<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation: MechDesigner Reference & User Interface > Dialogs > Dialog: 3D-Cam |
See Add 3D Cam
Note: After you open a model that has a 3D-Cam, explore the Assembly-Tree, open the 3D-Cam dialog and click to show the 3D-Cam in the model.
To open the 3D-Cam dialog:
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The 3D-Cam dialog is now open.
![]() 3D-Cam dialog |
There are two buttons at top of the 3D-Cam dialog:
See below for details. There are three tabs: CamDisplayExport |
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Preamble: The 'Display' edits how the 3D-Cam shows in the graphic-area. Solids* | Hoops | Rims check-boxes. ☑ Solids*: show or hide, 3D-Cam as a Solid ☑ Hoops: show or hide a hoop at each Point along each of the Rims - see Point ☑ Rims: show or hide the Rims along the 3D-Cam * You MUST enable the Solids check-box to see the 3D-Cam in the other Mechanism-Editors and the Model-Editor Color •Use the Windows® color-picker to select a color of the 3D-Cam Transparency •Use the slider to change the Transparency of the 3D-Cam. Display Cam-Contour as... •Pressure-Angle •Cam-Profile When you show the 3D-Cam as Pressure Angle, the faces have a color-code. •Red identifies a high Pressure-Angle •Blue identifies a low Pressure-Angle Minimum / Maximum By default, the color-code scales to the maximum and minimum values of the Pressure-Angle If you want to change the scale, use the Maximum Value and Minimum Value boxes. Auto-scale button Click the auto-scale button to reset to the maximum and minimum values again. |
NOTE: From MD13.2, it is easier to save the 3D-Cam AS a STEP file with the Save button.
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button: •to recalculate the 3D-Cam with updated parameters •before you transfer the 3D-Cam to SolidWorks •before you save the 3D-Cam button: •to Save as STEP, TXT or SLDCRV file-types STEP (recommended). You can open the STEP file in most 3D CAD programs. See EXAMPLE 1 : Export the 3D-Cam as a STEP file, below. TXT, SLDCRV, DAT Each Rim is saved as a separate file. The XYZ coordinates of each Rim are saved to a different file. For example: In the image to the left, there 20 Rims and there is one file to each Rim. |
![]() Rims along the Cam-Flanks (Purple), the Top and Bottom (Orange), and Points along each Rim. |
![]() | Example 1: Export the 3D-Cam as a STEP file (RECOMMENDED) |
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In MechDesigner: In the 3D-Cam dialog: 1.Click Rebuild button 2.Click Save button 3.Save the file-type as *.STP, and save the cam - for example, CAM.STP Note: STP = STEP SOLIDWORKS 1.Open Cam.STP file in SolidWorks® 2.If you are prompted, do Import Diagnostics. 3.Close Import Diagnostics command Depending on your SolidWorks® settings, you may need to: a.Right-Click Cam.STP in the Feature Manager b.In the shortcut menu: Click Dissolve Feature and Yes, break the link c.Right-Click - again - the CAM.STP in the Feature-Manager d.In the shortcut menu: Click Import Diagnostics In the Import Diagnostics dialog e.Click the Attempt to Heal All button, and then close the Import Diagnostics command. When the Cam is healed: 4.Save Cam.STP as a SolidWorks® file-type. E.g. Cam.SLDPRT. |
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In SOLIDWORKS Open the Cam-Blank: 1.Open the prepared SolidWorks® part Cam-Blank.SLDPRT.
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Insert the Cam.SLDPRT file (see Part 1) 1.Insert menu > Part... ; select “CAM.SLDPRT” 2.Click the Tick at the top of the SolidWorks feature manager. Cam.SLDPRT becomes a feature and a Solid Body (Cam<imported) Ideally the orientation of the CAM.SLDPRT is correct relative to the Cam-Blank.SLDPRT If not, I find it easier to move the sketch of the Cam-Blank to the correct Plane - experiment! |
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Finally: 1.Insert menu > Feature > Combine: a.Select Subtract as the Operation Type and, b.In the Bodies to Combine box, select i.Cam-Blank as the Main-Body and ii.Cam<imported> as the Body to Subtract.
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You should now see the Cam-Track in the Cam-Blank. Note: It is possible that the Solid Body “Cam<imported>” is not in the correct place relative to the Cam-Blank. Most usually, Cam<imported> and Cam-Blank.SLDPRT are defined on the incorrect Planes. In this case, redefine the sketch-planes of “Cam.Blank” (easiest method) or move “Cam<imported>” (more difficult to do) To move Cam<imported>, do: 1.Insert menu > Feature > Move/Copy... and select Cam.SLDPRT as the body to move. |
Not usually recommended - we recommend that you save the Cam as a STEP file - see EXAMPLE 1 - above. In SolidWorks®, make sure the active document is a Part document. STEP 1: Open SolidWorks® STEP 2: Add a new Part STEP 3: Save the new Part |
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STEP 4: Click the Send Cam Blank button Before you can add the 3D-Cam in MechDesigner, you must add a sketch-loop (to represent the rotational-section of the Cam-Blank) and a Line (to represent the rotation-axis of the Cam-Blank). We send for you these sketch-elements to SOLIDWORKS to create the Cam-Blank feature, when you click Send Cam-Blank. See Getting Started Tutorials 6C for more information. In the image to the left, you can see in SOLIDWORKS: •3DSketch1 which is the rotational-axis •Revolve1 which is the feature that revolves the sketch-loop into the Solid. |
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STEP 5: Click the Send Cam Surfaces button To make the transfer quicker, show a drop-down menu in SolidWorks®. For example, show the help menu drop-down. We do not know why this makes the transfer faster, but it works. We control SolidWorks to: 1.Add the Rims as Curve entities 2.Add four Surfaces features (or six if the Flank-Lengths are not from 0 – 360) a.two Cam Flanks; a Floor, and a Top b.plus two 'End-Caps' if the Flank-Lengths are not from 0 – 360. 3.Add the Knit-feature to knit the Surfaces |
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STEP 6: Click Remove Surfaces from Cam button The 3D-Cam Surfaces Cut into the Cam Blank. Wait! - you should now see the image to the left If you see ONLY the CAM TRACK and not the Finished Cam (see image below) STEP 7: Save the Part In SolidWorks® In SolidWorks® : 1.Insert > Cut > With Surface 2.Select the Knitted 3D-Cam Surface - the last feature in the Feature Manager. 3.Edit the Surface Cut feature in SolidWorks® and click the Change Direction button. 4.Hide the Knitted Surface feature of the 3D-Cam. |
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