Solidworks Electrical +Garmin

[ACE01]

I reached out to Garmin experimental team and asked if they would be interested in converting their connector and object library to Solidworks electrical so that we can create our custom harnesses in 2D and 3D. I emailed g3xpert@garmin.com and received a response from Steve.

Hi John,

Thanks again. The learning curve may be high enough that most homebuilders wouldn’t use it, but it is definitely something to consider. Very interesting.

Steve

Can the members email Steve at g3xpert@garmin.com and encourage them to create these libraries for us. I am also going to start to create Garmin objects connectors, etc so that I can start designing harness's Would the EAA Solidworks community be interested in developing object libraries for all of us to use so that we can design our avionics harnesses using Solid works electrical?
Please respond to this post if you are interested. I also found some great youtube videos on creating objects and designing harness's



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH7V...9Ly48anoHHcM0I


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXvg67NpOk0&feature=emb_logo


https://my.solidworks.com/training/e...cal-schematics

[RCS]

I'm excited to have access to Solidworks Electrical, but I am starting from the beginning - my experience is with SW 3D mechanical modeling. The learning curve seems pretty steep. I too would like to have access to a library of Garmin components. More than happy to contact Steve as I have communicated with him previously. So that I have the full picture here can you tell me what, if any, Garmin components already exist in 3D files available to us? I'm interested in building a full model of my instrument panel and need the models of the actual system boxes along with the back end connectors - don't want to waste time creating something if it already exists. Thanks!

[Jeffrey Meyer]

Season's greetings

You may find a few 3D CAD models of Garmin products here:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...mF4QJ1HHhczF-B

Definitely not a comprehensive variety of models.
Can't vouch for the accuracy, but they may be good enough to get you up and going, and I suggest that when you get serious about specific Garmin items then you can check the exact dimensions against the product ICD.

Hope this helps.

[Cory Puuri]

Gentlemen, we actually have better Autocad files for Garmins linked and pinned to the top post on the Designs Thread: http://eaaforums.org/showthread.php?...S-Designs-Here

In the Panel tutorial in SOLIDWORKS University we explain how to convert from Autocad to SOLIDWORKS: http://eaa.org/SWU

But I think John's request is for the actual part models associated with the ports on the back of the instrument. I downloaded the files for the G3X and opened up the STEP file for a unit. Like any sand-filled solid, the entire assembly has been converted to a part and the male and female harness connectors are already connected, sans the wires. I am not an expert at SOLIDWORKS, but I think you could remove the harness connector from the port and look at the Manual to determine what connector is needed. That would take some work. I think John is hoping to convince Garmin to do that work for us so we can download the instrument as a STEP and the connectors with part numbers that we could order from Spruce. Am I right?

[jjaromin]

Any progress on this? I am on the steep learning curve of learning SolidWorks (previous Solid Edge user), but would be interested in supporting this project.

[vondeliusc]

...I think John's request is for the actual part models associated with the ports on the back of the instrument. I downloaded the files for the G3X and opened up the STEP file for a unit. Like any sand-filled solid, the entire assembly has been converted to a part and the male and female harness connectors are already connected, sans the wires. I am not an expert at SOLIDWORKS, but I think you could remove the harness connector from the port and look at the Manual to determine what connector is needed. That would take some work. I think John is hoping to convince Garmin to do that work for us so we can download the instrument as a STEP and the connectors with part numbers that we could order from Spruce. Am I right?

Electronic Boffins..
I regularly create panels for Apaches, Geronimo, and Aztec twins. I have a bunch of components modeled in some semblance of reality.
Since they are commercial, they are not available to be shared, but I am letting you know they are not too hard to draw.
They are in effect placeholders, dumb bodies that allow us to locate holes and for graphical evaluation.
If you look at this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/q5bPrMd9r9SdzjoC8 it is an example of a Century III autopilot panel.
Also, I will share a United Instruments altimeter, and if you roll back in the feature tree a step at a time,
you will easily be able to understand how I create these, including external features (knob), glass, bezel and instrument face:

Link to SW altimeter model: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jm...1XYGiA3Nol91HF
It is very useful to create the whole panel in a 3D assembly and some instruments use custom holes per the MFR, like this
Garmin G500:
and so you can see the graphics and the complex mfr specified cutout a wireframe version:

We hardly insert electrical sockets or plugs since our avionics shop primarily is old school and uses mfr schematics,
but many electrical component parts are available as models at 3DContentCentral at www.3dcontentcentral.com
As an example, do a search for DB sub and you get 206 high quality results.
Here is a link to a GIF of one of our latest panels:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NBF5CFekck9wHKbZ8
I taught myself SolidWorks, and model at work in SW2007, but I appreciate having the EAA version for my projects at home
which are 'amateur'. If I get time, I may explore 'Electrical'; I have seen it demo'ed, but know pretty much nothing.
But how hard could it be :-)
-Christian von Delius
Varieze