How to mate center point of circle of imported body to a plane in the Body-Move/Copy feature

[bnemec]

I just want the center of the highlighted circle coincident with the Front Plane. I cannot figure out how to select the center point. I tried using construction element like point or axis defined by the circle or cylinder in the imported body, but the move body mate will not let me select it.

[zwei]

I am able to mate it by selecting the circular face of the hole and a reference axis

After that i use a 2nd move command to constraint it to other plane (since i only want the hole to be coincident to the front plane)

[Lucas]

The center point entity does not exist (for some reason), so first you must create a reference geometry (axis or coord. sys.) and then use Move Body using the internal face/edge and that reference. (like @Zhen-Wei Tee pointed)

It's a little unintuitive: no reference created by the body can be used to move the body alone; one reference must be a body entity (edge, face or vertex)

[SPerman]

Couldn't you use the temporary axis for that hole?

I've all but stopped inserting parts into parts, because the alignment is so limited. It really makes me appreciate how NX handles this. (There is no distinction between a part or an assembly.)

[bnemec]

Couldn't you use the temporary axis for that hole?

I've all but stopped inserting parts into parts, because the alignment is so limited. It really makes me appreciate how NX handles this. (There is no distinction between a part or an assembly.)

Yeah, after reading the comments here I realized I had "method blinders" on. I kept thinking I want the center point of the hole on this plane. I didn't realize how dependent I am on Solid Edge's ability to recognize inherent geometry axis and points on the fly while doing stuff. I was making ref geom to the imported body, assuming it would behave like how it looks and drive the imported body. Wrong. In SW land I think I need to see if from another direction, make a fixed ref geometry that can be mated to the geometry in the imported body.

Side note, why they heck does the Origin have an icon that looks like a triad when the actual origin is only a point, it has no axis to be used?

Edit: Forgot about the reasoning for importing. We do usually import either, only do that when we get models from customer that we're supposed to "match exactly". We're doing a lot of it now as we're still trying to get the vast majority of our Solid Edge parts remodeled into Solidworks. So we import the SE model as ref geometry to use as a guide and then to compare against. But thanks to poorly done models from 15+ years ago and SW thinking Z is front instead of up, the imported geometry needs positioned.

[bnemec]

I am able to mate it by selecting the circular face of the hole and a reference axis

image.png

After that i use a 2nd move command to constraint it to other plane (since i only want the hole to be coincident to the front plane)

image.png

Thank you. I can see now. I Solid Edge the inherent axis of the cylinder or the center of a arc/circle are selectable so no need to define extra geometry to mate the hole to. To position a body in SE like this just select the plane then hover over the circle then pick the implied center point and done. I just have blinders on, need to see the task from other perspectives.

[Lucas]

This strange behavior occurs because SW relies on history to build models, so you can do crazy stuff like this:

It works fine on assemblies tho, because the reference will be attached to the part

And I have no idea about the reference coord. sys... it's pretty much useless now, but next year will get a major update

[bnemec]

This strange behavior occurs because SW relies on history to build models, so you can do crazy stuff like this:


SOLIDWORKS-Student-Edition-Academic-Use-Only-_Part1-__-2021-11-13-01-47-36.gif

It works fine on assemblies tho, because the reference will be attached to the part

And I have no idea about the reference coord. sys... it's pretty much useless now, but next year will get a major update

I was trying the first half of that. I added the axis like you did then tried to move the body by putting a mate between the axis and a base plane. Didn't work, wouldn't let me because the axis is not part of the body.

What you showed seems ridiculous behavior to me, but once a user knows how SW behaves then it could be useful I guess. I'd still feel a little dirty actually doing that though. IMO that type of move should NOT have history.

[SPerman]

There is no need to create the axis. All cylindrical features have an axis. Solidworks calls them "Temporary Axes" and hides them by default. To show them, go to Tools, Hide/Show, Temporary Axes.

[bnemec]

There is no need to create the axis. All cylindrical features have an axis. Solidworks calls them "Temporary Axes" and hides them by default. To show them, go to Tools, Hide/Show, Temporary Axes.

image.png

That's good to know. Thank you. Unfortunately, it is not selectable in the Body-Move/Copy command.

[jcapriotti]

The "Move/Copy Bodies" has two methods of use. A "Mate" like method that was added back when multibody weldments was added, and the older "Translate/Rotate" method.

It's stupid but the "Mate" method forces you to select model geometry as one of the selections. You can't pick the holes axis, sketch point, or reference point and then a plane or other reference geometry. One selection must be a face, edge, or vertex of the model. What rational there is for this, who know? I guess the use case never came up.

The "Translate/Rotate" does allow a point to point selection. Like you said, you can't select a hole center point like SE, so you have to add one (Reference point or a sketch point).

[KevinC]

That's good to know. Thank you. Unfortunately, it is not selectable in the Body-Move/Copy command.

A temp axis can be selected for body move, but since it's a vector, you can only move along the axis, so the PM changes to a distance spinner:

[DanPihlaja]

If the issue is because the software simply isn't seeing the circular item as circular, then you can you create a temporary surface to get you a center point and an axis (if you need it)

Then create an axis (if you need it)

[bnemec]

If the issue is because the software simply isn't seeing the circular item as circular, then you can you create a temporary surface to get you a center point and an axis (if you need it)

image.png

image.png

Then create an axis (if you need it)
image.png

Couple of things. In Solid Edge, IIRC, the inherent key points and axis of most primitive geometry are available for selection in most of the commands where you might want them; no need to explicitly remake something that's already there. Second, I think I tried what you mentioned, but the move body feature sees those ref geometry as not part of the body that I want to move. So adding a center point to an arc of an imported body cannot be used to position that body. Instead, one must create a point, axis or something in the place they want to move the imported body to. If I understand what's going on.