SW can't handle motion in this simple assembly?

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but it seems SW can't correctly handle motion in this simple assembly?

In simplified terms I need to create a square sheet of material made up of 4 identical smaller square pieces butted up together to make the larger square.

The big square needs to have the small pieces mated on their edges to make a vertical hinged joint and a horizontal hinged joint so that the big sheet can "fold" on either the vertical or horizontal joint axis. (Providing always that one starts from a position where all the pieces lie exactly flat in the same plane).

Whay cant SW handle this? It will only ever allow me to "fold" on one particular axis, never the other axis.

My procedure for making this is as follows:

  1. Arrange 4 identical square flat sheet parts into a large square.

  1. Mate each edge to its adjacent butting edge (4 mates).

  2. Mate each edge face to align to its neighbour so that the fold lines stay aligned in the same plane while allowing motion in the required directions (4 mates).

Any ideas for making this work, anyone?

Thanks

Mitch

Reply to
mitch
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I just tried it and I could make it rotate in both directions. What I saw was that just lifting one of the parts did rotate some of it, but I didn't know which way it would go first. To make it start to rotate on the other axis, I had to lock in the first direction so that the parts were coincident across the top. This then made the other axis exactly a straight line, and therefore let it rotate on the other axis. Make sense?

WT

Reply to
Wayne Tiffany

Yes Wayne, you are right. Mating two parts seems to allow SW to then decide which direction to rotate in.

Its a bit irritating to have to use a superfluous mate to get it to do this. I was hoping to be able to manipulate it as it would be in real life.

Many thanks.

Mitch

Wayne Tiffany wrote:

Reply to
mitch

I didn't follow this thread in depth, but it seems like "move with triad" should be of some help here.

Reply to
Dale Dunn

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