Radar Mast & Final Assembly of Yacht

Project title :- Radar mast & final assembly of yacht

Objective :-

The objective of the project is to design & model part of Radar mast & final assembly of American Predator Yacht and assembling to create the Photo-Realistic rendering of the yacht.

Introduction :-

In this project the American Predator Yacht was taken as a conceptual model, to understand the 3D modelling methodology of Solid modelling and Surface modelling. Each and every part of the yacht was designed and modelled using SOLIDWORKS. Then the modelled parts were assembled by adding proper mates and constraints to create the Photo-Realistic rendered image of the Yacht.

The solidworks is a mechanical design automation application that lets designers quickly sketch out ideas, experiment with features and dimensions, and produce models and detailed drawings.

Photo-View 360 is a solidworks add-in that produces photo-realistic renderings of solidworks models. The rendered image incorporates the appearances, lighting, scene, and decals included with the model.

solidworks Visualize is a photo-realistic rendering tool that utilizes our CAD data to create magazine quality images or commercial quality animations.

Design methodology/Flowcharts :-

Terminology:-

These terms appear throughout the SOLIDWORKS software and documentation.

Origin - Appears as two blue arrows and represents the (0,0,0) coordinate of the model. When a sketch is active, a sketch origin appears in red and represents the (0,0,0) coordinate of the sketch. Dimensions and relations can be added to a model origin, but not to a sketch origin.

Plane - Flat construction geometry.  Planes can be used for adding a 2D sketch, section view of a model, or a neutral plane in a draft feature.

Axis - Straight line used to create model geometry, features, or patterns. Axis can be created in different ways, including intersecting two planes. The SOLIDWORKS application creates temporary axes implicitly for every conical or cylindrical face in a model.

Face - Boundaries that help define the shape of a model or a surface. A face is a selectable area (planar or non-planar) of a model or surface.

Edge - Location where two or more faces intersect and are joined together. Edges can be selected for sketching and dimensioning.

Vertex - Point at which two or more lines or edges intersect.

Types of command & its explination :-

Sketch - Create the sketches and decide how to dimension and where to apply relations.

Features - Select the appropriate features, such as extrudes and fillets, determine the best features to apply, and in what order to apply those features must be decided.

Surfaces - Surfaces are a type of geometry that can be used to create solid features.

Assembly - Select the components to mate and the types of mates to apply.

Sketch - Creating a model usually begins with a sketch. From the sketch, we can create features. We can combine one or more features to make a part. Then, we can combine and mate the appropriate parts to create an assembly. From the parts or assemblies, we can then create drawings.

3-D Sketch - When sketching in 3D, we can snap to the major directions, X, Y, or Z, and constraints are applied Along X, Y, Z respectively. These are constraints to the global coordinate system.

When sketching on a plane, we can snap to the horizontal or vertical directions in the plane, and constraints are applied to the Horizontal and the Vertical. These are constraints to a plane, planar face, etc.

Sketch command -

Smart Dimension - Creates a dimension for a selected sketch entity.

Line - Line is one of the first sketching tools in Solidworks Sketch Command Manager which can be drawn horizontally, vertically or at any angle. It plays very important role to complete the 2D drawing of the product or part and very easy to utilize its features.

Circle - The circle is another important sketching tool which enables to create the circular drawing on the graphics area. There are two circle tools are available and they are “Center circle” and “Perimeter circle”.

Rectangle - Sketches rectangles or square with a center point at a selected angle. Parallelogram sketches a standard parallelogram.

Spline - A two or three dimensional curve defined by a set of control points. Points within a spline can be added or deleted.

Sketch Fillet - A tangent arc in between two sketch entities can be created.

Point - Inserts a point or vertex into a sketch entity. This cannot be deleted if it is part of sketch endpoint or center point.

Text – It can be used to write the text necessary wherever required either it’s a plane or face.

Offset Entities - Copy a sketch entity to a specified distance from the original entity. Must have a sketch entity already drawn and selected to use this tool.

Sketch Picture - Insert an image file into the background of a sketch. This allows the user to 2D sketches based off of the image. Use the sketch picture property manager to alter the inserted image.

Convert Entities - Convert Entities enables you to copy model edges into your active sketch. These sketch elements are automatically fully defined and constrained with an On Edge relation. Convert Entities is like Offset Entities except that the offset distance is always zero.

Feature - Some sketch-based features are shapes such as bosses, cuts, and holes. Other sketch-based features such as lofts and sweeps use a profile along a path. Another type of feature is called an applied feature, which does not require a sketch. Applied features include fillets, chamfers, or shells. They are called “applied” because they are applied to existing geometry using dimensions and other characteristics to create the feature. Typically, we create parts by including sketch-based features such as bosses and holes. Then we add applied features. It is possible to create a part without sketch-based features.

Feature command - 

Extruded Boss/Base - One of the oldest commands in the SOLIDWORKS software is the boss/base extrude command. An Extruded Boss/Base feature will allow us to take a 2D sketch and add thickness to it in the third dimension.

Extruded Cut - It’s a tool to remove material by projecting a sketched section normal to the sketching plane.

Split - Lines are used to divide model faces into two. Split lines are created like any other sketched feature. They can be one or more connected sketch entities. They must be oriented so that they will pass through model faces when projected normal to the sketch plane.

Dome - It can add one or more domes to the selected planar or non-planar faces. The software calculates the distance using the radius of the arc as a basis for the dome.

Pierce Relationships - The Pierce relationship is used in sweeps. It can be thought of as a 3D Coincident relationship. In our spring, the circle will follow the helix. Think of the helix as a thin piece of wire and the profile sketch as being drawn on a piece of paper.  If we stick the wire through the paper at the center of the circle, this would be a pierce relationship. When we perform the sweep, the paper will slide along the wire, held at the pierce point.

Project Curve - Select Bi-directional to create a projection that extends on both sides of the sketch. The curve can be used as a path for a sweep.

Composite Curve - We can create composite curves by combining curves, sketch geometry, and model edges into a single curve. Composite curve can be used as a guide curve when creating a loft or a sweep.

Surface command - 

• Lofted Surfaces – Creates a lofted surface between two or more profiles or sketches. Specify start and end constraints and add guide curves to control the path shape.
• Boundary Surfaces – The boundary surface feature lets us to create surfaces that can be tangent or curvature continuous in both directions (all sides of the surface). In most cases, this delivers a higher quality result than the loft tool.
• Extruded Surfaces – Extrudes a sketch or selected sketch contours in one or two directions two create a surface features
• Revolved Surfaces – Revolves a sketch or selected sketch contours around an axis to create a surface features.
• Swept Surfaces – It Sweeps a closed profile along an open or closed path to create a surface feature. It uses a tangent plane at the end of the path so that the path is normal to the swept surface.
• Filled Surfaces – Patches a surface within a boundary defined by edges, sketches, or curves. We can use constraint curves to fill surfaces and adjust resolution control to improve surface finish.
• Ruled Surfaces – Inserts ruled surfaces in a specified direction from edges. Tangent to surface, Normal to surface, tapered to vector, perpendicular to vector or sweep can be selected. We can also trim and knit the surfaces and remove any connecting surfaces.
• Trim Surface – It trims the surfaces where a surface intersect with another surface, a plane or a sketch
• Knit Surface – It combines two or more adjacent, non-intersecting surfaces into a single surface body. The surfaces must joint at an edge. If the resulting knit surface encloses a volume, we can create a solid body from the Property Manager
• Move/copy surfaces – Moves or copy surfaces about a plane or a sketch.
• Offset Surface – Offsets surfaces using one or more contiguous faces. This tool helps us to create an offset surface with gaps.
• Extend Surface – Extends one or more edges or faces on a surface, based on end conditions and extension type.
• Mirror surfaces – A mirror feature is a copy of a selected feature, mirrored about a plane or planar face. A mirror sketch entity is a copy of a selected sketch entity that is mirrored about a centerline. If the original feature or sketch is modified, the mirrored copy is updated to reflect the change.
• Reference plane – We can create planes in part or assembly documents. We can use planes to sketch, to create a section view of a model, for a neutral plane in a draft feature, and so on.
• Projected curve – A projected curve is typically used either in sweeps and lofts as path or guide curve. There are two types of projected curves:
• Sketch on Sketch: Use two sketches to make a single curve.
• Sketch on surface: Use a sketch to project on a surface.
• Split line – The Split Line tool projects an entity (sketch, solid, surface, face, plane, or surface spline) to surfaces, or curved or planar faces. It divides a selected face into multiple separate faces. We can split curves on multiple bodies with one command.
• Split point – We can split a sketch entity to create two sketch entities. Conversely, we can delete a split point to combine two sketch entities into a single sketch entity.
• Fillet - A fillet is an internal rounding of a corner or edge in a sketch, or an edge on a surface.

Part modeling description -

Blueprint - 

A blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing or engineering drawing using a contact print process on light-sensitive sheets. A blueprint is a guide for making something, it's a design or pattern that can be followed. They were easier to read and faster to make.

The above shown Blueprint was used to model the Yacht in a fully defined constraints. For setting up the Blueprint the Sketch pictures options were used and placed the different blueprints at the required planes.

Radar Mast 

A mast is a vertical ship structure mounted on top of bridge and forward of the forecastle towards the ship’s bow. It accounts for the support platform for the ships derrick and hold necessary equipment’s such as radars, navigation light and ships horn in case of foremast. They are made of high tensile steel with added rigidity based on the size of derricks it holds. Other than that a ships main mast is also used to hoist ships flag.

Out of different parts of ship the main job of mast is to hold necessary equipment such as radar receiver, navigation lights, ships horn, flags and derricks in some case.

Commands used

In Sketch

• Sketch Picture
• Line
• Spline
• Rectangle
• Arcs

In Feature

• Extruded Boss/Base
• Lofted Boss/Base
• Revolved Boss/Base
• Swept Boss/Base
• Reference Plane
• Projected Curve
• Fillet
• Mirror
• Dome
• Shell

Modelling Procedure -

• The first half of the Radar was Modelled with the help of blueprint and then the other half was mirrored with the help of Mirror tool.
• The body of the Radar was created using Extruded Boss/Base and Revolved Boss/Base.
• The antenna for the radar was also created using the Extruded Boss/Base.
• The lamp stand along with the connecting rod were created using the Swept Boss/Base and Mirror tool.
• The lamp was created by using the projected curve and then the curve was swept using swept boss/base.
• The horns were created using the Revolved Boss/Base, Dome and Shell.
• Then the fillets and chamfers were applied wherever necessary.
• Finally the part was saved by applying appropriate appearances.

Assembly -

An assembly is a document in which parts, features, and other assemblies (sub-assemblies) are mated together. The parts and subassemblies exist in documents separate from the assembly. For example, in an assembly, a piston can be mated to other parts, such as a connecting rod or cylinder. This new assembly can then be used as a sub-assembly in an assembly of an engine. The extension for a SolidWorks assembly file name is SLDASM.

Assembly command - 

• Smart Mate - A Smart mate is an assembly mating relation that is created automatically.
• Mate - A mate is a geometric relationship, such as coincident, perpendicular, tangent, and so on, between parts in an assembly.
• Mate group - A mate group is a collection of mates that are solved together. The order in which the mates appear within the mate group does not matter.
• Sub-Assembly - A sub-assembly is an assembly document that is part of a larger assembly. For example, the steering mechanism of a car is a subassembly of the car.
• Insert Components - We can insertmultiple instances of the group of components without closing the Property Manager.

Assembly Procedure -

• Import all the parts manually by using Insert Components option.
• Then fix the Hull part by applying the coincident mate to the Top, Right and Front planes of the Assembly and Hull respectively.
• Then for each part apply the necessary mates required by the Blueprint using Coincident mates, Angle Mates, Distance mates etc.
• Advanced mate was also used wherever required.

 Final Assembly View(Side view, Front View, Top view, Isometric View)

Rendering -

Rendering of the Solidworks model is done using PhotoView 360 and Solidworks Visualize.

PhotoView 360 is a visualization and rendering solution included with SOLIDWORKS. Providing a highly interactive environment for viewing designs as well as for creating photo-realistic renderings it can be used to showcase our designs.

SOLIDWORKS Visualize (formerly known as Bunkspeed) provides a suite of standalone software tools that combine industry-leading rendering capabilities with visual design-oriented features and workflows, allowing easy and fast creation of visual content that communicates a design's vision, passion, and emotion

Photoview 360 -

PhotoView 360 is a software package, separate to Solidworks, which generates digital lifelike images (photorealistic images) from SolidWorks files. PhotoView 360 is an easy and quick way to produce high quality photorealistic images.

• Environments - Environments can be looked upon as backdrops and can be applied in a similar manner as the appearances are applied to faces or parts
• Appearances - There are a wider range of appearances in PhotoView 360 than in SolidWorks. If we wish to change an appearance just drag and drop the chosen appearance onto the part and it will replace the existing one.
• Lighting - Lights may be added in the same way a photographer adds lights when taking photographs. PhotoView 360 uses the same lights as SolidWorks but also uses lighting from the rendering environment or scene. PhotoView 360 has the sophistication to trace light rays and reflections.
• Scenes - Each SolidWorks model is associated with a PhotoView 360 scene, for which you can specify properties such as environments and backgrounds. Scenes help to put products in context.
• Decals - Images, such as company logos, can be applied to models.
• Output - The rendered output from PhotoView 360 can be viewed on the screen, or saved to a graphics file.
• Options - PhotoView 360 has its own options. Options allow you to customize the PhotoView 360 settings to reflect your preferences. Options are divided into Output Image Settings, Render Quality, Bloom, Contour Rendering and Direct Caustics.