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Workshop 2.1: Creating Geometry

Introduction to ANSYS SpaceClaim Direct Modeler

1 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 Key Learning Points

Completion of this workshop will help to gain an understanding of:

• Modes available in SpaceClaim
• The concept of “Planes”
• Creating sketches
• The available modeling tools
• Advanced features in the Structure Tree
• The display Tab

2 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 Objectives
• Creation of simple geometry by extrusion of a sketched plane
• 3D modification in section mode
• Creation of a more complex component
• Learning how structure tree impacts geometry modifications

3 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modes, planes, and sketches (1)
The three modes of SCDM are “sketch”, “section”, and “3D” mode

Different modes
accessed here Sketch mode displays the sketch grid, so any of the
sketch tools can be used to sketch in 2D
Section mode allows editing solids and surfaces by
working with their edges and vertices in cross-
section. All the sketch tools can be used in Section
mode to create and edit solids and surfaces
3D mode allows working directly with objects in 3D
space

4 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modes, planes, and sketches (2)
Let’s start by creating unit box
• In Section mode, orient to the x-y plane (move the cursor until the grid is perpendicular to the z-axis)
• Click mouse, then enter “Plan View” to begin sketching the box (now in sketch mode)

Set the dimensions to 10x10 in

the text entry fields

5 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modes, planes, and sketches (3)
“Pull” the box in the z-direction to make it a 3D cube
• Click-hold the center mouse button (CMB) to rotate the 2D box sketch
• Enter 3D mode and use the “Pull” tool to drag the face in the z-direction up to 10 mm

6 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modes, planes, and sketches (4)
Switch between 3D Mode and Sketch Mode
• Move to isometric view
• Select Sketch Mode and click on the +y face

7 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modes, planes, and sketches (5)
Create a cut-out cylinder on top of the cube
• Select “Plan View” and draw a circle with D=15 on the +y face
• Switch to 3D mode and “Pull” the outer part of the circle into a cut-out cylinder

8 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modes, planes, and sketches (6)
Use “Section Mode” to round the edges of the lower cube
• Move to isometric view
• In Section Mode, select the top face of cube and “Pull” the four corners (Control+click)

9 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modes, planes, and sketches (7)
Your final object should be similar to the one below
• Note that you have not altered the upper cylinder, just the lower cube
• Summary of modes:
– “Sketch” mode allows you to do 2D CAD operations on the face of a 3D object
– “Section” mode allows you manipulate 3D objects by viewing only a 2D cross section
– “3D” mode allows you to work directly with objects in 3D space

10 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modeling tools: creation of a simple part
Now that you have a feel for the framework of SCDM, let’s create this part:

11 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modeling tools: sketching
Tips for sketching the base of the component:
• Change the units to inches (“File->SpaceClaim Options->Units)
• Start by drawing a rectangle
• Utilize the “Three-Point Arc” sketch tool or the “Bend” tool (Note: the popup menu gives useful usage
instructions!)
• “Trim Away” the remaining line segment

+ or +

12 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modeling tools: pulling
Tips for creating details of the part:
• Utilize the “Pull” tool and “Sketch Mode” on 3D faces to create the remaining features
Pull (3D mode) Draw circles (sketch mode) Pull holes through bottom (3D mode)

R0.375 R0.375
R0.5

R0.75

Pull concentric region up (3D mode) Draw rectangle on side (sketch mode) Pull Up To cylindrical face (3D mode)

13 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modeling tools: creating rounds
Tips for rounding and smoothing the part:
• “Pull” on edges to make rounds

“Pull” (3D mode) Double-click and “Pull” (3D mode)

Control-click 3 faces, right-click and “Full Round” (3D mode with “Pull” must be selected)

14 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modeling tools: move
Move the two outer holes 0.4 inches toward the center

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 SCDM modeling tools: split body
Split the body by the cylindrical surface to create two bodies
• Click on body, click on cylindrical surface when saw appears, then click escape to terminate the operation

16 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modeling tools: combine
You could undo the action to get a single body back, or you could “Combine” the two bodies
into one
• Click one body, hold Control and click the second body, then click Escape
• Now both bodies are combined into one

17 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modeling tools: fill
Fill a selected region with neighboring geometry
• Click the inner cylindrical surface, then click the “check” (repeat for other hole as well)
• Save the model as “bracket.scdoc” before continuing to the next slide

18 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modeling tools
• “Split” the body by the outer cylindrical face and remove the base so that only the cylinder
remains
• Copy-Paste (Control-C followed by Control-V) the cylinder twice in the structure tree and move
them so that they are in a line

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 SCDM modeling tools: tangent
Make the outer cylinders tangent to the center cylindrical surface
• Note the use of Control-Click to select multiple geometries

20 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modeling tools: align
Align the axis of all three cylinders
• Undo “Tangent” (previous slide) and use “Move” to rotate the outer two cylinders by some arbitrary angle
• Utilizing “Align” will make all axis line up on one another

21 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM modeling tools: orient
Orient the axis of all three cylinders
• Undo “Align” (previous slide)
• Utilizing “Orient” will make all axis point in the same direction (note the distinction between align and orient)

22 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM assembly tools: components (1)
• Open “bracket.scdoc”, which was saved earlier
• “Split” the body by the outer cylindrical surface, as before
• You should have two solids after the split (exactly as in slide 16)

23 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM assembly tools: components (2)
• “Pull” the outer cylinder face outward a small amount…
• The 2 solids are automatically merged into 1 solid
• Often times it is desirable to keep bodies separate… How can we do this?

24 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM assembly tools: components (3)
The structure tree can be divided into different components
• Undo the previous “Pull”, right-click on the cylinder solid in the structure tree and “Move to New
Component”
• Perform the same pull as before… note that the solids are not merged

25 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM assembly tools: components (4)
Individual components can be activated
• Right-click the cylinder component and “Activate Component”
• Only features of the active component can be pulled

Base body is gray and can’t be

pulled

26 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM assembly tools: components (5)
Individual components can be opened in a separate tab
• Right-click the cylinder component and “Open Component”
• Changes in the separate tab are updated in all tabs

Cylinder pulled in separate tab

27 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM assembly tools: components (6)
Objects and components can be dragged and dropped within the structure tree
• Drag the cylinder object out of its own component and into the main tree
• Delete the cylinder component (Right-click and delete, or delete from keyboard)

28 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016

 SCDM assembly tools: display options
Visibility options are under the “Display” tab
• Control global visibility and visibility for individual objects
• Try setting “Color”, “Finish” and “Transparency” for individual objects

29 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. March 16, 2016