Why use Add CAD-Line?

All Added-Parts [see Add menu > Mechanism sub-menu > Add Part] have a CAD-Line from its start-Point to its end-Point. The CAD-Line can be used to import a SolidWorks or STL ['Solid'], and so represent the 3D model.

However, you may want to import more 'Solids' on to the same MechDesigner Part. You might do to:

•Add greater model fidelity with each imported Solid showing different Solid details, for the same moving Part.
•To use the Patterning 'visibility' tool to hide and show the different SolidWorks Parts at different times or phases in the machine cycle.

Use CAD-Lines to:

•Import and show a DXF Drawings
•Import and show a SOLIDWORKS® Part
•Import and show an STL File
•Specify Mass & Inertia Properties

Add CAD-Line

Geometry toolbar

Toolbar:

Left-side of the graphics-area

Menu:

Add menu > Geometry sub-menu> > Add Blend-Curve

What to do:
1.Edit a Part
2.Click 'Add CAD-Line' in the Geometry toolbar - see image to the left
3.Drag in the graphic-area to specify the CAD-Line's start-Point and then its end-Point.

'Drag': mouse-button-down [start-Point], move your mouse-pointer, mouse-button-up [end-Point].

The CAD-Line is now in the graphic-area.

There are two ways to add the start-Point or end-Point of the CAD-Line:

Add as a 'Free Point'

Add constraints and dimensions later [which you can also delete, if necessary] to position a start-Point or end-Point.

See Also: How to Delete a Constraint

- OR -

Merge the start-Point or end-Point with a different Point

Do this to construct a 'sketch-path', for example.

See: Hover+Drag , merge-points.
CAD-Line in Added Part and with the Add CAD-Line command

[Note: in the image, I have added the arrowheads along the CAD-Line to indicate the X-direction]

CAD-Lines in the graphic-area:

•are dark green1s-red2s

All CAD-Lines have a Coordinate System:

•Its Origin, X–axis and Y–axis are on the Mechanism Plane.
•The Origin is at the start-Point3s
•The + X–axis: from the Origin4s to the end-Point5s
•The + Y–axis: at + 90º from the + X–axis.
•The + Z-axis: is towards you, perpendicular to the XY Plane and Mechanism Plane.

The Coordinate System is important:

•to orientate CAD elements that you import

What to do next:

Open the CAD-Line dialog-box.

See: How to open a dialog-box

See about: CAD-Line dialog-box

Note: you can open the CAD-Line dialog-box from the:

•Part-Editor,
•Mechanism-Editor,

AND

•Model-Editor [if it already has a Solid as a child]

Example

How:

Selection-Window

Geometry-Tree

AddCADLine
•Drag from the start-Point to the end-Point of CAD-Line

CAD-Linen

Pointn at each end of the CAD-Line

The CAD-Line shows in the Assembly-Tree.

Tutorial and Reference Help Files for MechDesigner and MotionDesigner 13.2 + © Machine, Mechanism, Motion and Cam Design Software by PSMotion Ltd