Solids vs. Surfaces

[kostiuk]

This discussion has come up from time to time in our shop and nobody really has a definitive answer. We have a couple of seats with the solids activated so we are wondering now is there any advantage using solids over using surfaces? Is the accuracy any better? Are the tool paths any better or different in any way? I have one of the seats and while I do like working with solids better than surfaces it is more convenience, I like the way when you unshade the solid it just selects wireframe but I haven't personally seen a difference in the programming side. I usually just select solid faces to program off of though. Am I missing an advantage someplace.

 

Thanks, Kevin K.

[Thee Rickster ™]

I have started using solids as often as I can for over a year now and

with mould making it saves a bit of time not converting to surfaces

even though mc counts the surfaces when selecting.

 

Plus I can modify the solid quicker in MC then surface models

 

I think its regens slightly faster too.

 

I prefer them now, and if you add SpaceClaim to your tool box, you'll be

happier using solids

 

That's all I can gather out of switching, paths seem the same smoothness, etc.

[kostiuk]

That's pretty much exactly what I am seeing. We are building molds also but any editing happens in Solidworks. Can't really see a difference in toolpaths but as I said there are small, more convenience things, that I do like. Not sure it's worth the extra money though. I'm curious to see what other people have to say also.

 

Thanks, Kevin K.

[mikechvz]

space claim does wonders

[crazy^millman]

Kevin so a search of this very topic this one has come up many times over the years and should be some good reading in there.

 

HTH

[Thee Rickster ™]

That's pretty much exactly what I am seeing. We are building molds also but any editing happens in Solidworks. Can't really see a difference in toolpaths but as I said there are small, more convenience things, that I do like. Not sure it's worth the extra money though. I'm curious to see what other people have to say also.

 

Thanks, Kevin K.

 

if you don't have the licence, you cant transform/move solids, but you

can still tool path the solids with out it. my programmer does not have solids

so I design the entire mould file in SpaceClaim or Solid Works and he will

WCS each origin for each component when he brings in the solids

 

any changes in the cad software, delete old component('s) then reselect and regen.

[FROZEN]

I have started using solids as often as I can for over a year now and

with mould making it saves a bit of time not converting to surfaces

even though mc counts the surfaces when selecting.

 

Plus I can modify the solid quicker in MC then surface models

 

I think its regens slightly faster too.

 

I prefer them now, and if you add SpaceClaim to your tool box, you'll be

happier using solids

 

That's all I can gather out of switching, paths seem the same smoothness, etc.

 

what's SpaceClaim????

[#Rekd™]

Spaceclaim is a modeling software that copies the Siemens NX way of dealing with solids/ surfaces.

 

http://www.spaceclaim.com/en/default.aspx

 

I was told that X8 solids will be based on Spaceclaim.

[xycnc]

I am In the process of trying to convince management into buying space claim. Mainly for the fact that we get so many bad solids in from the customer. Can some of you give me some good pros to add to my list. Also liked the ease of making fixtures and the like. Thanks

[Chris Rizzo]

Spaceclaim can do absolute wonders for bad models. (Hey that's a good line to give management "it can do wonders"). Super fast for capping surfaces, repairing just about any and all model errors, gaps, inexact edges, holes, etc. Can change/modify/fix extremely complex fillets and rounds. There is a c-hook that seamlessly sends a file back and forth between spaceclaim and mastercam.

 

Get in touch with your dealer and have them give you a demo, based on your workflow and day-to-day needs. Send them one of your worst files and see what they can do. You'll probably see something that took you 5 hrs done in about 2 minutes.

 

m2c

[Thee Rickster ™]

Spaceclaim can do absolute wonders for bad models. (Hey that's a good line to give management "it can do wonders"). Super fast for capping surfaces, repairing just about any and all model errors, gaps, inexact edges, holes, etc. Can change/modify/fix extremely complex fillets and rounds. There is a c-hook that seamlessly sends a file back and forth between spaceclaim and mastercam.

 

Get in touch with your dealer and have them give you a demo, based on your workflow and day-to-day needs. Send them one of your worst files and see what they can do. You'll probably see something that took you 5 hrs done in about 2 minutes. <- best part about space claim

 

m2c

 

When Space claim cant fix it, Solid Works can, and vise versa.

[FROZEN]

I have used solid works for build models. It seems easier them MC. Is space claim easy to model??