SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Part II: Building Intelligence into Your Parts

The main criteria for selecting a sweep to create a feature are that you must be able to identify a

cross-section and a path. The profile (cross-section) can change along the path, but the overall

shape must remain the same. The profile is typically perpendicular to the path, although this is not

a requirement.

Simple sweep ................................................................................................

An example of a simple sweep is shown in Figure 7.15. The paper clip uses a circle as the profile

and the coiled lines and arcs as the path.

FIGURE 7.15

The sweep profile follows the path.

Profile or cross-section

Sweep path

Sweep with guide curves ...............................................................................

Sweeps that are more complex begin to control the size, orientation, and position of the cross-sec-

tion as it travels through the sweep. When you use a guide curve, several analogies can be used to

visualize how the sweep works. The cross-section/profile is solved at several intermediate positions

along the path. If the guide curve does not follow the path, the difference between the two is made

up by adjusting the profile. Consider the following example. In this case, the profile is an ellipse,

the path is a straight line, and there are guide curves that give the feature its outer shape. Figure

7.16 shows all these elements and the finished feature.

On the CD-ROM
The part shown in Figure 7.16 is on the CD-ROM with the filename Chapter7 Bottle.sldprt. n

The PropertyManager for the Sweep function includes an option for Show Sections, which in this

case creates almost 200 intermediate cross-sections. These sections are used behind the scenes to

create a loft. You can think of complex sweeps with guide curves or centerlines as an automated