SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Chapter 32: Using Plastic Features and Mold Tools

fail. The way to fix this error is to edit the rib and use the Feature Scope at the bottom of the

PropertyManager to select which body the rib is meant to intersect. The Feature Scope box does

not appear unless the part has multiple bodies.

Using Intersection Curves as reference

Ribs are features that typically go inside hollowed out parts. For that reason, ribs are often difficult
to visualize, especially when they are on a plane that is deep down inside a part. You may find it
useful to use some sort of a reference that shows where the current sketch plane intersects the wall
of the part. For this I typically use Intersection Curves.

The Intersection Curve is on the Sketch toolbar. While in a 2D sketch, activate the tool, and then

select faces that intersect the current sketch plane. Deactivate the tool when you are done. You may

want to select all the lines selected by the Intersection Curve tool and turn them into construction

geometry. This provides a good reference for the rib sketch.

Figure 32.7 shows an example of using an Intersection Curve as a reference for setting up a rib

sketch. The construction lines at the ends and below the right end of the skyline rib sketch are

Intersection Curves.

FIGURE 32.7

Using Intersection Curves as references

At the ends of the shell, the intersection curves serve to give the sketch a reference point to be fully

defined. Under the right end of the rib sketch, the intersection curve gives you a reference to

dimension the height of the rib in the shallower section of the part. The part shown in Figure 32.7

is on the CD-ROM as Chapter 32 – skyline.sldprt.

Terminating ribs

The Rib feature automatically extends and trims ribs based on your rib sketch. This is a great ease-

of-use function, but it tends to lead to sloppy sketching for Rib features. If you sketch a rib, and

the sketch does not lead all the way to the wall of the part, SolidWorks extends it. If your sketch

line goes past the wall, SolidWorks trims the rib so that it only goes up to the wall of the part.