I've got this far with a solidworks version of my 3d studio max model:





The trouble i'm having is adding the top curved tubes (photoshopped in red on the solidworks still), they have components in both the top and left planes. Anyone have any idea how they would go about doing them? Do I need to create planes? Would 3D sketch help me?


Thanks all,
James

First off are you doing the chassis as one part or are you doing it as an assembly of individual parts?

also, you do know that you can mirror parts or details. Looking from what you have done already i would say its going to be easier to draw one side and then mirrot the lot near the end.

To answer your OP i would creat a plane as you said, draw a 2D sketch (one side for now) then create another sketch intersecting your 'path' sketch and then do a 'sweep boss' along the path.

It's all as one part...

OK will try that....

every part wich you draws has his own origin planes.

you can ofset and fixate those planes easyly given you a garantee that is all square..

Tks

[Edited on 26/11/07 by tks]

I think the best way(altough i've never done something like this) is to make 3 planes. 1 for the begin point at the front, 1 for the end point at the rear and 1 at the highest point. On each of these plane you draw a point where the tube is to intersect the plane. Then you connect the three point with a 3Dsketch. And finally sweep the required profile along this 3Dsketch...

LOL, when I saw the top picture, I though, "Man, this guy's really good with Solidworks!"

He's certainly good with 3D Studio Max!
How long did it take you to do that? Awesome!

[Edited on 26/11/07 by Confused but excited.]

Taken a month or so of pondering and maybe a day or two of doing

You are a God!

Dare you to post it on the atom forum

the side bracing is the best solution for stiffness - If you want a tubular middy with a nice rounded side aspect to the body, this is one of very few designs that aesthetically work - believe me i've tried many!

I daresay it's prettier than the Atom!

mangogrooveworkshop you are not funny.... they gonna say it's a copy....and probably ugly...

It is loking verry good i like it alot!!!

Just change the side brace orientation to match thoes of the atom 3 and you're going to get sued for copyright

A couple of things...

Anyone building a "7" just cannot take the pee about anybody copying anything, period.

If you look at Cloudy's build thread you'll see the enormous amount of effort to date he's put into this design which has changed and progressed radically over time, so if he did set out to build an Atom clone he's gone about it in a very hard way.