Surfacing Bible
SolidWorks Surfacing and Complex Shape Modeling Bible
This book explains some of the elementary concepts of surfacing, and goes on to talk about tools and techniques. The last part of the book has several tutorials done in a conversational style, where I go through how I modeled parts, including how the decisions were made to use various features. This is not just a “do this do that” tutorial where you get the instructions to make a complex shape but never understand why you would do this or do that.
I have also broken the information into Primary Shape Creation Tools, and Secondary Shape Creation Tools, which I think is essential to understanding the surfacing workflow. This book is really written for people who are pretty good with SolidWorks, but want to know more about surfacing and complex shapes.
There is a chapter devoted to splines, in addition to a chapter just on general sketching for surfaces and shapes, and a further chapter on curve features. If you’ve been wondering about how surfaces can improve your modeling skills, this is your book. There is some overlap between this book and the 2007 Bible, but this book is definitely more involved.
PART 1: Laying the Groundwork
Chapter 1 Understanding Basic Concepts
Chapter 2 Surfacing Primer
PART 2: Using Primary Shape Creation Tools
Chapter 3 Sketching with Splines
Chapter 4 3D Sketching
Chapter 5 Creating Curves
Chapter 6 Primary Shape Creation Tools
Chapter 7 Advanced Filleting
Chapter 8 Shelling
PART 3: Using Secondary, Management and Evaluation Tools
Chapter 9 Secondary Shape Creation Tools
Chapter 10 Hybrid tools
Chapter 11 Surface Management Tools
Chapter 12 Using Direct Editing Features
Chapter 13 Body Management
Chapter 14 Evaluating Geometry
PART 4: Using Specialized Techniques
Chapter 15 Modeling a Simple Handle
Chapter 16 Modeling a Garden Tool
Chapter 17 Modeling Blends
Chapter 18 Modeling a Plastic Bottle
Chapter 19 Modeling Decorative Features
Chapter 20 Modeling Overmolded Geometry
Chapter 21 Starting from Digitized Data
Chapter 22 Master Model Techniques
Chapter 23 Post Processing
Index
Glossary
So the Surfacing books arrived – 1 personal, 1 for department. It looks amazing! Now all I need to do is to find the time to begin working thru it. I don’t suppose the “extra time” is being shipped separately, is it?
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Oh, yes! I’ve got a whole box of extra time here. I just pull out a couple handfuls every time I need it. I’ll send you a box full.
I have just purchased this book and I am sure it’s great, however nowhere does it say prior to buying this book that the sample files can only be opened in SW 2008. I only have SW 2007, Not impressed at all.
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Well, sorry about that, but honestly, what version did you expect the files to be in? Plus, the reverse compatibility problem is not my fault. The book had to be written on the latest version of the software. Doing anything else just didn’t make sense. Some of the techniques cannot be used in previous versions. Not all the parts could be built using the same techniques in 2007.
Anyway, if you have questions, I will make an effort to answer them. I’m glad to see that the books are making it out to NZ so quickly.
Dear matt
i know this might be out of context but as your blog header says that it discusses mechanical engineering too(not just industrial engineering and styling) i’ll be so much appreciated if you share some of your knowledge on bringing complex shapes and models into real world (processes and manufacturing methods).
Love this book, it’s fantastic!!!!!! My only PROBLEM is the thickening feature and i can’t figure out why, when i follow your steps and make a model identical to yours, the feature thicken fails every time? i’m siting chapter 16, modeling a trowel.
What are reasons for this not happening? is thicken just extremely finicky. i can’t even do a proper offset without the surfaces gettin gall messed up. very sad.
Matt,
I just received your Surfaceing book last week. It is extremely well layed out and I am impressed with the clarity with which you present concepts and use of surfacing tools, Something about your writing style is connecting really well with me, so I appreciate all your efforts! This book has far surpassed my expectations!
Thanks to you Matt, and to those who you mention in the book acknowlegments!
I have been using SolidWorks since 1999, but never before now have I followed any of the SW related sites such as yours or Mike Wilson’s.
I am amazed at the caliber of brilliant and helpful people the SW community is comprised of.
Kind Regards,
Raimo
Matt -
Excellent tutorial, well written and logical from a 12 year SW solids user. First venture into surfacing. I am working with models converted to 2009 SP 3.0 and find an interesting anomaly in the chapter 15 ladle. Upon editing the initial loft the feature manager only has the curve 1 profile and the start constraint box is empty. If I do nothing and hit accept the loft fails, not surprisingly. If I exit out all is copacetic. If I delete the loft and try to recreate it I cannot get it to loft correctly.
Onward and upward. Cheers bob
Hi Matt,
Could you please answer on two following questions:
1.I have your book SolidWorks Surfacing… Where can I download models from?
2.Can you recommend trustedconfiguration of strong PC for Solidworks 2009?
Anatoly
1. http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470258233,descCd-DOWNLOAD.html
2. Well, In the US, I would go to http://xicomputer.com Tell them you need a SW box, and they’ll hook you up.
You’d actually be better off at this site: http://www.solidmuse.com/ asking about computers.
Best of luck!
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- Ok, who’s the weirdo?
Great book, nice color presentation.
BUT I caanot acess the companion web site to complete the tutorials.
Please advise.
Thanks
=======================================================
The link is:
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470258233,descCd-DOWNLOAD.html
I just tested it, and it works here. Any more probs, let me know.
Hello Mr. Lombard ,
thanks for the great books,
is there an updated or new version to be expected of “the Surface and complex shape modelling book” within time ?
this on behalf of the people working with SW 2009/2010 and service packs as the current book was published in 2008
GJ,
No, there is no update for this book planned at this time. Since 2008, there have been few updates affecting surfacing in a major way. I don’t see the need for an overhaul through 2010, but hopefully 2011 will bring us more stuff to write about. Did you have questions about anything in particular?
@matt
maybe later , the reason for this question was wether its practical to buy the surface modelling bible now or wait for the next release ,
thanks a lot,
GJ
I really like this book a lot. It uses my favorite classical car ever, Shelby Cobra. The ironic part is that one of my students stole the book from my book case. Just when I started to get into it.
Matt,
I can´t thank you enough for this book!!!
@Simon Job
Matt
Firstly, GREAT book, best single SldWks-related volume I’ve yet to get my hands on (and that includes the official training books).
It’s great that you are even-handed about what does and does not work; my biggest beef about SW Help used to be the extent to which it glossed over limitations and constraints
(To be fair, I think they’ve greatly improved, both by making Help more comprehensive, and by elevating a lot of constraints)
Furthermore, I very much like your non-prescriptive approach in shaping the content. It’s great not to be hemmed in by the writer’s preferred line of attack, especially given that SolidWorks offers so many routes to the same broad destination. (Something I regret when dealing with the plain-vanilla, geometric primitive creation tools, but becomes an asset when you get into surfacing and such, where, as you rightly warn, methods 1 and 2 may not work as designed.)
OK, I could go on forever with bouquets but I have work to do (shoque, horreur!) so just a wee brickbat.
I’m going to take up the cudgels in support of Simon.
Prior to purchase I was personally aware of, and happy with, the 2008 linkage (which happened to be the version I was at)
At this remove, I can’t recall how I knew that, and the book itself offers scant help on this. No date on front or back cover, the only date mentioned in the Preface (several times) is 2007 (citing the 2007 Bible as a companion volume)
As far as I can see the ONLY clue is the tiny copyright date on the flyleaf, and these are not always reflective of a publication date, moreover, not everyone can get a magnum opus on the market as fast as you, so even the publication date is not a reliable guide to the version covered.
Given that the date is part of the title of your Bibles, would it put too big a crimp on future sales to specify, prominently, the earliest version your Surfacing books tie into?
[eg: Front cover: "Complete example models (v2008)]
[or (perhaps too clumsily) Title: SolidWorks - Surfacing and Complex Modelling (2008 on)]
And even if that did compromise future sales, is that not preferable to people buying information they might believe to be up-to-date, only to find it is not?
I think it’s also telling to note that reading Simon’s post was the only way a reader of this page could have known what version the examples, models and detailed procedures were based on.
None of this , as I said, impacts on me personally, and I pass this on because I greatly respect both your work and your business model.
If they were to become even better, (with or without my interference!) I would be absolutely stoked. (Now that’s showing my age! At least I didn’t say … “thrilled”
Andrew,
Thanks for the comments! That book remains my favorite
About the date: Yeah, I agree, the date should figure in there somewhere more prominently. I’m just an author writing for a big publisher, and the publisher sets the title. They specifically left the date out of the title because this was a niche book, and they did not plan to update it every year, so they wanted longer shelf life.
It was written on a beta of 2008, but even in 2010, there are fewer than a dozen things that I would change due to new or changed functions. I would change more than that based on stuff I’ve learned.
I won’t defend my response to Simon. Maybe it was right, maybe it was wrong.
respected members can anyone of you is willing to share this book with me I know its illegal but I need it for my B.Tech project and I cannot afford to buy it…..looking forward for help thanks in advance
Just because you are a student doesn’t mean you are entitled to my hard work for free. Are you so clueless that you would post a request for pirated material on the author’s blog?
@matt
Thanks for that, Matt.
I understand what you are saying. Clearly you’re not calling the shots on this issue.
If you care to email me Wiley’s Editorial Manager’s address, I’m happy to take this up with them
As for “I know it’s illegal but I cannot afford to buy it”
I think rahul needs to look up ‘non sequitur’.
The second part of his sentence has no influence on, or relation to, the first
The MOST respected member of this forum is the person whom you have disrespected in the worst way, so your ‘respected members’ are the words of a weasel.
Michael,
Hey, great to hear you like the book.
About Thicken, yes, it’s finicky. It depends on how you’re using it. If you’re just thickening an open surface, it has to have no spot where the curvature is tighter than the thickness. If you are trying to make a solid from a manifold surface, it has to have no gaps or overlaps – all surfaces are knit into a single body and touch edge to edge. If you want to send me a model to look at, I’d be glad to do it. matt@dezignstuff.com