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How to make Complex interlinked stars on

dodecahedron in SolidWorks Featured Posts
July 24, 2018 | Nishant

Solidworks has  vast capabilities and we can almost make every possible geometry in it. It
provides some smart and efficient commands, which are easy to use and also time efficient
compared to other CAD software. So, making complex geometries is not a big deal in
SolidWorks. And, today I am sharing  one of the complex interlinked star
geometries tutorial, which is based on a Dodecahedron.
Dodecahedron is a regular 3D shape, that contains 6 pentagonal faces which are connected to
each other and it is also easy to create in  Solidworks once you know the trick just by using
simple commands. But in this tutorial we have taken a Dodecahedron just as a reference and
later make a complex star-like geometry , in which each star is supported by other stars.
The final geometry looks very complex but it is simple to make just by using some common How do design an assembly
commands of solidworks. Here is the image of the final output: in SolidWorks from Scratch?
  August 9, 2018

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This tutorial contains a step by step process to achieve this final output. So now let’s begin with
our step 1
 
STEP ONE: How to make
  Interlocked Mobius
Firstly, choose the top plane and make a pentagon concentric to origin with vertical relation to Band in Solidworks:
one of its edges and then set a dimension of 50 mm to its edge. Then make another pentagon August 21, 2018
concentric to the first one in the same manner but, slightly bigger. Then make a vertical
diagonal line inside the smaller pentagon as shown in the figure below, then after choose the This is why 2D
diagonal line and one of the sides of the  bigger pentagon  and add an equal relation . Now Drawing is dying
select all the entities and make them "For construction" from the property manager tab. (Short Blog)
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After drawing the sketch, rebuild it and create another construction line on the front plane, in Feature
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which one line is vertical with coincident relation to the bigger pentagon. The other one is
inclined with the value of 50 mm as shown in the image below
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 After that create a reference plane by selecting the inclined line and the edge of the smaller February 2018 (2)
pentagon as shown in the image below
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 Now make a pentagon on the reference plane in such a way that it can be coincident with the
smaller pentagon as shown in the image below and proceed to the next step. SolidWorks CAM Tutorial
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STEP 2: photo360 premium productivity
 
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In this step we are going to a make some important references, which are guides to achieve
the desired geometry. So, first create the reference Axis 1 by selecting the plane 1 and the ptc creo radius ring menu
centre point of the pentagon on that plane as shown in the figure below: settings siemens NX sketch
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Again create an Axis (axis 2) by selecting the top plane and the centre point of the pentagon
on that plane as shown in the image below:
 

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Finally make a reference point by selecting Axis 1 and Axis 2 as show in the image below:
 
 
STEP: 3
 
In this step we are going to make the skeleton of the desired geometry by making some
sketches and surfaces. So now let’s proceed.
Select the top plane in SolidWorks features manager tab and draw a quarter of a circle
concentric with the reference point as shown in the image below:
 

then use the revolved surface command around Axis 2 as shown in the image below:
 

 After that choose the top plane and start sketching, in which firstly draw a construction circle
with a diameter of 40 mm concentric to origin and make the two radius lines. One is horizontal
and other is inclined at a 72 degrees angle with respect to the horizontal radius. Now offset
both lines inwards for 3 mm and make sure to check the offset geometry box, while offsetting
in the offset command menu as shown in the image below:
 
 Now draw a spline by connecting the end points of the offset geometry and assign a tangent
relation between spline and construction lines, one by one.  After that set a dimension of 40
mm to both of the ends of spline and finally draw a vertical line with a length of 6 mm at the
end of the construction line as shown in the image below:
 

finally pattern the spline and the vertical line around the origin point by using the circular
sketch pattern tool and give instance value of 5 as shown in the figure:
 

To make the following sketch go in the surface tab and choose surface trim command from the
top middle section and  select the unwanted surfaces, which will be highlighted in purple  as
shown in the image below, make sure to check the remove selection box while trimming the
surface.
 
Search for Move/ Copy bodies in the command search bar. After finding the command choose
the trimmed surface and choose the "rotate option" and then select the axis 2. Now  set an
angular value of -18 degrees in order to move the surface counter clockwise as show in the
image below:
 

Make a reference plane by selecting three points on the existing sketch as shown in the image
below:
 

Again create a reference plane parallel to plane 2,  which is highlighted by pink border as
shown in the image below:
 
 Now, select the reference plane 3 and start sketching a construction circle with a diameter of
30 mm concentric with the point.
 

 And then make a vertical construction radius as shown in the image above. After that offset
the construction radius by using offset entities under sketch tool tab. Select the construction
and check bidirectional box up to 3 mm as well as end caps.
 

  Then select all the created entities and use circular sketch pattern to pattern all of them
around the centre of the circle. Then type set instance value to 3.
 
 After that use power trim to trim unwanted entities. Make sure to trim all the entities which are
enclosed in the highlighted red circle.
 

 Now, choose the sketch fillet tool to round the 3 internal corners with a 20 mm fillet radius as
shown in the figure below. 
 

Exit the sketch and choose planer surface option from surface tab then select the sketch and
hit OK to convert the sketch into a planer surface as shown in the image below:
 
  It is time to loft the surface between the edges of the planer surface and the previously
trimmed surface with tangency value of 3 to both surfaces as show in the figure below.
 

 After that, choose knit surface feature from surface tab to knit all three surfaces. See the figure
below.

Select the planer surface for sketch and then draw two V-Shaped lines on it. One end of the
lines should be coincident with the centre of the planer surface and the other end should be
coincident at the midpoints of the arcs  as show in the image below.
 
Choose surface trim command from the surfaces tab and remove the bottom portion of the
surface by selecting it as shown below.
 

 After trimming the planer surface we need to trim the unnecessary portion of the star shaped
face. So, for this we need to make the two trimming lines on the top plane. These two lines are
inclined at a  72 degrees angle in relation to each other, in which one line should be vertical
and also one of the end points of lines should be coincident with the origin as shown in the
image below.
 

  Again choose the trim surface command from the surfaces tab and select the unnecessary
portion of the required surface as shown in the image below:
 
 
 
STEP: 4
 
In this step we are going to make solid bodies from the surfaces by using thicken, shell, move/
copy bodies and circular pattern command to achieve the final geometry. So now let’s
proceed.
After generating the desired surface,  use Thicken command from surface tab to thicken the
existing knitted surface by 3 mm both side as shown in the image below.
 

 Now after thicken  surface fillet add some circular fillets of 2.9 mm to certain edges as shown
below.
 

  After thicken, use shell command to give internal depth to thicken body and also remove
some unnecessary faces. These unnecessary faces are highlighted in  blue,  while performing
shell command as shown in the image below.
 
 After performing shell command give some fillet to the top of the four edges. Make sure that
fillet radius should be 0.75 mm so it will achieve a nice transition between connected surfaces.
 

 Our main body is created, which is ready to be patterned. Select circular pattern from feature
tab and pattern five instances around Axis 2 with equal spacing for 360 degrees. Make sure to
select bodies to pattern not features because, it is time efficient and easier.
 

 
Now our first star is completed but it still have 5 bodies so we have to make it into one by
performing combine operation. So we have to search ‘combine ‘ in the command search bar
after finding it select all the five bodies and choose Add bodies which is pre-selected then hit
the green check mark to execute it as shown in the image below:
 
 Now use Move/ copy-bodies command by searching in the command search bar. Inside the
Move/ copy-bodies command first select the existing body the select the rotate option now
choose the rotation edge which is highlighted in inside black box as shown in the image
below:
 

  Give a rotation angle of 120 degrees. Make sure  that the copy option is checked and its
instance value should be 1 as show in the image above.
 
After making another star it’s time to pattern it around Axis 2. So select circular pattern from
features tab and pattern five instances around Axis 2 with equal spacing and 360 degrees. Pay
attention that we have to select bodies to pattern not features, which is the  same as the
previous one.
 

  Now our first half of the geometry is completed but it still have 5 bodies so we have to
combine  it into one by performing combine feature just like what we performed previously
,which is also shown in the image below.
 
 The first half of the geometry is combined and we have to make some references to generate
the exact copy in the correct orientation.
So, firstly we have to make a reference plane which should be coincident to the Point 1 and
parallel to the top plane as shown in the image below.
 

 After that, make a reference axis by selecting the front plane and the recently created plane.
After selecting the planes an axis will generate at the intersection of planes as shown in the
image below.
 

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this axis to rotate the whole combined body around 180 degrees with the Submit
help of
Move/ copy bodies. Make sure to check the  copy option with the instance value of 1.
 
 1 comentario Ordenar por Los más antiguos

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Marek Daute
Step 3:
Select the top plane in SolidWorks features manager tab and draw a quarter of a circle
concentric with the reference point as...

I guess you mean the front plane?

Me gusta · Responder · 1·3s

Nishant Gautam
yes, Its a Front Plane

SOLIDWORKS TUTORIALS
Me gusta · Responder · 2 d
 Finally combine the two halves into one to achieve the final output as shown in the image
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 So now we have successfully generated our desired shape.

 

 
 
About the author:
 
My name is Nishant and i am a SolidWorks user. I studied mechanical engineering and love to
make 3D models in solidworks. Generally, I like to do challenging designs on SolidWorks and
I  also have a YouTube channel "Easy CAD Solutions" where, I  post  tutorials for SolidWorks
every week.   
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsD2zKOCUtw5oVSkx2FOv9Q
 
 
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