This article is a reference article explaining how to work with various types of products in the Solid Model Analyzer, also known as SMA. It also explains the commands and properties that apply to SMA.

See Using Solid Model Analyzer - SMA (Overview) in the Microvellum Knowledge Center for an overview of the software.

See Solid Model Analyzer – SMA (Tutorial) in the Microvellum Knowledge Center for a tutorial demonstrating the use of SMA.

Product Perfection

Microvellum Solid Model Analyzer supports the analysis of 3D solids in an AutoCAD drawing that can be machined with flat-panel processing.

The solids that you analyze with SMA to create Microvellum products must be carefully modeled and engineered before the analyzation process. The accuracy and quality of the finished parts will depend mainly on the accuracy and quality of the solids used to create those parts.

Products Requiring Microvellum Property Value Changes

1. Over or under-sized part in X or Y (width or length). If you create a Microvellum product from a solid model and a part in the subsequent drawing is displayed in red, you may need to adjust the values for the SMA properties Part Size Minimum and Part Size Maximum. Both part width and length must be within the range specified by these two properties. See section Solids > Part Size below.
   
2. Over or under-sized part in Z (thickness). If you create a Microvellum product from a solid model and a part in the subsequent drawing is displayed in red, you may need to adjust the values for the SMA properties Material Thickness Minimum and Material Thickness Maximum. The part thickness must be within the range specified by these two properties. See section Solids > Material Thickness below.
   

Products Requiring Solid Model Manipulation

1. Grouped solids. Occasionally you may have a good reason to group solids using the UNION command in AutoCAD. This is a way of combining solids that don't touch each other.
   

Grouping solids may be done to maintain clearances between component solids, or to save labor as you create the product from 3D solids.


Another possibility is that you use the AutoCAD SUBTRACT command on a single solid object to create separate, but grouped objects.


While grouping the solids may make it easier to work with them in the development process, SMA requires that they be ungrouped to generate a Microvellum product. If you fail to ungroup, the solid SMA returns a single large block that is the overall size of the combined size of all the individual components, which is an incorrect representation of the parts. You will know if you need to separate them by the fact that if you click on one, all the solids of the group are highlighted, as shown in Figure 7 below. Use the SOLIDEDIT command with the BODY subcommand, and SEPARATE SOLIDS to separate the multiple solids for use with SMA. Alternatively, use the AutoCAD ribbon command found at "Home > Solid Editing > Separate > Separate Solids."




Fig. 1 – Separate Solids Joined by the Union Command




To regroup the solids after they have been separated, use the AutoCAD UNION command.

Products Requiring Further Engineering

1. Machining within machining. As an example, let's say you have a 1" (25 mm) thick part. On that part, you have two round pocket cutouts 0.25" (6 mm) deep and 1.5" (38 mm) in diameter, directly across from each other. This leaves 0.5" (12 mm) of material between the two cutouts. If you then add a 1" (25 mm) diameter circular cutout between the two existing cutouts, you have machining that does not touch a face and should be used with Solid Model Analyzer. See the face in red in the following figure for the machining that must be re-engineered.
   


Fig. 4 – Wireframe Drawing Showing Machining to be Re-Engineered in Red





Fig. 5 – Conceptual Drawing Showing Machining to be Re-Engineered in Red



2. Horizontal boring on non-original edges. As an example of this type of machining, visualize a toe kick notch with cam lock machining on the vertical non-original edge. SMA picks up the face 5 or 6 machining for the cam lock, but not the horizontal boring machining for the cam bolt. This is HBore machining on a non-original edge and should not be used with SMA. See the face in red in the following figure for the machining that must be re-engineered.
   


Fig. 6 – Wireframe Drawing Showing Machining to be Re-Engineered in Red





Fig. 7 – Conceptual Drawing Showing Machining to be Re-Engineered in Red



3. Profiled edges. The only 'shaped' edge you should use in SMA is a mitered edge on an original edge. Miter functionality is limited on non-original edges (see the glossary below). All other profiles, including bullnose, waterfall, ogee, thumbnail, and other similar profiles, should not be used with SMA. The reason for this is that there is a possibility that a user could download a solid from the internet that contains a specific profile that the company cannot machine and would, therefore, be impractical for use by that company. It is necessary to machine those profiles offline with an edger or shaper. See the face in red in the following figure for one type of profile you should not use.
   


Fig. 8 – Wireframe Drawing Showing Profile in Red You Should Not Use in SMA





Fig. 9 – Conceptual Drawing Showing Profile in Red You Should Not Use in SMA

Diagnosis

Part Accuracy

There are two ways you will know if parts are accurate:

1. The first way is when you review the results of the analysis process. You determine that something is not accurate in the 2D or 3D, or there are parts drawn in the exception color (red by default) on the Microvellum product. When this occurs, check the settings at Options > Solid Analyzation. See the section below with the heading "Solids – Properties" for more information.
   
2. The second way is revealed as you carefully examine the Microvellum product for accuracy. This may include the use of the 2D Machining Tools to examine the exact machining applied. There are two methods needed to resolve errors found here.
   
1. Modify the source solid model.
   
2. Modify the Microvellum product using standard Microvellum tools such as the 2D Machining Tools, the Spreadsheet Editor, or Part Properties interfaces.