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Rope pulley 1

This tutorial will draw a pulley for 1" diameter rope as might be used on a construction site.

We will be dealing with simple 2D shapes using a snap grid then how to extrude and sweep them into 3D. This tutorial anticipates you have learned the basics with the tutorials provided with the software in the help files and user manuals.
 Many commands will start spelled out and them become abbreviated.
(Example: Arrow1 becomes A1)

In this tutorial you will learn to:

  • Set snap and display grid
  • Draw shapes in 2D
  • Separate layers by color
  • Make planes
  • Sweep 2D to 3D
  • Array in 3D
  • Extrude 2D to 3D
  • Subtract Solids

Open DesignCAD. You should have a new drawing window in 3D mode.

 Click  to toggle view to 2D
  • Step 1
    • Set Grid Properties (Ctrl+G)
    • Snap grid .125
    • Display Grid 1
    •  Snap Grid toggles on and off with the 'G' key.
    • Adjust screen zoom to show about 4 vertical grid lines. 
    •  You can use 'Zoom' ['Z'] to select a portion of the Grid or with 3D Max Plus you can hold down CTRL and use your mouse wheel to Zoom the screen.
    • Set line color to Red.
    • Start with a semi circle drawn left to right and 1" wide as shown.

Save file now as 'Rope Pulley' .  

  • Step 2 
    • Anytime the grid disappears from parts of the drawing window just hit or hotkey Ctrl+R
    • Choose parallel and click on the semi circle at arrow and set parallel semi-circle one snap point to left (1/8")
    • Draw semi-circles (right to left) using snap grid to cap open ends.

  • Step 3
    • Draw selection box around all entities to select them and hit 'B' to join all parts into one.
    • Now 'Make Plane'
    • Necessary for 'Weld' to work.
Save drawing.

  • Step 4
    • Change color to Light Blue.
    • Draw box as shown 4 x 1/4
    • Draw all boxes in this tutorial as planes. Do not check 'Save as line'
    • Change color back to Red
    • Draw box 1 1/2 x 1/8 as shown.

  • Step 5
    • Draw another box as shown.
    • Fillet upper corners .125

  • Step 6
    • Draw selection window around just the Red boxes and hit the Spacebar. Type 'weld' and hit Enter
 

  • Step 7
    • Zoom in on the semi-circle
    • Draw a box as shown.
    • Fillet corners .125

  • Step 8
    • Select both parts with selection window.
    • Hit Spacebar again, weld will still be the active command, just hit Enter.

  • Step 9
    • Draw box between top and hub as shown.

  • Step 10

    • Circle drawn to show rope diameter.

    • Change line color to Orange and draw line sections as shown.

    • Fillet corner to .25

    • Draw selection window around JUST the fillet and the tips of the lines touching the fillet while holding down the Ctrl key. You should have selected all the Orange lines only.

    • Hit 'B' to join the lines.

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