SOLIDWORKS cut features from open profiles – a SOLIDWORKS how-to tutorial

Fig1 – start with a rectangle | SOLIDWORKS cut features from open profiles

Hi there! Time to get back to basics. Here’s a SOLIDWORKS tutorial showing you how to create a cut feature from an open profile; this way of maneuvering in SOLIDWORKS gives you a little more flexibility and is worth your practicing. This job has been improved in the last release of SOLIDWORKS; I’ll show you the new option in this article.

Your first job is to create a solid. I’ll start with a rectangle on the top plane, as shown in my first image:

Accept the sketch, and activate the boss-base extrude command on the features tab. We opt for a mid-plane extrusion, with no fixed depth, and accept.

Let’s create one more sketch, on the top face of the extrusion. I’ll create a three point arc. In order for the cut to work, the sketch has to intersect an edge of the solid, or be coincident. Otherwise you’ll get an error message when you try to create the cut feature. See my second image for an example of this sketch.

Fig 2 – 3 pt arc is our open profile – SOLIDWORKS cut features from open profiles

After we accept & exit this sketch, we’re ready to activate the extruded cut command on the features tab. Take a look at the drop-down menu under end condition. There’s a useful new option–blind. In the previous version of SOLIDWORKS we only had the Through All options.  I can flip the side to cut by checking the Flip side to cut box under Direction 1. Click accept.

Fig 3 -the extruded cut property manager – SOLIDWORKS cut features from open profiles

Here’s what our work looks like so far:

Fig 4 -fist cut- SOLIDWORKS cut features from open profiles

At this point, let’s try to make some modifications that generate an error, such as changing the sketch plane. I’m not going to show screen shots for each of these steps, but if you look at the video I’ve got pasted below you’ll see how-to in detail. To change the sketch plane, we right-click on our sketch (sketch 2) and select Edit sketch plane. I’ll select the top plane and click accept. The error message appears; SOLIDWORKS tells us that open profiles should be created using a face of the solid. Click ok to get back to your work. So, this is a common error when you’re creating cut features with open profiles; you need to make sure the sketch you’re using for the cut has relations with the solid you’re cutting. Capisce?

Let’s open our Cut-Extrude 1 for editing. Instead of using the blind end condition I’ll use Through all. Don’t forget about the handy checkbox that lets you flip directions so easily.  And voila, look at the complex shape we’ve generated in just a few mouse clicks, using open profiles to create cut-extrudes in SOLIDWORKS!

Fig 5 – final results – SOLIDWORKS cut features from open profiles

To see a video of this and other SOLIDWORKS tutorials, click here or follow the embedded video below:

Thanks, Rosanna D – VTN