How to direct face edit but keep the ability to change sizes

[bmckelvie]

I work with a lot of welded tube designs.  something that really makes designing them easy is doing a direct face edit and making angles on the ends.  The issue is as soon as this is done I can no longer change the part length.  and I inevitably always need to resize the length.  So I am forced to delete the part and make a new one and then re edit the faces.   Is there a way to make the direct face edits, or easily put angles on the ends then resize the part keeping the angles?   I have tried sketching it, but that is slow and Ironcad sketching is brutal and likes to break constantly. 

 

 

[Malcolm Crowe]

If you want to achieve what you want using the "Direct Face Modelling (DFM)" tools, then you need to create your parts as "Structured Parts" rather than "Innovative Parts". Then any DFM operations will be added to the history tree of the part, rather than combining the shapes as is the case with "Innovative Parts". Attached is a video demonstrating this.

However, the other way is to use the "Surface Reshaping" capabilities within Intellishapes for creating your end tapers. This is what we use for these applications. Attached is a video demonstrating this. These "Tapers" can be driven by parameters as well.

Malcolm

Structured Part (Direct Face Editing).ics Innovative Part (Surface Reshaping).ics

Edited April 30, 2021 by Malcolm Crowe

[bmckelvie]

That's amazing thanks! you just revolutionized my CAD modeling.   I have been fighting that for at least 5 years.

[bmckelvie]

One more thing, incase someone else wants to do this,  the surface reshaping properties method does not work for tube,  it confuses IC and grows the inner hollow off of the new surface.   Still trying to get the structural method going,  I started a new thread on it,  My structural toggle is missing.

 

First end works great

Second end, not so much

Then if you try to ctr Z that, ironcad just gives up 

 

[tlehnhaeuser]

Just one more for the road...You can always create your own "end cuts" as Intellishapes and save them to a catalog. If you add Design variations and SmartAssembly attachment points it could also be very powerful.

I don;t have an example, but if I find time, I may make a video of this.

t

[SSIMMONS]

Just to throw this out there,

 

Sometimes if you are coping tubes, cutting tubes, etc. the trim function will speed this up quite a bit. This is especially useful for round handrail.

 

- Spencer

[Malcolm Crowe]

See the attached video that demonstrates a couple of options regarding Hollow Shapes.

1. Add the inside profile to the sketch of the primary extruded shape, rather than using a secondary extrude cut shape.

2. Use the "Shell" capability within "Surface Reshaping". You can also use the "Bevel" capabilities to add inside and outside blends as well.

In the link below, these various parametric shapes (including hollow) are created using these various "Reshaping Tools".

Malcolm

Innovative Part (Surface Reshaping) - Hollow Shape.ics

[Malcolm Crowe]

Attached is a video of one of our Parametric Shapes (RHS), that uses these "Surface Reshaping" Tools in combination with Parameters and Design Variations. If you are willing to invest time into understanding what is possible within IRONCAD, then you can add a lot of intelligence and automation to your models.

Malcolm

[bmckelvie]

Wow, that is really neat. I am going to have to invest some time in refining my catalog parts to follow this.