Photo Realistic Rendering

MODELLING AND ASSEMBLY OF AMERICAN CHOPPER USING SOLIDWORKS AND PHOTOREALISTIC RENDERING USING SOLIDWORKS VISUALIZE

OBJECTIVE:

1. To model individual parts of the American chopper in Solidworks.
2. To assemble all the parts using appropriate mates.
3. To give proper appearances for the parts.
4. To position the assembly and set up cameras, lights and environments.
5. To create photorealistic renders using Solidworks Visualize

INTRODUCTION:

Solidworks is a 3D CAD and CAE which provides dedicated tools and workflow that streamline the design and development of products. It is used for sketching, part modelling, sheet metal design, simulation, mold design, and other computer-aided manufacturing processes.

Solidworks Visualize is a standalone computer application majorly employed to create photorealistic or non-photorealistic renders. It is also used for post-processing images and even creating basic presentation animations.

American Chopper is a concept of a motorcycle, based on the television series of the same name, built by Orange County Choppers. It is a cruiser motorcycle in which the riding position is usually with the feet forward and the hands up, with an erect spine or slight lean towards the back, to provide easy rideability and gear-shifting for the rider.

DESIGN METHODOLOGY:

The approach implemented to design American chopper is the Bottom-up approach. The parts are modelled individually in their respective part files and then assembled by importing them into a common assembly file. It is usually employed for off-the-shelf or existing components which can be assembled based on their specifications. This also helps with the manufacture of individual components and easily make different configurations for different specifications.

The flow chart for the process is as follows.

Fig. Flowchart of the Design Process

DESCRIPTION:

The American Chopper model constitutes the following parts:

1. Transmission Belt
2. Kickstand
3. Front Fender
4. Rear Fender
5. Chain
6. Pedal
7. Oil Tank
8. Front-wheel
9. Rear-Wheel
10. Front Fork
11. Engine
12. Chassis
13. Gas Tank

The parts are modelled individually in designated part files and saved in a dedicated folder.

1. Transmission Belt:
The Transmission belt transmits motion from the engine to the sprocket of the gearbox. Its design employs basic sketch tools like circle, line, trim, offset, and features like extrude and fillet as discussed below:

• Sketch
• Circle
• Line
• Trim
• Offset
• Smart Dimension
• Extruded-Boss/Base
• Fillet

The sketch is a two-dimensional representation of the body in a plane. It needs to be completely defined with proper geometric relations and dimensions.

The circle is used to create a circle with a defined centre and a diameter.

The line is used to create a straight line with a defined position and length.

Trim is used to removing sketch entities with respect to certain references.

Offset is used to copy the sketch entities with the same shape and proportional dimension at a distance.

Smart Dimension is used to provide proper dimensions to a sketch feature and automatically provides the relevant dimension for a particular selection.

Extruded Boss/Base creates a solid body by giving thickness to the selected sketch contours.

Fillet creates a circular feature to the selected edges or faces in a solid body. This is often used to round off sharp edges in a model.

Fig. Isometric View of Transmission Belt.

2. Kickstand:
The kickstand gives support to the American Chopper during rest. It is one of the smallest components in the assembly.
Its design employs new sketch tools such as ellipse, spline, and features like Extruded-cut, Loft, Split and Dome as follows:

• Sketch
• Ellipse
• Spline
• Circle
• Smart Dimension
• Lofted Boss/Base
• Dome
• Extruded Cut
• Split
• Extruded Boss/Base
• Fillet

Ellipse is used to create an ellipse with a defined focal length and radius of curvature.

Spline is used to create a curve with defined endpoints. The curvature can be altered by enabling the curve handlers which can be given a defined direction and strength.

Lofted Boss/Base is used to create a solid body with the help of at least two sketches as the transition faces and at least one sketch as a guide curve.

Dome is used to create a curvature about an end face.

Extruded Cut removes material from a solid body with the help of sketched contours.

Split is used to split a solid body into individual parts with the help of a Trim tool. The split bodies can be either kept or removed using the Consume Cut part option.

Fig. Isometric View of Kickstand.

3. Front Fender:
The front fender gives support to the front wheel and provides safety for the rider as well as the engine block. Its design employs new features like Revolved Boss/Base as follows:

• Sketch
• Circle
• Centerline
• Trim
• Offset
• Smart Dimension
• Revolved Boss/Base
• Spline
• Split
• Fillet

The centerline tool is used to create a straight line for construction with a defined position and length.

The trim tool is used to remove sketch entities with respect to certain references.

Revolved Boss/Base creates a solid body by giving thickness to the selected sketch contours about an axis of revolution.

Fig. Isometric View of Front Fender.

4. Rear Fender:
The rear fender gives support to the rear wheel and acts as a medium of safety for the rider.
The rear fender employs further features like Shell in the design process as follows:

• Sketch
• Circle
• Centerline
• Trim
• Offset
• Smart Dimension
• Revolved Boss/Base
• Spline
• Split
• Fillet
• Shell

Shell creates a hollow feature from a solid body with a specified thickness.

Fig. Isometric View of Rear Fender.

5. Chain:
The chain transmits the motion from the gearbox to the rear wheel sprocket. Its design uses new sketch tools like make block, insert block and features like Curve pattern and Mirror as follows:

• Sketch
• Circle
• Centerline
• Spline
• Trim
• Offset
• Block
• Extruded Boss/Base
• Fillet
• Curve-driven Pattern
• Mirror

Block feature creates a set of entities as a collective set to be able to import into the file.

Curve-driven Pattern is used to duplicate features or bodies along a sketched curve with a defined distance and number of instances.

Fig. Isometric View of Chain.

6. Pedal:
The pedal is used for shifting gears and also for brakes. Its design utilises new features like Chamfer and Linear pattern as follows:

• Sketch
• Circle
• Centerline
• Spline
• Offset
• Trim
• Smart Dimension
• Revolved Boss/Base
• Dome
• Fillet
• Chamfer
• Linear Pattern

Chamfer is used to remove and flatten sharp edges on a solid body.

Linear Pattern creates duplicates of a feature or a body in a specified linear direction.

Fig. Isometric View of Pedal.

7. Oil Tank:
An oil tank is used to store the engine oil, which is fed to the engine. Its design uses new sketch tool three point arc and feature Combine in the design process as follows:

• Sketch
• Three-point arc
• Centerline
• Spline
• Trim
• Smart Dimension
• Extruded Boss/Base
• Fillet
• Shell
• Combine

Three-point arc tool is used to create an arc with three defined points(two endpoints and a center point) and a defined radius.

Combine merges two or more different bodies into a single solid body.

Fig. Isometric View of Oil Tank.

8. Front Wheel:
Front Wheel is a freewheel that is mounted to the Front fork. Its design employs new sketch tools like centre-point rectangle and features like Revolved cut, Circular pattern as follows:

• Sketch
• Circle
• Centerline
• Spline
• Trim
• Center-point Rectangle
• Revolved Boss/Base
• Extruded Cut
• Revolved Cut
• Extruded Boss/Base
• Fillet
• Chamfer
• Circular Pattern

Center-point Rectangle is used to create a rectangle with its center defined first and then its length and breadth dimensioned.

Revolved Cut removes material from a solid body with the help of sketched contours about an axis of revolution.

Circular Pattern is used to duplicate features or bodies about a specified point or axis with defined distance and number of instances.

Fig. Isometric View of Front Wheel

9. Rear Wheel:
Rear Wheel transmits motion from the sprocket to the ground, thereby resulting in the translation of the entire Bike. Its design employs similar features as in front-wheel as listed below:

• Sketch
• Circle
• Centerline
• Spline
• Trim
• Center-point Rectangle
• Revolved Boss/Base
• Extruded Cut
• Revolved Cut
• Extruded Boss/Base
• Fillet
• Chamfer
• Circular Pattern

Fig. Isometric View of Rear Wheel.

10. Front fork:
Front Fork holds the headlights, handle and front fender and acts as a joint between the front wheel and the chassis.
Its design utilizes new features like Project Curve, Swept Boss/Base, and Reference geometry as follows:

• Sketch
• Circle
• Line
• Centerline
• Spline
• Trim
• Revolved Boss/Base
• Extruded Boss/Base
• Extruded Cut
• Revolved Cut
• Fillet
• Project Curve
• Swept Boss/Base
• Linear Pattern
• Dome
• Combine
• Reference Geometry

Reference Geometry creates reference entities such as a point or an axis or a plane or even a coordinate system.

Project Curve creates a 3D curve that represents the intersection of the two extruded surfaces generated by creating sketches on two intersecting planes.

Swept Boss/Base creates a solid body by moving a profile along a defined path.

Fig. Isometric View of Front Fork.

11. Chassis:
Chassis is the main structure of the Assembly which holds all the components together. The strength of the assembly relies solely on the chassis.
Its design employs new sketch tools like Sketch picture as follows:

• Sketch
• Circle
• Centerline
• Rectangle
• Spline
• Trim.
• Revolved Boss/Base
• Extruded Boss/Base
• Extruded Cut
• Revolved Cut
• Fillet
• Chamfer
• Circular Pattern
• Linear Pattern
• Dome
• Combine
• Reference Geometry
• Sketch Picture

Sketch Picture inserts an image file on a selected plan to be used as a reference to model complex entities.

Fig. Isometric View of a completed Chassis.

12. Engine:
The engine is the power source for the Chopper.
Its design employs new features like Composite curve as follows:

• Sketch
• Circle
• Centerline
• Rectangle
• Spline
• Trim.
• Revolved Boss/Base
• Extruded Boss/Base
• Extruded Cut
• Revolved Cut
• Fillet
• Chamfer
• Circular Pattern
• Linear Pattern
• Dome
• Combine
• Reference Geometry
• Sketch Picture
• Composite Curve

Composite Curve creates a 3D curve by combining two or more different curves lying on different planes.

Fig. Isometric View of Engine.

13. Gas Tank:
The gas Tank stores the fuel and also holds the seat for the rider.
The design involves the usage of new features like Split line and Surface tools as follows:

• Sketch
• Centerline
• Spline
• Trim
• Swept Surface
• Trim Surface
• Lofted Surface
• Boundary Surface
• Mirror
• Knit Surface
• Fillet
• Split Line
• Circular Pattern
• Linear Pattern
• Dome
• Combine
• Reference Geometry
• Sketch Picture
• Project Curve

Swept Surface creates a closed profile along a defined path to create a surface feature.

Trim Surface removes the selected surface about an intersection.

Lofted Surface creates a surface which transitions between two or more profiles or sketches.

Boundary Surface creates a surface between tangent profiles/surfaces.

Knit Surface combines two or more adjacent and non intersecting surfaces into a single surface body.

Split line projects entities on to surfaces or curved faces and divides the targeted features.

Fig. Isometric View of GasTank.

ASSEMBLY OF AMERICAN CHOPPER:

The components are assembled together by importing them into the assembly file and applying mates to them in an orderly manner.

The different mates used during the assembly of American chopper are as follows:

• Coincident Mate
• Concentric Mate
• Limit Angle Mate
• Width Mate
• Parallel Mate
• Distance Mate

Fig. Isometric View of Assembly of American Chopper

Fig. Front View of Assembly of American Chopper

Fig. Side View of Assembly of American Chopper

Fig. Side View of Assembly of American Chopper

Fig. Top View of Assembly of American Chopper

Rendering:

Rendering is the process of generating photorealistic images from computer software including either 2D or 3D models. The output is referred to as a rendered image or simply a render.

Solidworks has add-ins such as Photoview 360 which can create renders within the software, but Solidworks Visualize is a dedicated application with powerful tools for creating photorealistic renders of products.

Conclusion:

Hence the objectives have been met with the completion of Assembly of American Chopper in Solidworks and Photorealistic rendering in Solidworks Visualize. The project outcomes are as follows:

• Part Modelling and Assembly of different components in Solidworks
• Setting up the Assembly in different environments with different appearances, decals, cameras and lights in Solidworks
• Photorealistic Rendering of the assembly with different configurations in Solidworks Visualize