Tutorial: How to Model Flexible Water Cooling Tubing.
How to model PVC tubing for the purposes of PC water cooling models in SolidWorks:
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Step 1:
Assemble hardware and fittings as required.
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Step 2:
Create the tubing part and open a sketch on any plane perpendicular to the fittings (i.e., looking at the side of the fittings, not the top or bottom).
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Step 3:
Use "Convert Entities" to convert the edges on the base of the fittings, then make these construction lines.
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Step 4:
For a fitting which is perpendicular to the skecth plane, create a centreline going down from the midpoint of the converted entity. The length of this line does not matter.
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Step 5:
For a non-perpendicular fitting, first draw a centreline between opposite points on the ellipse.
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Step 6:
Then draw another centreline which is perpendicular to this. The length of this line does not matter.
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Step 7:
Draw a spline which connects the midpoints of the two centrelines. Don't be tempted to add spline points - this will result in an unnatural curve.
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Step 8:
Select the spline and the perpendicular centreline, and add a "tangent" relationship.
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Step 9:
Then repeat with the other centreline.
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Step 10:
Adjust the spline handles to create a natural curve.
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Step 11:
Exit this skecth, then repeat the entire process on a different plane.
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Step 12:
Use the "Projected Curve" tool to create a curve using the two skecthes. Check the preview to make sure it looks correct.
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Step 13:
If the curve disappears after you press the tick, you may have "view curves" disabled.
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Step 14:
Open a skecth on the face which the curve begins, and draw two circles which represent the inner and outer dimensions of your tubing.
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Step 15:
Exit this skecth and click the "Swept Boss/Base" tool. Select the circles skecth for "profile" and the curve for "path". Select "minimum twist" for the "path alignment type".
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Step 16:
Final model rendered in KeyShot:
