Questions regarding automatic feature creation and making cuts at feature intersections

Question

I have a skeleton model consisting of only datum points and curves (Picture 1). Every datum curve represents a tube or rod with 1" OD, and my plan for creating the tubes or rods is to make a swept feature on each curve. The only parameter that will change from rod to rod is length. Is it possible to automate this process in some way?
I'd like to cut away the excess material at tube intersections so that I am left with good looking corners. Picture 2 is an example of the material I am wanting to get rid of. What is the best way of achieving this?

I apologize if these are very basic issues. I am a student at university with much to learn!

Thanks for your help.

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Jeroen · Accepted Answer

You can work with parameters and relations, and if needed with family tables to make your skeleton dynamic and easily adjustable by altering just some parameters.

The connections is another story.

One possibility is to make all tubes shorter and leave the corners empty. In an assembly you can add corner parts that can by dynamic so they adjust to the ribs

Another is creating UDF's to do this

Or, if you make all rod ends fully round, I suppose they will also intersect correctly (if all diameters are the same)

Or, you can use the EFX extension. This addon provides all functionality you require.

TomD.inPDX · Answer

A couple of observations: Most frameworks will be a primary tube bent at intersections with struts welded between them. This requires a little more planning than you have currently done with the skeleton.

If each of these are individual parts, you must treat each end in relation to the mate. Normally, you would want to detail each rod to show how it is actually cut for fabrication prior to welding. You can use the skeleton model to provide vectors for each cut.

If this is simply a concept model, you can place spheres at the joints and extrude the rod to the skeleton's line endpoints.

You can also look up the "pipe" command. This will help make bends in the geometry if you wish. Pipes are driven by points and create straight vectors between the points and will create the appropriate bend radii when the more than 2 points are specified. Points can be line ends. They do not necessarily need to be point features.

You can make a flexible part of the tube and constrain them in an assembly using the skeleton model. I have not done this but there are tutorials on how this is done.

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