Solidworks Align Drawing to Plane

In this section:

3.1: General
3.2: Point clouds
3.3: Align
iii.3.i: Origin
3.3.ii: Align
three.three.3 Reset
three.3.four Centrality
3.3.5 Flip
3.3.6 Rotate
3.iv Options
iii.5 Slices
iii.5.1 Piece from plane
3.5.ii CSV (professional version merely)
3.five.3 Vector
3.5.4 Outline
iii.five.five Position slice
3.5.six Plane from slice
3.5.7 Step piece
3.six Clipping
3.6.1 Clipping in slices
3.vii Shader
3.eight Clash detection
3.9 Indicate cloud not displayed correctly

three. one Full general

Betoken Clouds for SolidWorks features a very simple user interface. Y'all'll come across a number of tabs which divide the key controls in the plug-in into logical sections.

In many sections you lot will see the 2 buttons below:

iii.2 Point clouds

The Point Clouds tab in the plug-in, showing all the options listed to the right.

To add a betoken cloud to your document, press the + button on the Point Clouds tab and select the VPC file. you'd similar to add. When a point cloud is added and selected in the displayed list, a number of options become available which command the appearance of that point cloud. Notation that you must select the point cloud in order for those options to work:

Acquire more nigh the nuts of loading and editing point cloud settings in this video.

iii.iii Align

This set of tools is used to position and rotate the selected bespeak cloud(due south) within SolidWorks.

Notation: using the Point Clouds for SolidWorks Drawing Tools withorigin andalign gives accurate bespeak selection with the indicate cloud(s).

Allow's look at each of the dissimilar tools in more detail:

3.3.1 Origin

Ensure "point" is selected in the Point Clouds tab when using the origin function. Note the "add" icon shaped like a pencil to the correct.

Position a "point" on the selected indicate cloud (if point snapping is required then please ensurepoint is selected from the Bespeak Clouds tab, and click the add icon). Select the newly created point, which volition highlight it blue, and click the origin icon. The betoken cloud will be moved to Ten,Y,Z 0,0,0 centred on the selected bespeak.

Learn more than about the origin office in this video.

It's important to add a 3D Sketch in SolidWorks earlier pressing the "add together" push in the plug-in

Selecting your newly created bespeak volition highlight it bluish.

Annotation: make certain a SolidWorks "3D Sketch" has been added earlier using Point Clouds for SolidWorks add together icon. Otherwise the points y'all endeavour to create will non be displayed and you will non exist able to fix the origin.

3.3.two Align

Select "Line" from the Point Cloud tab if y'all want to snap your lines to the point cloud. Again, annotation the "Add" icon shaped like a pencil

Depict two new axis "lines," one representing X and the other Y, on the selected betoken cloud. If snapping to the point cloud is required ensure line is selected from the Point Clouds tab, followed past clicking the add icon. Select both lines (horizontal and then vertical – it won't work the other fashion round), which will highlight them blueish, and select the marshal icon. The point cloud will transition to marshal with the new axes.

Learn more about the Align function in this video.

Selecting your 2 axis lines will highlight them blue.

Note: employ axis flip and rotate to correct the orientation if the indicate cloud doesn't align correctly.

3.3.three Reset

Resets any of the marshal or origin operations dorsum to the original location/rotation of the point deject(due south).

3.3.4 Axis

Selects which axis (X, Y or Z) volition exist affected by the flip and rotate operations.

3.3.5 Flip

Flips the selected betoken cloud(s) 180° around the axis you have selected.

3.3.6 Rotate

Flips the selected point cloud(s) xc° around the axis you have selected.

3.4 Options

The options console features settings that affect all point clouds.

Lighting – adds dynamic lighting to the scene. The low-cal source is e'er behind your current position.
Rendering – removes indicate cloud(due south) from the view displays.
Re-create – copies the point deject(southward) and backdrop (slices, clips, alignment, origin etc.).
Paste – pastes the contents you lot've copied into a new SolidWorks Part or Assembly.

Notation: perform the Copy so select or generate a new Part or Assembly before selecting Paste. Otherwise the functioning will not work. Spotter this video to learn more nearly copying and pasting.

3.5 Slices

Slices are a way to quickly visualise a department through the betoken cloud(due south).

Y'all can ascertain the size of the slice manually, after which the slice is visualised in the viewing window. If no size is selected, Point Cloud for SolidWorks will use the last defined slice size.

Learn more than about slicing in this video.

A slice of a point cloud in SolidWorks.

The slice tin be moved by using the stepping function. See section 3.5.seven for more information.

Annotation: It is non possible to have multiple slices enabled at any ane time.

The Slices tab, showing y'all all your available slices and their settings.

Each piece has the post-obit properties:

Enabled – turns the slice on/off.
Lock – prevents the piece from existence moved.
Colour – selects the colour the piece volition appear every bit when the highlight option is ticked.
Name – lets you lot requite your piece a meaningful name to assist y'all identify it.
Width – in units of current function or assembly, such every bit metres or mm.
Stride – the altitude you lot will move through your slice every fourth dimension y'all use the step office. See section 3.five.7 for more information.
Clipping – selecting this means that any clipping you volition only affect the points within your slice. See section 3.half dozen for more than information on clipping.
Highlight – highlights your piece with your called colour.

At the top of the piece window, you lot'll find an additional button:

In the SolidWorks FeatureManager Pattern Tree, you can select the plane you lot wish to slice from.

3.v.1 Slice from plane

Slices through the bespeak cloud at the position of the pane you have selected from the SolidWorks "FeatureManager Design Tree" tab. The new piece is added to the Point Clouds for SolidWorks slices tab.

At the bottom of the slice window are seven buttons:

3.5.two CSV (plane analysis, professional version only)

Creates a text-based CSV (comma separated values) file containing X,Y,Z, RGB, intensity, classifications, and distance data (distances are calculated from the centre of the slice outwards in both directions).

3.v.3 Vector

This generates a vector drawing of your slice. To use, make sure your slice is positioned as required within the signal deject data, position the view to full screen where possible and squared to the slice, and then select vector.

With your slice positioned correctly, pressing the Vector button (bottom right) will create a vector drawing of your slice.

3.five.iv Outline

Used in the same way equally the vector selection above, but the resulting drawings will be an outline of the indicate cloud information within the piece rather than showing a line representing the points.

3.5.five Position slice

Click directly where to position the active slice within the point cloud.

3.5.six Airplane from piece

Generates a SolidWorks plane from the currently selected slice.

three.5.7 Step slice

The two step buttons at the bottom of the Slices tab allow you lot to motion a step through the currently selected slice. The distance each step takes tin can exist set in the Slices tab. The "management" the step moves in will depend on how you take the slice oriented.

3.6 Clipping

The clipping tab in the plug-in.

The clipping tab is used to select areas of point information (called clips) that you wish to hide or unhide. The iv principal controls of the clipping tools are:

Larn more virtually clipping in this video.

Selected clip data in a bespeak deject. As it has been selected, it has turned green.

At the bottom left of the clipping panel are iv buttons:

Professional version users volition see an additional 3 buttons:

Watch this video to learn more about deleting and copying clips.

As well every bit creating individual clips y'all tin can grouping a serial of clips into a clip grouping. For example, y'all may take made a number of clips to isolate a chair in a room. You can select all these clips and create one single clip group by pressing the create prune group button, located in the clipping tab beneath the tiptop box.

Individual clips or clip groups can exist applied at any fourth dimension past either double-clicking them in the list, or clicking the procedure push button opposite the table. This will make them visible. Annotation that when loading up a function or assembly, clips are unremarkably non applied and must exist applied manually.

There are two delete selected buttons; the one side by side to the pinnacle window in the clipping tab deletes all individually selected clip(s), while the ane in the grouping department deletes all individually selected clip group(s).

Note: This selection does NOT unselect all the points in the currently enabled point clouds. For this to happen, select the clear button.

3.6.1 Clipping in Slices

If you perform whatever of the clipping deportment while you take a slice active, only data within that slice will exist affected.

For case, you may accept a slice cutting through the flooring of a room, meaning merely the flooring is visible. Creating a new clip whilst this slice is active will ensure only data from the floor is selected.

3.7 Shader

The Shader tab of the plug-in. In this example you tin see that the shader is pointing directly along the Z axis.

The shader panel provides command over the planar shader. The planar shader colours data forth a plane or vector from a given position or offset, and is a cracking way of seeing differences in height on surfaces that might otherwise look flat.

Once the shader has been enabled yous tin modify its direction by changing the Ten,Y,Z values in the shader tab. If your point cloud is aligned to the planes, the X,Y and Z values should add up to 1, with the value 1 beingness placed in the aeroplane direction you wish to shade. If your signal cloud is not true to the planes then you volition need to commencement the values to align the shader (for case, you may take X = 0.054, Y=-0.041, and Z=0.998.)

A simpler option is to align the shader to your electric current view direction. Pressing the middle icon volition set the X,Y,Z values for yous and prepare the shader "zero" point to your current view position.

The PropertyManager tab in SolidWorks, showing the 10, Y and Z values needed for the Shader tab.

The rest of the options in the shader tab are as follows:

Point – useful for positioning the start point of the shader. Use the add together indicate option (select a betoken on the point deject as per section: 3.3.i, but practise not click marshal) to position a point straight at the start position. One time the betoken is selected, copy the 10,Y,Z values from SolidWorks "PropertyManager" into the fields in the Shader tab. Point Clouds for SolidWorks works in metres; y'all tin can also set SolidWorks to work in metres to make this process easier.
Range – sets the altitude over which the shader will calculate values, in the units the current office or assembly is working in.
Offset – determines the altitude from the shader aught indicate to start computing from. Useful for moving the shader along the centrality.
Repeat – how the shader should act once it has gone beyond either the start or cease location every bit calculated by range + offset. The options in the dropdown include:
- Clamp – continue with beginning/final color.
- Cease – don't utilise colours beyond range.
- Repeat – loop through the colours again.
Colours – lets you choose between your own custom colour palette in the shader, or to use the entire RGB hue values.
Blend – changes how much the true color of the point cloud shows through the shader.

Changing the units in SolidWorks can make information technology easier when working with the plug-in.

three.8 Disharmonism detection

Clash detection at work in SolidWorks. Each cerise cross denotes a disharmonism betwixt the Point Deject and the Meshed Surface

When activated, this function will detect when signal clouds and meshed surfaces come into contact, and the clashed areas will be highlighted with a red cross.

Turning the clash icon on/off will display or remove clashed arears.

Note: visual functioning volition be reduced with clash enabled.

Larn more about clash detection in this video.

three.ix Point cloud not displayed correctly

At that place are atmospheric condition that may cease a point deject being displayed:

Some VPC files are "protected." Protected files disable consign functions and users can add an expiry date to the data. Once the expiry engagement has passed you will no longer exist able to view the data.
The point cloud file(s) may take been moved from its original directory location. If this is the case the signal deject will have to re-loaded from its new location, or moved dorsum to its original location.

If your bespeak cloud data is not visible, check with the person who provided the VPC file whether they protected and enforced an death information on the files y'all were provided.

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Source: https://veesus.com/kb/solidworks-user-interface/