML file for other purposes. If the parameters of the tool are changed, the Recalculate option can be chosen to re-run the test.
Contact Us
For further technical support please contact Hawk Ridge Systems at 877.266.4469 for the U.S. or 866.587.6803 for Canada.
Comments
Article is closed for comments.