Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Observatory

Parametric CAD
ME 123 2020-21

Hello, in this video we will be focusing on parametric feature based CAD, a type of Solid
Modeling program. The software we are learning this quarter, SolidWorks, is in this
class of program.

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 Parametric
Parameters
▪ Drive the geometry of the
model
▪ 2 types
▪ Geometric constraints
▪ Dimensions

▪ Enable bidirectional
associativity

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

Parametric means that parameters drive the geometry of the model. There are two
types of parameters we use, dimensions and geometric constraints also called
geometric relations. If you look at this sketch it is considered fully defined meaning
there is only one way for the program to interpret the geometry. The geometric
relations used are that the legs of the triangle are set equal so we have an equilateral
triangle, the bottom leg is horizontal and the vertices of the triangle are coincident
with a construction circle. When a dimension is added for the diameter of the
construction circle , the program gives it a name such as D1 in sketch 1 and it works like
a variable – you can change the dimension from 5 to 10 and it will update the
geometry. The triangle will stay equilateral and in the same orientation. Keep in
mind when you are fully defining your sketches that you would like to minimize the
number of dimensions and maximize geometric constraints. I would want to use a
horizontal geometric relation here rather than adding an angle of zero between the line
and the x axis.
Another thing the parameters do for you is it allows you to have bidirectional
associatively – The parameters drive changes across all the files that are associated. If
you change a dimension in a part, any file that uses the part – a drawing file or an
assembly fly will update. And the reverse is true – changing that dimension in a
drawing will update the other associated files. This is not a big deal if you are working

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with single parts or simple assemblies but as your assemblies get larger, it can be hard
to keep track of everywhere you need to update the changes.

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 Feature-Based
Advantages:
▪ Simple building blocks
▪ Suppress features
▪ Applied features

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

SolidWorks is also a feature-based program, meaning basic features are used to create
more complicated shapes. The feature manager which is found on the left side of your
screen, allows you to see how this shape was created from simpler features. The very
first feature is called the base feature and the cylinder was created by drawing a circle
and extruding it.
Feature based modeling has some advantages - It is easier to create and modify simple
features that are used as building blocks rather than more complex shapes. Another
advantage with feature-based models is you can also suppress features - by creating the
hole as a separate feature from the main cylinder, we can make a version that does not
have a hole by suppressing that the hole. These ‘versions’ we call configurations – one
model drives a family of parts

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 Feature Types
Sketched Applied

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

Additionally feature-based CAD allows us to use applied features such as a fillet to

round an edge. Here the edge was selected and the size of the radius indicated to
create the fillet. In Sketched type features you have to create a fully defined 2D sketch
and then create the cut by pulling the sketch through the object. Applied features
reduce the number of inputs and commands.

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 Parent Child Tree

Subject to parent-child rules – “history-based”

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

When working with feature based CAD we also have some ability to reorder the
features but limited because the programs are considered “history-based”. The order
features are made and how they are constrained to previous features create
parent/child relationships. If we look at a parent child tree for the object, the base
feature, the cylinder if the parent and it has two children – the hole and the bottom
ledge, the vertical slab is a child of the bottom ledge. You won’t always remember
what features are dependent on others but If you click on a feature in the feature
manager, the blue arrows show the parents and the purple show the children of that
feature.

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 Parent Child Tree Dependencies

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

If we delete or edit a feature, we will impact its children. In this case if we want to
delete the bottom ledge, we would lose its children. So when we are modeling, we
need to take a few minutes to think about how we want to set up, what should be our
base feature? how can we make the dependences go as high up in the tree as possible.
Could the vertical slab have been constrained to the cylinder and not the bottom
ledge? These questions lead us to thinking about design intent.

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 Design Intent
Design Intent – How the model should behave
when changes are made.

Considerations that affect Design Intent:

▪ Geometric relations
▪ Dimensions
▪ Use of equations
▪ Method of modeling

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

Developing parametric feature-based modeling changed the thought process from

using CAD as a documentation tool to being able to use it as a design tool. We just
were not making a static model, parameters allowed us the ability to make changes but
we had to be mindful of how those changes affect the model. This is design intent –
how will the model behave when we edit it. It can take longer to master parametric
modelers over other types of solid modeling, but the ability to incorporate design
intent into our model is the payoff.
There are four things to consider when we are modeling to preserve design intent –
geometric relations, dimensions, equations and method of modeling.

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 Geometric Relations

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

The first is geometric relations which we already talked about. By setting this sketch up
with only one dimension, when we edit the size, we hold on the equilateral triangle and
the orientation of the bar. We might use geometric relations to make a part
symmetrical, circles concentric or lines parallel. Next week you will learning more
about relations in lab.

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 Dimensioning

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

The dimensions you use will play a role in how a model updates when changes are
made. Let’s look at the upper left figure – here the holes have been dimensioned
from the outside edges, when the overall width of the part is changed, the holes still
stay close to the edges. If we look at the figure on the right, initially it gives the same
result those the center-to-center distance has been dimensioned. Now when we
change the width, the holes do not look the same as the first one. Which one is better?
It depends on the use for the part – the design intent. If this is a cover, then we want
the holes near the edge so we can bolt it down. If instead, two shafts need to slide
through it, the center to center distance becomes important.
Dimensions given to you on a drawing are not arbitrary, they are deemed by the
designer important to the function of the object. When you are doing your homework,
you want to make sure to use the dimensions given, not calculate, use arbitrary
dimensions or extra dimensions.

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 Equations

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

Another way to preserve design intent is through the use of equations. In this example,
the height of each step is set to one third the overall height. When the height
increases, the steps stay 1/3 of the height. If these were going to be stairs up to a
house, this would not be great design intent as I might end up with steps each 3 ft tall
and have difficulty getting up them but if this is a spacer in a machine, then it makes
sense to make each step 1/3 of the height.

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 Method of modeling

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

The last way I can approach design intent is to think about how I want to model. Such
as what features I want to use or what parent/child relationships I want to set up.
Here I have modeled the same part in 3 ways. In the first, I’ve created a fully
constrained 2D sketch and then revolved it into the part I need. In the second, I’ve
used a series of extrudes, a layered cake approach. And in the third, I started by
extruding a bar representing the stock and then cut way material as the part would be
machined. Some companies like you to mimic the manufacturing process when you
model.
When choosing the best method you want to think about if your company has any
preferences, you want to think about time – the first method is fastest to create, you
want to think about file size – each feature takes up more storage space so the first is
the smallest file and has the shortest update time, you also want to consider how the
model will respond to edits.

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 Reaction to Changes

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

Let’s look at making a change to two of our models – I want to get rid of one of the
grooves, in the revolve method, I can go just change the 2D sketch and update the
model. In the layer cake approach, I have to worry about parent child dependences. If I
delete the smaller groove, I will also lose the rest of the model and have to recreate the
features. There are other ways I could edit for that change but none of them work as
well as making the change in the revolve method. In general, for cylindrical and
spherical features, revolved is a preferred method.

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 Modeling Process: Base Feature/Sketch

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

So this week in lab you are starting to work with sketches. I wanted to take you briefly
through the modeling process that you will be learning in lab. All of our models will
start with a base feature so our first steep is to identify and create the base feature. In
general, we look for a key shape of the object. We want o make sure it is not too
complex – the more features you use to create your object, the more options you will
have later on for modifications. Of course we are balancing those two ideas – flexibility
in design but we usually don’t want to just start with a rectangular block.
SolidWorks defaults to three planes – Top, Front, Right side. This is the orientation we
will be using for our sketches as well. If I look what the profile of this object looks like
in the three default planes, I can see that I would just be sketching a rectangle from the
top and right side, which gives me the rectangular block – no real idea what the object
looks like. Instead, if I sketch in the front plane, when I pull that ‘toast’ shape though
space, I get a good starting place – see the orientation of the object. I have not
included all that I could – I left off the ‘arms’ they don’t go all the way through the
object, so I will either be cutting away or adding on to include them. Additionally I
might want a config with no arms or different shape arms. I did add the rounded
corners on the bottom, on second thought, I would probably decide to leave them out
of the base feature as this can be added as a fillet later on giving my design more
flexibility.

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 Modeling Process: Orientation

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

Now that I have decided on my 2D sketch for the base feature, I have to decide if I will
sketch it on the Top, Front or right planes. Which plane I use, will change the
orientation. I want to keep my orientation the same, so I will sketch it in the front
plane. For your homework, I ask that you keep the same orientation that is shown on
your assignment. Why does it matter? Well for purposes of this class, it is part of your
visualization skills and honestly if you were making a car for your boss, would you want
the car body to be sitting on the car door when they opened the file? Yes, you can add
features to rotate a model after it has been created, but that rotation will be shown in
your design tree.

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 Modeling Process - Constraining

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

Once you have created your sketch, the next step is to fully constrain or fully define it.
Fully defining a sketch means the software only has one way to interpret the design. If I
draw a square, you understand that is what I mean as long as I keep the sides roughly
the same length and the lines horz and vertical. The software does not know that
unless parameters are added. It is a good rule of thumb to first add geo relations using
and then to add dimensions.
Here we have our initial sketch for the wall mount part. Geo constraints are in green.
The image on the left is underdefined. We can see that some of the lines are blue
indicating underdefined and on the bottom left of your screen in SW it will say Under
Defined. All that is missing is a vertical constraint on one line – once that is added, we
have a fully constrained sketch. If we try to add additional dimensions, SolidWorks will
warn us that we have a fully defined part.
One thing I would like to point out that since you have to add these parameters, your
sketches should just be rough, not exact. You want to maintain proportions when you
are sketching (roughly a square, or the height twice the width) but you don’t want to
spend the time making your initial sketch exact.

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 Modeling Process: Base Features

Extrude Revolve Sweep

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

Once we have our sketch complete, we can create our base feature by pulling the
sketch through space. Here are three ways we might do that. – Extrude where we pull
the sketch in a linear manner. This feature actually has a lot of options to it that can be
very helpful in preserving design intent – This figure is from your SolidWorks textbook
Chapter 3 – here you can see the sketch was created on the righthand face of the
object but did not start until the indicated vertex and ended when it hit the green
surface. In revolve feature, we will also create a fully defined 2D sketch but we need
to include the axis of revolution and then revolve the sketch in some manner around
the axis. Here we also have options when we do the revolve. And the third feature
I’ve included here is sweep, now we define both a profile as well the path along which
we will pull the 2D profile.

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 Modeling Process: Add Features
Add features
• Constrain to base
• Editing considerations

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

Once we have created the base features, we now build up the part by adding features,
the features can be sketched – like building this bar up through a series of extrudes, or
applied features, like cutting off this corner by adding a chamfer.
When doing this, be aware of any parent child dependences you are setting up. We
want to think about how we might edit our part later to maintain design intent.

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 Modeling Process –Documentation
o Identify and create base feature
• Select proper plane and sketch 2D profile (roughly to
shape, size)
• Constrain the sketch using parameters (first geometric
relations; then dimensions)
• Create 3D Feature
o Create additional features to complete the part.
o Edit the model
o Documentation:
o Create drawings (traditional manufacturing)
o Model Based Definition (MBD)

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

Once we have finalized our design we move on to documentation. Most of the time
we are still required to create traditional drawings of our model thought there is an
increased use of Model Based Definitions to document your design.

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 Model Process: Drawings

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

Traditional drawings become easy to create once you have your model, you just let the
program know what views you want to see and add dimensions and other product
manufacturing information (PMI). The hardest part is just cleaning up your dimensions
to meet standards. Once thing to remember is that the drawings have bidirectional
associatively – changes made to them will update the model and the reverse is true as
well.

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 Model Process: MBD
▪ Model Based Definition (MBD)
Model includes all Product Manufacturing Information (PMI).

ME 123 Lecture: CAD 2020-21

Alternatively, in some cases, you can submit your 3D model that has been augmented
with the PMI to meet the standards for Model Based Definition. This is slowly
becoming more common. Areas you are more likely to see it is in CAM and Additive
Manufacturing.

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 Direct
Parametric • CATIA • Fusion 360
• SolidWorks • Creo Direct
• Inventor • SpaceClaim
• Onshape • Rhino
• Creo parametric • KeyCreator
• IronCAD • Siemens NX
• Siemens NX • Blender
• Rhino with Grasshopper • Rhino
• FreeCAD • Solid Edge

Direct vs Parametric Modeling

ME 123 2020-21

In the next video we will discuss direct modeling which is another class of solid
modeling program and look at where you might want to use direct vs parametric.

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