CAD Puzzles & Riddles

With the plane created, don't you end up with three features? You might be able to still do this method in two features by adding the plane in the 3D sketch. I'm just not positive the planes in a 3D sketch can be used to extrude up to.

How is this more efficient than than an extrude boss that includes the notch and hole geometry and then do a 30deg cut through all both on the perpendicular plane? No reference plane needed. Just a little math to figure out the leg of a 30,60,90 with a hyp. of 1.5mm, which you can use the sketch to claculate.

I did a pretty simple extrusion, then a simple cut to get the sloped top.

Two features.

Trigonometry solves the weird angular measurement given for the depth of the slot.

√1.6875 = 1.299038105676657970145584756129404275207103940357785471041855234588949762681600027810859640067936431756719606061555027272477458821

These challenges are not about making a model correctly, or efficiently. The only goal is the lowest number of features. That goal often results in a terrible model for most applications. The main goal is exercising creativity, and using little known tricks in the program to make additional features for free.

I used the method you describe (right down to solving the triangle with a sketch). It seemed like the best solution, but it's always interesting to see what path others take.

Here is my way of approach: First extruded whole cylinder with small circle (but didn't think to cut the slot as FredSWUG did), then used a special tool on CATIA- MultiPocket was used to finish off remaining cuts.

I think there is no need of using trigonometry. It is very easy to cut at an angle 30 deg without even calculation.

Hope you get it.

Yes, the slope is given as 30°, so no need for math.

Calculations are needed due to how the "depth" of the slot is given as 1.5 units along the sloped face.

This problem can be solved geometrically as Yahay did with the 3D sketch. Or match can be used to calculate the depth of cut in only the Z axis. Given the problem (√1.6875), a sketched solution is easier and not subject to rounding errors.

An alternative is sketching the slot profile on the sloped face and extruding along a vertical vector, but that's an extra feature in this low feature challenge.

Well I must admit that I did not do any Maths but cheated a bit by finding out what depth I needed the Cut extrusion by modeling it and adjusting the the original sketch accordingly.

I didn't consider the plane a "feature", but I tried using a 3D-Sketch's plane and it worked...

Now the FeatureManager Design Tree looks like this:

I used formula for the length. I do not see a necessity for a 3D Sketch.

Create a sketch of the side of the cylinder with the 30 degree slope on the top. Add a point on the 30 degree slope 1.5 from the edge where the slot would be. Extrude midplane.

Then create a sketch of the top view including the slot and the small hole. Project the point from the first sketch onto this sketch and use it to locate the slot. Extrude this sketch as a union with the first.

Two features. Accurate slot. No trig required. No 3d sketches.

I apologize if my suggestion to accurately match the given dimensions was an over complication. In looking at all these puzzles I thought that was always part of the challenge.

Not at all!

If yours is an over-complication, then what would you call mine?

I think we all agree that these challenges aren't for practicality, so over-complications are acceptable.

Wow, I like the way of approach you did.

Using Bob Wiley method I got only one visible Extrusion

Not sure how you did that but I’d say we have a winner.