You must add 5 elements in:

•3 Mechanism-Editors for a Barrel Cam

•4 Mechanism-Editors for a Globoidal Cam.

All Parts are kinematically defined before you do Add 3D-Cam.

We recommend you do these tutorials if you have not used this command before : Tutorial 6C: Barrel and Globoidal Cams

Top-Tip: Rename the three or four Mechanism-Editors to the names of the elements you need to select to Add 3D-Cam.

See Rename dialog-box

Prepare the view:

•Active Mechanism-Editor  - click the Mechanism name-tab with the Part to which you will add the 3D-Cam

•Visibility toolbar > Show other Kinematic and Sketch-Elements - you need to see elements in the other Mechanism-Editors

•Show background sketch light-bulb - right-click each Mechanism name-tab and select 'show .... '.

•View toolbar > Spin - you need to see all 5-elements before you can do Add 3D-Cam

•Filters menu : Display Planes  - hide Planes as they often hide the elements you need to do Add 3D-Cam

Prepare the five element:

Part : Follower-Part in Mechanism-B

Profile : Follower-Roller in Mechanism-B | the Profile must be circular.

Part : Cam-Part in Mechanism-A - this must be the active Mechanism-Editor

Profile : Cam-Blank in Mechanism-C

Line : Line in Mechanism-C

STEP 1: Click Machine-Elements toolbar > Add 3D-Cam  

STEP 2: Click the five elements, from top-to-bottom, in the graphic-area or the Assembly-Tree.

Elements to add a 3D-Cam:

Part: Cam-Follower Part: Click the Grey Part-Outline

Profile: Cam-Follower Roller: Click the Grey Profile (contour)

Part: Cam-Part: Click the Green Part-Outline in the active Mechanism-Editor

Profile: Cam-Blank Profile: Click the Grey Profile (contour)

Lines Line that is the axis-of-rotation of the Cam-Blank: Click the Grey sketch-line

STEP 3: Click in the Command-Manager

Result:

MechDesigner adds the 3D-Cam as a tube - see left.

The 3D-Cam has four surfaces, which enclose the volume you will cut from a Cam-Blank

Four Surfaces

•Cam Flank Surface x 2 - the active flanks of the roller, one each side of the Follower-Roller

•Floor Surface - a surface between the bottom edges of the Cam-Flank Surfaces

•Top Surface - a surface between the top edges of the Cam-Flank Surfaces. This surface is normally outside of the Cam-Blank.

Use the 3D-Cam dialog-box to edit the number of rims and the number-of-points, to specify the density of the mesh and 3D-Cam Surfaces.