Mechanical Part Calculations

Part calculations can be accessed from Objects / Calculations. Only ISO units (mm, N, MPa etc.) are used for calculations. Values can be calculated for the following mechanical parts:

  • Compression springs
  • Tension springs
  • Keys
  • Spline shafts
  • Screws
  • Pins
  • Spur gears
  • Straight bevel gears
  • V-belt drives
  • Roller chain drives
  • Beams or shafts (for bending and torsion)


Compression spring



Square key



Spline shaft



Bolted connection



Round pin



V-Belt drive



Spur gear dimensions



Straight bevel gear



Roller chain



Beam calculations


2D Area - 2DA

Calculates 2D surface area, bending section modulus and center of gravity of a selected 2D area. These values can be used in mechanical part calculations. A closed boundary must be defined, and islands can be included. You can define a boundary automatically or segment by segment. When the results are displayed, you have the option to create construction lines at the center of gravity.


 

 


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Dimensioning Single Dimensions - Horizontal, Vertical and Diagonal Predefined Horizontal, Vertical and Diagonal Dimensions Serial, Parallel and Datum Dimensions Angular Dimensions Diameter and Radius Dimensions, Thread Dimensions Dimension Attributes Finish Symbols Weld and Tolerance Symbols Creating Leaders, Item Numbers Editing Dimensions
Axes
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Creating Solids Sketching of a 2D Solid Profile Sketching Plane Definition Sketching Environment, Finish Sketching Sketching of Profile of New Solid Displaying of Created or Edited Solids Multiple Sketching Planes Common Sketching Features Additional Sketching Features Closed Rotation of Multiple Profiles Convergence of Lofted Profiles into One Point Tangent Direction of Lofting Features Related to Solid Creation Method Manual Selection of Profile’s 2D Objects Solid Insertion Point Solid Insertion Point for Profiles Selected in 2D Mode Rotating, Extruding, and Lofting Profiles Rotated Solids Extruded Solids Lofted Solids Helical Surfaces Basic Solid Volumes Cylinders, Cones, Boxes, Pyramids, Pipes, Spheres Editing of Spatial Dimensions of Basic Solids
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Parameters Definition of Parameters Parameters in File Parameters in Scaled Solids Type of Parameters Working with Parameters Geometric Constraints Constraints as Additional Transformations Constraints as Removed Degrees of Freedom Definition of Constraints Constrained Objects Types of Geometric Constraints Chain of Constraints Fixed Object within Constraints Constraining Angles Constraints in Solid Creation 2D Profiles Constraining Objects in 2D Profile Selecting Vertexes Display Options Filleting, Chamfering and Radii of Circles or Arcs Constraining Circular Arcs Constraining NURBS Curves Editing Constraints Deleting Constraints Coordinate Systems
Exporting Views and Sections from 3D to 2D Creating 2D from 3D List of 3D View Exports, Updating Views 3D Sections 3D Comprehensive Shapes Creating and Editing 3D Texts Pipes and Wires Sweeping of 2D Profiles Offset Patches – Thick Shells Threads in 3D
Checking Functions and Calculations Units of Calculation Results Volume, Mass, Surface and Moment of Inertia Calculations Checking and Measuring Geometry Interferences among Solids
3D Assemblies Creating Part Files, Assembly Files and Assembly Links Saving and Loading the Assembly Files Sub-assemblies Relative Paths in Assembly Links Simultaneously Open Assembly and Part Files Definition of Assembly-Part links Definition of Sub-assembly - Part links Breaking Links between Part or Sub-assembly and Assembly Editing Sub-assemblies or Parts in Assembly Environment Selecting Parts or Sub-assemblies for Editing Editing Parts or Sub-assemblies 3D Assembly Tree Scheme 3D Assembly Tree Scheme Window Objects Select Mode Part Editing or Attributes Definition Mode Managing All Assembly Tree Files Surface Development (Unbending)
Bill of Material, Object Attributes and Title Blocks Object Attributes BOM, Attributes and Title Blocks Mask Sharing BOM, Attributes and Title Blocks Settings (Mask) Attribute Definition Groups of Attributes Output to Formatted Text (List of Parts) Title Blocks Export to Other Systems Compatibility of Defined Attributes and Attribute Groups Working with BOM BOM at Basic Level BOM Containing structure of Assembly BOM from 3D Group BOM Objects Displaying, Filtering and Sorting BOM Objects Creating Files from BOM Copying Data from Assembly into Parts and Vice Versa Defining Item Numbers in BOM Single Click Attributes Copy Attributes from 2D Area Supplementary Objects Solid and Assembly Attributes Solid Attributes List of Materials Material as a Solid Attribute Assembly Attributes, Title Block Filling
Tips and Tricks List of All VariCAD Functions Hotkeys Embedded Functions

QUICK DEMO

Tips and Tricks
Basics Of Control

Interface, examples of various input steps, like mouse button clicks, hot-keys and their combinations. Examples of detection, objects selection and view changes.

Tools for 2D location, Tool combinations

Tools for location of 2D objects.

2D object selection, Filter combinations

Tools for selection of 2D objects.

Line

Drawing line from a point to another point, Using leading lines, According to values entered from a keyboard (xy, dx dy, angle radius, called by pressing K, D, R keys), Using fixed (locked) values (called by pressing TAB key), Combining multiple tools (TAB, dxdy...), Tangent lines.

Rectangle

Drawing rectangle by two opposite locations, Using fixed (locked) values (called by pressing TAB key), Diagonal distance.

Multi-line

Offset at one side from the central polyline, Offset at both sides from the central polyline.

Circle

Drawing circle by center and point at the circle, Center and radius, Two points, Three points, As a tangent to 2 objects, As a tangent to 3 objects.

Rotated parts

Shaft – a front view, Shaft – create a contour.

Polygon: hexagon

Leading circle is inside, the polygon orientation is at the edge, Leading circle is outside, the polygon orientation is at the vertex.

Dragging a circle to the rectangle center

Dragging, start by Ctrl+Shift+move cursor over an object, Dragging – right click. Two methods, different location at a center, Dragging, clicking an icon, Using Ctrl+X, Ctrl+V, Translate by a defined vector, Translate to a shifted center, Locate, using incremental cursor movement.

Stretching of objects

Dragging, start by Ctrl+Shift+move cursor over an object, Dragging – right click. Two methods, different location at a center, Dragging, clicking an icon, Using Ctrl+X, Ctrl+V, Translate by a defined vector, Translate to a shifted center, Locate, using incremental cursor movement.

Blending

Filleting of 2D corners, instant access (using Shift key), Filleting of 2D corners, Chamfering of 2D corners, instant access (using Shift key).

Divide or extend a 2D object

Extend to a boundary, Create a full circle from a circular arc, Remove a segment, Trim, Divide an object by a boundary, Divide an object by a point.

Changing 2D object attributes

Changing color, Changing line type, Changing layers, Blank/unblank objects (invisible/visible), Changing displayed thickness - 1 or 2 pixels.

Dimensioning

Smart dimensioning – easy dimensioning done within a single command. Horizontal and vertical dimensioning. Dimensioning of threads, chamfers, fillets and diameters. Aligning dimensions according to each other.

Settings

Drawing format, sheet border, Drawing scale, Using 2D layers, automatic changes of 2D layers, Default settings of a new file.

Creating a 2D drawing data

Drawing 2D objects and filling title blocks manually in the 2D area, 2D objects and title blocks created automatically from 3D space, Printing to PDF.

Selection of solids

Working with 3D solids. Examples of solid insertion, selection or transformation.

Solid transformation

Examples of solid insertion, detection and transformation. Examples of solid copying.

Single solid shapes

Creating predefined solid shapes (Box, cylinder, cone, pipe...). All solids can be created by rotation, extrusion or lofting of contours.

Solid creation by defined contour

Solid creation by extrusion, full or partial rotation of contour.

Lofting rectangle to circle

Creating a solid by lofting rectangle to circle.

Lofting a rectangle to single point

Creating a solid by lofting a rectangle to single point.

Lofting among multiple contours

Creating a solid by lofting among multiple various planar profiles.

Lofting among profiles rotated symmetrically around an axis

Creating a solid by lofting among multiple various planar profiles.

Sweeping of a 2D contour in 3D space

Sweeping of a 2D contour - creation of a banister, pipe...

Creating pipes or wires

Creating of pipes, wires (banister, cables, ropes...).

Rotation and lofting of contours

Rotation and lofting between two different contours, like between a circle and rectangle or between circles with different radii. Profile change is linear or allowing tangential direction from both ends.

Helical surface

Creating a helical surface by simultaneous rotation and extrusion of 2D contour.

Creating holes and grooves

Creating holes and threaded holes, cutting by an extruded contour, creating groove, cutting by a box. X axis of a tool is always perpendicular to selected surface.

Shells, sheet metal parts

Creating a sheet metal part using shell tools.

Editing of solid elements

Editing of solid elements by changing dimensions. Values can be defined in tables or by 3D dimensions. Editing of dimensions together with change of location of solid elements.

Editing of solid elements by changing creation contours

Editing of basic shapes by changing their creation contours.

Editing of solid elements, selection by cursor or from scheme

Solid element can be selected by cursor (press and hold Ctrl key, move cursor over it), or from Boolean tree scheme.

Editing of 3D pipes and wires

Example of creation of 3D wire, thread and geometrical constraint. Next step shows editing of it.

Assembly, Parts, 2D Drawings

An example of alternative creation of an assembly, sub-assembly, parts and corresponding 2D drawings.



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