FloWorks

[big_dave]

Evening chaps. So anyone out there got an idiots guide to using SolidWorks and FloWorks for making some sort of aerodynamic model of my car?

I/We are using version 2008 and so far I've made a really simple block of a car and pressed lots of buttons to little or no result.

Any help at all would be nice actually.

[TestDrive]

I think there may be one or more tutorials in your SolidWorks fold.
eg. C:\SolidWorks\COSMOS\FloWorks\lang\english\Docs
Or maybe that's what you meant by "help files."
I don't own/use/know SolidWorks FlowWorks, so if this isn't helpful - just ignore.

[Daox]

There really isn't any freely available guides to SolidWorks and its addons that I know of. Almost all training is done directly through value added resellers or schools.

[big_dave]

Well with much clicking and rendering I got things that looked like Trebuchet03's. I'll have to send a PM to see if he can provide some tips. Mr Viio and I were going to have a CFD night to see if what wonderous things we can achieve. I'd quite like to model wing mirrors and see how to improve them.

I'll put up some pics once I've managed to sketch the outline of my car into it.

[TestDrive]

Maybe FlowWorks can import 3d models built in other programs???? What do help files say?
If so, you might get lucky with google and find a model of your car to import.

[big_dave]

Thanks. Had a look, found similar models. Mine has some different shaped parts and spoiler. Would have been nice to compare a standard model compared to mine.

[Cd]

Originally Posted by TestDrive

Maybe FlowWorks can import 3d models built in other programs???? What do help files say?
If so, you might get lucky with google and find a model of your car to import.

I found out that standard 3D formats like .obj and .3ds have to be converted to something FloWorks can use. I sent Trebuchet a model in several 3D formats, but none worked.
The original size of the file was very small ( much less than a megabyte ), yet once converted, the size of the file bloated to several megabytes and almost crashed Trebuchets' machine, rather than open.
Once he did manage to open the file, it was almost unuseable anyways, since the polygons were overly faceted and had several holes in the mesh.

By all means, do not let this stop you from creating some 3D models that you can use in the future.

Some good FREE modeling programs are Wings3D ( a super easy to learn modeler . Fantastic program )
Blender3D is another excellent program, and has everything that you need from modeling, to texturing, animation, and even a compositor .

Since Blender has so much to offer, it's learning curve is much steeper though.

Try them both out - they are FREE.

[big_dave]

Rough beginnings, I mean rough . I tried converting some 3ds models into a format understands but as you said it bloats up to a fantastical size and SolidWorks just won't play.

So I just drew these roughly with the line tool.

If anyone has solidworks and wants any floworks calcualtions done my computer needs something to do. My model there took about 7 minutes to do the flow calculations.

[groar]

Originally Posted by big_dave

So I just drew these roughly with the line tool.

If anyone has solidworks and wants any floworks calcualtions done my computer needs something to do. My model there took about 7 minutes to do the flow calculations.

Thanks, pressure vs velocity is very interesting.

If I understand correctly, this was done at 30m/s (67mph). Could you run it at 36m/s (80.5mph - which is French highway speed limit) to see the differences ?

Could you also remove the spoiler to see the differences ?

Thanks in advance,

Denis.

PS. Now if you want to draw models, you can try to draw these two :
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...html#post82920