As we enjoy the 2024 Olympic Games, I wanted to challenge my SOLIDWORKS modeling skills with a special project. A designer friend suggested modeling an Olympic torch, and I was excited to discover a wide variety of Olympic torch designs dating back to Berlin 1936.
Olympic Torch Design
The torch that really caught my eye was the Brazil 2016 Olympic torch. Its elegant, seamless design stood out, and it’s unique because it contains a vertical expansion mechanism that reveals complex curves and iridescent surface finishes that represent “the country’s exuberant natural landscape”.
Inspired by its beauty, I began to imagine the features and sequence needed to recreate the geometry in SOLIDWORKS. I knew that surfacing would play a crucial role in my workflow. With this in mind, I embarked on my modeling journey into the unknown.
My first obstacle was the lack of drawings, dimensions, or specifications to guide me. But that’s what made it both fun and challenging. The only geometrical navigational aids I had were its height—63.5 cm (closed) and 69 cm (opened) —and various photos from Google.
Given the limited design information, the Sketch Picture command was extremely helpful in extracting the required geometry. It allowed me to insert a picture of the torch into SOLIDWORKS to set the appropriate scale in the modeling environment. Later, this enabled me to trace the curves of the torch accurately.
After that, a simple Surface Revolve feature generated the sleek outer shape.
Surfacing Workflow
The next challenge was the curves that separated the expanding torch segments. It’s time to get technical, buckle up!
Breaking a problem into smaller steps and knowing the end goal helped me work backward. I knew that a Lofted Surface would achieve the desired geometry, as this feature provides the flexibility to create complex surfaces using a combination of 2D sketches, 3D sketches, or curves.
The Curve Through Reference Points tool, an under-utilized yet powerful curve creation feature, helped me create a curve around the tapered geometry, forming the foundation of my Lofted Surface. The goal was to sketch points in X, Y, and Z space on the surface of the tapered geometry following the curved expanding segments.
Slicing, another lesser-known feature introduced in SOLIDWORKS 2019, creates 2D sketch cross-sections at the intersection of the source geometry and a reference plane. This technique is often used to slice STL files in SOLIDWORKS for CAD reverse engineering projects.
The smaller the slice spacing, the higher the resolution available for inserting 3D sketch points. With the model sliced at a spacing of 2.5 mm, I traced the topmost segment from the front using the imported sketch picture as a reference, relying on my best judgment for the backside.
Combining the aforementioned features in the following sequence results in the geometry animation shown below:
- Slicing
- 3D sketch points
- Curve Through Reference Points
- Lofted Surface
Next, a series of steps to finish the first expansion segment included Move/Copy Body, Surface Extend, and Trim Surface as shown below. When trimming surfaces, it is good practice to allow for overlap between the surfaces to ensure a successful trim. More details about Trim Surface can be found in our blog article: SOLIDWORKS Trim Surfaces Types: Standard vs Mutual (javelin-tech.com).
To create the remaining expansion segments, I rinsed and repeated the previously outlined steps.
Save Time with Fill Pattern
The last step was to create the holes through which the fuel flows to ignite the legendary Olympic flame. Instead of manually patterning hundreds of holes, SOLIDWORKS offers a neat, time-saving command called Fill Pattern. This command fills the defined region with a pattern of features or a predefined cut shape—in our scenario, the predefined shape was a 3 mm diameter hole.
Modeling an Olympic torch in SOLIDWORKS was an exciting and educational challenge. It significantly sharpened my surfacing modeling skills in SOLIDWORKS. This project demonstrated the importance of breaking down complex problems and using the appropriate tools in the correct sequence to achieve the final result. From the initial setup to the final touches, every step of this journey was a valuable learning experience.
Learn the skills used in this article and take your SOLIDWORKS surfacing skills to the next level with a SOLIDWORKS Surfacing Modeling Training Course.
