Modelling car body in solid works? Best way?

[PlatinumZealot]

I used to model in "artsy" programs like Maya before i got into the whole engineering thing. I could handle modeling a car with the artsy programs.. but Solid works is not so intuitive with freeform modeling (well to me at least)I am OK with regular shapes like blocks and circles ellipses etc

I got through school with those techniques, but now i am dabbling in the aerodynamics part of things. I am trying to draw an F1 chassis and I just want to know what is the best way to approach it.

Splines? Surfaces? regular extrusions? How do the surfaces comply to dimensioning them?

I would just like Something that could give a similar quality to the present cars. Any tutorials out there would be good.

thanks

[tomislavp4]

Well, prety much the only way to do that kind of work in solidworks is to use bunch of surfaces Loft and Boundary Surface commands are real good and you should be using them most of the time, sweep also does it´s job well.... take a look at the tutorials that come together with SW, Help>Solidworks tutorials. Hope I helped

[PlatinumZealot]

I am using loft and boundary but the program doesn't really show a proper example for it. I am getting some really ugly looking surfaces.

I really wonder if the teams use loft or just the regular shapes and then fillet them?

[Conceptual]

After spending a dozen or so hours learning CATIA, I have come to the conclusion that a F1 car is done using planar modeling. It is really simple to use solids and fillet what you want, but for the subtle design characteristics, planes are essential.

I did buy a $90 training kit (6 DVD's) that has helped alot, but with 4 kids, it is tough to get the time to get through the 35 hours of training those DVD's offer.

To be honest, I have given up on the thought of making finished products in CATIA, I use it much more to simply make conceptual drawings and models to get the general point across.

[tomislavp4]

Here is a simple F1 nosecone I did just to show myself that I am able to do something a while ago It´s quite simple but maybe you guys can use it to learn where to use what, there are extruded surfaces, baundary surfaces, lofts and lots of trimming... you can also change the lines and stuff to see how it affects the final result, hope it helps http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=f350 ... b9a8902bda BTW it´s SW 2009 file so older versions might have problems oppening it

[flynfrog]

I start by setting up planes for all critical points.
Front axle, Rear axle, ground, top of car, bottom of car, front of car, rear of car, Driver eye height Top of drivers head, rear of drivers head, left side, right side.

Then do the rough outline of the car. Attach the Key points of the cars to planes. I tent to use more ellipses and radisus and stay away from splines old version of SW had issues with splines so I still stay away from them.

start adding in the surfaces and trimming away what you dont need. then stitch it all together.

Then start over and redraw the whole thing because you did a terrible job at the first one.

The point of using planes if you drew it correctly is that you can just move planes and the rest of your model will update it makes making changes much easier.

I think I helped Tom a little bit with this. He might have a model I did this way I give him permission to share.

[tomislavp4]

Yeah, I still have it, learned quite a bit from it I must say, thanks!

[flynfrog]

Yeah, I still have it, learned quite a bit from it I must say, thanks!

glad I could be of help

[george85]

This interesting topic from my point:

As a Rhinoceros (like n smikle called it "artsy application") advanced user I must say that Rhinoceros allows you to make what ever you want. With small number of hours, free shapes, forms you name it.

Now, as a SolidWorks beginner, I was wondering if there is a way to import the files from Rhinoceros to SolidWorks?

Or from Maya to SolidWorks? Or CATIA to SolidWorks?

Has anyone tried this?

I tried exporting my Rhinoceros project to .3ds, .obj .vrml .step .dwg .dxf and .sat extensions.
Some of them did not even succeeded to be imported, and some did, but then you get unuseful object, with which you can not do anything. Can not edit it, can not do a Flow Simulation, nothing.

This is very strange, as Rhinoceros is using the NURBS modelling - the same as Solidworks. So there has to be some way of importing projects from Rhino to Solidworks.

More curious thing is that, most of the designer in the automobile industry today, are using 3d Studio Max to model the cars. But 3d Studio max is a Mesh modelling program, so I do not get, how do they import their projects into SolidWorks.

Any opinions on this?

[flynfrog]

This interesting topic from my point:

As a Rhinoceros (like n smikle called it "artsy application") advanced user I must say that Rhinoceros allows you to make what ever you want. With small number of hours, free shapes, forms you name it.

Now, as a SolidWorks beginner, I was wondering if there is a way to import the files from Rhinoceros to SolidWorks?

Or from Maya to SolidWorks? Or CATIA to SolidWorks?

Has anyone tried this?

I tried exporting my Rhinoceros project to .3ds, .obj .vrml .step .dwg .dxf and .sat extensions.
Some of them did not even succeeded to be imported, and some did, but then you get unuseful object, with which you can not do anything. Can not edit it, can not do a Flow Simulation, nothing.

This is very strange, as Rhinoceros is using the NURBS modelling - the same as Solidworks. So there has to be some way of importing projects from Rhino to Solidworks.

More curious thing is that, most of the designer in the automobile industry today, are using 3d Studio Max to model the cars. But 3d Studio max is a Mesh modelling program, so I do not get, how do they import their projects into SolidWorks.

Any opinions on this?

can you save as an .igs its been a long time since I have used Rino. You wont be able to do flow sim on it in SW unless you close in the body and make it a solid if I remember correctly.

[george85]

Thank you for the tip flyfrog. On the export menu in Rhinoceros I have an option to export it as a "SolidWorks surfaces .igs file" or as a "SolidWorks solid .igs file"

I tried both exports, and succeeded in opening both .igs files in SolidWorks 2011.

Here is how the project looks like in Rhino:


And here after opening the .igs file in SolidWorks:


I did not understand you this part:

You wont be able to do flow sim on it in SW unless you close in the body and make it a solid if I remember correctly

It seems your above statement is important for the Flow Simulation, as I am getting the following message when I try to new flow simulation project:

Code: Select all

There has to be at least one component for a Flow Simulation analysis

but I did not understand what did you say in the quote

[flynfrog]

its been a while but I don't think that Solid works will do a flow sim on a surface. It has to be a solid feature. I would start with a simple shape and follow the tutorials till you get the hang of it. you need to "build" your wind tunnel in flow works with lids.

[george85]

Thank you for the reply.
So when you say, it "has to be the solid feature" what do you mean this: after importing the .gis file, I need to "Extrude" all its surfaces? This method did not work, but "Thicken" command worked on some surfaces. What are your opinions about this

After thickening surfaces, I succeeded in running the Flow Simulation and getting the results. But it seems they are nor correct. You said, I need to build a wind tunnel? Is this what you meant by that:

Instead of this:


I need this:


?

The difference between the upper and lower picture, is that on the upper I put 4 "lids" (blocks) on left, right, top and bottom of the project.

Is that what you meant?

[flynfrog]

looks like you are on your way. Yes I meant using lids for the building your wind tunnel. Took me a while to get the first time I tired it. Thickening is making the surface a solid but as you found it doesn't always work. You can try off setting a surface then batching the gap around the outside to get a solid as well. Nice work.

[george85]

Thank you for the reply Flynfrog.

Can you just clear this up a little bit, I did not understand you:

You can try off setting a surface then batching the gap around the outside to get a solid as well. Nice work.