Solid Model Editing

"But what if I make a mistake or want to modify a 3D design? Maybe I want to make something hollow. Is there anything that will let me do that?"

What program wouldn't let you modify something? There must be a way to do that. Tell him you'll get back to him in two days with an answer. SOLIDEDIT is a single command in AutoCAD that allows you to edit faces, edges or bodies of solids. This is a great command to invoke to modify your work.

Training

1. Launch AutoCAD.
2. Create a new drawing and use acad3d.dwt template. Change the units to millimeters and the FACETRES to 10.
3. Add a 20x20x20 box:
   
   
   • Call BOX and press <RETURN>.
     
   • Specify (0,0) as the first point.
     
   • Specify (20,20) as the second point.
     
   • Set the height to 20.
4. Call SOLIDEDIT and press <RETURN>.
5. Type f for face and press <RETURN>:
   
6. Type E for Extrude and press <RETURN> :
   
7. Select the top face and press <RETURN>:
   
8. Specify a height (you can use positive or negative numbers) and press <RETURN>. This allows you to make your models shorter or taller:
   
9. Specify a taper if desired and press <RETURN>:
   
10. Change the view.
    
11. Create a new UCS and type v so that it will be aligned with the view:
    
    
12. Draw a spline or a line that will be the path for an extrusion:
    
13. Select WCS and call SOLIDEDIT
14. Select f and press <RETURN>.
    Type e and <RETURN>.
    Select the top face.
    Then select path and press <RETURN>.
    Click on the path:
    
15. If you have a gap between solids you could redo the path and extrusion or you could use LOFT to create a solid that joins the separate solids:
    
    
16. Create a circle on the face and use PRESSPULL to create a hole:
    
17. Another option for solidediting faces is copy. This lets you select a face and make a copy. The copied face becomes a region that can later be extruded:
    
18. Save your drawing.

Modifying holes.

1. Type f for face and press <RETURN>.
2. Type m for move and press <RETURN>. Select the hole, a base point or displacement and a second point of displacement.
   
   To change the diameter of a hole you can use SOLIDEDIT with faces and offset. A positive offset value will increase the size of the solid volume (making a smaller hole). A negative offset distance will decrease the volume of the solid (making a larger hole):
   

Solid Model Editing: Body

1. Create a new drawing and use the acad3d.dwt template. Change the units to millimeters.
2. Add a 20x20x20 box.
3. Call SOLIDEDIT and press <RETURN>.
4. Type b and press <RETURN> to select the body of the 3D object.
   
5. Shelling is a way to make a solid hollow. To shell the BOX type Sh and press <RETURN>.
6. Click once on the object to select it:
   
7. Now click on the faces you want to remove. To create tubes, you need to select opposite faces (like the top and bottom). Then press <RETURN>:
   
8. Specify the amount to shell. Make the value 1.5 and press <RETURN>:
   
9. Create a cylinder and use SOLIDEDIT to create a tube with a 1.5mm wall thickness.
10. To change the color of an object you can also use SOLIDEDIT.
    • Call SOLIDEDIT and press <RETURN>.
    • Type f to select the faces of the 3D object and press <RETURN>.
    • Type col to select color and press <RETURN>.
    • Click on the object then type ALL and <RETURN>.
    • Select a color and press OK:
      
11. Another use of SOLIDEDIT with Body is separating solids. This command comes in handy when you are editing a solid that seems to have separate parts, but is actually one unified solid. You can use seParate solids to create separate solids:
    

Slice

Another way to separate parts or just cut a solid is with SLICE. Slice enables you to cut a solid into two pieces.

1. Create a new drawing and use acad3d.dwt template.
2. Set the units to millimeters.
3. On the command line type Z and press <RETURN> and then type A and <RETURN>. This will zoom you in so that you can get an overall view of your work.
4. Create a box or extrude a polyline
5. Type Slice or SL and press <RETURN>:
   
6. At the Select objects to slice: prompt, click the object you would like to slice and press <RETURN>.
   
   
   The Slice command would then slice all the solids through the plane indicated.
7. Select a point
   
8. Select another point
   
9. Type both if not selected and press <RETURN> to keep both sides of the slice
   
   
10. Look at the command line and create a number of slices based on the options (3points, ZAxis, XY, etc)