Scaling for 3D printing

Hello young and old.

 

I have a (big) trailer that I would like to make a scale model and 3D printing to be able to show the customer what it can look like in real life and/or give him during the sale. Like a useless gadget but which still has a small effect.

 

In short, I don't know if I have the right method to do this and I get stuck at some point. It's roughly 7m long x 2m wide x 2m high and I'd like to reduce that to 200mm long x 57mm wide and 57mm high

So, I save it as a part, then I would like to reduce it via scaling (insertion => Molds => Scale) And that's where the bottom hurts: I would only need one function/body or I have one per part of the assembly

 

Do you have an idea of how to get around the problem, or to make it simpler

For your information, I'm on Solidworks 2011. So, it's possible that I don't have some of your functions in 2015;)

2 Likes

Hello

Have you tried to record in rooms (choosing all the bodies carefully), combine the bodies and then do the scale function?

3 Likes

Hi coin37coin! 

I had this work to do recently:

1. I saved the assembly in .part (so a part with a set of bodies)

2. I made a ladder function

3. It worked

:)

4 Likes

I will say the same:

In your tree, in your list of "Volume Bodies", you select everything, then right click, "Combine", select "add" and OK => you should end up with a single body

2 Likes

Hi @ coin37coin

Save your assembly  in part and follow the description below

The link in 2011

 http://help.solidworks.com/2011/French/SolidWorks/sldworks/AllContent/SolidWorks/Core/Features/t_Scaling_a_Part.htm

 

@+ ;-)

1 Like

It seems to me that my current model is "all bodies". But he doesn't want to combine them

 

So I'm going to try to start from the beginning by creating a new part from the assembly ... which may be a long time -_-"

 

Edit: By the time I answer .PL, you've all arrived. That's great! So, I'll keep you informed according to the speed of my racehorse

3 Likes

you make a copy of your model under another name (miniature trailer)

and it's on this copy that you'll play with the scale once put in it is in my opinion the only good walkthrough

@+

1 Like

Hello

Don't you have the option in the program delivered with the 3D printer?

Because on my side I have a printer bought at Pearl, and all that I have to do in fact on solidworks,
is convert the solidworks file to STL, and then I have the option to scale down on the program
Comes with the printer...

I'm just asking the question :), as I don't know which printer you have:)

2 Likes

@Centor: I don't have a 3D printer. I have to go through with an external speaker afterwards... So I do all the work beforehand

So then.

 

Indeed I confirm, I have a multiplicity of functions (?) that are put in place when I save my assembly in part.

 

Continue, no right-click =>combine=>add

 

If I go through insert=>function=>combine, I can only select live bodies on the 3D. So I'm pretty sure I'll forget some. No possibility to select the entire BOM and then combine


clic_droit.png
1 Like

Uh... Given your image, have you looked at how big your tubes will be??? It may be small. See fragile.

The "Combine" is available at the level of the list of volumes, not at the level of functions

2 Likes

Yes for the fragile side. I have to rework the whole thing again afterwards to be in the right thicknesses

 

Haaa, but the small closed list at the top under annotation. I never think about that one. I think you just brightened up my day@Benoit

1 Like

I don't understand why you have to combine

  if it saves in part it's combine in auto

therefore

all parts of its assembly will be present

even the very small ones (maybe eliminate a few, screws, bolts, clamps etc........)

what has seen it from its attached image may be very fine as said @ Benoit

especially according to the scale chosen from 1/35th

so a tube diameter 40 mm = 1.142857 mm

if I am not mistaken 

@+ ;-)

2 Likes

@gt, no, when you record in SLDPRT you have as many bodies as you had parts.

1 Like

No GT22. Saving in .sldprt creates a body for each element of the subsets.

1 Like

I just did a test of the assembly line so no sub-assembly

with all links free of movement

and I recorded it in part 

I end up with surface bodies?

under SW 2012

@+ ;-)

 

 


chaine_maillons_soudes_dia_6_l24_l_11.sldasm

file of the recording in part


chaine_maillons_soudes_dia_6_l24_l_11part.sldprt

Yes and @gt22?

If you have surface bodies, it's because either you didn't choose an option when saving your sldasm in sldprt, or you chose the first option "Outer faces".

To obtain volume bodies, you must select "All components", or in your specific case "External components". In the case of @coin37coin, the last option "All components" is the most appropriate.

 

@coin37coin, I have the impression that you have put your finger in a gear that will swallow your arm! You're not done my poor man! :-)

1 Like

@Benoit yes, I'm done. My machine is properly incapable of fusing volume bodies... She can't stand the shock. So it is impossible to go further

 

So I'll leave it aside for the moment. The worst of all being that I have a new station on the desk, that it could surely do the job ... but I am not allowed to install it. And she's been gathering dust for 2 months (maximum frustration!)

 

I just let the question run a little to see everyone's answers and if a bypass came up.

 

In short, I'm not John Connor: the machines have won this war! But thank you all, I'll keep the procedure in mind for later

2 Likes

If you can send your part in .sldprt format, we can merge the bodies for you.

2 Likes