Mirror Feature In Solidworks

I think the mirror command is pretty straightforward in this case:
- make a plane through center of middle square section (1)
- mirror the add-on wedge section plus any of the subsequent pocketing features you created (2). Note you need to 'add' these collective features to the appropriate window.
Some screen grabs

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Thank you.

It shows how new I am, I was trying to mirror around a center line and couldn't get that to work.

I'm learning, sometimes I'm pretty dense though.
 
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Keep up the good work. Everyone who uses SW was at your learning stage at some point or another (me included!).

When you are dealing with 3D parts & features, mirroring typically involves defining some sort of plane to act as reflecting surface. It can be an XYZ origin plane or a plane which you have constructed from combinations of points & lines, or even the face of an existing part. An axis is an infinite line, so it lends itself to rotating or copying features about it. You cant 'project' an image off a line the way you can a plane.

Where mirroring is somewhat ambiguous is inside a sketch. Here you are allowed to mirror a feature about an axis. Wait, we said an axis is a line (as opposed to a plane), which appears to break the rule. But this is a special circumstance because inside a sketch you are confined to 2D space. Specifically the plane you are sketching on is fully defined & everything in that sketch occurs on this same plane. So behind the scenes, the program can solve this mirror command in the context of 2D. I guess you could say the 'equivalent plane' is known because its always the axis line projected 90-deg perpendicular to the known sketching plane.

I suspect this 'mirroring' terminology might be hangover from 2D days. And of course, we use 2D as the initial step in SW to eventually build 3D parts. But once we are in 3D space & now need to precisely make reflections or copies of 3D features, we need more rigorous definitions. I'm no expert, but this is about the best I can describe it.
 
Our instructor touched on using a temporary axis but we haven't used one yet. It's funny how you can work for hours and not get it, and one little suggestion solves it.

After I get a handle on Solidworks then I need to learn HSMworks. We have it at work and soon I'll have my CNC mill home and need to be able to program it. I have a lot of parts I want to make. I go to old car swap meets with my transmission mods and I always get people asking me to make parts. I've looked at some of the parts that they are talking about and there is an insane markup on them. A $50 piece on aluminum and 30 minutes on a mill and they get $395.

Anyway here is the finished part I was working on, and the next one I did.

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After I get a handle on Solidworks then I need to learn HSMworks. We have it at work and soon I'll have my CNC mill home and need to be able to program it. I have a lot of parts I want to make.
I am green with envy.
 
One small tip: it is usually very convenient to set the origin up at the center of the part. This way you can use the origin and the principal planes for various things. In this case as a mirrior plane. This good modelling practice has 1001 benefits besides mirroring but it may become a hindrance every now and then (design intent).
I am not sure about the latest situation but SW doesn't like to mirror some features (i guess chamfer didn't work). But in your case you should be able do it. When you want to mirror multiple features it is a good idea to pick team from the tree while holding ctrl. Then click on the mirror command and pick the mirror plane. In this case if you dont have a mirror plane (or surface) you should create one first.

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We are using origin for a center of sketches as much as possible. Also construction lines. I learned last night how to turn a line into a construction line.

Yes it doesn't like to mirror some features such as fillets and lettering. I was trying to circular pattern a logo but it just didn't work. I may ask about that tomorrow night. I also tried using polygon to make one lung nut On my wheel below, but couldn't make it do a circular pattern either.

As I said earlier we are making Legos. We were doing revolve last night. Was very easy since I've been doing that for a couple of months now. I decided that I didn't want just a regular Lego wheel, so I made up my own custom version. Not sure how he will like that, but oh well. Was fun. I just learned tonight how to apply colors to different features. Below is my cool version of a Lego wheel. I "loosely" patterned it after the iconic Cragar S/S wheel :)cragarss.PNG
 
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Correct me if I am wrong but that appears to be a symmectrical part which would by definition have no hand, this would make it a mirror of itself.

I must be missing something, the drawings contain no dimensions in order to distinguish any features that gives them a hand either LH or RH.

If, as it appears the instructor wanted you to merely mirror a single feature of the part and move it 180 Deg. in 2 dimensions on the other end in a 3D rendering then it makes a certain amount of sense as a training aid. If you get a job doing this remember that a majority of companies include a 3D rendering as an aid in visualizing what the part looks like for the person that must make it, a machine shop will not just post it in cam and run the machine from the generated code as this is entirely to risky.

In 10-20 years this may become common, I expect to be retired by then, my advice would be to keep your drawings clean meaning no hidden lines or breaks that you can not see on the screen yet a cam system will simply stop when it gets there, it does not use the screen drawing but the data points from the cad drawing file. Do not have any unseen data points.

Good Luck
 
Finished my mid term. Took a couple of hours to draw the 5 parts then assemble them. Thankfully there were no errors.

One unfortunate thing I found out on Thursday is the advanced class may be cancelled. Apparently not enough intro students signed up for the advanced class. Really sucks, it will be 6 months before the advanced class will be offered and it's a 3 month class. Only one night per week.

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