I typically never solidify my model until I'm done with the shape. Organic shapes are simplier using surfaces, ribs and bosses are more easily done in solids.

Parametric surface modeling, solidworks can create a surface model that's parametric. This will allow changes to the initial surfaces and allow you to rebuild everything to accept this change. This to me should be a requirement for any design tool.

Anyway, sorry, I was in sales at one time.

Curves in solidworks can be created by a sketch plane or by a surface to surface intersect. There's an icon that's not displayed in a standard install which ca be added to your sketch tool bar. This icon when selected will:

1. if in a 2D sketch, create a 2d curve between the sketch plane and any choosen surface that intersects with the sketch plane.

2. if in a 3D sketch, create a 3d curve at the intesection between 2 surfaces.

Now you can do what ever you want with these curves.

The blending in solidworks is handled mainly in the loft function. The options found here fulfill most of my blending needs. Here you can define a loft between 2 curves or 2 surface edges. If you use 2 surface edges, you can take advantage of the 2nd order blending (curvature continous) associated with the edge and it's related surface. Please keep in mind that a 3D curve in space doesn't have a surface associated with it and therefore, 2nd order blending is difficult due to fact that there is no direction coming off the curve. Sometimes solidworks figures out the curve to surface relationships sometimes not. It depends on the release. Play it save, if your planning on tangential or 2nd order blending, use a surface edge as opposed to a 3D curve.

You can visit our techtip area, search on surfaces.

http://66.89.101.227/web6/tips.html?...search=surface