How to Create a Solid Computer Model of a Sitting Stool with SolidWorks
Start Your Rectangle., Select Your Plane., Center The Plane To The Screen., Creating And Dimensioning A Square., Extruding Your Square Top., Starting The Circular Center Leg., Extrude The Table Leg., Round Out The Edges., Round Out Corners.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Start Your Rectangle.
After opening Solidworks find the tool bar that has tabs including features, sketch, and so on as seen in figure
1.
On this screen the tool bar is located on the upper right but this could also be on the top or left of the screen.
Once you have found this tool bar click on the sketch tab and then the rectangle icon.
This will be the top of your stool. -
Step 2: Select Your Plane.
After clicking the rectangle icon, an image like that in figure 2 will pop up.
This is just asking what plane you would like to make your rectangle on.
Start on the front plane to follow along. , After clicking the front plane the plane will not face the screen on its own.
At the top of the screen you will see another tool bar, you will need to click the cube looking icon 5 in from the left and then click the front view icon that is highlighted to the right.
This will center your view to the front plane.
If you chose to start on a different plane you will need to click that plane icon to center on that plane.
The icons will state which plane they are when you scroll over them if it is not clear. , Now it is time to start creating your stool.
Make a rectangle by clicking anywhere on the plane, drag the mouse any direction, and click again.
It does not matter the size or shape of your rectangle because you will dimension it next.
Under the sketch tab used in step 1 you will see an option at the top titled smart dimension.
Click this and then click the top and bottom lines of your rectangle.
In this case I chose to make the height 2 inches (5.1 cm) and did this again by clicking the sides of the rectangle and typing 2 again to form a 2 by 2 inch square.
This is only to create a model stool, if you plan to use this to create a life size stool multiply all units by
10. , Now you will need to give the square you just made some depth.
Above or next to the sketch tab you will see a tab titled features and then see an extrude option, click it.
On the left you will see the screen shown to the right.
The only thing you should have to do is type .25 inches (0.6 cm) in the depth bar as in the screen-shot but also make sure the direction is set to blind.
For anyone who set their square to 20 by 20 inches you will want your depth to be
2.5 inches (6.4 cm). , Now for the center leg of your stool you will need to go to the sketch tab as in step 1, select the circle option and create a circle inside the square you have.
Then go to smart dimension as before and center it by clicking the center of your circle and the top of your rectangle and set the dimension to 1, or ½ of whatever height you set the square to if you didn’t make it
2.
Do this again for the sides of the side of the square to center your circle in the square.
You will also need to set the diameter of your circle to .75.
Make sure that on the bottom of your screen on the right you see a small text that says fully defined.
If this says under defined you will need to go to the display/delete relations option under the sketch tab and click ‘Fully Define Sketch.’ This will show you the dimensions you forgot so that you can specify. , As done before, you will need to go to the features tab and select extrude again.
The same type of image as in figure 5 will appear on the left.
The only thing that should be different than in figure 5 is that you should set the depth to
2.
The image on the screen should look similar to figure
7. , Now it is time to make your stool more appealing.
Go to the features tab and click fillet.
Then click the edge between the square and cylinder.
You will see a screen similar to that in figure 5 but you will set the radius to .25. , Repeat the previous step, but instead of selecting the edge in figure 8, select all four edges of your square as seen in figure
9.
Set the radius to
1.
You are now finished with your stool. -
Step 3: Center The Plane To The Screen.
-
Step 4: Creating And Dimensioning A Square.
-
Step 5: Extruding Your Square Top.
-
Step 6: Starting The Circular Center Leg.
-
Step 7: Extrude The Table Leg.
-
Step 8: Round Out The Edges.
-
Step 9: Round Out Corners.
Detailed Guide
After opening Solidworks find the tool bar that has tabs including features, sketch, and so on as seen in figure
1.
On this screen the tool bar is located on the upper right but this could also be on the top or left of the screen.
Once you have found this tool bar click on the sketch tab and then the rectangle icon.
This will be the top of your stool.
After clicking the rectangle icon, an image like that in figure 2 will pop up.
This is just asking what plane you would like to make your rectangle on.
Start on the front plane to follow along. , After clicking the front plane the plane will not face the screen on its own.
At the top of the screen you will see another tool bar, you will need to click the cube looking icon 5 in from the left and then click the front view icon that is highlighted to the right.
This will center your view to the front plane.
If you chose to start on a different plane you will need to click that plane icon to center on that plane.
The icons will state which plane they are when you scroll over them if it is not clear. , Now it is time to start creating your stool.
Make a rectangle by clicking anywhere on the plane, drag the mouse any direction, and click again.
It does not matter the size or shape of your rectangle because you will dimension it next.
Under the sketch tab used in step 1 you will see an option at the top titled smart dimension.
Click this and then click the top and bottom lines of your rectangle.
In this case I chose to make the height 2 inches (5.1 cm) and did this again by clicking the sides of the rectangle and typing 2 again to form a 2 by 2 inch square.
This is only to create a model stool, if you plan to use this to create a life size stool multiply all units by
10. , Now you will need to give the square you just made some depth.
Above or next to the sketch tab you will see a tab titled features and then see an extrude option, click it.
On the left you will see the screen shown to the right.
The only thing you should have to do is type .25 inches (0.6 cm) in the depth bar as in the screen-shot but also make sure the direction is set to blind.
For anyone who set their square to 20 by 20 inches you will want your depth to be
2.5 inches (6.4 cm). , Now for the center leg of your stool you will need to go to the sketch tab as in step 1, select the circle option and create a circle inside the square you have.
Then go to smart dimension as before and center it by clicking the center of your circle and the top of your rectangle and set the dimension to 1, or ½ of whatever height you set the square to if you didn’t make it
2.
Do this again for the sides of the side of the square to center your circle in the square.
You will also need to set the diameter of your circle to .75.
Make sure that on the bottom of your screen on the right you see a small text that says fully defined.
If this says under defined you will need to go to the display/delete relations option under the sketch tab and click ‘Fully Define Sketch.’ This will show you the dimensions you forgot so that you can specify. , As done before, you will need to go to the features tab and select extrude again.
The same type of image as in figure 5 will appear on the left.
The only thing that should be different than in figure 5 is that you should set the depth to
2.
The image on the screen should look similar to figure
7. , Now it is time to make your stool more appealing.
Go to the features tab and click fillet.
Then click the edge between the square and cylinder.
You will see a screen similar to that in figure 5 but you will set the radius to .25. , Repeat the previous step, but instead of selecting the edge in figure 8, select all four edges of your square as seen in figure
9.
Set the radius to
1.
You are now finished with your stool.
About the Author
Ashley Bell
Enthusiastic about teaching lifestyle techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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