differences between loft and sweep

[Stigness]

hello to all, I am a pseudo 3d designer at first arms and I would need your help. I am studying solidworks (2011) also following the solidprofessor tutors and it is precisely seeing these last ones that have come to me doubts.
I understand better, while knowing what might be the basic definition of loft and sweep, I realized that these two functions tend more and more to look like when we start using the various options available by the software. Can some willing help me understand the real differences between these two functions? Thank you.

 

[PierArg]

Hi.
I would say that your question refers more to a purely theoretical concept than to a practical one based on a specific software (in your case solidworks).

I try to explain the differences from the basic point of view. . .of course extensible to any type of sw:
- sweep: is a modeling type based on profile + trajectory. can be both solid and surface type.
If you make a case it's theestrusione that the revolution are special cases of sweep with trajectory respectively ♪ e di angle rotation

- il ceiling/blend is a type of modeling based on more profiles. there is no trajectory but the modeling takes place through the interpolation of the points of the profiles that participate in the feature in being.
be careful that often you have to ensure that the profiles are of the same order, that is, they must have vertices that are corresponding.
For example, wanting to make the loft of a circumference and a rectangle, some sw "damn error" because they cannot associate any summit to the circumference.
Similarly it happens if you want to make the loft of a triangle and a square, etc.

 

[Stigness]

hello pierarg, thank you very much for the answer. In fact, my question was more theoretical than practical; It's just that doing exercises with these functions, the more I got into the details and the more the differences between the two went down. thanks again for your availability.

 

[marcof]

It's just that doing exercises with these functions, the more I got into the details and the more the differences between the two went down.

I don't know what exercises you're doing, but just because with the loft you can work on different profiles in reality by deepening the topic the differences that you know between the two functions should increase, not decrease. . .

 

[Stigness]

stupid what caused me confusion was the sweep possibility of using the driving curves that can actually change the resulting solid section, making me think about the loft. I know, I am ignorant:smile:, I hope to improve with time:smile:

 

[PierArg]

hello pierarg, thank you very much for the answer. In fact, my question was more theoretical than practical; It's just that doing exercises with these functions, the more I got into the details and the more the differences between the two went down. thanks again for your availability.

Please, we are here for this:wink:!

However, since you are at the beginning and still do not have much practice with cad software, I recommend you to grasp well the concept of the main features (extrusion, revolution, sweep, blend/loft, etc.), then the rest, as well as all the various operations running, will come from itself.

remember that all the "complementary operations" you refer to during your life you will use them at 5%.
this because the principle is always the same: the piece that designs must be made with simplicity, ergo you must always try to "prefer" extrusions and revolutions.
the main purpose of the cad is not to make "fighe" figures on the monitor, but to model through "feature", i.e. entities that contain useful information for the subsequent real realization phase.
Surely you've heard of "features based," right?

This is the advice I feel to give you: