We do not have only one size of rail or duct, so when we use the default
rail/duct in
SOLIDWORKS Electrical, it doesnโt always match what weโre looking for. However
Change Length of โRailโ or โDuctโ is a very useful tool, that
doesnโt seem to exactly cooperate with any rail/duct shaped part file.
Additionally Insert as horizontal/vertical rail/duct is a
useful feature in
SOLIDWORKS Electrical
that saves us an extra mate to be added in.
Weโd like to have different rail/duct files that properly represent the size
and appearance of what weโre actually going to be using. Weโd also like to be
able to use Change Lengthโฆ to be able to easily change the
length without messing up other areas where this rail/duct is used. Sadly the
Insert as horizontal/vertical… feature is presently not
able to be used on any other files besides the default rail/duct. This blog
will cover creating such a rail/duct.
If you, like me, would like for the
Insert as horizontal/verticalโฆ features to work with our
custom rails/ducts, here is how to enter Enhancement Requests:
Proper Names
-
For our custom rail/duct(s) to work, we must make sure that the proper names
are applied in their proper locations. The picture below shows the name of
all but the dimension that is needed. -
Extrude must be named: EW_EXTRUDE (required for
Change Lengthโฆ to work) -
Configuration must be named: EW_CONFIG (required for
Change Lengthโฆ to work) -
MateReferences must be named: trewback and
trewrail35 (required for Mate References to work in
conjunction with Electrical Parts)
-
Dimension of the Extrude Distance must be named: EW_DEPTH (required for
Change Lengthโฆ to work)
Mate References
To make it easy for Electrical Parts to be assembled, weโd likely wish to add
the Mate References that match up with those parts. These
Mate References are set up as shown below.
3D Modelย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Assigning a 3D part to your Manufacturer Part is always a
good idea, it will save you a lot of browsing down the line. It works just as
well for rails and ducts.
However, the Insert asโฆ feature doesnโt work for these custom
rails and ducts, so youโll have to add that extra mate into your assembly to
get your rail/duct in the correct orientation. This, in my opinion, is a small
sacrifice to make for the ability to use Change Lengthโฆ and
have the proper size and appearance of our model.
After getting all of the naming correct and bringing in the model, we can use
the Change Length of โRailโ or โDuct just like with the
default ones. Click the feature > Click the part > type in the number
> OK!
*Quack*