3D Design

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3D Design Practices

• Presented by
• Bill Samuels
• Designer
• BAE Systems

2
45 minutes on these topics

• General Design Process
• 3D Modeling Philosophies
• Best Practices in Pro/ENGINEER
• Tips and Tricks for Pro/Engineer
• Web resources, Cool Links Acknowledgements

3
General Design Process

• Define the Task
• White board
• Documentation
• Prototype
• Peer Evaluation
• Team Design Reviews
• Build

4
General Design Process

• Define the Task
• Defining the task establishes a clear goal or
  goals.
• Do not confuse defining the task with a solution
  for the task.
• An example
• A pencil and a cup resting on a desk, the task
  is to get the pencil in the cup. A solution
  would be placing the pencil in the cup using your
  hand.
• Using the expression placing the pencil in the
  cup limits the designer to thinking that only
  the pencil is allowed to move.
• Keep this list of goals and or tasks as generic
  as possible, this allows free thinking.

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General Design Process

• White board
• In conjunction with the discussion of defining
  the task, white boarding thoughts conveys
  information not easily expressed in words. This
  is also a great place to capture tasks that will
  assist in keeping the group focused.

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General Design Process

• Documentation
• During the discussion and white boarding session
  it is very critical to document all information
  in an engineering notebook. This assures that
  data and progress will not be lost between
  sessions. A team scribe is recommended.

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General Design Process

• Prototype
• Once tasks have been defined and solutions
  considered, it is time to prototype the
  solutions. This can be done using pencil and
  paper, 2D 3D CADD tools, and prototype/real
  world mockup.

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General Design Process

• Peer Evaluation
• A peer evaluation can be as simple as asking the
  person next to you to take a look at your design
  and give their thoughts. Peer evaluations should
  happen on a daily basis, this affords a second
  set of eyes a chance to capture design flaws and
  possible oversights.

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General Design Process

• Team Design Reviews
• Once the possible solutions have been captured
  and critically evaluated, it is time for a team
  design review. This review should explain the
  choices made and recommendations for the final
  design.

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General Design Process

• Build
• Once the team has committed to a solution for
  the task it is time to build.
• Once building has begun the team may find issues
  with some of the sub assembly designs. This will
  require going back and modifying some of the
  design concepts agreed upon in earlier design
  phases. This is when the design process would
  start over for that sub assembly, repeat as
  required until a complete solution is attained.
• "Once you have a good idea (design), stay with
  it. Dog it. Work with it until its right!
• - Walt Disney

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3D Modeling Philosophies

• Top Down Design
• Bottom Up Design

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3D Modeling Philosophies

• Top Down Design
• In top down design concept a top assembly
  envelope is cut into specific volumes. These
  volumes are assigned specific functions.
• In this philosophy a specific sub assembly does
  not limit the top assemblys progress. Nor does
  it require any specific sub assembly to be
  completed first.
• This does require a lead designer to be
  responsible for maintaining volumes for sub
  assemblies and there locations and progression in
  the top assembly.

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3D Modeling Philosophies

• Bottom Up Design
• In bottom up design concept sub assemblies are
  added as they are completed and no specific area
  is reserved for sub assemblies.
• This requires a lead designer to be responsible
  for maintaining the top assembly and insure he
  has the latest data from each designer.

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3D Modeling Philosophies

• Choice of Philosophy
• Both of these philosophies can work very well,
  as long as the entire team adopts the same
  philosophy. And just as important is that
  everyone on the team assists the lead designer in
  capturing the loose ends.
• One of the biggest pit falls is trying to
  combine the two philosophies. And the biggest
  pitfall is not being proactive about resolving
  issues you aware of. If its not clear to you how
  a component works, ask. Not asking usually leads
  to lost work hours, over filing and a stressful
  environment.

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3D Modeling Philosophies

• Part modeling philosophy
• Just as in an assembly a part can be top down or
  bottom up. In top down for a part you start with
  the smallest mass that will encompass the whole
  part and remove material to add definition.
• In bottom up you start with a core shape and add
  features to complete the definition of the part.
  

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Always start with a plan
• Create Features Individually
• Create Features in a Logical Sequence
• Carefully Create Parent/Child Relationships
• Use Insert Mode
• Use Layers
• Guidelines for Good Sketcher Use
• Checklist for Good Pro/Engineer Models
• Guidelines for a Good Part Model
• Guidelines for Good Drawing Creation

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Always start with a plan
• It is very important to have at least a
  preliminary modeling plan or strategy in mind
  before modeling. This plan should include the
  design intent of the model. Since the plan will
  undoubtedly change as the project matures, it is
  not necessary to have this plan fully developed
  before beginning. It will be very easy to change
  the wrong plan into the right plan but be very
  difficult to change no plan into the right plan.

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Create Features Individually
• Do not create one feature that should be
  multiple features. This will allow any
  combination of features to be suppressed or
  deleted. Do not sketch multiple closed sections
  in sketcher. Each closed section should be a
  separate feature.
• For example When creating a shaft with flanges
  and grooves, create the base shaft as one feature
  and each flange and groove as separate features.
  If the model is created as one feature, there is
  an all or nothing scenario.

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Create Features in a Logical Sequence
• For Example A cover may require 4 features to
  model correctly.
• If the cover is to have a lip around the top
  then the clearance holes for the fasteners that
  hold down the cover may have to come after the
  lip feature.

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Carefully Create Parent/Child Relationships
• Create only the Parent/Child relationships that
  are necessary for the models intent. Whenever
  creating a feature, always clearly identify the
  references used to constrain that feature.
  Whenever picking a reference, do so in a 3-D
  view. This practice will make it easier to
  identify exactly what is picked. Read the
  message window to validate picks, it lists what
  has been picked. A set of related features
  should be able to be suppressed and resumed
  without having to also suppress or resume
  unrelated features.

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Use Insert Mode
• Use Insert Mode before modifying or when adding
  features. Especially when working on a model
  with complex geometry or a large feature-count.
  By inserting close to the desired parent
  geometry, regenerating features that have no real
  bearing on the modification is avoided and the
  model regeneration time is reduced. When adding
  features, it will keep features in a logical
  order and keep parent/child relationships in
  check. After the modification or addition is
  done, resume the rest of the features.

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Use Layers
• Use default layers to automatically put various
  feature types on specified layers. To verify
  that these default layers are set for the part
  being worked on, either use the Layer menu in the
  Model Tree or verify the layer setup in the
  Config.pro file. The Layer menu will display the
  default layer options that have been activated.
  If any of the default layers listed is not
  activated, do so by editing the table. Create
  additional layers with logical names that
  describe the features assigned to it. They can
  assist in suppressing and resuming features. Keep
  in mind the top assembly has every layer of every
  part.

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Guidelines for Good Sketcher Use
• Use sketched centerlines and construction circles
  to achieve the desired dimensioning scheme.
• Do not allow any weak dimensions to remain in a
  completed sketch. Either add constraints, convert
  the weak dims to strong or add strong dimensions
  to complete a sketch.
• As a rule of thumb, keep the number of dimensions
  in a sketch to a maximum of eight. Where more are
  needed to fully dimension a feature, create datum
  features first, then reference the datum features
  when in Sketcher. This technique will result in
  a robust model and minimize future difficulties
  with the Sketch. It also follows the many simple
  features rule to create models.
• Choose references sparingly. More references
  mean more feature to feature relationships that
  can make the model more difficult to work with as
  it progresses or changes. Choose only enough
  references to make the model follow the design
  intent.

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Choose references that wont disappear.
  References like edges that disappear when
  rounded or drafted, are not the best choice.
  Datums and planner surfaces are better.
  References from the base features are more stable
  than those of later features.
• When redefining a sketch, use Replace (Under
  Edit) rather than deleting a sketched entity
  whenever possible. Replace will give the new
  entity the same entity id number as the old
  entity. This will result in rerouting all the
  children of the old entity to the new. Note that
  even if you have not referenced a sketched entity
  someone else (working in Pro/ASSEMBLY,
  Pro/PIPPING, Pro/MANUFACTURE, etc.) might have a
  reference to that entity.

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Checklist for Good Models
• Does it use the standard configuration file?
• Have the six standard views been created in the
  correct orientation.
• Has an appropriate pictorial view for the drawing
  been created and named for easy identification?
• Were layers created as needed and correctly shown
  or blanked for the drawing?
• Are descriptive names for features assigned in
  the Model Tree where possible?
• Have similar features been compacted by using
  patters and groups?
• Are Geometry Checks needed (is menu grayed-out)
• Have the standard parameters been created and
  their values been entered?
• Have the standard relations been created?
• Does it use the proper units systems
  (inch/lb/sec)?

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Has the correct density or material been
  assigned?
• Has the correct file name been assigned?
• Has the correct file location for storage, backup
  and retrieval been validated?
• Are assemblies using library fasteners whenever
  possible?
• Have suppressed features been deleted?

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Guidelines for a Good Part Model
• The goal is to create and name features so that
  any other user can readily modify them at any
  time. Good modeling practices are far more
  important early in the modeling process than at
  the end as repair work.
• Accomplish this by
• Following the standards in Pro/Engineer
  guidelines
• Using the standard Start Parts when beginning a
  new part
• Consciously setting up your parent/child
  relationships
• Creating a simple base feature
• Creating simple sketches
• Not sketching rounds or fillets when avoidable

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Guidelines for Good Drawing Creation
• Use the standard drawing set-up file
• The model should regenerate without errors or
  geometry checks prior to beginning the drawing
• No erased views should be kept in drawings
• Relate draft entities to objects or views, check
  for unattached text ( missing leaders)
• Make sure views do not overlap one another
• Use only projected, detail, or auxiliary views
  whenever possible (avoid multiple general views)
• Check for line width and text size uniformity (as
  in standard drawing set-up file)
• Use shown dimensions as opposed to created
  dimensions whenever possible
• Delete all unused models from drawing

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Best Practices In Pro/ENGINEER

• Using default or created datums for view
  orientation
• Dimensioning the part model as needed in the
  drawing
• Creating drafts, rounds, and chamfers as late in
  the part model as practical
• Carefully considering the options when the above
  guidelines dont make sense.

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Tips Hints

• Ways to impact text
• Special Characters in a Note
• Color
• To Select items
• Search Secrets
• Dimensioning
• Axis Points
• View Styles
• Pivot Point
• Control Alt during assembly of items
• Uncheck constraints to allow freedom
• Use Lock Dims to assist in relocating items in a
  sketch

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Tips Hints

• Ways to impact text
• _at_s a dim will display its symbol instead of its
  numeric value when shown on a drawing. Also
  seeing A, B and C is better for family
  tables than seeing d1245, d1342 and d879.
• _at_ superscript
• _at_- subscript
• _at_ end script change
• _at_o _at_o replace the d with the letter o of the
  created dimension and enter text, does not work
  on driving dimensions
• _at_ start boxed text
• _at_ end boxed text
• To control the number of digits displayed in a
  table on a drawing
• Create relation to name dim
• On drawing use name.7 where the 7 is the
  num of digs to display.

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Tips Hints

• Special Characters in a Note
• review the character map and locate the desired
  symbol, create a note including the
  cross-referenced symbols value, change the font
  that specific sysmbol.

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Tips Hints

• Color
• Create custom colors by copying existing ones
  and editing them.

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Tips Hints

• To Select Items
• One by One
• Use CTRL
• Edge Loop
• Select Edge, Shift Select 2nd Edge
• Loop Surfaces
• Select Surface, Shift - Select Edge
• Seed Boundary Surfaces
• Select Seed, Shift Select Boundary, use control
  to add last surface.
• Edge From To Chain
• Select Edge, Shift Select 2nd Edge, RMB
  (Toggle)
• Solid Surface
• Select Surface, RMB Solid Surface

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Tips Hints

• Search Secrets
• CTRL F
• Components
• Features
• Name
• Type
• Size
• ID
• Status

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Tips Hints

• Dimensioning
• NOTE CONVERT STRAIGHT LINES TO CONSTRUCTION.
• Perimeter
• Entity(s), Convert To, Dimension
• Tangent Angle
• Vertex, Entity, Entity, Place
• Arc Angle
• Entity, Vertex, Vertex, Place
• Arc Length
• Use Perimeter Function.
• NOTE CONVERT STRAIGHT LINES TO CONSTRUCTION.

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Tips Hints

• Axis Points
• Available in Internal Sketches only
• To be used for DimensioningScheme
• Useful for assemblyreferences and in patterns

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Tips Hints

• View Styles
• Blank, Wireframe,Hidden, HLRBy Display
• Multiple Styles available at once
• User Activated
• Visible Indication
• Will impact Repaint Performance

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Tips Hints

• Pivot Points
• when copying features in sketcher you can change
  the pivot point by right clicking on it and then
  selecting the desired location.

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Tips Hints

• Control Alt
• Use control alt pressed at the same time to
  orient an item being added to an assembly.
• Control Alt RMB to spin the item being added.
• Control Alt MMB to pan the item being added.

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Tips Hints

• Uncheck constraints to allow freedom
• Rather than delete constraints, uncheck them to
  evaluate other locations and orientations of an
  item.

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Tips Hints

• Use Lock Dims to assist in relocating items in a
  sketch
• Set filter to Dims, window entire sketch, RMB
  and hold, select lock. Then unlock the dim
  controlling the location of the sketch. It can
  now slide in that orientation without distorting.

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Web resources, Cool Links Acknowledgements

• www.ptc.com/support Knowledge Base
• /community Tutorials Download
• www.proesite.com Configs Benchmark
• www.ptcuser.org Exploders
• www.profilesmagazine.com Pro/E E-zine
• www.proengineer.com Pro/E Resources
• www.mcadcentral.com Tips, Jobs, Forums
• www.proe.com Tips, Forums
• www.turbosquid.com/3d models
• www.mcmaster.com/ vendor items, models
• www.3dcadbrowser.com models
• www.3dcontentcentral.com/ models
• www.mcaduser.com/ models
• www.gdandt.com/quiz.htm a geometric TOLERANCING
  quiz
• www.matweb.com/search/MaterialGroupSearch.aspx
  materials properties page
• www.cad-resources.com/ tutorials
• Everything in this presentation is a compilation
  of exposure to all of these links and fellow
  users and their presentations I thank them all
  for making their knowledge so accessible to me
  and YOU! I would only ask you pass on knowledge
  you gain to others as well.