SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Part VII: Working with Specialized Functionality

FIGURE 31.6

A 3D sketch of a frame

Groups

The concept of groups is simple. You can group selected path segments within a structural mem-

ber feature into two kinds of groups: Parallel or Contiguous. A single structural member may have

multiple groups.

Parallel groups contain parallel path segments that do not touch. Parallel groups also have the curi-

ous requirement that you have to select the structural profile before you can select more than one

path segment.

Contiguous groups contain path segments that touch end to end, two segments at a time. A contig-

uous group cannot have one path segment intersect in the middle of another or more than two

path segments intersecting at a corner.

Each group can only have a single orientation of the structural profile. If for example, each frame

leg needed to have the profile rotated to a different orientation, you would need to do the legs in

four separate groups instead of all in a single group.

Given those requirements, if the frame shown in Figure 31.6 were to be created entirely from the

same structural profile, say ANSI (American National Standards Institute) inch, square tube, 3 × 3

× .025, it would require a minimum of five groups, as Figure 31.7 shows, in exploded form. The

file used to create this image is included on the CD-ROM under the name Chapter 31 –

Weldment groups.sldprt.