SolidWorks 2011 Parts and Assemblies Bible, Two-Volume Set E-Book

Matt Lombard

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Serie: Bible
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 1868

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

A comprehensive e-book package for SolidWorks users SolidWorks is a powerful 3D solid modeler used in computer-aideddesign (CAD). Popular for its drag-and-drop, point-and-click, andcut-and-paste functions, SolidWorks is complex, and the detailfound in these two comprehensive guides gives new users everythingthey need to become productive with the program. This e-book setfeatures in-depth instruction and complete tutorials on parts(making part models and drawings of those parts) and assemblies(building assemblies and creating assembly drawings). Together theyprovide the knowledge you need to get up and running withSolidWorks 2011. * SolidWorks 2011 is a complex 3D solid modeling program; the twoin-depth guides in this e-book set cover making parts models andbuilding assemblies, as well as creating drawings of both * Set includes complete e-book versions of SolidWorks 2011Parts Bible and SolidWorks 2011 Assemblies Bible * Written by a veteran manufacturing engineer and consultant whodoes SolidWorks training, maintains a SolidWorks blog, and is knownas the go-to guy for information about the software * Covers both the "how" and "why" of SolidWorks, with extensivedetail that will take you from novice to confident SolidWorksuser SolidWorks 2011 Parts & Assemblies Set provides acomprehensive education in using this popular 3D solid modelingprogram. SolidWorks 2011 Parts & Assemblies Set provides acomprehensive education in using this popular 3D solid modelingprogram.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

SolidWorks® 2011 Parts Bible

Part I: Introducing SolidWorks Basics

Chapter 1: Introducing SolidWorks

Installing SolidWorks for the First Time

Starting SolidWorks for the First Time

Examining the SolidWorks license agreement

Viewing the Welcome to SolidWorks screen

Using Quick Tips

Creating a new document

Exploring SolidWorks documentation

Switching from hardcopy documentation

Identifying SolidWorks Documents

Saving your setup

Using templates

Understanding Feature-Based Modeling

Understanding History-Based Modeling

Sketching with Parametrics

Understanding Design Intent

Editing Design Intent

Choosing sketch relations

Selecting display/delete relations

Using suppressed sketch relations

Working with Associativity

Tutorial: Creating a Part Template

Tutorial: Using Parametrics in Sketches

Summary

Chapter 2: Navigating the SolidWorks Interface

Identifying Elements of the SolidWorks Interface

Using the CommandManager and toolbars

Controlling menus

Changing cursors

Working with models in the FeatureManager and PropertyManager windows

Getting around the Task pane

Getting familiar with the Status bar

Using SolidWorks Search

Using the 2D Command Line Emulator

Making the Interface Work for You

Customizing colors

Customizing strategies

Working with multiple document windows

Getting to Know the Interface

Copying the existing settings

Applying default settings to interface items

Customizing the CommandManager

Customizing menus

Changing interface colors

Adding hotkeys

Combining macros with hotkeys

Summary

Chapter 3: Working with Sketches

Opening a Sketch

Identifying Sketch Entities

Using the Sketch toolbar

Using the Dimensions/Relations toolbar

Inferencing in Sketch

Exploring Sketch Settings

Using Sketch Blocks

Working with Reference Geometry

Creating planes

Working with axes

Using Coordinate Systems

Using points as reference geometry

Tutorial: Learning to Use Sketch Relations

Tutorial: Using Blocks and Belts

Tutorial: Creating Reference Geometry

Summary

Chapter 4: Creating Simple Parts and Drawings

Discovering Design Intent

Using symmetry

Determining primary or functional features

Predicting change

Determining the manufacturing method

Identifying secondary operations

Creating multiple versions

Creating a Simple Part

Deciding where to start

Building in symmetry

Making it solid

Using Instant 3D

Making the first extrude feature

Tutorial: Making a Simple Drawing

Summary

Chapter 5: Using Visualization Techniques

Manipulating the View

Using arrow keys

Using the middle mouse button

Using mouse gestures

Using the View toolbar

Adding scrollbars and splitters

Using the Magnifying Glass

Clicking the Triad axes

Using the View Tools

Zebra Stripes

View Orientation

The Standard Views toolbar

Annotation views

Using the DisplayManager

Applying appearances

Using decals

Using scenes, lights, and cameras

Exploring the Display Pane

Applying Color Automatically to Features

Using Edge Display Settings

Tutorial: Applying Visualization Techniques

Summary

Part II: Building Intelligence into Your Parts

Chapter 6: Getting More from Your Sketches

Editing Sketch Relations

Using Display/Delete Relations

Using SketchXpert

Working with Sketch Entities

Moving entities

Rotating entities

Copying entities

Scaling entities

Modifying sketch

Copying and pasting sketch entities

Dragging entities

Creating a derived sketch

Using Sketch Pictures

Using three views

Compensating for perspective

Estimating sharp edges

Using Auto Trace

Using Sketch Text

Using Colors and Line Styles with Sketches

Working in Color Display mode

Assigning line color

Using the Edit Sketch Or Curve Color tool

Assigning line thickness and line style

Using Other Sketch Tools

Working with RapidSketch

Adding Sensors

Using metadata for sketches

Creating construction geometry

Sketching in 3D

Navigating in space

Exploring sketch relations in 3D sketches

Using planes in space

Using planar path segments

Defining dimensions

Using 3D sketch summary

Tutorial: Editing and Copying

Tutorial: Controlling Pictures, Text, Colors, and Styles

Tutorial: Using Metadata

Tutorial: Sketching Calculator

Summary

Chapter 7: Modeling with Primary Features

Identifying When to Use Which Tool

Using the Extrude feature

Understanding Instant 3D

Working with the Revolve feature

Introducing loft and boundary

Controlling Sweep features

Understanding Fillet Types

Creating a constant radius fillet

Creating variable radius fillets

Using face fillets

Applying a full round fillet

Building a setback fillet

Using Chamfers

Tutorial: Bracket Casting

Summary

Chapter 8: Selecting Secondary Features

Creating Curve Features

Working with Helix curve features

Creating projected curves

Using the Curve Through XYZ Points feature

Using the Curve Through Reference Points feature

Putting together a composite curve

Using Split lines

Using the equation driven curve

Selecting a Specialty Feature

Using Scale

Using the Dome feature

Using the Wrap feature

Using the Flex feature

Applying the Deform feature

Using the Indent feature

Tutorial: Creating a Wire-Formed Part

Summary

Chapter 9: Patterning and Mirroring

Patterning in a Sketch

Debunking more sketch myths

Patterning a sketch

Mirroring in a Sketch

Using Mirror Entities

Using Dynamic Mirror

Using Symmetry sketch relation

Using Mirroring in 3D sketches

Exploring the Geometry Pattern Option

Patterning Bodies

Patterning Faces

Patterning Fillets

Understanding Pattern Types

Using the Linear Pattern

Using the Circular Pattern

Using the Curve Driven Pattern

Using the Sketch Driven Pattern

Using the Table Driven Pattern

Using the Fill Pattern

Using Cosmetic Patterns to Create an Appearance

Mirroring 3D Solids

Mirroring bodies

Mirroring features

Mirroring entire parts

Tutorial: Creating a Circular Pattern

Tutorial: Mirroring Features

Tutorial: Applying a Cosmetic Pattern

Summary

Chapter 10: Using Equations

Understanding Equations

Creating equations

Using driven dimensions

Using equation tricks

Using Link Values

Using Global Variables

Using Expressions

Controlling Suppression States of Features

Linking to External Equations

Tutorial: Using Equations

Summary

Chapter 11: Working with Part Configurations

Controlling Items with Configurations

Finding configurations

Activating configurations

Creating configurations

Using the Modify Configurations dialog box

Using custom property managers

Using derived configurations

Understanding how file size affects speed

Controlling dimensions

Controlling suppression

Controlling custom properties

Controlling sketch relations

Controlling sketch planes

Controlling configurations of inserted parts

Using Library features

Identifying unconfigurable items

Using Design Tables

Identifying what can be driven by a design table

Creating a Simple Design Table

Editing design table settings

Editing the design table

Using the Configuration Publisher

Tutorial: Working with Configurations and Design Tables

Summary

Chapter 12: Editing, Evaluating, and Troubleshooting

Using Rollback

Using the Rollback bar

Using other Rollback techniques

Reordering Features

Reordering Folders

Using the Flyout and Detachable FeatureManagers

Summarizing Part Modeling Best Practice

Using Evaluation Techniques

Using Verification on rebuild

Using the Check tool

Evaluating geometry with reflective techniques

Using DFMXpress to catch manufacturability problems

Analyzing with SimulationXpress

Troubleshooting Errors

Interpreting rebuild errors

Using SolidWorks RX and Performance Benchmark

Tutorial: Making Use of Editing and Evaluation Techniques

Summary

Chapter 13: Using Hole Wizard and Library Features

Using the Hole Wizard

Defining the anatomy of a Hole Wizard hole

Using 2D versus 3D placement sketches

Making and using favorites

Using the Hole Series

Using Library Features

Getting started with library features

Applying the library feature interface

Exploring other Design Library functions

Creating Library Features

Creating a library feature

Creating a library feature from an existing part

Adding folders to the library

Locating and Internal dimensions

Understanding Dissection

Tutorial: Working with Library Features

Summary

Part III: Creating Part Drawings

Chapter 14: Automating Drawings: The Basics

Comparing Templates and Formats

Changing existing templates

Maintaining different templates or formats

Creating custom drafting standards

Creating Drawing Formats

Customizing an existing format

Using custom properties

Using the Title Block function

Creating a format from a blank screen

Creating a format from an imported DWG/DXF file

Saving the format

Using second sheet formats

Creating Drawing Templates

Using Pre-defined Views in drawing templates

Using styles and blocks in templates

Using custom properties in templates

Saving a template

Creating Blocks

Summary

Chapter 15: Working with Drawing Views

Creating Common View Types

Using the View palette

Using Model Views

Using the Projected View

Using Standard 3 View

Using Detail View

Working with Section Views

Creating Other View Types

Using a Crop View

Using a Broken-out Section View

Using a Break View

Using an Auxiliary View

Using an Alternate Position View

Using a Pre-defined View

Using an Empty View

Using a Custom View

Using a Relative View

Using the 3D Drawing View Mode

Changing view orientation and alignment

Using Display Options in Views

Using Display States

Using Display styles

Working with tangent edge display options

Choosing view quality settings

Distinguishing Views from Sheets

Tutorial: Working with View Types, Settings, and Options

Summary

Chapter 16: Using Annotations and Symbols

Using Notes

Setting up a workflow for placing notes

Making use of fonts

Using text boxes and wrapping

Placing notes and leaders

Adding styles

Linking notes to custom properties

Hyperlinking text

Adding notes and symbols

Using Blocks in Drawings

Inserting blocks

Creating blocks

Editing blocks

Using Symbols

Using symbols in notes and dimensions

Creating custom symbols

Using Center Marks and Centerlines

Tutorial: Using Annotations

Summary

Chapter 17: Dimensioning and Tolerancing

Putting Dimensions on Drawings

Using Insert Model Items

Using reference dimensions

Understanding dimension options

Adding Tolerances

Changing precision values

Using Geometric Tolerancing symbols

Using Dimension Styles

Aligning Dimensions and Annotations

Using the alignment tools

Inferencing alignment and grid snapping

Using Dimension Palette alignment options

Arranging dimensions automatically

Tutorial: Working with Dimensions and Tolerances

Summary

Chapter 18: Using Layers, Line Fonts, and Colors

Controlling Layers

Working with layers in imported 2D data

Working with layers on the sheet format

Adding dimensions and notes to layers

Working with components on layers

Controlling Line Format

Using the Line Format settings

Setting the End Cap Style

Setting the line thickness

Setting the line style

Changing the Color Display mode

Hiding and Showing Edges

Tutorial: Using Drawing Display Tools

Summary

Part IV: Using Advanced Techniques

Chapter 19: Modeling Multi-Bodies

Using Powerful Tools Effectively

Comparing multi-body modeling with assembly modeling

Using multi-body techniques appropriately

Understanding Multi-Body Techniques

Creating complex shapes across bodies

SolidWorks®

I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the staff at Wiley for their dedication in editing the text of these books. It can be a difficult job making sure that a technical subject is treated properly. I'd also like to thank Charles Culp, the technical editor, for taking the time out of his schedule to make sure the material is accurate. Thanks also to Kim and Zoey, who help with the details in life allowing me to do this kind of work.

Introduction

SolidWorks as a topic of learning is a huge, sprawling expanse. There is a lot to know, and a lot to write about. While I have made every effort to be complete in this book, I'm sure there are some niche topics that have gone untreated. New in 2011, I have taken this book from a single volume of an immense scope to two individual volumes, each still fairly large, one covering parts and part drawings, and the other covering assemblies and assembly drawings. There is some overlap and some gray area between these topics, but I have tried to divide the material in the way that makes the most sense and divides the material evenly. It is certainly recommended for you to get both volumes for your reference.

This book is primarily meant as an encyclopedic desk reference for SolidWorks Standard users who want a more thorough understanding of the software and process than can be found in other available documentation. As such, it is not necessarily intended to be a guide for beginners, although it has elements of that. Nor is it necessarily intended as a classroom guide, but I have seen people use it for that as well.

Possibly the most controversial aspect of the book is that it is not filled with step-by-step tutorials (although there are some). Tutorials have their place, and I believe they are best suited for beginners. You are only a beginner for a short period of time, so this book tries to aim more at intermediate users, and it does so with a more conceptual approach to explaining functionality. I attempt to help you make the decisions about how to apply the tools to your tasks rather than demonstrating simple tasks that you will never need to do again. You will not learn to model a teapot in this book, because in your work, knowing how to model a teapot will probably not help you. You will, however, learn how to make decisions which should enable you to model just about anything you want, including teapots.

To keep the size of the book down, I have tried to avoid topics found only in SolidWorks Professional or Premium, although some discussion of these topics was in places unavoidable.

While the book does point out limitations, bugs and conceptual errors in the software, and from time to time ventures into the realm of opinion, in every case this is meant to give the reader a more thorough understanding of the software and how it is applied in the context of everyday design or engineering practice.

The overall goal of this book is not to fill your head with facts, but to help you think like the software, so that you can use the tool as an intuitive extension of your own process. As your modeling projects get more complex, you will need to have more troubleshooting and workaround skills available to you. Along with best practice recommendations, these are the most compelling reasons to study this book.

Thank you for your interest.

About This Book

You will find enough information here that the book can grow with your SolidWorks needs. I have written tutorials for most of the chapters with newer users in mind, because for them, it is most helpful to see how things are done in SolidWorks step by step. The longer narrative examples give more in-depth information about features and functions, as well as the results of various settings and options.

This book includes many details that come from practical usage and is focused on the needs of professional users, not on student learners. My approach is to teach concepts rather than button pushes.

How This Book Is Organized

This book is divided into six parts.

Part I: Introducing SolidWorks Basics

This part explores basic concepts and terminology used in SolidWorks. You need to read this section if you are new to the software and especially if you are new to 3D modeling or parametric history-based design.

Part II: Building Intelligence into Your Parts

This part takes a deeper look at creating parametric relations to automate changes.

Part III: Creating Part Drawings

This part examines the functionality within the 2D drawing side of the software. Whether you are creating views, making tables, or customizing annotations, these chapters have something for everyone.

Part IV: Using Advanced Techniques

This part examines several types of advanced techniques, such as surface modeling and multi-body modeling. This is information you won't find in other SolidWorks books, explained here by someone who uses the functionality daily.

Part V: Working with Specialized Functionality

Specialized functionality such as sheet metal, , and plastics, requires detailed information. Part V includes these topics because they are key to unlocking all the power available in SolidWorks.

Part VI: Appendixes

The appendixes in this book contain information that was not appropriate in the main body of the text, such as the contents of the DVD and other sources of help.

Icons Used in This Book

This book uses a set of icons to point out certain details in the text. While they are relatively self-explanatory, here is what each of these icons indicates:

Caution

Caution icons warn you of potential problems before you make a mistake.

Cross-Reference

Cross-Reference icons point out where you can find additional information about a topic elsewhere in the book.

New Feature

The New Feature icon highlights features and functions that are new to SolidWorks 2011.

Note

Notes highlight useful information that you should take into consideration, or an important point that requires special attention.

On the DVD

This icon points you toward related material on the book's DVD.

Tip

Tips provide you with additional advice that makes the software quicker or easier to use.

The SolidWorks 2011 Parts Bible is unique in its use of these two icons:

Best Practice

Best practice icons point out recommended settings or techniques that are safe in most situations.

Performance

Performance icons elaborate on how certain settings, features, or techniques affect rebuild speed or file size.

These icons point out and describe techniques and settings that are either recommended or not recommended for specific reasons. Best Practice is usually considered to be very conservative usage, where the stability of the parametrics and performance (a euphemism for rebuild speed) are the ultimate goals. These two aspects of SolidWorks models are usually weighed against modeling speed (how long it takes you to create the model).

You should take Best Practice and Performance recommendations seriously, but you should treat them as guidelines rather than as rules. When it comes right down to it, the only hard and fast rule about SolidWorks is that there are no hard and fast rules. In fact, I believe that the only reason to have rules in the first place is so that you know when you can break them. Parametric stability and modeling speed are not always the ultimate goals and are often overridden when work-around techniques are used simply to accomplish a geometric goal.

Because not everyone models with the same goals in mind, a single set of rules can never apply for everyone. You must take the best practice suggestions and apply them to your situation using your own judgment.

My point of view while writing this book has been that of someone who is actually using the software, not of someone trying to sell ideas, nor of someone trying to make the software look good, or even that of an academic trying to make a beautiful argument. I try to approach the software objectively as a tool, recognizing that complex tools are good at some things and not so good at others. Both kinds of information (good and not-so-good) are useful to the reader. Pointing out negatives in this context should not be construed as criticizing the SolidWorks software, but rather as preparing the reader for real-world use of the software. Any tool this complex is going to have imperfections. Hopefully some of my enthusiasm for the software also shows through and is to some extent contagious.

Terminology

An important concept referred to frequently in SolidWorks is design intent. As a practical matter, I use the phrase design for change to further distinguish design intent from other design goals.

The reader needs to be familiar with some special terminology before continuing. In many cases, I use a SolidWorks vernacular or slang when the official terminology is either not descriptive enough or, as is sometimes the case, has multiple meanings. For example, the word shortcut has multiple meanings in the SolidWorks interface. It is used to describe right mouse button menus as well as hotkeys. As a result, I have chosen not to use the word shortcut and instead substitute the words RMB and hotkey.

I frequently use RMB to refer to right mouse button menus, or other data that you access by clicking the right mouse button on an item. The word tree refers to the list of features in the FeatureManager.

Differences are frequently found between the names of features on toolbars and the names in the tool tips, menus or PropertyManager titles. In these cases, the differences are usually minor, and either name may be used.

Most functions in SolidWorks can work with either the object-action or the action-object scenarios. These are also called pre-select and select, respectively. The Fillet feature shows no difference between using pre-selection and selection, although for some fillet options such as face fillet, pre-select is not enabled. Most features allow pre-selection, and some functions, such as inserting a design table, require pre-selection. Although you cannot identify a single rule that covers all situations, most functions accept both.

Frequently in this book, I have suggested enhancement requests that the reader may want to make. This is because SolidWorks development is driven to a large extent by customer requests, and if a large number of users converge on a few issues, then those issues are more likely to be fixed or changed. Again, the enhancement request suggestions are not made to criticize the software, but to make it better. I hope that several of you will join me in submitting enhancement requests.

SolidWorks is an extremely powerful modeling tool, very likely with the best combination of power and accessibility on the MCAD market today. This book is meant to help you take advantage of its power in your work and even hobbyist applications. If I could impart only a single thought to all readers of this book, it would be that with a little curiosity and some imagination, you can begin to access the power of SolidWorks for geometry creation and virtual product prototyping. You should start with the assumption that there is a way to do what you are imagining, and that you should be open to using different techniques.

Whoever you are, I hope that you find insight deeper than simply “what does this button do?” in this book. I hope that you will find an intuition for thinking like the software. Jeff Ray, CEO of the SolidWorks Corporation, has said that the goal is to make the software as “intuitive as a light switch.” While most people will agree that they have some work left to achieve that particular goal, I believe that approaching the interface intuitively, rather than attempting to remember it all by rote, is the best method. Good luck to you all.

Contacting the Author

You might want to contact me for some reason. Maybe you found an error in the book, or you have a suggestion about something that you think would improve it. It is always good to hear what real users think about the material, whether you like it or think it could be improved.

The best way to contact me is either through e-mail or through my blog. My e-mail address is [email protected]. You will find my blog at http://dezignstuff.com/blog. On the blog you can leave comments and read other things I have written about the SolidWorks software, CAD, and engineering or computer topics in general. If you want to contact me for commercial help with a modeling project, the previous e-mail address is the best place to start that type of conversation.

Thank you very much for buying and reading this book. I hope the ideas and information within its pages help you accomplish your professional goals.

Please note that some special symbols used in this eBook may not display properly on all eReader devices. If you have trouble determining any symbol, please call Wiley Product Technical Support at 800-762-2974. Outside of the United States, please call 317-572-3993. You can also contact Wiley Product Technical Support at www.wiley.com/techsupport.

Part I: Introducing SolidWorks Basics

In This Part

Chapter 1

Introducing SolidWorks

Chapter 2

Navigating the SolidWorks Interface

Chapter 3

Working with Sketches

Chapter 4

Creating Simple Parts and Drawings

Chapter 5

Using Visualization Techniques

Chapter 1: Introducing SolidWorks

In This Chapter

Installing SolidWorksGetting started with SolidWorksIdentifying different types of SolidWorks documentsGetting familiar with feature-based modelingLooking at history-based modelingCreating changeable sketchesControlling changes with Design IntentModifying Design IntentWorking with links between documentsCreating a template part tutorialUsing parametrics in sketches tutorial

In SolidWorks, you build 3D parts from a series of simple 2D sketches and features such as extrude, revolve, fillets, cuts, and holes, among others. You can then create 2D drawings from the 3D parts and assemblies.

This chapter will familiarize you with some of the tools available to make the transition to SolidWorks, and with some of the basic facts and concepts that you need to know to get the most out of the software.

If you want to start using the software without learning about how or why it works, you can skip directly to Chapter 3 for sketches or Chapter 4 to start making simple parts, assemblies, and drawings. Of course, I recommend you get a bit of background and some foundation first.

Installing SolidWorks for the First Time

Some of you will have SolidWorks installed for you by people in your company or by SolidWorks reseller experts, and some of you will do the installation on your own. Regardless, it is best to make sure that your hardware and software are compatible with the SolidWorks system requirements, available on the SolidWorks Web site at www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.html.

SolidWorks installs natively on both 32- and 64-bit operating systems. It is only supported for Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. In all cases, the professional-level OS is recommended. Although, it is possible to install and run SolidWorks under Parallels and Boot Camp on Apple hardware, that configuration is not supported or tested by SolidWorks Corporation or its resellers.

You can find video card requirements at the above link for system requirements. The main concern with a video card for SolidWorks is that it be compatible with OpenGL. Hardware changes too rapidly for me to give specific recommendations here, but generally, nVidia brand boards in the Quadro line are acceptable, as are AMD/ATI brand boards in the FirePro line. You should expect to pay $100 to $500 for a serviceable low- to mid-range video card. Cards that are marketed as game cards, such as the Radeon or GeForce, have known limitations and do not work well with SolidWorks.

In addition to installing the correct hardware, you also need to have a compatible driver version installed. Again, refer to the SolidWorks system requirements Web site.

Whether you are installing SolidWorks or someone else is installing it for you, you should consider purchasing a copy of the SolidWorks Administration Bible (Wiley, 2010), which contains all the information you need on installing, configuring, and troubleshooting SolidWorks.

Alternatively, you might not want to get that involved at first. You can install the software with all defaults just to get started, using it as a practice installation, especially if you intend to learn as much as you can about it, and then come back and do a more thorough job of implementing it later. If this is the case, just put the DVD in the drive and accept all the defaults. In the Summary page, shown in Figure 1.1, you can choose to change the disk installation location and choose which products are installed.

Figure 1.1

Changing installation settings on the Summary install page

Chapter 2: Navigating the SolidWorks Interface

In This Chapter

Discovering elements of the SolidWorks interfaceCustomizing the interface to work for youExploring the interface

The SolidWorks interface offers a wide range of tools. You will find more than one way to do almost everything. There is no one best way to use the interface; and each method has strengths and weaknesses depending on the task, and depending on the individual.

In this chapter, I will start by displaying the entire default interface, but in the rest of the book I will only show a reduced interface, mainly to save space and keep the focus on the graphics window.

Once you have mastered the various interface elements and customized your SolidWorks installation, working with the software becomes much more efficient and satisfying. You may find your mastery of the interface comes with practice and experience. Many existing users may discover features in this book that they were not aware of, even though they have been trained and have used the software for years.

I explain each interface element identified in Figure 2.1 in detail within this chapter.

You might want to put a bookmarker in this page and refer back to Figure 2.1 often, as much of the interface discussion refers to elements illustrated in this figure.

Figure 2.1

Elements of the SolidWorks interface

Identifying Elements of the SolidWorks Interface

The major elements of the SolidWorks interface are the graphics window, where all the action takes place, the FeatureManager, which is the list of all the features in the part, the PropertyManager, where most of the data input happens, and the CommandManager and toolbars, where you access most of the commands in the software.

Figure 2.1 shows the default interface with a couple of exceptions. First, I have pinned the Title Bar menu in place. Second, I have detached the PropertyManager. Throughout the rest of this book, I will use a simplified CommandManager display (without the text on the buttons), and I may use the Sketch toolbar independent from the CommandManager to minimize CommandManager tab switching. I may also deactivate the Heads-up View toolbar to keep the display area clean, and use the whole Right Mouse Button (RMB) menu rather than the default Context Menus at the top of the truncated RMB menu.

Using the CommandManager and toolbars

In some respects, the CommandManager resembles the Microsoft (MS) Ribbon interface found in Office 2007 applications. SolidWorks did not do a strict implementation of the MS Ribbon, because it wanted to add more customizability. A far more complete array of interface configuration possibilities awaits you with SolidWorks 2011. In this section of the chapter, I show you how to make the CommandManager work for you and how to use regular or flyout toolbars to replace it effectively.

Exploring the CommandManager

The CommandManager is an area of the interface that you can use to flip between sets of related commands. It does not necessarily save space, and I don't believe it helps you to work faster. However, it does make your workspace a bit more organized. The main purpose of the CommandManager is to give you easy access to all commands without fumbling with the menus, and even access to customized groups of icons that are not available on a single default toolbar, without cluttering the entire screen with toolbars.

The CommandManager accomplishes this by providing small tabs under the left end of the toolbar area to enable you to switch the collection of tools that appears. Figure 2.2 shows the CommandManager in customize mode, showing all the tabs available in a default setup. To get the CommandManager into customize mode, right-click one of the CommandManager tabs and select Customize CommandManager. Alternatively, you can choose Tools⇒Customize.

Note

To access the pull-down menus in a default setup, place the cursor over the SolidWorks logo or the small flyout triangle to the right of it in the upper-left corner of the SolidWorks window. Figure 2.2 shows the flyout for pull-down menus pinned in place. To keep the menu in that position, click the pushpin on the right end of the flyout menu bar.

Figure 2.2

Customizing the CommandManager

Customizing the CommandManager

Notice the last tab along the bottom of the CommandManager on the right. If you want to add another tab, you can right-click this tab and select the tab you want to add. You can also select to add a blank tab and populate it with individual buttons. Figure 2.3 shows a detail of the Add Tab menu options after you right-click the tab.

Figure 2.3

Adding tabs to the CommandManager

You can also left-click the special tab on the right and skip the Add Tab menu. To add individual buttons, first find the button you want to add in the Customize dialog box by choosing Tools⇒Customize. Click the Commands tab in the Customize dialog box, and then switch the CommandManager to the tab you want to add the button to, and drag the button from the Customize dialog box to the CommandManager. You can remove buttons from the CommandManager by dragging them into the blank graphics window area.

Docking the CommandManager

In SolidWorks, you can undock the CommandManager and leave it undocked, pull it to a second monitor, or dock it vertically to the left or right. To undock it, click and drag on any non-toolbar button area of the CommandManager, such as around the border. To re-dock an undocked CommandManager or to change its docking location, drag it onto one of the docking stations around the screen. Figure 2.4 shows the CommandManager undocked.

Using Auto Collapse

The small box with the arrows in it in the upper right-hand corner of the undocked CommandManager and the undocked PropertyManager is the Auto Collapse option. There seem to be some inconsistencies in the way this option works with certain undocked PropertyManagers. You may have to resize undocked PropertyManagers manually for various features. When the option is active, the PropertyManager is supposed to expand and collapse automatically and should not require scroll arrows unless the PropertyManager is larger than your monitor's height. In the condition it is shown in Figure 2.4, the undocked CommandManager will not collapse, but if you click Auto Collapse, the arrows go away, and the entire CommandManager acts like a big flyout toolbar. This can be very handy because it saves a lot of space on the screen, but at the same time it requires additional mouse movement to open it up. This is the common trade-off in this interface — you can trade screen space for additional mouse movement or clicks.

Figure 2.4

The undocked CommandManager without text labels

Mixing the CommandManager with toolbars

To put a toolbar inline with the CommandManager, drag the toolbar close to the right-hand end of the CommandManager. A space on that row or column will open up. The amount of space that opens up depends on the CommandManager tab with the longest set of icons, even if that tab is not showing. To increase the amount of space available for a toolbar on the same row as a CommandManager, enter Customize CommandManager mode by right-clicking a tab and selecting Customize CommandManager. Then cycle through the available tabs, looking to see which one has the most icons. Remove icons from the tab with the most. This makes more room for toolbars to the right of the CommandManager.

Basing tabs on document types

SolidWorks remembers which tabs to show on a per document type basis. This means that when you are working on a part document, you will have one set of tabs. When you switch to an assembly document, you will see a different set of tabs. The same goes for drawings. Notice that in Figure 2.3, in the right mouse button (RMB) menu, the options Copy Tab to Assemblies and Copy Tab to Drawings appear. These options make it easier to set up customizations that apply for all document types.

Changing the appearance of the CommandManager

When users see the CommandManager for the first time, they often ask how to hide the text. You can turn off the text in one of two ways. The easiest way is to right-click in the CommandManager and deselect the Use Large Buttons with Text option, as shown in Figure 2.5.

I will use the interface with the hidden text for the rest of the book, primarily to save space on the printed page. You can't be a beginner forever, and so it is time to learn those feature icons. Remember that if you need help with the name of an icon, you can hover the cursor over the icon and a tool tip will tell you what it is.

Another way to remove text from the CommandManager is to remove it only from selected icons. To do this, first enter the customize mode by choosing Tools⇒Customize or right-click a CommandManager tab and select Customize CommandManager, and then right-click a button in the CommandManager and change the Show Text setting, as shown in Figure 2.6. The Show Text option is only available when Use large buttons with text is enabled.

Figure 2.5

Adding or removing text from the CommandManager buttons

Figure 2.6

Changing the text setting for individual buttons in the CommandManager

Notice also that the text by default goes to the right side of the icon, but using the RMB menu, you can put the text beneath the icon. With these options and some patience to go through the entire interface, you can almost totally customize the appearance and function of your CommandManager.

The most streamlined and space-efficient way to set up the CommandManager is to remove the text. This arrangement is shown in Figure 2.5, in the lower image. Notice that the CommandManager without text takes up the same amount of height as a normal toolbar, with the added room for the tabs at the bottom. The text can be useful for new users or features that you do not commonly use. Also, notice that with the text turned off, you have room for more toolbar space at the right-hand side of the CommandManager.

The final setting for the CommandManager appearance is the size of the icons. You have control over the size of the icon images in the CommandManager. You can find this setting in the Customize dialog box (Tools⇒Customize), and it is shown in the upper-right side of Figure 2.7. The difference between large and small icons is shown in the lower part of the figure.

This setting applies to all the toolbar icons except the Menu Bar, RMB menu, and Context Bar icons. The setting does apply to the S shortcut toolbar and the Heads-up View toolbar, which I discuss later in this section. Large icons can be useful on displays with very high resolution, in particular on laptops where the screen itself may be small but the resolution is very high. All the screen shots in this book are taken with the Large Icons option turned on for improved visibility. There is often a small difference between the appearance of the large and small icons, aside from size.

Recognizing the limitations of the CommandManager

If you undock the CommandManager, you cannot reorient the tabs horizontally. They remain vertical. In addition, you cannot place multiple rows of toolbars on the same row as a CommandManager using large buttons with text. You cannot dock the CommandManager to the bottom of the SolidWorks window. Another minor limitation is that although SolidWorks enables you to place toolbars at the right end of the CommandManager as well as above it, it does not allow you to place them to the left of the CommandManager or below it.

Figure 2.7

Setting large icons

Using toolbars

The point of the CommandManager is to enable you to have many toolbars available to you in a single click, with the main goals being organization and saving space. SolidWorks is a complex program, with a sprawling interface. The CommandManager does a good job of making most of it available to you quickly without taking up a lot of space. Unfortunately, when you save one thing, you usually wind up giving up something else. Interface setup is frequently about compromise or balancing conflicting concerns. In the case of the CommandManager, the compromise is between screen space, mouse travel, and clicks. You may find yourself clicking frequently back and forth between the Sketch and Features tabs. For this reason, in my interface setup, I put the Sketch toolbar vertically on the right side of the graphics window and remove it from the CommandManager. This enables me to see the Sketch and Features toolbars at the same time and greatly reduces the number of times I have to click back and forth between the CommandManager tabs.

The SolidWorks interface performs best with some customization. No two people set it up exactly the same, but everyone needs some adjustment because they might be working on specialized functionality such as molds or surfacing, or they might work with limited functionality, such as predominantly revolved features. Of course, customization can also accommodate personal preferences, for example, if one user prefers to use hotkeys and another uses menus or even the S key.

You can enable and disable toolbars in several ways. To enable a toolbar, right-click in a toolbar area and you will be presented with a list of toolbars in SolidWorks. Another way to do this is to use the Customize dialog box by choosing Tools⇒Customize, or the Customize option near the bottom of the RMB toolbar list. Yet another way is to choose View⇒Toolbars.

Exploring the Heads-up View toolbar

The Heads-up View toolbar appears along the middle of the top edge of the graphics window. Figure 2.8 shows the default arrangement of the Heads-up View toolbar, and it is shown in relation to the rest of the interface in Figure 2.1.

Figure 2.8

The Heads-up View toolbar

You can customize the Heads-up View toolbar by using the Toolbars dialog box (Tools⇒Customize⇒Toolbars). Customization includes turning the Heads-up View toolbar on or off and adding or removing buttons. These customization options were introduced in SolidWorks 2010. Previously, you could not turn it off, and it had a special way of adding and removing toolbar buttons. If you have multiple document windows or multiple view ports showing, the Heads-up View toolbar only shows in the active window or view port. This toolbar often overlaps with other interface elements when several windows are tiled or if the active window is not maximized, such as the PropertyManager if it is pulled out of the FeatureManager.

Cross-Reference

Chapter 3 covers the Confirmation Corner in more detail.

Exploring the Menu Bar toolbar and menu

The Menu Bar toolbar is found just to the right of the SolidWorks logo on the title bar in the top-left corner of the SolidWorks window. By default, it contains most of the elements of the Standard toolbar, and it is available even when no documents are open. It uses mostly flyout toolbar icons, so again it follows the trend of saving space at the expense of an extra click. This toolbar can be customized in the same way as normal toolbars in the Customize dialog box in the Commands tab. This toolbar cannot be turned off, but you can remove all the icons from it.

Note

You could run the SolidWorks interface from just the CommandManager without any additional toolbars; you could do the same with just the Menu Bar toolbar, customizing it with all flyout toolbars. The main advantages of the Title Bar toolbar are that it is visible when no documents are open, and that it makes use of otherwise wasted space in the title bar. You might set up the interface for a 12-inch normal aspect display laptop very differently from that of a desktop unit with a 24-inch-wide screen.

There is also a Menu Bar Menu, which is hidden by default. The SolidWorks logo in the upper left of the SolidWorks window or the small triangle next to the logo serve as a flyout to expand the main SolidWorks menus. You can pin the menus in place using the pushpin shown at the right end of the menus in Figure 2.9. When the menu is pinned, the toolbar moves to the right to accommodate it.

Note

The 3Dcontrol menu entry is not part of base SolidWorks; it is part of the 3Dconnexion (spaceball) driver.

Notice that on low resolution or non-maximized SolidWorks windows, you can run into some space problems if the Menu Bar Menu is pinned open. Figure 2.9 shows the SolidWorks 2011 interface with all default settings displayed at 1024 × 768 resolution, which is a common resolution when using digital LCD projectors or small notebook computers. You need to examine the changes in the SolidWorks interface with display size in mind. You might consider having different sets of settings for using a laptop at a docking station with a large monitor, using the laptop with a small monitor, or using the computer with a low-resolution digital projector.

Figure 2.9

The Menu Bar toolbar and menu

Looking at the Flyout toolbar buttons

SolidWorks saves space by putting several related icons on the flyout toolbars. For example, the Rectangle tool has several different ways to make a rectangle, with a button for each, and they are all on the rectangle flyout.

You can see all the available flyouts in the Customize menu (Tools⇒Customize), under the Commands tab, in the first listing in the window, Flyouts.

The purpose for flyouts is primarily to save toolbar space when several tools are closely related. SolidWorks has set up flyouts in two configurations: flyouts that always maintain the same image for the front button (such as the Smart Dimension flyout) and flyouts that use the last used button (such as the Rectangle flyout).

Toolbar flyouts are listed in Tools⇒Customize⇒Commands and are listed from 2D to 3D through the Weldments toolbar. After Weldments in the list, the flyouts are Similar Function flyouts. You can change the order of the items in the flyouts by changing the order of the items in the toolbars. Just display the original toolbar and choose Tools⇒Customize to reorder it to your liking. These toolbars will always have the same icon on the top. For example, if you use the Reference Geometry flyout to access the Axis command, the image for the Plane icon will remain on top. The image on top is considered the most commonly used function of that group of tools, and so remains on top.

Add-in flyouts, such as the FeatureWorks flyout, are controlled by that specific add-in and again keep the same icon always on top.

The flyouts used for tools of similar function are split between using the most recently used tool icon on top and keeping a consistent icon on top. The only tools that appear to follow the latest icon method are the Sketch Entities tools. Sketch tools and other flyouts use a hard-coded top image.

Exploring the Context toolbars

Context toolbars are toolbars that appear in the graphics window when you right-click or left-click something. When you right-click, a context toolbar appears at the top of the RMB menu and shows the functions that SolidWorks deems the most commonly used functions. This is a static list and does not change as you use the buttons. These functions are removed from the RMB menu and replaced with the Toolbar icon in a toolbar above the abbreviated RMB menu, as Figure 2.10 shows.

Figure 2.10

The right-click menu and context toolbar

An identical toolbar appears when you click (left-click) an item on screen. When this toolbar appears with a left-click, the rest of the RMB menu does not appear. Tool tips are available if you do not recognize the icons on the toolbar. For reference, the icons in the context toolbar atop the RMB menu (the icons without text) shown in Figure 2.10 are in order from the upper-left: Edit Feature, Edit Sketch, Suppress, Rollback, Select Other, Sketch, Hide Body, Zoom To Selection, Normal To, and Appearance Callout. Notice that these selections do not reappear in the main RMB menu.

These context toolbars are not editable, but you can turn them off and put the RMB menu back to its complete configuration. To turn off the context toolbars, click the context toolbar and choose Tools⇒Customize. Use the options on the right side of the main Toolbars tab, as shown in Figure 2.11.

Figure 2.11

Context toolbar settings

I find that the RMB context toolbars are distracting because they force you to read a two-dimensional list of icons and a one-dimensional list of text. To me, this is just too confusing. I turn these off so that the RMB menus look like they always did. However, I do find left-click context toolbars useful for things like Hide Sketch, Edit Feature, Edit Sketch, Appearance Callout, sketch relations, and so on. When I use the RMB menus, I'm looking for a more general function. When using the left-click context bars, I'm looking for something specific that I know is there. In Figure 2.11, the Show on selection check box option simply refers to the left-click toolbar, and Show in shortcut menu check box option refers to the RMB menu.

The purpose of the context toolbars is to save space by condensing some commands into a toolbar without text instead of a menu with icons and text. The left- and right-click toolbars are the same, but they work differently. The left-click context toolbar fades as you move the cursor away from it and becomes darker as you move the cursor toward it. Once it fades past a certain point, you cannot get it back, except if you have Ctrl+selected multiple entities. The context toolbar does not appear until you release the Ctrl key. To get a context menu to show up again after it has faded, you can just move the cursor back to approximately where the toolbar would have been and press Ctrl again. This works only for multiple selection menus where Ctrl was used to multi-select. The functionality is probably a bug, or unintentional in any case, or else it would also work somehow for single selections.

Exploring the Shortcut “S” toolbar

The Shortcut toolbar is also known as the “S” toolbar because by default you access it by pressing the S key. You can customize this toolbar for each document type and another for sketches, so it can have different content for sketches, parts, assemblies, and drawings. To customize the “S” toolbar, right-click it when it is active and click Customize from the RMB menu, as shown in Figure 2.12.

Many people claim to have customized the “S” toolbar to such an extent that they have been able to remove the CommandManager and all other toolbars from their interface. This is possibly true if you use a limited number of sketch entities, sketch relations, and feature types, or make extensive use of flyouts on the “S” toolbar. However, if you work with a wide range of tools (say, surfacing, sheet metal, and plastic parts), you may need some additional toolbar space. It is completely believable to have access to most of the software's function with the “S” toolbar and either the Menu Bar toolbar or the CommandManager. CommandManager by far gives you the most flexibility, but it also requires the most space.

Figure 2.12

Right-click on the Shortcut “S” toolbar to customize it.

The “S” key shortcut may conflict with another keyboard customization you have done, depending on how your software was installed. To change the “S” toolbar key to another character or to reassign it, follow the directions for creating and maintaining hotkeys later in this chapter in the section on customization. It is referenced as the Shortcut Bar in the Keyboard list (Tools⇒Customize⇒Keyboard).

Using Tool tips

Tool tips come in two varieties: large and small. Large tool tips show the name of the tool and available shortcut keys, along with a brief description of what it does. Small tool tips show only the tool's name and shortcut keys. To change the tool tip display from large to small, or to deselect the tool tip display altogether, choose Tools⇒Customize. The options for using large tool tips and showing tool tips appear in the upper-right corner, as shown in Figure 2.11. In addition to the tool tip balloons, tips also appear in the status bar at the bottom of the screen when the cursor is over an icon. Figure 2.13 shows a comparison between large and small tool tips.

Figure 2.13

SolidWorks uses large tool tips by default.

Note

The Customize option (Tools⇒Customize) is inactive unless a SolidWorks document is open. To access the Customize dialog box, first open a SolidWorks part, assembly, or drawing and then choose Tools⇒Customize from the menu. Customize is different from the Customize Menu option found in all SolidWorks menus. The Customize Menu option is discussed later in this chapter.

Managing toolbars

After all that, if you still feel you need to work with standard toolbars, it is easy to move, select and deselect, and add icons to toolbars. It is important to remember that different document types retain different toolbar settings; for example, the toolbars that you see with a part open are different from the toolbars that you see for drawings.

When you are working on parts, it is important to have both the Sketch and the Features toolbars active. When you are working on a drawing, you will never use the Features toolbar, but you will frequently use the Sketch toolbar. Likewise, for assemblies, you may want to display some additional toolbars and eliminate others. For this reason, when you change from a part document to a drawing document, you may see your display adjust because the changing toolbars increase or decrease the amount of space that is required.

Best Practice

It is best practice to set up the toolbars for each document type so that they take up similar amounts of space — for example, two rows on top and one column to the right. This way, changing between document types is not so jarring, and the graphics area does not need to resize for each change.

Moving toolbars

To move a toolbar, you can click with the cursor at the dotted bar on the left end of the toolbar, as shown in Figure 2.14. The cursor changes to a four-way arrow and you can then drag the toolbar where you want it. Toolbars dock either vertically or horizontally. You can resize undocked toolbars so that they have rows and columns. This arrangement is typically used with the Selection Filter toolbar, which is often left undocked and compressed into a block that is three or four columns wide.

If the SolidWorks window is not wide enough for the toolbar to fit entirely in the screen, double arrows like those shown in Figure 2.15 appear at the end of the truncated toolbar. When you click the double arrows, a flyout toolbar appears with the missing icons, as shown in Figure 2.16.

Figure 2.14

Dotted bars enable you to move toolbars.

Figure 2.15

A truncated toolbar showing double arrows

Figure 2.16

You can display all of a truncated toolbar by clicking the double arrows.

Using flyout toolbars