Structure System is a new tool available since SOLIDWORKS 2019.
The Structure System uses primary and secondary elements in a workflow that makes it easier to create complex structure system with flexible corner management and trimming.
The basic flow for structural system starts with implementing Primary members to a 3D or 2D sketch segments, points, edges, reference planes and surfaces.
The Secondary member are elements that run between 2 Primary Members, which can be defined by selecting a plane and 2 Primary members.
After exiting the structure system, the corner management tool will be activated by default to fine-tune any corner treatments.
By default, Primary members must be created before any Secondary members.
Basically, Primary member is used to create main support elements,
Secondary member is for creating elements in between 2 or more other members.
Primary Member:
Although it is possible to create many elements of the structure system using solely Primary Member, we should keep in mind to limit them to “Primary Load Bearing Elements”.
Looking at an example below, the primary member is needed to create the vertical upright elements as shown in the diagram below.
By following this primary load concept, we have eliminated the need to create complex sketches when creating the primary members, allowing SOLIDWORKS to do all the complex task during the creation of the Secondary members.
The Primary Members can be created using these methods:
You can apply any profiles to the members from the Profile tab in the Property Manager.
Secondary Member:
Secondary members are any elements in between 2 or Primary members. This can be defined by a plane & a pair of Primary members.
From the previous example, secondary members are created using reference planes, where the intersecting segment between the selected Primary members and the reference plane is the placement of the element.
The Secondary Members can be created using these methods:
You can apply any profiles to the members from the Profile tab in the Property Manager.
Summary
While considering the creation process for structure system is an important factor, not everything may go according to plan. Fortunately, structure system allows changes and fine-tuning of elements to be made any time.
Thus, considering the design intent of the system before inserting the structure system can benefit the efficiency of the design process.