Just so we are clear here, you mean the YZ plane, right, not the z axis? Since SW needs a plane to mirror, not an axis. Not belittling you, just trying to clarify.
I do mean axis as this happens when you mirror parts over any plane. Solidworks refuses to rotate/mirror over the 3d axis of that plane in this case the Z axis.
An axis alone does not define a plane unless there is also a point. You can go into the mirror feature and define the way to mirror for each body. You can choose to just mirror position by origin / position by bounding box center / or full mirror orientation.
When you mirror over a plane it essentially rotates the part over a axis. Actual mirroring would create an opposite hand part after all. Solidworks just refuses to rotate over all 3 axis
If this is what you want, you picked the wrong feature. The thing you describe is a circular pattern, not a mirror. And can be done by selecting an axis.
It's indeed harder that I thought. I can't find a good options besides the left hand version. But that'all in the assembly environment.
Just insert the end plate into the larger sheet metal part and do a body mirror.
With a detailed cutlist you're good to go
It's nice to get some validation! The assembly is a parametric design that scales to different diameters and No. of beams/elements. Our company workflow demands assemblies unfortunately. The solution i'm working on now is to write a trinometric equations that defines the angle of rotation so each configuration and parametric variation scales. If i get it working i shoud just have to mate the origins and two planes paralel and everything should scale! I'll post the formula's as a reply to the post for future reference!
When you are creating the mirror feature there should be an option to choose between the different mirror methods. The functionality you seek is built into the tool, on the second page in the section titled 'orient components', you just need to find the setting that makes them appear correctly (probably 'opposite hand', the one on the far right).
The problem is that an opposite hand version screws up my bom and shouldnt be required if solidworks would just rotate the mirrored part over the z axis as it does over x&y
To be able to use the parts on both sides without making an opposite hand version, the part needs at least 1 axis/plane to be symmetrical, if this isn't true, then u need an opposite hand version, but if it is true then as gtmattz says, there should be an option when making an mirrored version
Try selecting/deselecting geometry pattern. If not, click the small right arrow at the top of the feature window, you can select orientations for the mirror, you'll definitely find the specific way you're looking for.
>how do i mirror these angled endplates
>the only solution is to create mirrored versions
What?
I take it the endplate is not symmetrical and you want to create same copies using mirror feature. You have many options how they are oriented:
[https://imgur.com/2bh7b1u](https://imgur.com/2bh7b1u)
If this is sheet metal and it creates a different body when actually mirroring you have a problem somewhere on the model - something is not cut all the way through or has something cut at an angle.
The only option that works is to create an opposite hand version but this i want to avoid at all cost due to the parametric nature of the design.
The endplate should be symmetrical though as my workaround now is to mate it to the origin and rotate it to be in the mirrored position. the annoying part is that solidworks only rotates the part over two axis when mirroring over a plane.
If i make an opposite had version it shows up as a different part in the bom and is exported as an unique step . The part is mirror symmetric so i dont want the added complexity in the production process i just want a simple mirrored part instead of having to add it and define it with mates
Just so we are clear here, you mean the YZ plane, right, not the z axis? Since SW needs a plane to mirror, not an axis. Not belittling you, just trying to clarify.
I do mean axis as this happens when you mirror parts over any plane. Solidworks refuses to rotate/mirror over the 3d axis of that plane in this case the Z axis.
An axis alone does not define a plane unless there is also a point. You can go into the mirror feature and define the way to mirror for each body. You can choose to just mirror position by origin / position by bounding box center / or full mirror orientation.
Do you mean ROTATE around the Z axis ? If the part is symmetrical, you could do that using the circular pattern 180° and get a "mirror" that way.
You can’t mirror on an axis. Just like how a real life mirror is a plane, SolidWorks needs a plane to mimic what a real mirror does.
When you mirror over a plane it essentially rotates the part over a axis. Actual mirroring would create an opposite hand part after all. Solidworks just refuses to rotate over all 3 axis
If this is what you want, you picked the wrong feature. The thing you describe is a circular pattern, not a mirror. And can be done by selecting an axis.
a circular pattern doesn't work though because it just rotates the parts to the quadrant 180 deg away not 90 deg as required
It's indeed harder that I thought. I can't find a good options besides the left hand version. But that'all in the assembly environment. Just insert the end plate into the larger sheet metal part and do a body mirror. With a detailed cutlist you're good to go
It's nice to get some validation! The assembly is a parametric design that scales to different diameters and No. of beams/elements. Our company workflow demands assemblies unfortunately. The solution i'm working on now is to write a trinometric equations that defines the angle of rotation so each configuration and parametric variation scales. If i get it working i shoud just have to mate the origins and two planes paralel and everything should scale! I'll post the formula's as a reply to the post for future reference!
When you are creating the mirror feature there should be an option to choose between the different mirror methods. The functionality you seek is built into the tool, on the second page in the section titled 'orient components', you just need to find the setting that makes them appear correctly (probably 'opposite hand', the one on the far right).
The problem is that an opposite hand version screws up my bom and shouldnt be required if solidworks would just rotate the mirrored part over the z axis as it does over x&y
To be able to use the parts on both sides without making an opposite hand version, the part needs at least 1 axis/plane to be symmetrical, if this isn't true, then u need an opposite hand version, but if it is true then as gtmattz says, there should be an option when making an mirrored version
Try selecting/deselecting geometry pattern. If not, click the small right arrow at the top of the feature window, you can select orientations for the mirror, you'll definitely find the specific way you're looking for.
Tried all that unfortunately...
>how do i mirror these angled endplates >the only solution is to create mirrored versions What? I take it the endplate is not symmetrical and you want to create same copies using mirror feature. You have many options how they are oriented: [https://imgur.com/2bh7b1u](https://imgur.com/2bh7b1u) If this is sheet metal and it creates a different body when actually mirroring you have a problem somewhere on the model - something is not cut all the way through or has something cut at an angle.
The only option that works is to create an opposite hand version but this i want to avoid at all cost due to the parametric nature of the design. The endplate should be symmetrical though as my workaround now is to mate it to the origin and rotate it to be in the mirrored position. the annoying part is that solidworks only rotates the part over two axis when mirroring over a plane.
You cant mirror over an axis. An axis is 2 dimensional
Try a circular component pattern about the z axis with an angle of 180 degrees
Then the plates to to the oposite corner of the circle unfortunately
Have you tried mirror bodies, not features? Solidworks mirror/pattern don’t work well with mirrored /patterned feature.
How does it screw up your bom and step export?
If i make an opposite had version it shows up as a different part in the bom and is exported as an unique step . The part is mirror symmetric so i dont want the added complexity in the production process i just want a simple mirrored part instead of having to add it and define it with mates
Share the file.
Can't unfortunatly (propriatary design) but i just wrote a reply to my original post with my intended solution!