SolidWorks Tutorials PDF

SolidWorks Tutorials
1
SolidWorks Tutorials
Tutorial ini menyajikan fungsi SolidWorks dalam

These tutorials present SolidWorks functionality in an
format pembelajaran berbasis contoh
example-based learning format.
Untuk rincian tentang konvensi berkenaan dgn

For details about typographical conventions and how
percetakan dan bagaimana untuk menavigasi melalui
to navigate through these tutorials, see Conventions.
tutorial ini, lihat Konvensi.
If you are new to the SolidWorks software, familiarize

jika Anda baru untuk perangkat lunak SolidWorks,
yourself with the tutorials in Getting Started first. For
membiasakan diri dengan tutorial dalam Memulai
examples of What's New in SolidWorks for this release,
pertama. Untuk contoh Apa yang Baru di SolidWorks
see What's New Examples. All other tutorials can be
untuk rilis ini, lihat Apa Contoh Baru. Semua tutorial
completed in any order.
lainnya dapat diselesaikan dalam urutan
Tutorials by Category
Productivity Enhancements
Getting Started
Customization Overview
Introduction to SolidWorks
SolidWorks Design Checker -
AutoCAD and SolidWorks Overview Overview
Lesson 1 - Parts - Overview Design Tables
Lesson 2 - Assemblies DimXpert Tutorial Overview
Lesson 3 - Drawings FeatureWorks Overview
Building Models Workgroup PDM Overview
3D Sketching Smart Components
3D Sketching with Planes SolidWorks API Overview
Advanced Design Techniques Custom PropertyManager Page Add-
Assembly Mates in Tutorial Overview
Fillet Features Costing Overview
Import/Export Overview SolidWorks Utilities
Loft Features SolidWorks Tolerance Analysis
Pattern Features SolidWorks Toolbox
Revolve and Sweep Features DriveworkaXpress
Working with Models Design Analysis
Advanced Drawings Overview SolidWorks Motion Tutorial
Animation Tutorial SolidWorks SimulationXpress-
SolidWorks eDrawings Overview Overview
Special Types of Models SolidWorks FloXpress Tutorial
Blocks
Molds Design Introduction
Multibody Parts
Electrical Routing
Routing - Pipes and Tubes
Sheet Metal
Surfaces Overview
Weldments Overview
Molded Product Desgn:Advanced
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1. Introduction to SolidWorks 22. Introduction to SolidWorks

2. My First Part 23. My First Part
3. Sketching the Circle 24. Sketching the Circle
4. Adding Dimensions 25. Adding Dimensions
5. Extruding the Base Feature 26. Extruding the Base Feature
6. Saving the Part 27. Saving the Part
7. Sketching the Boss 28. Sketching the Boss
8. Dimensioning the Boss Sketch 29. Dimensioning the Boss Sketch
9. Offsetting Entities 30. Offsetting Entities
10. Extruding the Ring Boss 31. Extruding the Ring Boss
11. Sketching the Hole 32. Sketching the Hole
12. Dimensioning the Hole Sketch 33. Dimensioning the Hole Sketch
13. Creating a Hole 34. Creating a Hole
14. Creating Holes Using the Hole Wizard 35. Creating Holes Using the Hole Wizard
15. Modifying and Dimensioning Hole Wizard Holes 36. Modifying and Dimensioning Hole Wizard
16. Adding Fillets Holes
17. Sketching the Tall Cylinder Extrusion 37. Adding Fillets
18. Dimensioning the Tall Cylinder Sketch 38. Sketching the Tall Cylinder Extrusion
19. Adding the Tall Cylinder Extrusion 39. Dimensioning the Tall Cylinder Sketch
20. Sketching the Tall Cylinder Hole 40. Adding the Tall Cylinder Extrusion
21. Dimensioning the Tall Cylinder Hole Sketch 41. Sketching the Tall Cylinder Hole
The Introduction to SolidWorks lesson guides you

through the creation of a part and a drawing. You
create this part and drawing
This lesson includes:
•Creating base, boss, and cut features from

sketches
•Adding fillets to smooth edges
•Creating a circular pattern
•Adding drawing views
•Adding centerlines, center marks, and
dimensions to the drawing
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MyFirst
My FirstPart
Part
For your first part, you create the pressure plate
shown below. A part is a 3D model made up of
features
You begin this lesson by creating a new part
1.Click New on the Standard toolbar.
The New SolidWorks Document dialog box

appears.
2.Click Part.
3.Click OK.
A new part window appears.
When toolbar buttons have an orange border, for example , you can click them in the tutorial
window to flash the corresponding button in the SolidWorks window
Sketching the Circle
The first feature in the part is a cylinder extruded from a sketched circular profile.
1.Click Extruded Boss/Base on the Features toolbar.

The Front, Top, and Right planes appear in the graphics area.
2.Move the pointer over the Top plane to highlight it, then click to select it.
The display changes so that the Top plane is facing you. A sketch opens on the Top plane.
3.Click Circle on the Sketch toolbar.

The Circle PropertyManager opens in the left pane.
4.Move the pointer over the origin .
The pointer changes to . This indicates a coincident relation between the center of the circle and the origin.
5.Click to place the center point on the origin.
6.Move the mouse and notice a preview of the circle dynamically follows the pointer.
7.Click to finish the circle and click in the PropertyManager.
The size of your sketch entities does not need to be exact. For
example, this circle does not need to be 61.3mm.
You later add dimensions to specify the size of sketch entities
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Adding Dimensions
Now add a diameter dimension to the circle.
1.Click Smart Dimension on the Sketch toolbar.
2.Select the circle.

Notice the preview of the diameter dimension.
3.Move the pointer to where you want the dimension and click to add the dimension
.
4.In the Modify box, type 128, then click and click in the graphics area.
Extruding the Base Feature

Extrude the 2D sketch to create the 3D cylinder.
1.Click Exit Sketch on the Sketch toolbar.

You exit the sketch when you are done with the 2D profile and are ready to
create the 3D cylinder.
The settings for the extrusion appear in the PropertyManager in the left panel.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Direction 1:

a.Select Blind in End Condition.
b.Set Depth to 7.
Notice the shaded preview of the extrusion.
3.Click .
The first feature is complete. Boss-Extrude1 appears in the FeatureManager design
tree in the left panel.
Saving the Part
1.Click Save on the Standard toolbar.
2.In the dialog box, type Pressure Plate for File name.
3.Click Save.
The extension .sldprt is added to the file name, and the file is saved.
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Sketching the Boss
Create a sketch for the ring boss.
2.Select the top face of the part.
3.Click Top on the Standard Views toolbar.
5.Move the pointer over the origin.
The pointer changes to .
The ring boss is concentric with the base cylinder because you started both at the origin.
In the completed sketch, the symbol indicates this relationship.
6.Click to place the center of the circle.
7.Move the pointer to create the circle.
8.Click to finish the circle and click in the PropertyManager.
Dimensioning the Boss Sketch
3.Move the pointer and click to place the dimension.
Offsetting Entities
The sketched circle represents the outside of the ring. Next create the inside of the ring using the Offset
Entities tool.
1.Click Offset Entities on the Sketch toolbar.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Parameters:
a.Set Offset Distance to 5.
b.Select Reverse to offset the circle to the inside

3.Select the sketched circle.
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4.Click
Extruding the Ring Boss
Now that the sketch is complete, extrude the sketch to make the ring boss.
2.Click Trimetric on the Standard Views toolbar for a better view of the model.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Direction 1, set Depth to 12.
4.Click
Sketching the Hole

Create a circle for the center hole.
1.Click Extruded Cut on the Features toolbar.
2.Select the top face of the part.
7.Move the pointer to create the circle.
8.Click to finish the circle and click in the PropertyManager
Dimensioning the Hole Sketch

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Creating a Hole
Cut a hole through the center of the part.
1.Click Exit Sketch (Sketch toolbar).
2.Click Trimetric (Standard Views toolbar).
3.In the PropertyManager, under Direction 1, select Through All for End Condition.
4.Click .
Creating Holes Using the Hole Wizard

Another tool for creating holes is the Hole Wizard. The following steps give you practice creating Hole Wizard holes.
However, because these holes are not part of the model design, you remove them after placement.
1.Click Top (Standard Views toolbar).
2.Click Hole Wizard (Features toolbar).
3.In the PropertyManager, on the Type tab, under Hole Type, select:
a) Countersink for the hole type.
b) Ansi Metric in Standard.
c) Flat Head Screw - ANSI B18.6.7M in Type.
4.Under Hole Specifications, select M6 in Size.
5.Under Options:
a.Select Head clearance.
b.Set Head Clearance to 1.
c.Select Added C'Bore in Head Clearance Mode to apply additional head
clearance as a 1mm counterbore. Gbr-8

6. Select the Positions tab.
7. In the graphics area, click the base cylinder inside the ring boss,
then click again above the center hole to place a hole.
The hole position does not need to be exact. You later move the hole
to the centerline.
8. Move the pointer under the center hole so the inference centerline appears,
then click to place another hole
9. Press Esc to stop inserting holes..

Gbr-10
10.Drag the first hole onto the inference centerline. 8
11.Click to close the Point PropertyManager.
Modifying and Dimensioning Hole Wizard Holes
The holes are too large, so you resize them.
1. On the Type tab, select M4 in Size.
2. Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar) and zoom in on the two holes.
3. Select the Positions tab.
4. Click Smart Dimension (Sketch toolbar).
5. Select the center of the top hole and the origin, then click to place the dimension
6. In the Modify dialog box, set the value to 22, then click .
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the bottom hole.
8. Click in the Dimension and Hole Position PropertyManagers
9. In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click CSK for M4 Flat
Head Machine Screw1 and click Delete because it is not part

of the model design. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.
10. Press F to zoom out
Adding Fillets
Add a fillet feature to round off the edges of the part
1.Click Fillet on the Features toolbar.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Items To Fillet, set Radius to 2.
4.Select the top face of the ring boss and the outside face of the base. 9
5.. Click
Sketching the Tall Cylinder Extrusion
Sketch a circle for the tall cylinder extrusion
2.Select the top face of the base cylinder.
4.Expand the Line flyout menu on the Sketch CommandManager and
click Centerline .
The centerline acts as a construction line for the next circle.

It keeps the center of the circle vertical with respect to the origin.
5. Move the pointer over the origin until the pointer changes to and
click to start the centerline.
6. Move the mouse above the start of the centerline.
The pointer changes to to indicate the centerline is vertical.
7. Click again to end the line. Make the line about 45mm long.
10.Move the pointer over the endpoint of the line (not the endpoint by the origin).
The pointer changes to

.
11.Click to start the circle.
12. Move the pointer to define the circle and click to finish.
13. Click in the PropertyManager.
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Dimensioning the Tall Cylinder Sketch
Add dimensions to the sketch.
1. Click Smart Dimension on the Sketch toolbar.
2. Select the circle.
3. Move the pointer and click to place the dimension.
4. In the Modify box, enter 27 for the circle dimension, click , and
click in the graphics area.
5. Select the vertical centerline.
6. Move the pointer and click to place the dimension.
.7. In the Modify box, type 35 to position the circle,
click , and click in the graphics area.
Adding the Tall Cylinder Extrusion

Now that the sketch is done, make the extrusion for the tall cylinder boss.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Direction 1, set Depth to 30.
3.Select the circle to define the Selected Contours.
4.Click .
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Sketching the Tall Cylinder Hole
Make a sketch for a hole through the tall cylinder extrusion
2.Select the top face of the tall cylinder extrusion.
3.Click Circle on the Sketch toolbar
4. Move the pointer to the edge of the tall cylinder and leave it there until the center point
of the tall cylinder appears as shown.
5.Move the pointer over the new center point.
7.Move the pointer and click to finish the circle.
8.Click .
Dimensioning the Tall Cylinder Hole Sketch

Add a dimension to control the diameter of the circle
4.In the Modify box, type 15, click , and click in the graphics area.
Adding the Tall Cylinder Hole
Create a hole in the tall cylinder that cuts through the entire part.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Direction 1, select Through All for End Condition.
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3.Click .
Adding Fillets to the Tall Cylinder
1.Click Hidden Lines Visible on the View toolbar.
This shows the edges needed for the fillet.
The radius is already set to 2mm to match the last fillet you added to the model.
3.Select four items for the fillet as shown:
•The top face of the tall cylinder extrusion.

•One edge on each side of the tall cylinder where it intersects the ring extrusion.
•The edge of the hole that cuts through the tall cylinder on the bottom of the first extrusion.
4. Click .
5. Click Shaded With Edges on the View toolbar
Creating a Circular Pattern

Create six tall cylinder extrusions with cuts and fillets evenly spaced about the central axis of the part using the
Circular Pattern tool.
1.Click View, Temporary Axes.
This shows all of the system-generated axes in the part. You select one as
the central axis of the pattern.
2.On the Features toolbar, expand the Linear Pattern flyout toolbar and
click Circular Pattern .
a.Select the temporary axis in the center of the part for Pattern Axis.
b.Select Equal spacing to pattern the number of instances uniformly
around the axis within 360°.
c.Set Number of Instances to 6.
4.Click in Features to Pattern
5. In the flyout FeatureManager design tree in the graphics area, select

the last three features (Fillet2, Cut-Extrude2, and Boss-Extrude3).
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6.Click
Adding the Last Fillet
The last feature is a fillet that runs around the inside and outside edges of the patterned items
1.Click View, Temporary Axes to turn off the system axes.
3.Select two edges as shown. You need to select one edge on the inside of the ring and
one edge on the outside of the ring.
4.Click to add a 2mm fillet.
The part is complete.
My First Drawing
For your first drawing, you create the drawing shown below. The drawing contains many views, centerlines,
center marks, and dimensions.
If Pressure Plate.sldprt is not open from the My First Part lesson, click here to open it
(or browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\IntroToSW\pressure_plate.sldprt).
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Creating a New Drawing
Create a drawing for the Pressure Plate.
1.Click Options on the Standard toolbar.
2.On the System Options tab, select Drawings, Display Style.
3.Under Tangent edges in new views, select Removed to hide transition edges
between rounded or filleted faces, then click OK.
4.Click File > Make Drawing from Part .
SolidWorks creates a drawing and begins the process to place a model view.
5.On the View Palette tab of the Task Pane:
•Clear Auto-start projected view.

•Drag the Top view into the drawing area.
6. In the PropertyManager:
•Under Display Style, click Hidden Lines Removed

•.
•Click
Creating a Section View
Create a section view through the center of the part
1.Click Section View on the Drawing toolbar.
2.Move the pointer over the outside edge of the pressure plate
until the center point appears.
3.Move the pointer above the center point of the plate.
4.Click to start the section line.
5.Move the pointer straight down below the plate.
6.Click to end the section line.
7.Move the pointer to the right to place the view and click to finish.
8.Under Section Line, click Flip direction to reverse the direction

of the section view.
9.Click . 15
Creating a Detail View
Now make a detail view from the section view.
1.Click Detail View on the Drawing toolbar.
2.Move the pointer over the section view and click to place the center of the detail circle.
3.Move the pointer to define the detail circle and click to finish.
4.Move the pointer to place the detail view and click to add the view.
6.Accept the default file name and click Save.
7.Click Yes if prompted to save referenced models to also save the part.
Creating an Isometric View
Create a shaded isometric view
1. Click Model View on the Drawing toolbar.
2. In the PropertyManager, under Part/Assembly to Insert, click Pressure Plate.
3. Click Next .
4. Under Orientation, click *Isometric .
5. Under Display Style, click Shaded .
6. Move the pointer to place the view.
.7. Click .
If the view is not in the correct location on the drawing sheet, you can drag the view.
Move your pointer over the view until the pointer includes , then drag the view.
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Adding Center Marks
Add center marks to the top view of the model.
1.Click Center Mark on the Annotation toolbar.
2.In the Top view, click the outside edge of one of the tall bosses in the pattern as shown.
3.Click in the graphics area to propagate the center marks to all the other holes
in the pattern.
4.Click .
Adding Centerlines
Add centerlines to the section view and detail view
1.Click Centerline on the Annotation toolbar.
2.In the section view, select the two edges of the top hole.
A centerline appears between the two edges.
3.Repeat for other holes in the section and detail views to add three more centerlines.
4.Click .
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Placing Dimensions
Place some dimensions on the drawing.
2.On the Document Properties tab, select Dimensions.
3.Clear Add parentheses by default to display reference dimensions in

drawings without parentheses, then click OK.
4.Click Smart Dimension on the Annotation toolbar.
5.Move the pointer to the outside edge of the top view and click.
6.Move the pointer to place the dimension and click.

The diameter dimension 128 appears.
7.Add the three other diameter dimensions:

a.Select the edge of the circle.
b.Move the pointer to place the dimensions and click.
8.Move to the detail view and select the left edge of the plate.
9.Select the right edge of the plate.
10.Move the pointer to place the dimension and click.

The length dimension 37 appears.
11.Place the two other dimensions on the detail view.
Modifying the Text of Dimensions

1.Select the cylinder boss diameter (27) dimension.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Dimension Text, click in front of <MOD-DIAM>.
3.Type 6x, then click .
The dimension now indicates that there are six cylinders of the same size in the drawing.
4.Repeat steps 1 through 3 for the cylinder boss hole diameter (15) dimension. This completes the drawing
5.Select the center hole diameter (25) dimension.
6.In the PropertyManager, under Dimension Text, click after <DIM>.
7. Type THRU, then click .
The dimension now indicates a through all cut.
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Lesson 1
Lesson 1 - Parts
1. Lesson 1 - Parts – Overview
2. Setting up a new part document
A. Creating the base feature
B. Adding a boss feature
C. Creating a cut feature
D. Adding fillets
E. Adding a shell feature
F. Editing features
o Editing Features
o Editing the Base Feature
o Modifying the Base Fillets
o Recreating the Face Fillets
G. Completed Part
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Lesson 1 - Parts - Overview
In this lesson, you create your first SolidWorks part.
You can begin with the first section or skip to a later section to bypass tasks you already
know how to do.
Setting up a new part document
Creating the base feature
Adding a boss feature
Creating a cut feature
Adding fillets
Adding a shell feature
Editing features
Completed Part
A.Setting Up a New Part Document
Task
Open a new part document and save it as Tutor1
B. Creating and Saving a Part Document
1.Click New (Standard toolbar).
2.In the New SolidWorks Document dialog box, double-click Part.

For a description of the SolidWorks user interface, see the User
Interface Overview
topic in the SolidWorks Help.
3.Click Save (Standard toolbar).
4.In the dialog box, type Tutor1 for File name.
5.Click Save.
In tutorials, click toolbar buttons with orange borders (for
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example ) to flash the corresponding button in the
SolidWorks window.
Creating the Base
Task
Extrude a rectangle with one corner on the origin and dimensioned as shown
Sketching the Base

1.Click Extruded Boss/Base (Features toolbar).
The Front, Top, and Right planes appear and the pointer changes to .
As you move the pointer over a plane, the border of the plane is highlighted.
Why start a sketch with an extrusion?
2.Select the Front plane.
•The display changes so the Front plane faces you.

•The Sketch toolbar commands appear in the CommandManager.
•A sketch opens on the Front plane.
3.Click Corner Rectangle (Sketch toolbar).
4.Move the pointer to the sketch origin .
The pointer is on the origin when it changes to .
What if the pointer does not change?
5.Click the origin and drag the pointer up and to the right. Notice that it displays
the current dimensions of the rectangle.
You do not have to be exact with the dimensions.
6.Release the Corner Rectangle tool.

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How do I release the tool?
Dimensioning the Base
1.Click Select on the Standard toolbar.
What are the colored squares with symbols?
The sides of the rectangle that touch the origin are black. Because you started sketching at the origin, the
vertex of these two sides is automatically coincident with the origin, as shown by the symbol . This
relationship constrains the sketch.
What does constrain mean?
Why is the rectangle different colors?
2.Drag one of the blue sides or drag the vertex to resize the rectangle.
3.Click Smart Dimension (Sketch CommandManager).
4.Select the top edge of the rectangle.
3.Click above the line to place the dimension.

The Modify dialog box appears.
What if the Modify dialog box does not appear?
4.Set the value to 120.
5.Click .
The sketch resizes to reflect the 120mm dimension.
6.Click Zoom to Fit (View toolbar) to display the entire rectangle and
center it in the graphics area.
7.Repeat steps 2-6, with a vertical line, setting the height of the rectangle to 120mm.
The sketch is now fully defined, as shown in the status bar at the bottom of
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the SolidWorks window
Extruding the Base
1. Click Exit Sketch (Sketch toolbar).
The Boss-Extrude PropertyManager appears in the left pane, the view of the sketch changes to Trimetric, and
a preview of the extrusion appears in the graphics area.

•Select Blind in End Condition.
•Set Depth to 30.
3.Click .
The new feature, Boss-Extrude1, appears in the FeatureManager design tree and in the graphics area.
Press Z to zoom out or press Shift+Z to zoom in.
Where did the sketch go?
Adding the Boss
You can now verify your model. If it is incorrect or you skipped earlier steps, open a correct version before
proceeding:
•Verify your model .
• Open a model ready for this operation.
Task
Extrude a boss, centered on the model and dimensioned as shown.
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Sketching and Dimensioning the Boss
1.Click the front face of the model to preselect the sketch plane for the next feature.
3.Click Normal To (Standard Views toolbar).
4.Click Circle (Sketch toolbar).
5.Click near the center of the face and move the pointer to sketch a circle.
6.Release the circle tool
7.Click Smart Dimension (Dimensions/Relations toolbar).
9.Move the pointer outside the model to see the current dimension.
10.Click to place the dimension.
11.In the Modify dialog box:

a.Set the value to 70.
b.Click .
Constraining the Boss

1.Still using Smart Dimension , select the top edge of the face, select the circle,
and click to place the dimension.
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2.In the Modify dialog box:
a.Set the value to 60.
b.Click .
3.Repeat steps 1 and 2, selecting the right edge of the face and the circle.
The circle turns black, and the status bar indicates that the sketch is fully defined.
Extruding the Boss
1. Click Exit Sketch (Sketch toolbar).
The Boss-Extrude PropertyManager appears in the left pane, and a preview

of the extrusion appears in the graphics area.

b.Set Depth to 25.
4.Click .
Boss-Extrude2 appears in the FeatureManager design tree.
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Cutting the Hole
Task
Cut a hole through the entire part with a radius 10mm less than the boss
Extruding the Hole
1. Click Extruded Cut (Features toolbar).
2. Select the front face of the circular boss.
3. Click Normal To (Standard Views toolbar).
4. Click Circle (Sketch toolbar).
5.Move the pointer to the center of the boss.
The pointer changes to indicate that the

center of the circle is coincident with
the center of the boss.
6.Drag to create the circle and release the tool.
7.Click Smart Dimension and set the diameter of the hole to 50.
The sketch closes and the Cut-Extrude PropertyManager appears
9.Under Direction 1, set End Condition to Through All. 26

10.Click .
Adding the Fillets
Task
Create fillets:
• 5mm radius for:
o The edge between the base and boss
o The corners of the base
o The front perimeter of the base
• 1.5mm radius for the top edges of the boss and hole
Creating the Base Fillets
1.Click Fillet (Features toolbar).
2.Under Fillet Type, select Constant radius.
3.Select the front face of the base.
4.Under Items To Fillet:
a.Set Radius to 5.
b.Select Full Preview.
The face is highlighted and a preview of the filleted face is displayed
5.Select the four edges at the corners of the base.
As you move the pointer over hidden lines, they highlight so you can select them.
As you select each edge, its name is added to Edges, Faces, Features and Loops
and the preview is updated.
6.Click .
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Creating the Boss Fillets
1. Click Fillet (Features toolbar).
2. Under Items to Fillet, set Radius to 1.5.
3. Right-click on either the inner or outer edge of the boss face and click Select Other.
4. Select the face of the boss from the pop-up list.
5.Click Zoom to Selection (View toolbar).
6. Click
Shelling the Part
Task
Hollow out the part by:
 Removing the back face
 Leaving a shell thickness of 2 mm
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Creating the Shell
1. Click Rotate View (View toolbar).
2. Drag the pointer to rotate the part until you can see the back.
3. Release the tool. (How?)
4. Select the back face.
5. Click Shell (Features toolbar).
6. Under Parameters, set Thickness to 2.
7. Click .
The shell operation removes the selected face and leaves a thin-walled part.
Creating a Section View of the Shell
1. Click Trimetric (Standard Views toolbar).
2. Click Section View (View toolbar).
3. In the PropertyManager, under Section 1, click Top
4.Drag the handle up to show the section view.
5.Click .
You can rotate and zoom the section view. Only the display of the part is cut,
not the model itself.
5.Click Section View (View toolbar) to clear the section view.

. 29
Editing Features
You can now verify your model. If it is incorrect or you skipped earlier steps, open a correct version before
proceeding:
• Open a model ready for this operation
Task Edit the base feature to:

 Increase the depth of the model
 Modify the edge fillets
 Recreate the face fillets
Editing the Base Feature

2.Double-click Boss-Extrude1 in the FeatureManager design tree.
The feature dimensions appear in the graphics area.
3.Double-click 30.
4.In the Modify dialog box, set the value to 50 and click .
5.Click Rebuild (Standard toolbar) to regenerate the model with the new dimension.

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Modifying the Base Fillets
The base fillets were created in a single feature, Fillet1. You want to change the radius of just the edge fillets. To do this,
you remove the fillets on the front face of the base and add them back as a separate fillet feature.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Fillet1 and select Edit Feature
4.Change the radius to 10.
2.Under Items To Fillet, scroll down and right-click Face<1>.
3.Click Delete.
The fillets on the face are removed. 5. Click
Recreating the Face Fillets

To recreate the face fillets you removed, you add a Fillet feature before the Shell1 feature. If you add it after the Shell
feature, the filleted area is not shelled.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, place the pointer over the rollback bar below
the Shell1 feature.
The pointer changes to a hand:
2.Drag the rollback bar above the Shell1 feature.
3.Click Fillet (Features toolbar).

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4.Select the front face of the base. 6.Click .
The model shows the last radius used, 10mm. 7.Drag the rollback bar below the Shell1 feature.
5.Under Items To Fillet, change the Radius to 5.
Finish
Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.
Now you can:
• Open a finished model.
•Quiz yourself by repeating this tutorial without using the Instructions sections.
•Add a realistic appearance to your model.
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Lesson 2
Lesson 2 – Assemblies
Lesson 2 – Assemblies
Creating the Base Feature
Creating the Base Feature (Continued)
Creating a Lip on the Part
Changing the Color of a Part
Creating the Assembly
Mating the Components
Mating the Components (Continued)
Adding More Mates
Using Display States
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Lesson 2 - Assemblies
An assembly is a combination of two or more parts, also called components, within one SolidWorks document. You
position and orient components using mates that form relations between components.
In this lesson, you build a simple assembly based on the part you created in Lesson 1.
This lesson discusses the following:
 Adding parts to an assembly

 Moving and rotating components in an assembly
 Creating display states in an assembly
Creating the Base Feature

You can use the same methods you learned in Lesson 1 to create the base for a new part.
1.Click New (Standard toolbar) and open a new part.
2.Click Extruded Boss/Base (Features toolbar) and select the Front plane.
A sketch opens on the Front plane.
3.Sketch a rectangle beginning at the origin.
4.Click Smart Dimension (Dimensions/Relations toolbar) and dimension

the rectangle to 120mm x 120mm.
5.Click Exit Sketch (Sketch toolbar) to exit the sketch.

The Extrude PropertyManager and a preview of the extrusion appear.
6.Under Direction1:
•Set End Condition to Blind.
•Set Depth to 90.
7.Click to create the extrusion.
8. Click Hidden Lines Visible (View toolbar).
9. Click Fillet (Features toolbar) and select the four edges shown.
10.In the PropertyManager, under Items to Fillet, set Radius to 10.
11.Click to fillet the selected edges. 34

Creating the Base Feature (Continued)
Next, you shell the part.
1.Click Hidden Lines Removed on the View toolbar.
2.Click Shell on the Features toolbar.
The Shell PropertyManager appears.
3. Select the front face of the model.
The face is listed in Faces to Remove in the PropertyManager.
4. Under Parameters, set Thickness to 4.
5. Click .
7. Save the part as Tutor2.
Creating a Lip on the Part

In this section, you use the Convert Entities and Offset Entities tools to create sketch
geometry. Then you create a cut to make a lip to mate with the part from Lesson 1.
1.Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar) and drag-select to a corner of the part,
as shown. Click Zoom to Area again to turn off the tool.
2.Select the front face of the thin wall.
The edges of the face are highlighted.
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3.Click Extruded Cut (Features toolbar).
A sketch opens on the selected face.
4.Click Convert Entities (Sketch toolbar).
The outer edges of the selected face are projected (copied) onto the sketch plane
as lines and arcs
5.Click the front face again.

The Offset Entities PropertyManager appears.
7.Under Parameters, set Offset Distance to 2.

The preview shows the offset extending outward.
8.Select Reverse to change the offset direction.
9.Click .
A set of lines is added to the sketch, offset from the outside edge of the selected face
by 2mm. This relation is maintained if the original edges change.
10.Click Exit Sketch (Sketch toolbar) to exit the sketch.
The Extrude PropertyManager appears.
11.Under Direction 1, set Depth to 20, then click .
The material between the two lines is cut, creating the lip.
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12.Click Zoom to Fit (View toolbar).
Changing the Color of a Part
You can change the color and appearance of a part or its features.
1.Click Shaded With Edges on the View toolbar.
2.Right-click the Tutor2 icon at the top of the FeatureManager design tree.
3.On the shortcut menu, select Appearances , and then select tutor2.
4.In the PropertyManager, under Color, select the desired color on the color palette,
then click OK
5.Save the part.
Creating the Assembly
1. If Tutor1.sldprt is not open, click Open (Standard toolbar) and open the part you created, or browse
to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\lesson2\Tutor1.sldprt.
2. Click New on the Standard toolbar, click Assembly, then click OK.
The Begin Assembly PropertyManager appears.
3. Under Part/Assembly to Insert, select Tutor1.
A preview of Tutor1 appears in the graphics area, and the pointer changes to .
4. Click Keep Visible in the PropertyManager, so you can insert more than
one component without having to re-open the PropertyManager.
5. Click anywhere in the graphics area to place Tutor1.
6. In the PropertyManager under Part/Assembly to Insert, select Tutor2.
7. Click in the graphics area to place Tutor2 beside Tutor1.
8. Click .
9. Click Zoom to Fit .
10. Save the assembly as Tutor. (The .sldasm extension is added to the file name.)
If you see messages about rebuilding the assembly and saving referenced 37
documents, click Yes.
Mating the Components
In this topic, you define assembly mating relations between the components, making them align and fit
together.
1.Click Mate (Assembly toolbar).

The Mate PropertyManager appears.
2.In the graphics area, select the top edge of Tutor1, then select the outside
edge of the lip on the top of Tutor2.
The Mate pop-up toolbar appears, and the components move into place, previewing the mate. The edges are
listed
in the Entities to Mate box under Mate Selections in the PropertyManager.
3.On the Mate pop-up toolbar:
a.Click Coincident as the mate type.
b.Click Add/Finish Mate .

A coincident mate appears under Mates in the PropertyManager
Adding More Mates

1. Select the rightmost face of one component, then select the corresponding face
on the other component.
2. On the Mate pop-up toolbar, click Coincident , then click Add/Finish Mate .
Another coincident mate appears under Mates in the PropertyManager.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2, but select the top faces of both components, to add another
Coincident mate.
4. Click OK .
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5. Save the assembly.
Using Display States
You can change the display settings of the components and save the settings in a display state.
1.At the top of the FeatureManager design tree, to the right of the tabs, click Show Display Pane
.
The Display Pane shows the different display settings (appearances, transparency, etc.) of each component.
2.Right-click anywhere in the Display Pane and select Add Display State.
3.Type a name and press Enter.
4.Move the pointer over Tutor2 in the FeatureManager design tree, then:
a.Move the pointer into the Display Mode column.
b.When the pointer changes to , click, then select Hidden Lines Visible .
5.Click Hide Display Pane .
6.Right-click and select Display State-1.
The assembly returns to its original display state.
Congratulations! You have completed this lesson!
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Lesson 3
Lesson 3 – Drawings
Lesson 3 – Drawings
Setting Up the Tutorial Template
Opening a Drawing from a Template
Opening a Drawing from a Template (continued)
Saving the Drawing Sheet Format
Setting the Detailing Options
Creating a Drawing of a Part
Moving Drawing Views
Adding Dimensions to a Drawing
Modifying Dimensions
Modifying Dimensions (continued)
Adding Another Drawing Sheet
Inserting Another View
Printing the Drawing
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Lesson 3 - Drawings
In this lesson, you create a multi-sheet drawing of the parts and assembly from Lessons 1 and 2. This lesson includes:
 Opening a drawing template and editing a sheet format

 Inserting standard views of a part model
 Adding model and reference annotations
 Adding another drawing sheet
 Inserting a named view
 Printing the drawing
Setting Up the Tutorial Template

For this tutorial you create a drawing using an existing template. You set up the system options to access the
tutorial template.
1.On the Standard toolbar, click Options .
2.On the System Options tab, click File Locations.
3.In Show folders for, select Document Templates.
4.Click Add.
5.In the Browse For Folder dialog box, navigate to install_dir\Program Files\SolidWorks
Corp\SolidWorks\lang\english\Tutorial.
This is the folder that contains the existing tutorial templates.
6.Click OK twice.
Opening a Drawing from a Template

First you open the drawing template.
1.Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2.In the dialog box, select the Tutorial tab.
Note: If the Tutorial tab is not displayed, click Advanced.
The Tutorial tab exists because you added it to the Document Templates
list in the previous procedure.
3.Click draw, then click OK.

A new drawing appears in the graphics area, and the Model View
PropertyManager appears.
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The Model View PropertyManager appears only if Start command when creating
new drawing is selected in the PropertyManager.
Opening a Drawing from a Template (continued)
Next you edit the sheet format by changing some text properties. Since you are working on the sheet format,
and not inserting a model in the drawing yet, cancel the PropertyManager.
Why Did I Edit the Sheet Format?
1.Click Cancel in the PropertyManager.

The Model View PropertyManager appears only if Start command when creating new drawing is
selected in the PropertyManager.
2.Right-click anywhere in the drawing sheet, and select Edit Sheet Format.
3.In the title block, double-click the variable text, <COMPANY NAME>.
You can use the zoom tool to make selection easier. Click Zoom to Area on the View toolbar,
and
drag-select to the title block at the lower right. Click Zoom to Area again to turn off the tool.
The text appears in an edit box.

4.Change the text to the name of your company.
5.Change the font, size, or style, in the Formatting toolbar.

6.Click outside of the text area to save your changes.
7.Click Zoom to Fit on the View toolbar.
8.Right-click anywhere in the drawing sheet, and select Edit Sheet to exit
the edit sheet format mode
Saving the Drawing Sheet Format

Next you save the updated sheet format. This is different from saving the drawing itself.
1.To replace this format as the standard A-Landscape format, click File, Save Sheet Format.
2.In Save in, navigate to the file location where you save sheet formats.
The file location is set in Tools > Options > System Options > File Locations for Sheet Formats.
3.Click a - landscape.slddrt, then click Save.
4.Click Yes to confirm that you want to overwrite the existing sheet format.
When you choose this sheet format for your own drawings, you do not need to perform these edits again.
To save the sheet format with a new name and to not overwrite the standard sheet format, click File,
Save Sheet Format. Navigate to the directory where you want to save the format. Type a name and
click Save.
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Setting the Detailing Options
Next, set the default dimension font, and set the style of dimensions, arrows, and other detailing options.
For this lesson, use the settings described below. Later, you can set the detailing options to match your
company’s standards.
Why do I set options?
2.On the Document Properties tab, under Drafting Standard, click Annotations.
3.Under Text, click Font.
The Choose Font dialog box appears.
4.Under Height, set Points to 12, then click OK.
5.Under Drafting Standard, click Dimensions.
6.Select Remove in Trailing zeroes to remove all trailing zeroes from the dimensions displayed.
7.Click OK.
Creating a Drawing of a Part

1.Open Tutor1.sldprt if it is not open. Then return to the drawing window.
2.Click Model View on the Drawing toolbar.
3.In the PropertyManager, do the following:
a.Under Part/Assembly to Insert, select Tutor1.
b.Click Next .
c.Under Orientation:
•Click *Front under Standard views.
•Select Preview to display a preview in the graphics area.
d.Under Options, select Auto-start projected view to automatically display

the Projected View PropertyManager when you place an orthogonal model view.
e.Under Display Style, click Hidden Lines Removed .

f.Under Scale, select Use custom scale, User Defined, and set to 1:4.
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4.Move the pointer into the graphics area.
The pointer changes to with a preview of the front view of Tutor1.sldprt.
5.Click to place the front view as Drawing View1, as shown below.
After the PropertyManager is closed, when you move the pointer over this view, the tooltip identifies it as
Drawing View1.
6.Move the pointer up, and click to place Drawing View2, then move to the side and click to place Drawing
View3.
7.Click OK .
This tutorial uses Third angle projection, so Drawing View2 is the Top view, and Drawing View3 is the
Right view.
To use First angle projection, right-click anywhere on the drawing sheet, and click Properties. Then
select First angle in the Sheet Properties dialog box.
In first angle projection, Drawing View2 is the Bottom view and Drawing View3 is the Left view
Moving Drawing Views

You move a view by clicking and dragging when the pointer changes to include . This pointer appears when
you are over the view border, a model edge, and so on. You can drag the view in its allowed directions.
1.Click Drawing View2 (the upper left view on the sheet), then drag it up and down.
2.Click Drawing View3 (the lower right view), then drag it left and right.
Drawing View2 and Drawing View3 are aligned to Drawing View1, and move in only one direction to
preserve the alignment.
3.Click Drawing View1 and drag it in any direction. The other two views move to maintain alignment with
Drawing View1.
4.4. Move the views on the drawing sheet to the approximate positions shown.
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Adding Dimensions to a Drawing
Drawings contain 2D views of models. You can choose to display dimensions specified in the model in
all of the drawing views.
1.Click Model Items on the Annotations toolbar.
The Model Items PropertyManager appears. You can select which types of dimensions, annotations, and
reference geometry to import from the model.
2.Under Source/Destination:
•Under Source, select Entire model to import all the model dimensions.
•Select Import items into all views.
3.Under Dimensions:
•Click Marked for drawing to insert only those dimensions that are marked
in parts for drawings.
•Select Eliminate duplicates to insert unique model items only.
4.Click OK .
Dimensions are imported into the view where the feature they describe is most visible.
5.Drag the dimensions to position them as shown.
6.Click Save on the Standard toolbar and save the drawing document as Tutor1.
The default extension is .slddrw.
Modifying Dimensions
When you change a model dimension in the drawing view, the model is automatically
updated to reflect the change, and vice versa.
1.In Drawing View2, double-click the dimension for the depth (25) of the boss extrusion.
The Modify dialog box appears.
2.Change the value from 25 to 40, and click Rebuild .

The part rebuilds using the modified dimension. Both the drawing and the part are updated.
3. Click
4. Save the drawing.
The system notifies you that the model referenced in the drawing has been modified,
and asks if you want to save it. 45
5. Click Save All to save both the drawing and the updated model
Modifying Dimensions (continued)
Now check the part.
1.Click Window, and select the Tutor1.sldprt window.
2.Double-click Boss-Extrude2 in the FeatureManager design tree to display
the dimensions of the feature.
Notice that the depth dimension is 40mm.
3.Click anywhere in the graphics area to turn off the dimensions.
Now rebuild the assembly that contains the modified part.

1.Open Tutor.sldasm if it is not still open.
If a message appears asking you to rebuild the assembly, click Yes.
If the message does not appear, click Rebuild on the Standard toolbar.
The assembly rebuilds with the new dimensions.

2.Save Tutor.sldasm, then return to the drawing window.
Adding Another Drawing Sheet

Now you create an additional drawing sheet for the assembly.
1.If the PropertyManager is still open, click OK to close it.
2.Right-click on any open area of the drawing sheet and select Add Sheet.
Another sheet of the same size as Sheet1 is added to the drawing.
3.Click Standard 3 View on the Drawing toolbar.
4.In the PropertyManager, select Tutor.sldasm then click OK .

5. Reposition the views on the sheet as shown below.
You can use Standard 3 View to add all three standard views to a drawing at once, or you
can use
Model View to add one view at a time. The resulting views are the same.
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Inserting Another View
You can add more views to drawings to show the model in different orientations. In this topic you add a
standard isometric view of the assembly.
A closer look at orientations
1.Click Model View on the Drawing toolbar.
2.In the PropertyManager, do the following:
a.Under Part/Assembly to Insert, select Tutor .
b.Click Next .
c.Under Orientation, click Isometric under Standard views.
d.Under Display style, click Shaded With Edges .
e.Under Scale, select Use sheet scale.
3. Click in the sheet to place the view.
4. Click
Printing the Drawing

1.Click File, Print.
The Print dialog box appears.
2.Under Print range, select All sheets to print both sheets.
3.Click Page Setup.

The Page Setup dialog box appears, where you can change printer settings such as resolution, scale, paper
size, and so on.
4.Under Resolution and Scale, select Scale to fit.
5.Click OK to close the Page Setup dialog box.
6.Click OK again to close the Print dialog box and to print the drawing.
8.If the system notifies you that the model referenced in the drawing has been modified, and asks if you want to
save it, click Save All.
9.Close the drawing.

Congratulations! You have completed this lesson.
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AutoCAD and SolidWorks Overview
This tutorial is designed for the new SolidWorks user with a background in AutoCAD design. Although the two
applications are similar in appearance, they do differ.
A closer look at the differences between design approaches
A closer look at the differences between user interfaces
A closer look at the differences between terminology
It is recommended that you complete the Lesson 1 - Parts, Lesson 2 - Assemblies, and Lesson 3 - Drawings tutorials
before starting any of the AutoCAD lessons. It is also recommended that you complete the AutoCAD lessons in this order:
Time Tutorial
Importing an AutoCAD File shows how to import an AutoCAD drawing and modify it.
Converting an AutoCAD Drawing to 3D shows how to create a 3D model.
Creating a Drawing from a 3D Model shows how to add a new drawing sheet and drawing views.
Importing an AutoCAD Drawing

Editing the Drawing
Editing the Drawing (continued)
Changing Note Text
Updating the Revision and Title Blocks
Updating the Revision and Title Blocks (continued)
Saving the File
48
this lesson, you take an existing 2D design created in AutoCAD, import it into SolidWorks, modify it, and
save it as a SolidWorks drawing. You change the size and pattern of the bolt holes in a flange, a task you
might typically perform when implementing an engineering change order (ECO).
First import the existing 2D AutoCAD drawing.
1.Click Open on the Standard toolbar.

When tool images have an orange border, for example , you can click them in the tutorial window to
flash the corresponding button in the SolidWorks window.
2.Select DWG (*.dwg) file in Files of type.
3.Browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\autocad.
4.Select 7550-021.dwg, then click Open.

5. In the dialog box:
a) Make sure that Create new SolidWorks drawing and Convert to SolidWorks entities are selected.
b) Click Next.
c) Click Next to accept the defaults on the Drawing Layer Mapping screen.
d) Under Geometry positioning, select Center in sheet to center the imported drawing on the drawing sheet.
e) Click Finish.
The 7550-021.dwg file is imported as a SolidWorks drawing document.
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Editing the Drawing
To improve the contrast between the dimension text and the background of the drawing, change the color
of the dimension text.
1.Click Layer Properties (Layer toolbar).
If the Layer toolbar is not visible, click View, Toolbars, Layer.
2.In the dialog box, in the row for the CENTER layer, click the solid green square in the Color column.
3.In the Color dialog box, select dark purple , then click OK.
4.Change the colors of SECTION, DIMS, and REVISION to dark purple.
5.Click OK

Now delete all the small circles (bolt holes) on the flange except the top one.
1.Zoom in on the flange:

a.Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar).

b.Drag a selection box to enclose the flange.
c.Click Zoom to Area again to release the tool.
2.Delete the upper-right circle:

a.Drag a selection box to enclose the circle.
The circle and center mark are selected.

b.Press Delete.
Because you delete the entire note later, it is okay if you delete the arrow now.
3.Delete the other circles and their center marks except the top one.
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Now change the radius of the remaining circle.
1.Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar) and zoom in on the remaining circle.
2.Press Enter to repeat the last command , which in this case releases the Zoom to Area tool.
3.Move the pointer over the circle.
4.Select the circle while the pointer is displayed.

The Circle PropertyManager appears in the panel to the left of the drawing.
The PropertyManager is equivalent to a Windows dialog box; however, a PropertyManager does not
obscure your work area.
5.Under Parameters, set Radius to 0.201/2, then press Tab to change

the mathematical expression to 0.1005.
You can type either a mathematical expression or a numerical value for most numerical inputs.
6.Click to close the PropertyManager.
7.To update the drawing, click Rebuild (Standard toolbar).
Rebuilding is equivalent to regenerating in the AutoCAD software

Create a circular pattern of four circles to replace the original pattern of six circles.
A SolidWorks circular pattern is equivalent to an AutoCAD polar array.
1.Click Circular Sketch Pattern (Sketch toolbar).
If Circular Sketch Pattern is not visible on the Sketch toolbar, click the button in the tutorial window.
This action places the button on the Sketch toolbar and highlights its position on the toolbar or in a flyout menu.
2.In the PropertyManager, if the name of the circle does not appear in Entities to Pattern, then click in Entities
to Pattern and select the circle in the graphics area.
3. Click Zoom to Fit (View toolbar).

The blue circle indicates that the circular pattern will be created around this circle.
4. To change the circular pattern, in the dialog box, under Parameters,
set Radius to 1.625 and Arc Angle to 270. By default, three new instances
of the circle will be created 90° apart.
5. Click .
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Four instances of the circle are patterned equally around the flange.
Changing Note Text
Next, delete the old note and insert a new note for the new circular pattern.
1.Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar), zoom to the flange, and press Enter to release the tool.
2.Box select the note and leader as shown, then press Delete.
3.Click Note (Annotation toolbar).
4.Move the pointer toward the hole circle. As you move over items in the drawing, the pointer changes.
When the pointer is over the circle, it changes to indicating that you are inferencing it.
5.Click on the circle to place the note leader, then click a blank area in the drawing sheet to place the note
6.Type 4X and a comma (,) in the note box in the drawing sheet.
7.In the PropertyManager, under Text Format, click Add Symbol .
If you move the pointer over an item in the PropertyManager, a tooltip appears with the name of the box
or icon.
8.In the Symbols dialog box, select Diameter in the list of symbols and click OK.
The diameter symbol appears in the note in the drawing sheet.
9.Type 0.201 after and press Enter to start a new line in the note.
10. Add another diameter symbol to indicate the diameter of the bolt circle, and type 3.25 B.C.
11.Click OK .
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Updating the Revision and Title Blocks
Now update the information in the revision block to reflect the changes made to the drawing.
1.Click Zoom to Fit (View toolbar) to view the drawing sheet.
2.Click anywhere inside the drawing sheet and zoom in to the revision block:
•Press Shift+Z to zoom in.
•Hold down Ctrl and press the arrow keys to pan.
If you zoom in too close to the revision block, press Z to zoom out. If the Drawing View PropertyManager
opened, click to close it.
3.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Layout1 and select Lock Sheet Focus so you can select
items outside the drawing view.
4.To create another row in the revision block, select the bottom line of the revision block and click Offset
Entities on the Sketch toolbar.
5.In the PropertyManager, set Offset Distance to 0.28, clear Add dimensions, then click . The offset
line is added to the drawing
Extend the vertical lines in the table.
1.Click Extend Entities (Sketch toolbar).
If Extend Entities is not visible on the Sketch toolbar, click the button in the tutorial window.
This action places the button on the Sketch toolbar and highlights its position.
2.Select the lines shown to extend them to the offset horizontal line.
A preview of the extension is displayed when the pointer is over the line to be extended.
3.Press Enter to release the tool.
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Now copy, paste, and edit the revision text.
1.Select the text in the REV column as shown.
2.Press Ctrl+C to copy the selected text.
3.Click in the cell beneath A and press Ctrl+V to paste the text into this cell.
4.Double-click the pasted text and change A to B. To exit editing mode, click anywhere in the drawing sheet.
5.To align A and B, first select both annotations while holding down Ctrl. Then use the tools on the Align toolbar
(Align Left , for example) to align the selected annotations. Click anywhere outside the annotations to
release the tool.
If the Align toolbar is not visible, click View, Toolbars, Align. Aligning the annotations may require some
experimentation. You can use Undo on the Standard toolbar to reverse recent changes. You can also
drag an annotation to a new location.
6.Repeat steps 1 through 5 for the other columns until the revision block
appears as shown.
To insert the diameter symbol, click Add Symbol in the Note PropertyManager and select Diameter as
before.
7.Pan down in the SolidWorks window to the title block, then double-click
the revision letter at the lower-right and change A to B.
8.To exit editing mode, click anywhere in the drawing sheet
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Saving the File
1.Click Save (Standard toolbar) to save your changes.
2.In the dialog box:

•Type 7550-022 for File name.
•Make sure that Drawing (*.drw,*.slddrw) appears in Save as type.
3.Click Save.
4.Click Close (Standard toolbar) and click Yes if prompted to save your changes.
Congratulations! You have completed the Importing an AutoCAD File lesson.
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Converting an AutoCAD Drawing to 3D
Using 2D data to Create a 3D Part

Creating the Solid Part
Creating the Solid Part (continued)
Creating the Revolved Feature
Creating the First Bolt Hole
Creating the First Bolt Hole (continued)
Creating Additional Bolt Holes
Creating Additional Bolt Holes (continued)
Saving the Part
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In this lesson, you use an AutoCAD drawing to create a solid 3D part. First import an AutoCAD DWG file as a
SolidWorks part document.
1.Click Open (Standard toolbar), then select DWG (*.dwg) file in Files of type.
2.Browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\AutoCAD, select 7550-021.dwg and click Open.
3.In the DXF/DWG Import dialog box:

a.Select Import to a new part as and select 2D sketch.
b.Click Next.
c.Select the Model tab to select that sheet for import.
d.Select Add constraints to solve all apparent relations and constraints in the sketch.
e.Click Next.
f.Clear Merge points closer than.
g.Click Finish.
h.If you are prompted to select a template, click OK.
A closer look at constraints
The entities in the DWG file are imported to a 2D sketch in a new part document.
4.Click View, Sketch Relations to clear the display of sketch relations icons in the graphics area.
Creating the Solid Part

1.Click Model in the FeatureManager design tree and click Edit Sketch.
2.Delete all the sketch entities except the upper cross-section and the line beneath it, as shown. Be sure to delete
the entities in the upper cross-section shown on the right.
Use box selection and cross selection to select groups of entities. Use the zoom tools to locate other entities.
3.Click Trim Entities (Sketch toolbar).
4.In the PropertyManager, under Options, select Trim to closest .
5.Select the line shown, then click .
Why did I trim this line?
57
The sketch lines are blue, indicating that the sketch is under defined. To fully define the sketch, you must dimension
sketch entities and create relations between the sketch and the origin of the part.
First, set the units and dimension the sketch.
1.Click Options (Standard toolbar), select Document Properties.
2.Select Units, select IPS, and click OK.
4.Select the long side of the sketch of the flange, then click to place the dimension.
5.In the dialog box, set the value to 1.86, then click .

Now automatically dimension the sketch.
1.Select the left endpoint of the centerline and click Align Sketch (2Dto3D toolbar).
2.Click Fully Define Sketch (Dimensions/Relations toolbar).
3.In the PropertyManager, select All entities in sketch.
4.Click .
The sketch entities now all black, indicating that the sketch is fully defined. The sketch is dimensioned to the sketch
origin.
To move a dimension, drag it to a new location.

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Creating the Revolved Feature
Now create the solid feature using the Revolved Boss/Base feature.
1. Select Model in the FeatureManager design tree, then click Revolved Boss/Base (Features toolbar).
2. Click in Axis of Revolution , then select the centerline.
3. Clear the Thin Feature check box.
4. Click in Selected Contours and select inside each portion of the enclosed sketch.
A preview of the revolved feature appears in the graphics area.
5. Click .
6. In the FeatureManager design tree, expand the Revolve1 feature to see the absorbed feature , Model.
Creating the First Bolt Hole
Next, add the bolt holes on the flange. To create the first bolt hole, use the Hole Wizard tool. You define
the type of hole you want to make, select a location for the hole, then the Hole Wizard inserts the hole.
1.Click Left (Standard Views toolbar).
2.Click Hole Wizard (Features toolbar).
3.On the Type tab, under Hole Type, select:
a.Hole
b.Ansi Inch in Standard.
c.Screw Clearances in Type.
4.Under Hole Specifications, select #12 in Size.
5.Under End Condition, select Through All.
Next, you add a sketch point on the face to indicate the center point of the hole.
6. Select the Positions tab, then click the flange face in the
approximate area as shown
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Creating the First Bolt Hole (continued)
Next, dimension the sketch to finish creating the first bolt hole.
1.Click Smart Dimension (Sketch toolbar).
2.Select the sketch point for the hole origin, then click to place the dimension.
3.In the Modify dialog box, set the value to 1.3, then click .
4.Click to close the PropertyManagers.
A closer look at the Hole Wizard
Creating Additional Bolt Holes

Now use a circular pattern to create additional uniformly-spaced bolt holes. Circular patterns require an axis,
which you create in this example using the Axis tool. You can also use temporary axes to create circular
patterns.
1.Click Isometric (Standard Views toolbar).
2.Click Axis (Reference Geometry toolbar).
3.In the PropertyManager, select Cylindrical/Conical Face .
4.In the graphics area, select the cylindrical face of the flange as shown for Reference Entities .
5. Click to create the axis
60
Creating Additional Bolt Holes (continued)
Now create a circular pattern of the bolt hole.
1.Click Circular Pattern (Features toolbar).

a.Select Axis1 for Pattern Axis.
If Axis1 is not already selected, then select it in the flyout FeatureManager design tree.
b.Set Number of Instances to 4.

c.Select Equal spacing
3.Under Features to Pattern, click in Features to Pattern , then select the inside face of the bolt hole.
4.Click to create the circular pattern.
Saving the Part
Save the part as a SolidWorks part document.
1.Click Save (Standard toolbar) and save the part as flange12CHole
2.Click Close (Standard toolbar) to close the part.
Congratulations! You have completed the Converting an AutoCAD Drawing to 3D lesson.
61
Saving the Part
Save the part as a SolidWorks part document.
1.Click Save (Standard toolbar) and save the part as flange12CHole
2.Click Close (Standard toolbar) to close the part.
Congratulations! You have completed the Converting an AutoCAD Drawing to 3D lesson.
62
Creating a Drawing from a 3D Model

Inserting a Block
Creating a Shortcut Key
Working With Blocks
Inserting a Model View
Inserting a Model View (continued)
Inserting a Section View
Changing the Part
Updating the Drawing
Formatting a Note
Formatting a Note (continued)
Saving a Favorite Style
63
In this lesson, you add a drawing sheet to a SolidWorks drawing document and insert model views. A SolidWorks
drawing sheet is a page in a drawing document, similar to an AutoCAD paper space. A SolidWorks model view is
similar to an AutoCAD viewport.
1. Click here: to open 7550-021.slddrw (or browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\autocad\7550-021.slddrw).
2. Right-click in the sheet tab area below the graphics area and select Add Sheet.
A new sheet named Sheet 1 is added to the drawing document.
3. Right-click in the drawing sheet and select Properties.
a) Type Flange for Name.
b) Set Scale to 1:1.
c) Under Sheet Format/Size:
 Select B-Landscape in Standard sheet size.
 Clear Display sheet format.
A closer look at sheet formats
5. Click OK.
The sheet is now B landscape size and named Flange.
Inserting a Block
Now add a point and insert a block inferenced to the point.
1. Click Point (Sketch toolbar).

2. Click in the lower left corner of the drawing sheet to place a point.
3. In the PropertyManager, under Parameters, set X Coordinate and Y Coordinate to 0.5.
4. Click .
5. Click Insert Block (Blocks toolbar).
6. In the PropertyManager, under Blocks to Insert, select TITLE_BLOCK.

7. Select the point to insert the block with its base point at the sketch point.
8. Click .
64
Creating a Shortcut Key
You can create shortcut keys so that the SolidWorks interface more closely resembles the AutoCAD interface.
1. Click View, Toolbars, Customize.
2. On the Keyboard tab, select Tools in Category.
All of the commands in the Tools menu appear in the Command column.
3. Scroll to Block and select Make.
4. Type b.
Do not press the Shift key. The SolidWorks software automatically creates this shortcut key as an uppercase B.
The letter B appears under Shortcut(s).
5. Select Show only commands with shortcuts assigned to see the tools with shortcut keys.
You can print the list currently displayed, or copy it to the clipboard to paste into other documents.
6. Click OK.
Working With Blocks

Edit the inserted block and change its attributes.
1.Expand the Blocks folder in the FeatureManager design tree, then right-click TITLE_BLOCK and select Edit
Block.
2.Zoom to the title box in the lower right corner.
3.Click Note (Annotations toolbar), click in the REV box, and type A.
4.In the PropertyManager, under Block Attribute, type REV for Attribute name
5.Click .
Rebuild icons are displayed in the FeatureManager design tree.
6.Click Rebuild (Standard toolbar) to clear the icons.
7.Select the TITLE_BLOCK block in the graphics area.
8.In the PropertyManager, under Text/Dimension Display, click Attributes.
9.Scroll to REV and change its value to C.
10. Click OK, then click .
11.Click Zoom to Fit (View toolbar). 65

Inserting a Model View
Now insert a model view of the flange part.
1.Click Options (Standard toolbar).
2.Select Drawings, clear Automatically scale new drawing views, then click OK.
3.Click Model View (Drawing toolbar).
4.Under Part/Assembly to Insert, click Browse.

5. Browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\AutoCAD\flange.SLDPRT, then click Open.
6.Under Orientation, select:
•*Isometric .
•Preview.
7.Click in the drawing sheet to place the model view as shown.
Inserting a Model View (continued)

Insert another model view.
Under Part/Assembly to Insert, flange is listed for Open documents

.
2.Click .
3.Under Orientation, select:
•*Left
•Preview
4. Under Options, clear Auto-start projected view.
5.Place the new view as shown.
6.Click . 66
Inserting a Section View
Now insert a section view of the part.
1.Click Section View (Drawing toolbar).
The pointer changes to , indicating that the Line tool is active.
2.Sketch a vertical line through the center of the *Left view as shown.
3.Click in the drawing sheet to place the section view as shown.
4.If the section line and section view on your drawing are reversed,
select or clear Flip direction in the
PropertyManager.
5. If a message box appears, click OK to accept Visible as

the Tangent Edge Display style.
6. Click
Changing the Part

First, save the drawing document.
1.Click File, Save As.
If a message box appears, select Don't prompt me again in this session, then click Yes to update
views on inactive sheets.
2.Save the drawing as 7550-023.
Change the bolt hole pattern in the part file and update the drawing.
1.Right-click an empty area in any of the drawing views (do not right-click the model in the view) and select
Open Part
.
2.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click CirPattern1 and select Edit Feature
.
3.Under Parameters, set Number of Instances to 6 to change the number of bolt holes.
4. Click .
5. To save the modified part as a new part document:

a.Click File, Save As.
b.Read the message and click OK. 67
c.Type flange6Holes for File name.
d.Click Save
Updating the Drawing
The Flange drawing sheet updates automatically.
1.Click Window, 7550-023 - Flange.
The drawing views show the modified part that contains 6 bolt holes.
You created these drawing views from a 3D part model. Alternatively, you can create views in drawing
documents by drafting .
Formatting a Note
Insert and format a note.
1.Zoom to the lower-left corner of the drawing sheet.
3.Click in the graphics area to place the note.
4.Type the following:
NOTES:
PART SHALL BE CLEAN AND BURR FREE. ALL INTERSECTIONS SHALL HAVE X RADIUS OR
CHAMFER.
5.In the PropertyManager, under Layer, select FORMAT.
6.Select all the note text. On the Formatting toolbar, select 16 for point size.
7.Select NOTES and click Bold (Formatting toolbar).
8.Select CLEAN, click Color (Formatting toolbar), select Red, then click OK.
9.Select X, click Stack (Formatting toolbar), type 0.005 for Upper and
0.015 for Lower, then click OK.
68
Formatting a Note (continued)
Finish formatting the note.
1.Start a new line in the note.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Text Format, click Insert Geometric Tolerance

a.In the first row, under Symbol, select Circular Runout .
b.Type 0.010 for Tolerance 1.
c.Type A for Primary.
d.Click OK.
4.Insert the pointer before PART and click Number (Formatting toolbar).
5.Repeat step 4 at ALL and at the Geometric Tolerance Symbol.
6.Drag the lower-right handle of the note to just before RADIUS so the second line of the note wraps to
the next line.
Saving a Favorite Style

Name a favorite style and add the note to the Design Library.
A closer look at favorites
1.In the Note PropertyManager, under Style, click Add or Update a Style .
2.In the dialog box, type Note1, then click OK.
3.Click .
4.In the Task Pane, select the Design Library tab and click .
5.In the graphics area, select the note.
6.On the Design Library tab, click Add to Library .
7.In the PropertyManager, expand Design Library folder and select annotations.
8.Click .
9.On the Design Library tab, select the annotations folder. Note1 appears in lower pane.
11.Click Close (Standard toolbar).

69
3D Sketching
3D Sketching
3D Sketching
Using a 3D Sketch to Create an Oven Rack Frame
(Continued)
Using Sweep to Complete the Feature
Extruding the Supports
Patterning the Extrusion
Mirroring All
3D Sketching
Using SolidWorks, you can create 3D sketches. You use a 3D sketch as a sweep path, as a guide curve for a sweep or loft, as
a centerline for a loft, or as one of the key entities in a routing system. A useful application of 3D sketching is designing
routing systems.
This lesson introduces you to 3D sketching and describes the following concepts:
 Sketching relative to coordinate systems

 Dimensioning in 3D space
 Mirroring features
70
In this lesson, you build the outer frame of a wire oven rack by sweeping a circle along a 3D sketch. After
you complete half of the rack, you use the Mirror All function to finish the model.
First create the 3D sketch of the outer frame.
1.Click New (Standard toolbar) and create a new part.
2.Click 3D Sketch (Sketch toolbar).
3.Click Line (Sketch toolbar) and sketch a line about 135mm long on
the XY plane from the origin. The pointer changes to while sketching
horizontally on the XY plane.
Sketch the line to an approximate length, then dimension to the exact length later.
4.Click Select (Standard toolbar), and select the beginning endpoint of the line.
5.In the PropertyManager, make sure that the endpoint is exactly at the origin (0, 0, 0 as shown under
Parameters), is Coincident with the origin (as shown in Existing Relations) and is Fully Defined
(as shown in Information ).
6.If the endpoint is not at the origin:

•Under Parameters, set X Coordinate, Y Coordinate, and Z Coordinate to 0.
•Click Fix in Add Relations.
Now the point is Fully Defined, as shown in Information .
7.Reduce the size of the sketch to provide open sketching area on the right side
of the graphics area.
8.Click Line (Sketch toolbar) and continue sketching the other lines from the endpoint of the 135mm
line. Each time you begin a new line, the origin for the current coordinate system is displayed at the
beginning of the new line to help orient you.
Sketch the following lines to an approximate length, then dimension to the exact length later.
a.Sketch down the Y axis for 15.
b.Sketch along the X axis for 15.
71
c.Press Tab to change the sketch plane to the YZ plane
.
d.Sketch along the Z axis for 240.
e.Press Tab twice to change the sketch plane back to the XY plane.
f.Sketch back along the X axis for 15.

g.Sketch up the Y axis for 15.
h.Sketch back along the X axis for 135.
9.Dimension each of the lines as shown.
10.Click Sketch Fillet (Sketch toolbar), and fillet each intersection with a 5mm fillet.
To fillet the intersections, select the point where two lines meet.
11.Click 3D Sketch (Sketch toolbar) to close the sketch.
12.Save the part as rack.sldprt
Using Sweep to Complete the Feature

To complete the base feature, sweep a circle along the 3D sketch path.
1.Select the Right plane in the FeatureManager design tree, then click Sketch (Sketch toolbar) to open a 2D
sketch on that plane.
2.Sketch a circle 5mm diameter circle at the origin.
4.Click Swept Boss/Base (Features toolbar). 72

5.In the PropertyManager, under Profile and Path:
•Select the circle (Sketch1) for Profile .
•Select the 3D sketch (3DSketch1) for Path .
6.Click .
Extruding the Supports

Create a support by extruding a circular sketch between the frames.
1.Select the Front plane in the FeatureManager design tree.

4. Sketch a circle on what appears to be the face of the frame. (The Front plane is in the center of the
frame wire.) Watch for the inference lines that indicate the centerpoint of the circle is horizontal to the origin.
5.Dimension the center of the circle 11mm from the origin.
6.Dimension the diameter of the circle to 4
7.Exit the sketch.
9. In the PropertyManager, under Direction 1:
•If necessary, click Reverse Direction so the arrow in the graphics area points
in the correct direction to meet the other side.
•Select Up to Surface in End condition.
•Select the opposite side of the frame for Face/Plane .
•If necessary, select Merge result. Merge result controls whether or not you create
separate solid bodies.
73
10.Click to complete the support.
Patterning the Extrusion
Now pattern the extrusion.
1.Click View, Temporary Axes to turn on the display of all temporary axes.
The axes must be visible because you need to select them to create a pattern.
2.Select Boss-Extrude1 in the FeatureManager design tree.
3.Click Linear Pattern (Features toolbar).
Boss-Extrude1 appears in Features to Pattern in the PropertyManager.
4.Click the temporary axis on the face of the frame where you sketched the circle.
The pointer changes to when you move it over the axis.
In the graphics area, a preview of the pattern appears, and an arrow indicating the direction of the pattern
appears on the frame at the right end of the axis. In the Property Manager, Axis <1> appears in Pattern
Direction.
5.Under Direction 1:
•Check the preview of the extrusions to make sure they are patterned towards the outer edge, as shown
below. If necessary, click Reverse Direction to change the pattern direction.
•Set Spacing to 22.
•Set Number of Instances to 6.
6.Click .
The extrusion pattern is completed.
74
Mirroring All
Use the Mirror function to complete the wire rack.
1.Click View, Temporary Axes to hide the temporary axes.
2.Click Mirror (Features toolbar).
3.Rotate the half-rack and click on the end face of the frame.
Face <1> appears in Mirror Face/Plane in the PropertyManager.
4.Click Bodies to Mirror , then click anywhere on the rack.
5.Click to mirror the half rack body about the selected face.
The rack is completed.
7.Save the part.

Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial!
3D Sketching with Planes

Using 3D Sketch Planes
Approaches to 3D Sketching
Sketching on 3D Sketch Planes
Sketching on 3D Sketch Planes (continued)
Adding Tangent Arcs
Adding 3D Sketch Planes
Using References
Displaying 3D Sketch Properties
Adding Relations Between 3D Sketch Planes75
Create an industrial design model using a single 3D sketch and 3D sketch planes.
In this lesson you learn to:
• Open a 3D sketch on a selected plane
• Add 3D sketch planes using references
• Use arcs in a 3D sketch
• Add relations between arcs, splines, and construction lines
• Create a surface loft from a single 3D sketch using contour select
Single sketch with 3D Sketch Planes
Finished Model
Approaches to 3D Sketching
There are two approaches to 3D sketching.
• 2D Sketching with 3D Sketch Planes. Activate a planar face by adding a 3D sketch plane, sketch in 2D along the plane,
and add 3D sketch planes each time you need to move sketch entities to create a 3D sketch. This tutorial uses this
approach.
• 3D Sketching. Open a 3D sketch, and press Tab each time you need to move sketch entities to a different axis. The
sketch origin is placed wherever you first start the sketch.
2D sketches with 3D sketch planes allows you to:
• Define planes
• Add relations:
o To planes
o Between planes
o Between sketch entities on different planes
• Move and resize planes
76
Sketching on 3D Sketch Planes
1.Open a new part, and in the FeatureManager design tree, select the Top plane
2.Click 3D Sketch On Plane (Sketch toolbar).
A 3D sketch plane created on the Top plane is displayed.
3.Click Centerline (Sketch toolbar), and sketch a vertical construction line through the origin.
4.Click Add Relation (Dimensions/Relations toolbar).
5.In the graphics area, select the construction line and the origin for Selected Entities.
6.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, click:
•Midpoint
•Coincident
7.Click .
8.Sketch an equal, vertical construction line to the left of the first.
As you sketch, use sketch snaps to guide you so that relations are added by inference.
9.Click Line (Sketch toolbar), and sketch two horizontal lines connecting
the end points of the construction lines.
10.Click Smart Dimension (Dimensions/Relations toolbar),

dimension one of the lines to 75, then click .
77
Adding Tangent Arcs
1.Click Tangent Arc (Sketch toolbar), and add tangent arcs between each set of end points.
2.Click Smart Dimension (Dimensions/Relations toolbar), and dimension one of the arcs to fully
define the sketch.
3.Click and then click Save (Standard toolbar), and save as 3d_loft.sldprt.
Using References
2.Click Plane (Sketch toolbar).
3.In the FeatureManager design tree, select the Top plane for First Reference.
4.In the PropertyManager, under First Reference, set Distance to 40.
5.Click .
A 3D sketch plane, offset 40mm from the first 3D sketch plane, is added to 3DSketch1.
6.In the FeatureManager design tree, double click Top plane.
To center the plane to the sketch, drag the points at the corners to resize.
7.Save the file. 78

Displaying 3D Sketch Properties
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, select the Top plane.
2.Click PropertyManager to display the 3DSketch PropertyManager (top of the left column, next to the
graphics area).
Plane2 is displayed under Planes (only planes that you add are listed).
2.Under Visibility, clear Planes and select Relations.
The plane is hidden, and all the sketch relations are displayed.
3.Under Visibility, select Planes and clear Relations.
4.Click FeatureManager Design Tree
Adding Relations Between 3D Sketch Planes

1.In the graphics area, double click Plane2.
2.Click Circle (Sketch toolbar).
3.Sketch a circle on Plane2, with the center approximately along the

same vertical axis as the sketch origin.
5.In the graphics area select the two arcs.
6.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations click Concentric , then click
7.Click Smart Dimension (Dimensions/Relations toolbar), and dimension

the arc diameter to 75. 79
Adding And Defining Splines
Adding And Defining Splines

Creating the First Splines
Redefining the Splines
Creating the First Splines

1.Click Plane (Sketch toolbar).
2.In the FeatureManager design tree, select Right for First

Reference.
3.In the PropertyManager, under First Reference, click Coincident

, then click .
A 3D sketch plane, coincident to the Right plane is added to

3DSketch1.
4.Click Centerline (Sketch toolbar), and use inferencing to

sketch a horizontal construction line through the
center of the circle.
5.Clear the Centerline (Sketch toolbar) tool.
6.Click Spline (Sketch toolbar).

7.Sketch a two point spline coincident with the end points of the tangent arc and
the point on the horizontal construction line on Plane2.
Why did I create a 2 point spline?
8.Repeat step 7 with the points shown.
80
Redefining the Splines
1.Click Centerline (Sketch toolbar), and sketch:
•Two vertical lines coincident to the end points of the splines
•A vertical line coincident to the sketch origin

3.In the graphics area, select the centerline coincident to the sketch origin,
and one of the other centerlines.
4.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations,
click Parallel , then click
5.Repeat steps 2 through 4 with the other

centerline as shown.
Adding Curvature to Splines

1.In the graphics area, select one of the splines, then press CTRL and select the adjacent construction line.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, click Tangent , then click
.
3.Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the other spline and the adjacent construction line.
81
4.In the graphics area, select the construction line that spans the circle
diameter, then press CTRL and select one of the splines.
5.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, click Tangent ,
then click .
6.Repeat steps 4-5 with the other spline.
Curvature was added to the two point splines while maintaining sketch
integrity.
7.Save the model
Using Contruction Geometry
Using Contruction Geometry

Sketching Construction Lines
Fully Defining the Geometry
82
Sketching Construction Lines
2.Click Plane ( Sketch toolbar) and in the PropertyManager:
a.Select Front for First Reference.
b.Select Coincident , and then click .
3.Click Centerline (Sketch toolbar), and use inferencing to sketch

a vertical construction line coincident to the mid point of the tangent arc.
4.Clear the Centerline tool.

5.Sketch a construction line perpendicular to the existing construction line
that spans the circle.
Fully Defining the Geometry

2.In the graphics area, select the intersecting construction line.
The centerline you just sketched should already be displayed in

the PropertyManager under Selected Entities. If it is not, select it as well.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, click Perpendicular .

4.In the graphics area, select the center of the circle and the intersecting
construction line you recently added.
5. In the PropertyManager, under Add
Relations, click Coincident , then
click .
83
Creating Lofts With Single 3D Sketches
Creating Lofts With Single 3D Sketches

Creating the Third Spline
Creating the Loft
Creating the Third Spline
1.Click Spline (Sketch toolbar).
2.Sketch a two point spline coincident between the end point of

the vertical
construction line and the horizontal construction line just
added.
4.In the graphics area, select the spline and the vertical
construction line.
5.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, click
Tangent , then click .

6.Repeat steps 3 through 5, but first select the horizontal construction line,
and then the spline.
With sketching finished, you can turn off plane visibility. Click PropertyManager ,
and under Visibility, clear Planes.
7.Close the sketch, then save the model.
84
Creating the Loft
1.Click Lofted Surface (Surfaces toolbar).
2.Right-click in the graphics area and choose SelectionManager.
3.In the SelectionManager:
a.Click .
b.Click Select Closed Loop .
4.Select the circular sketch for Profiles and click .
You can also right click to accept the selection.
5.In the SelectionManager, click Select Group .
6.Select the four segments of the elliptical sketch for Profiles and click .
7.In the PropertyManager, click in Guide Curves.
8.In the SelectionManager, click Select Open Loop .
9. In the graphics area, select a spline for Guide Curves and click .
10.Repeat step 9 for the other two splines.
11.Click .
Advanced Design Techniques

Creating the Basic Hinge Part
Creating the Basic Hinge Part (continued) 85
Suppose that you want to design a hinge assembly that you can modify easily to make similar assemblies. You
need an efficient way to create two matching hinge pieces and a pin for a variety of hinge assembly sizes.
Some analysis and planning can help you develop a design that is flexible, efficient, and well defined. You can then
adjust the size as needed, and the hinge assembly still satisfies the design intent.
This tutorial discusses:

• Using a layout sketch
• Suppressing features to create part configurations
• Creating a new part in the context of the assembly
• Detecting collisions in assemblies
This tutorial assumes that you know how to perform basic assembly operations, such as moving and rotating
components, and adding mates.

1.Open a new part document.
2.Open a sketch on the Front plane.
3.Beginning at the origin, sketch a vertical line upwards and dimension it to 60 mm in length.
5.In the PropertyManager:

a.Under Direction 1:
•Select Mid Plane in End Condition.
•Set Depth to 120.

b.Under Thin Feature:
•Select One-Direction in Type.
•Set Thickness to 5.
6.Click OK .
86
7.Open a sketch on the narrow vertical face. Sketch a circle at the upper edge,
with its center at the front vertex.
8.Add a coincident relation between the edge of the circle and the back vertex to
fully define the sketch.
9.Close the sketch.
10.Click Swept Boss/Base on the Features toolbar.
•Select the circle in the graphics area for Profile
•Select one of the long model edges for Path .
12.Click OK .
Creating the Basic Hinge Part (continued)

Now cut a hole through the barrel.
1.Open a sketch on the narrow face.
2.Sketch and dimension a circle as shown, and add a concentric relation to

the outside edge of the barrel.
4.In the PropertyManager, under Direction 1, select Through All in End Condition
.
5.Click OK .
6.Save the part as Hinge.sldprt.
87
Adding the Screw Holes

Adding the Screw Holes (continued)

In this section, you add holes for screws. To position each hole, one dimension is fixed, and the other is driven
by an equation.
1.Click Right on the Standard Views toolbar.
2.Click Hole Wizard on the Features toolbar.
3.In the PropertyManager, on the Type tab:

a.Under Hole Type:
i.Click Countersink .
ii.Select Ansi Metric in Standard.
b.Under Hole Specifications, select M8 in Size.

c.Under End Condition, select Through All.
4.Select the Positions tab.
5. Click to place the holes approximately as shown.
6.Click Smart Dimension on the Dimensions/Relations toolbar and dimension

the holes as shown.
88
7.Click twice to close both PropertyManagers.
Add equations to control the locations of the screw holes.
Why use equations?
1.Add an equation to control the location of one of the points:

a.In the FeatureManager design tree:
i.Expand CSK for M8 Flat Head Machine Screw1.
ii.Right-click the sketch that positions the holes and select Edit Sketch.
iii.Double-click the large model face in the graphics are to display its dimensions.
b.Click Equations on the Tools toolbar. In the dialog box,

click Ordered View .
c.Under Name, click Add equation.
d.Select the 30mm dimension in the graphics area.

The equals = symbol appears under Value / Equation.
e.Select the 60mm dimension.
f.Type /2 in the dialog box to complete the dimension.
This sets the distance between the point and the bottom edge to one-half the height of
the hinge. Under Value / Equation, appears, indicating a valid equation.
2.Add an equation to control the location of the other point:
a.Click in the Evaluates to box for equation 1.
The value 30mm appears. A new equation line appears.
b.Click Add equation.
c.Select the 40mm dimension.
d.Select the 120mm dimension for the base.
e.Type /3 to complete the dimension.
This sets the distance between the point and the side edge to one-third the length of the hinge. Under
Evaluates to, the values should be 30mm for equation 1, and 40mm for equation 2.
3.Click OK, then close the sketch.
89
Now mirror the holes to quickly copy the existing hole features across the Front plane.
1.Click Mirror on the Features toolbar.
•Under Mirror Face/Plane , select the Front plane in the FeatureManager design tree.
•Under Features to Mirror , select the hole feature in the FeatureManager design
tree or in the graphics area.
3.Click OK .
The holes are mirrored across the large face of the hinge.
4.Save the part.
Creating the Layout Sketch

Creating the Layout Sketch (continued)
90
The layout sketch you create in this topic divides the length of the hinge into five equal parts. Using equations
and mirroring ensures that the five parts remain equal when you change the overall length of the hinge.
You use this layout as a guide for making the cuts in the topics that follow.
It may be easier to select edges in these exercises with Hidden Lines Removed on the View
toolbar selected.
1.Open a sketch on the large model face, and name it layout for cuts.
2.Select the lower edge of the extrude-thin feature and click Offset Entities
on the Sketch toolbar.

•Set Offset Distance to 1.
•Select Reverse, if necessary, to set the offset below the selected edge.
•Clear Select chain, if necessary, to restrict creation of the offset entity
to the selected edge only.
4.Click OK .
5.Press Ctrl, select the edges shown, then click Convert Entities on
the Sketch toolbar to convert the selected model edges into sketch entities.
6.Click Extend Entities on the Sketch toolbar, then click the converted edges.
Each vertical line is extended to meet the offset horizontal line.
7.Sketch a horizontal line to connect the two converted edges across the top.
8.Sketch two vertical lines, then dimension them as shown.
Click View, Sketch Relations to hide the display of sketch relations in the graphics
area when too many relations cover the sketch geometry.
91
Creating the Layout Sketch (continued)
Add equations to control the length of the cuts.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Equations and select Manage Equations.
2.Add equations that set each dimension to one-fifth of the dimension of the overall length:
1."D2@layout for cuts" = "D1@Extrude-Thin1" / 5

•"D3@layout for cuts" = "D1@Extrude-Thin1" / 5
The distance for each equation should evaluate to 24mm in the dialog box.
4.Click OK.
5.Sketch a vertical centerline across the midpoint of the part.
6.Select the two vertical lines and the centerline, then click Mirror Entities to mirror the two vertical lines
around the centerline.
The sketch is complete and fully defined.
7.Close the sketch, then save the part

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Creating the Hinge - Cuts
Creating the Hinge - Cuts

Creating the Hinge - 3Cuts
Creating the Hinge - 3Cuts (continued)
Now you can reference the layout for cuts sketch to create the first set of cuts. Because each cut should be
slightly wider than the corresponding tab on the other half of the hinge, you use offsets from the layout sketch
entities.
1.Open a sketch on the large model face.
2.Click Convert Entities on the Sketch toolbar.
3.In the PropertyManager, click Select chain and select the bottom
line in the layout sketch.
The software copies the entire outside contour into the current sketch.
Chain<1> appears in the PropertyManager.
4.Click .
5. Select one of the vertical lines near the edge of the part, then click Offset Entities on the Sketch toolbar.

•Select Reverse, if necessary, to offset the line towards the middle of the part.
•Clear Select chain.
7.Click .
8.Repeat steps 5 to 7 for the vertical line near the opposite edge of the part.
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Now complete the 3cuts feature.
1.Select one of the vertical lines near the center of the part, and offset the line by 1 mm toward the outside of the
part (making the center cut wider). Repeat for the remaining vertical line.
2.Click Trim Entities on the Sketch toolbar.
a.Click Trim to closest in the PropertyManager.
b.Trim the horizontal lines as indicated, leaving three closed rectangles.
c.Click OK .
3. Click Extruded Cut on the Features toolbar.
4. In the PropertyManager, select Through All in End Condition for both Direction 1 and Direction 2.
5. Click OK to cut the barrel in three places.
6. Rename the cut feature to 3Cuts, then save the part.
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Now use the same methods to create the cuts for the other half of the hinge.
1.Roll back the design to the 3Cuts feature by dragging the rollback bar to just below the layout for cuts sketch.
2.Open a sketch on the large model face and click Convert Entities on the Sketch toolbar.
3.In the PropertyManager, click Select chain and select the bottom line in the layout sketch.
4.Click
5.Select one of the vertical lines near the edge of the part, then click Offset Entities .

•Offset the entity towards the outside of the part.
•Clear Select chain.
7.Click OK .
8.Repeat for the vertical line near the opposite edge of the part.
9.Select one of the vertical lines near the center of the part, and offset it by 1 mm toward the middle of the part.
Repeat for the remaining vertical line.
10.Use the Trim Entities tool to trim the three segments at each end and the two segments in the middle,
leaving two closed rectangles
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Now complete the 2cuts feature.
2.In the PropertyManager, select Through All in End Condition for both Direction 1 and Direction 2.
3.Click OK .
4.Rename this cut feature to 2Cuts.

5.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click the layout for cuts sketch, and select Hide .
Creating the Part Configurations

In this section, you make two more configurations of the part by suppressing selected features.
First create the OuterCuts configuration.
1.Roll the model forward by dragging the rollback bar to the bottom of the FeatureManager design tree.
The entire barrel is removed by the two cut features. This is the default configuration that includes all the
features.
2.Click the ConfigurationManager tab at the top of the left panel to change to the ConfigurationManager.
3.Right-click the part name at the top of the ConfigurationManager tree, and select Add Configuration.
4.Type OuterCuts for Configuration name, then click OK .
5.Click the FeatureManager design tree tab at the top of the left panel to switch back to the FeatureManager
design tree. Notice the configuration name besidethe part name at the top of the tree: Hinge (OuterCuts).
6.Click the 2Cuts feature, then click Suppress on the Features toolbar.
The 2Cuts feature is suppressed and displayed in gray in the FeatureManager design tree. It is inactive in the
current configuration.
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Creating the Part Configurations (continued)
Now create the InnerCuts configuration.
1.Click the ConfigurationManager tab .
2.Right-click the part name at the top of the ConfigurationManager tree, and select Add Configuration.
3.Type InnerCuts for Configuration name, then click OK .
4.Switch back to the FeatureManager design tree. Notice the configuration name: Hinge (InnerCuts).
5. Click the 3Cuts feature, then click Suppress on the Features toolbar.Now both cuts are suppressed.
6. Click the 2Cuts feature, then click Unsuppress on the Features toolbar.
The 3Cuts feature remains suppressed and is displayed in gray in the FeatureManager design tree. The 2Cuts
feature is active in the current configuration.
7. Save the part.
Inserting and Mating the Parts in an Assembly

Now create the assembly.
1.Open a new assembly document.

The Begin Assembly PropertyManager appears. Because the hinge part is already open, Hinge appears
in Open documents under Part/Assembly to Insert.
2.In the PropertyManager, select Hinge.
3.Place the hinge in the graphics window:

a.Click View, Origins to show the origins.
b.Move the pointer into the graphics area so the Hinge inferences the assembly origin. This aligns the
planes of the assembly and the part.
The pointer changes to when it is over the assembly origin.
c.Click to place the Hinge on the origin when it is inferenced.
4.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Hinge<1>, and select
Component Properties . Under Referenced configuration, notice that InnerCuts is selected

because InnerCuts is the active configuration in the part.
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5.Click OK to create the assembly.
6.Click View, Origins to hide the origins.
7.Hold down Ctrl, then drag the Hinge from either the graphics area or the FeatureManager design tree.
Drop it to the right of the first Hinge in the graphics area to create another instance, Hinge<2>.
8.Use Move Component and Rotate Component on the Assembly toolbar to turn Hinge<2>
so that it faces Hinge<1>.
When using Rotate Component , select About Entity in Rotate ,and select the appropriate
edge of the hinge for Selected item .
9.To change the named configuration, edit the Component Properties of Hinge<2>, select OuterCuts
from the list, and click OK.
10.Create a Coincident mate between the narrow front faces of the components. Create a Concentric mate
between the cylindrical faces of the barrels.
11.Open and close the component from Hinge<2> using Move Component on the Assembly toolbar.
Notice that Hinge<1> is fixed.
12.Save the assembly as Hinge.sldasm.
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Creating a New Part in the Assembly
Now you add the pin. The pin references the inner diameter of the barrel and the overall length of the hinge
pieces. Once you reference an entity of one part (the barrel) to create an entity in another part (the pin), you
create a reference in the context of the assembly. If you modify the referenced entity, the new entity updates to
reflect that change.
1.Click New Part on the Assembly toolbar.
2.Select the narrow model face on the front of the assembly. The new part is positioned on this face, with
its location fully defined by an InPlace mate.An InPlace mate is a coincident mate that is added when you
create a componentin the context of an assembly.
A sketch opens automatically on the selected face. Notice that Edit Component on the Assembly
toolbar is selected because you are editing a component in the context of the assembly.
3. Select the inner circular edge of the barrel, then offset it to the inside by 0.25 mm.
4. Exit the sketch. Click Rebuild on the Standard toolbar.The components that you are not editing
become transparent.
5.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click the new part, select Rename Part, type Pin, and
press Enter.
6.Right-click Pin and select Save Part(in External File).

a.Select Pin under File Name.
b.Click Same as Assembly to set the Path to match the assembly path.
c.Click OK.
8. In the FeatureManager design tree, expand the pin component, select the Right plane, and open
a sketch.
9. Select one of the long edges of the model, then click Convert Entities on the Sketch toolbar to create the
sketch path for a sweep feature.
10. Exit the sketch.
11. Click Swept Boss/Base on the Features toolbar. Use the circle (Sketch1) for Profile and the line
(Sketch2) for Path , then click OK to create the base feature of the pin as a sweep.The status bar in the
lower-right corner indicates that you are still editing the part.
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Adding a Head to the Pin
Now reference the barrel of the hinge to create the head of the pin.
1.Open a sketch on the flat end of the pin, and sketch a circle.
2.Select the circle and the outer circular edge of the barrel, and add a Coradial relation.
3.Click Extruded Boss/Base on the Features toolbar. Select Blind in End Condition, set
Depth to 3, then click OK .
4. To add a dome to the head of the pin, click Dome on the Features toolbar.
5. Select the flat face of the pin for Faces to Dome , and set Distance to 3. Observe the preview of
the dome.
Click OK . This completes the pin.
6. Click Edit Component on the Assembly toolbar to exit edit mode.
7. Save the assembly.
8. If a dialog box asks you to save the document and the referenced models, click Yes.
Using Collision Detection

Use the Collision Detection option in the Move Components PropertyManager to check if any components
collide in an assembly.
1.Click Move Component on the Assembly toolbar.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Options, select Collision Detection.
3.Select All components and Stop at collision.
4.Under Advanced Options, select Highlight faces.
5.Move Hinge<2>. Notice that you cannot make it pass through the vertical side
of Hinge<1> and that the faces highlight when they contact each other.
Examine the other collisions.
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6.Click OK .
Editing the Hinge Components
Now you can resize the hinge assembly.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, expand the hinge component that uses the InnerCuts configuration.
Double-click the Extrude-Thin feature to display its dimensions.
2.Double-click the 120mm dimension.
3.In the dialog box, change the dimension value, and make sure All Configurations is selected so all
configurations update with the new value.
4.Click Rebuild , then .
5.All components in the assembly update automatically. (If a dialog box indicates thatthe pin has rebuild
errors, click Rebuild again.)
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Advanced Drawings
Advanced Drawings
1. Advanced Drawings Overview
2. Creating Drawing Views
Creating Drawing Views
Dimensioning the Section View
Creating a Broken Out Section View
Creating a Broken Out Section View (continued)
Creating a Crop View
Creating a Crop View (continued)
3. Detailing
Detailing
Autodimensioning the Drawing
Inserting a Datum Feature Symbol
Inserting a Geometric Tolerance Symbol
Inserting a Note
Saving a Note to the Design Library
Inserting Model Items
4 Assembly Drawing Views
Assembly Drawing Views
Creating an Exploded View
Inserting a Bill of Materials
Customizing a Bill of Materials
Inserting Balloons
Displaying Assembly Structure and Balloons
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Advanced Drawings Overview
Lesson 3 introduces drawing basics. This tutorial contains three lessons, wherein four drawing sheets are created. It is
recommended that you complete the lessons in this order:
Time Tutorial
Creating Drawing Views shows how to create and dimension different drawing views.
Detailing shows how to use tools to annotate drawings.
Assembly Drawing Views shows how to create an exploded assembly view and use
annotations specifically designed for assemblies.
Creating Drawing Views

In this lesson, you learn to create the following drawing views:
 Section
 Projected
 Broken-out section
 Crop
You also learn how to dimension various drawing views.
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Open a drawing and create a section view from the existing front view.
1.Click here to open FoodProcessor.slddrw (or browse to

install_dir\samples\tutorial\advdrawings\FoodProcessor.slddrw).The sheet contains two drawing
views.
2.Click Section View (Drawing toolbar).
3.Sketch a horizontal line through the middle of the front view as shown.
The pointer changes to . Inferencing lines and position indicators indicate whether you are
sketching through the middle of the view.
Click No if a message appears, asking you to create a partial section cut.
4.Drag the section view below the front view and click to place it.
As you move the pointer, a preview of the section view position is displayed.
The section view is aligned in the direction of the cut, as indicated by the arrows of the section line. The arrows of
the section line should point down. To reverse the direction of the arrows, double-click the section line.
If you reverse the direction of the section line arrows, the section view is marked with a crosshatch pattern,
which indicates that the view is out of date.
Click Update View (Drawing toolbar) to update the section view only,
or click Rebuild (Standard toolbar) to rebuild the entire drawing.
5.Click .
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Dimensioning the Section View
Now insert dimensions for the section view.
1.Click Smart Dimension (Dimensions/Relations toolbar)
2.In the section view, select the two lines as shown.
3.Click to place the dimension to the left of the view.

•Under Dimension Text, type the following after <DIM>:
W.T.
TYP
•Click Left Justify .
5.Click in the graphics area to finish the text.

6.Select the arc on the right side as shown.
7.Click to place the dimension to the right of the view.
8.In the PropertyManager, type the following before R<DIM>:2X
9.Dimension the rest of the section view as shown.
Zoom in to this image .
10.Click .
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The broken-out section view exposes inner details of a model in a drawing. A broken-out section view is part
of an existing drawing view. First you create a projected view, then you create the broken-out section view.
1.Click Projected View (Drawing toolbar).
2.Select Drawing View1 in the graphics area.
3.Drag the pointer upwards, then click to place the view above Drawing View1 as shown.
4.Select the projected view, then click Zoom to Selection (View toolbar).
5.Click Hidden Lines Visible (View toolbar) so it is easier to create

the broken-out section view.

Now that you have a projected view, you can create a broken-out section view.
1.Click Broken-out Section (Drawing toolbar).
2.Sketch a spline approximately as shown. The spline that you sketch designates the boundaries of the
broken-out section view.
When you sketch a spline, the spline points snap to geometry. To temporarily turn off snapping, hold down
Ctrl as you sketch the spline. Release Ctrl when you want to connect the beginning and end of the spline.
3.In the graphics area, select the edge of the hole as shown in Drawing View1 for Depth Reference . The
broken-out section view will be up to the depth of the selected hole.
4.Click .
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Edit the crosshatch of the broken-out section view so it is easier to see.
1.Select the projected view, then click Hidden Lines Removed (View toolbar).
2.Move the pointer over the crosshatch in the broken-out section view. When
the pointer changes to , click to open the PropertyManager.

a.Clear Material crosshatch.
b.Set Hatch Pattern Scale to 4.
c.Click .
4.Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the opposite crosshatch.

Now create a crop view of the front view to get a closer look of the detailed drawing. First, set some document
options to define the annotations that are inserted when you create the view.
2.On the Document Properties tab, click Detailing.
3.Under Auto insert on view creation, select Center marks-holes -part, Center marks-fillets -part, and
Centerlines, then click OK.
Next, create another front view to use as the crop view.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Part/Assembly to Insert, make sure base plate is selected, then click .
3.In the Model View PropertyManager, under Orientation, click *Front .
4.Click in the graphics area to place the view next to the existing front view.
5.Click .
6.Right-click the view and select Tangent Edge, Tangent Edges
Removed. With the tangent edges removed, it is easier to
dimension the view.
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Creating a Crop View (continued)
Now sketch a closed profile to define the boundaries of the crop view.
1.Click Spline (Sketch toolbar), and sketch the spline approximately as shown.
2.Click Crop View (Drawing toolbar).
3.Click Smart Dimension (Dimensions/Relations toolbar), and dimension the view as shown.
Detailing
In this lesson, you learn to use the following detailing tools to annotate a drawing:
 Autodimension
 Datum feature symbol
 Geometric tolerance symbol
 Note
 Model items
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Autodimensioning the Drawing
In the previous lesson you manually inserted dimensions into the drawing. Now you insert dimensions
automatically.
1.If it is not already open, click here to open FoodProcessor.slddrw (or browse to
install_dir\samples\tutorial\advdrawings\FoodProcessor.slddrw).
2.Select the Sheet2 tab at the lower-left corner of the drawing. The sheet contains four drawing views.
4.In the PropertyManager, click the Autodimension tab.
5.Select Selected entities for Entities to Dimension and select the front drawing view in the lower-left
corner of the sheet
6. Make sure the edges shown below are selected for the horizontal and vertical points of origination.
To change the edges, click in the horizontal or vertical point of origin box in the PropertyManager, then
select the appropriate edge in the drawing view.
7.In the PropertyManager, under:

•Horizontal Dimensions, set Dimension placement to Below view.
•Vertical Dimensions, set Dimension placement to Left of view.
8.Click Apply.
When you click Apply , you can apply dimensions to multiple views in succession.
9.Select the drawing view in the upper left corner of the sheet.
10.In the PropertyManager, under Vertical Dimensions, set Dimension placement to Right of view.
11.In the graphics area, select the lines shown for the horizontal and vertical points
of origination for the view.
12.Click Apply.
13.Select the drawing view in the lower right corner of the sheet.
14.In the graphics area, select the lines shown for the horizontal and vertical points of origination
for the view.
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15.Click .
16.Drag the dimensions so they are aligned as shown.
•Front view:
•Top view:
•Right view:
Inserting a Datum Feature Symbol

The detailing tools allow you to annotate your drawings to specifications.
1.Click Datum Feature (Annotation toolbar).
2.In the graphics area, click to place the leader in the drawing view as shown.
3.Drag the pointer to the left of the drawing view, and

click to place the datum feature symbol as shown.
4. Click
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Inserting a Geometric Tolerance Symbol
Next, insert a geometric tolerance symbol that references the datum feature symbol.
1.Click the top edge as shown. When you pre-select the edge, the geometric tolerance symbol is automatically
placed.
2.Click Geometric Tolerance (Annotation toolbar).

a.Select in Symbol.
b.Type 0.5 for Tolerance 1.
c.Type A for Primary.
d.Click OK.
4.Move the symbol as shown.
Inserting a Note
You can create a note, then save it in the Design Library for reuse in other drawings.
2.Click in the lower-left corner of the drawing sheet to place the note.
3.Type NOTE:.
4.Press Enter.
5.Type ALL CORNERS AND FILLETS TO HAVE 0.05R UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED.
6.Click in the Note PropertyManager.
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Saving a Note to the Design Library
The Design Library provides a central location for reusable elements, such as notes.
1.Select the Design Library tab of the Task Pane, if it is not already visible. The Task Pane is on the right
side of the SolidWorks window.
2.Click in the upper-right corner to turn off Auto Show.
3.Expand design library , then click the annotations folder.
4.In the graphics area, click the note and click Add to Library on the Task Pane Design Library tab.
5.In the PropertyManager, under Save To, type a value for File name, then click .
The note is saved in the Design Library, within the annotations folder.
If you move the pointer over the note in the Design Library, a preview appears.
6.Select the Sheet3 tab at the lower-left corner of the drawing.
The drawing sheet contains several drawing views.
7.From the Design Library, drag the note you saved to the lower-left corner of the drawing sheet.
a.Click to place the annotation.
b.Right-click to accept the note when the pointer changes to .
Inserting Model Items

If you insert dimensions and annotations while you create a part, you can insert these "model items" into all
of the drawing views automatically.
1.Click Model Items (Annotation toolbar).

a.Source/Destination, select Entire model and Import items into all views.
b.Dimensions, click:
• Marked for drawing

•Not marked for drawing
• Eliminate duplicates
3.Click .
4.Drag the dimensions so they are aligned as shown.
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Assembly Drawing Views
In this lesson, you use the following tools to create an assembly drawing:
 Exploded view
 Detail view
 Bill of materials
 Auto balloons
Creating an Exploded View

You can create an exploded view in a drawing by using an exploded configuration of an assembly.
1.If it is not already open, click here to open FoodProcessor.slddrw (or browse to
install_dir\samples\tutorial\advdrawings\FoodProcessor.slddrw).
2.Select the Sheet4 tab at the lower-left corner of the drawing. The drawing sheet is empty.
4.In the PropertyManager, click Browse, then open install_dir\samples\tutorial\advdrawings\motor

casing.sldasm.
a) Orientation, click *Isometric .

b) Scale, select Use custom scale, then select User Defined and set the scale to 1:4.
6.Drag the view to place it in the drawing and click .
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Create a detail view to show a portion of the exploded view at an enlarged scale.
1.Click Detail View (Drawing toolbar).
2.Sketch a circle over the base plate and fasteners approximately as shown.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Scale, select Use sheet scale.
4.Click to place the detail view as shown.
5.Click .
The detail view makes it easier to see the fasteners.
Inserting a Bill of Materials

Now insert a bill of materials (BOM) to identify and label each part in the assembly.
1.Select the exploded drawing view.
2.Click Bill of Materials (Tables toolbar).

a.Under Table Template, click Open table template for Bill of Materials .
b.Open install_dir\samples\tutorial\advdrawings\BomTemplate.sldbomtbt.
This template has been created with columns based on the model.
c.Under BOM Type, select Parts only.

d.Click .
4.Click to place the BOM in the lower-left corner of the drawing sheet.
5.In the Bill of Materials PropertyManager, under Table Position,

click Bottom Left , and click .
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Customizing a Bill of Materials
The bill of materials has two empty columns, PRICE and COST. Use custom properties and equations to
fill the columns.
1.Select the PRICE column by moving the pointer just above the column and double-clicking when the pointer
changes to .

a.Select Custom Property under Column type.
b.Select Price under Property name.
The price for each component has been saved in the parts. The column populates with the price of each
component.
c.Click outside of the dialog box to close it.
3.Select the COST column.
4.In the pop-up toolbar, click Equation .

a.Under Precision, select .12.
{2} appears. Place the cursor after {2}.
b.Under Columns, select QTY.
c.Type * (for multiplication).
d.Under Custom properties, select Price.
e.Click .
The equation appears as {2}'QTY.'*`Price`. The equation calculates the quantity of each component multiplied
by the price per unit, to give the total cost of the component.
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Inserting Balloons
After you insert a BOM, use balloons to help identify individual items in the BOM. Balloons can be inserted
manually or automatically. You insert them automatically in this tutorial.
1.Hold down Ctrl and select the detail view first, and then select the exploded view.
2.Click AutoBalloon (Annotation toolbar).
3.In the PropertyManager, under Balloon Layout, clear Ignore multiple instances. This way, balloons
4.appear in both drawing views.
4.Click .
The item numbers in the balloons correspond to those in the BOM. Move the views and balloons around to
organize them as you want.
Displaying Assembly Structure and Balloons

1.Select the BOM and click the expansion tab to the left of the BOM to display the assembly structure
and balloons.
A balloon is indicated for each BOM component that has at least one balloon. The numbers inside the
balloons indicate the number of balloons per component.
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Animation
Animation
Animation Tutorial
Animation by Graphical Positioning
Opening the Plunger Model and the Motion Study
Zooming the Timeline and Setting the Start Position
Defining the Animation Positions
Changing Component Positions in Time
Hiding Components
Changing Component Color
Changing Component Appearance to Wireframe
Playing the Animation Back
Creating a Movie
Animation by Precise Positioning
Opening the Plunger Hook Model
Setting Distance Mate Values at Keypoints
Adding a View Key and Calculating the Motion
Rotating the Model While Running the Animation
Disabling Playback of View Keys
Disabling View Key Creation
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Animation
Animations are motion studies that model changes in component position and appearance in time. You can create
animation motion studies to display how parts move in a mechanism. You can use animations for presentations or
marketing materials.
You can create motion studies from a Motion Study tab for a SolidWorks model. When you open the motion study,
you can use the MotionManager tools to define the motion of the mechanism. The MotionManager tree lists the
model features. The most basic method of defining motion is to modify the feature position, appearance, or other
properties in time. You can define an animation by adding keypoints along the MotionManager timeline for selected
features, and modifying the properties of those features at the keypoints.
There are two lessons in this tutorial:

Animation by Graphical Positioning >>
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The simplest way to create an animation in a motion study is to drag components
to specify the positions of the moving parts of a mechanism at different times.
You can also include appearance changes or suppress features for a time period
during the animation. You can insert keypoints along the feature timeline to
specify the times when feature position or other feature changes occur.
In this lesson you learn the following:
• Create an Animation type motion study

• Drag components in the graphics area to specify component positions at different keypoints along the timeline
• Run the animation
• Modify the animation by changing the component positions at different keypoints along the timeline
• Modify the animation by changing the appearance of components during a time interval
• Change the playback mode
• Save the animation as a movie
Opening the Plunger Model and the Motion Study

First, you open the model and the motion study.
1.Click here: to open plunger.sldasm or browse to

install_dir\samples\tutorial \motionstudies\animation\plunger.sldasm.
2.Save the model as my_plunger.sldasm.
3.Select the Motion Study 1 tab (lower-left portion of the graphics area).
The MotionManager appears in the lower portion of the graphics area. The
MotionManager includes a set of tools that allow you specify the motion study.
The availability of the tools depends on the type of study you create. For this
model, the type of study (top-left of the MotionManager) is set to Animation.
What if I cannot see the MotionManager?
Zooming the Timeline and Setting the Start Position

Next, you zoom in on the timeline and set the initial position for the
animation.
1.Click the zoom tools and (lower-right corner of the

MotionManager) until the timeline displays approximately 10 seconds.
The vertical gray line is the time bar.
Moving the timeline to 0 seconds specifies the initial starting

position of the model for the animation.
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Defining the Animation Positions
Next, you move the position of the plunger handle at 5 seconds.
1. Locate arm left in the MotionManager tree.
2. Drag the time bar to 5 seconds.
Why did I move the time bar before moving the component?
3.Right-click the arm left component timeline at 5 seconds, and click Place Key .
A new key point and changebar for the arm left component appears along the arm
left timeline at 5 seconds.
4.In the graphics area, drag the arm left.sldprt component to a vertical position.
The yellow hatched timeline indicates you must recalculate

the motion to observe the position changes.
5. Click Calculate (MotionManager toolbar).
The software calculates the animation and displays it in the graphics area.
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Changing Component Positions in Time
Next, you specify that the arm left component starts and ends at the same
position in the animation. You also change the time for the intermediary
position of the arm left component.
1.Copy + drag the arm left keypoint at 5 seconds to 2 seconds:

a.Select the key point at 5 seconds.
b.Press CTRL + C.
c.Hold CTRL while dragging the key point to 2 seconds.
d.Release the pointer before you release the CTRL key.
The changebar disappears between 2 and 5 seconds.
Why does the changebar disappear?
2.Right-click the arm left key point at 0 sec, and click Copy.
3.Right-click the arm left timeline at 9.5 seconds and click Paste.
This sets the final position of arm left.sldprt to be the same as the initial position.
4.Click Calculate (MotionManager toolbar).
Hiding Components
Next, you hide the arm left.sldprt and arm right.sldprt components at the end
of the animation.
1. Right-click arm left in the MotionManager tree and click Hide.
2. Apply step 1. to the arm right component.
The magenta component changebars indicate appearance changes.
3.Click Play from Start (MotionManager toolbar).
You can play the animation rather than calculating it because the
appearance changes to not affect the calculated motion.
The handle disappears at the end of the animation.

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Changing Component Color
Next, you change the color of the base at end of the animation.
1.Drag the time bar to 5 seconds in the MotionManager timeline.
2.In the MotionManager tree, right-click base_plunger and click Appearance. .
3.In the Appearances PropertyManager, click Apply at component level.
4.For Color, click the blue swatch.
5.Click .
This changes the color of the base at 5 seconds.
6.Close the Appearances, Scenes, and Decals task pane.
Changing Component Appearance to Wireframe

Next, you change the plunger appearance to wireframe at the end of the
animation.
1. In the MotionManager tree, expand the plunger component.
2. Right-click the plunger Appearance key point at 0 seconds and click Copy.
3. Right-click the plunger Appearance timeline at 5 seconds and click Paste.

4.Drag the time bar to 9.5 seconds.
5.Right-click the plunger component and click Component No 6
Display > Wireframe
No 5 122
Playing the Animation Back
Next, you set the animation to run in a playback loop.
1.Click Playback Mode (MotionManager toolbar) and click Playback Mode: Loop .
The animation loops continuously.
3.Click Stop (MotionManager toolbar).
More about playback modes
Creating a Movie
Next, you save the animation as a .avi file.
1.Click Save Animation (MotionManager toolbar).
2.In the dialog box, for Save in, navigate to a folder, and click Save.
3.
3.In the Video Compression dialog box, click OK.
4.Locate the .avi file on your hard drive and play it.
5.Save and close my_plunger.sldasm..

You can specify the relative position of components with distance mates. When you define
animations for models with distance mates, you can use the distance mate definition to set
the relative distance between components to different amounts at different points in the
animation. In this lesson, you explore animations of a model with a distance mate to limit
component motion.
You can set the model view at different times in the animation. You can set orientation and
camera view commands to prevent view key creation and to ignore existing view keys. In
this lesson, you observe animations resulting from the different orientation and camera
view commands.
In this lesson you learn the following:
• Run an animation on a model with its distance mate suppressed

• Define and limit model motion with a distance mate
• Investigate playback modes and orientation and camera view commands
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Opening the Plunger Hook Model
First, you open the plunger hook model.
1.Click here: to open plunger_hook.sldasm or browse to
install_dir\samples\tutorial \motionstudies\animation\plunger_hook.sldasm.
2.Save the model as my_plunger_hook.sldasm.
3.Select the Motion Study 1 tab (lower-left portion of the graphics area).
4.In the MotionManager tree, expand Mates .
The Distance1 mate is suppressed in the MotionManager tree.
The plunger collar slides along the rod, stops for three seconds, and returns to the start position.
Setting Distance Mate Values at Keypoints

You can specify the relative position of components with distance mates. Next,
in the second motion study, you define the assembly motion by setting the No 6
distance mate distance to 2.0 inches at 5 seconds, and to 0.0 inches at the
beginning and end of the animation.
1.Select the Motion Study 2 tab.
2.In the FeatureManager design tree, expand Mates
3.Click the Distance1 mate, and click Edit Feature .
The distance mate has a distance of 0.0in.
The distance mate defines the distance between the collar and the central
column.
4.Close the PropertyManager and drag the time bar to 5 sec.

No 9
5.In the MotionManager tree, double-click the Distance1 mate, and in the
dialog box, enter 2.0in.
Perform this step in the MotionManager tree and not in the

FeatureManager design tree.
6.Click to close the dialog box, and click to close the

PropertyManager.
7.Drag the time bar to 10 seconds.
8.Double-click the Distance1 mate, and in the dialog box, enter 0in.
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9.Click , and then click .
Adding a View Key and Calculating the Motion
Next, you add a view key partway through the animation and then
calculate the motion.
1.Drag the time bar to 3.5 seconds and click Front View (Standard
Views toolbar).
A new view key appears in the Orientation and Camera Views timeline.
2.If you are not in loop playback mode, click Playback Mode
(MotionManager toolbar), and click Playback Mode: Loop .
The distance mate defines and limits the collar motion and the view
orientation changes at 3.5 seconds.
Rotating the Model While Running the Animation

Next, to observe the view orientation behavior, you rotate the model while
running the animation in a continuous loop.
2.Rotate the assembly to another position:
3.Click the model to set the position and click Rotate View (View toolbar) to
resume the animation.
The view orientation resets at 0 and 3.5 seconds.
4.Rotate the model to another position.
The view orientation resets at 0 and 3.5 seconds again.
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Disabling Playback of View Keys
Next, you disable the playback of view keys and rotate the model as the animation
runs in a loop.
More about disabling playback of view keys
1.In the MotionManager tree, right-click Orientation and Camera Views , and click
Disable Playback of View Keys .
When you select Disable Playback of View Keys , the button appears
selected in the Orientation and Camera Views command list.
3.Rotate the model to different positions during the animation:
•Click Rotate View (View toolbar) and click + drag the pointer on the
assembly.
•Click View > Modify > Rotate and click + drag the pointer on the
assembly.
4.Click to position the model and click Rotate View (View toolbar) to continue
the animation.
5.Click Play , and rotate the plunger hook during playback.
The animation ignores the view orientation setting at 0 seconds, and the Orientation
and Camera Views timeline is gray.
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Disabling View Key Creation
You can prevent view key creation when creating an animation. Next, you disable
view key creation and set time-based views.
1.Right-click Orientation and Camera Views (MotionManager tree), and click
Disable Playback of View Keys .
You have enabled view key playback, which is required for disabling view key
creation.
2.Right-click Orientation and Camera Views (MotionManager tree), and click
Disable View Key Creation .
When you select Disable View Key Creation, the button appears selected
in the Orientation and Camera Views command list.
3.Drag the time bar to 0 seconds and click Top View (Standard Views
toolbar).
4.Drag the time bar to 10 seconds and click Bottom View (Standard Views
toolbar).
The view keys for the new views are not created in the Orientation and
Camera Views timeline.
5.Click Playback Mode (MotionManager toolbar) and click Playback
Mode: Reciprocate .
More about playback modes
The views do not appear in the animation because you disabled the view keys.
You can repeat steps 1 through 7 to observe the animation when you
enable view key creation.
8.Close my_plunger_hook.sldasm..
Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.
127
Assembly Mates
Assembly Mates
1. Assembly Mates
2. Introduction
3. Inserting the First Part into the Assembly
Inserting the First Part into the Assembly (continued)
4. Bringing More Components into the Assembly
Bringing More Components into the Assembly (continued)
5. Mating the Saddle and Knee
Mating the Saddle and Knee (continued)
6. Mating the Table and Saddle
Mating the Table and Saddle (continued)
7. Using Windows Explorer to Add Components
8. Mating the Bracket and Saddle
Mating the Bracket and Saddle (continued)
9. Positioning the Encoder Head
Positioning the Encoder Head (continued)
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Assembly Mates
Assembly Mates
10. Mating the Scale and Head
11. Using SmartMates
Using SmartMates (continued)
12. Using File Explorer to Add Components
13. Mating the Clamp, Pin, and Pillar
Mating the Clamp, Pin, and Pillar (continued)
14. Mating the Scale and Pin
15. Copying Components
Copying Components (continued)
16. Reviewing the Mates
Reviewing the Mates (continued)
17. Editing a Mate
18. Checking the Assembly
Checking the Assembly (continued)
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Assembly Mates
In this tutorial, you create a milling machine assembly. You use mates to create geometric relationships between the
components of the assembly.
This tutorial demonstrates:
 Bringing parts into an assembly
 Using these assembly mates:
o Coincident
o Concentric
o Parallel
o Distance
 Using SmartMates
 Testing mates
 Editing mates
Introduction
This assembly uses the following parts, located in the <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\assemblymates folder.
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Inserting the First Part into the Assembly
1.Click here: to open knee.sldprt (or browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\assemblymates\knee.sldprt).
2.Click File, Make Assembly from Part.
A new assembly document opens.
3.If the origin is not visible in the graphics area, click View, Origins to display it.
4.In the PropertyManager, under Options, select Graphics preview.
The pointer changes to , indicating the inference to the assembly origin.
6.Click to place the knee.
When you place a component this way, the component origin is located coincident with the assembly origin,
and the planes of the part and the assembly are aligned. This procedure, while not required, helps you
establish an initial orientation for the assembly. You can create this type of inference with any component
as you add it to the assembly.
Inserting the First Part into the Assembly (continued)
The FeatureManager design tree contains the feature (f) knee<1>. Because this is the first component inserted
into the assembly, knee is fixed (f). It cannot be moved or rotated unless you float (unfix) it. The <1> means that
this is the first instance of knee in the assembly.
The assembly also contains an empty Mates folder. This folder is a placeholder for the mates that you
add later.
2.Click View, Origins to clear the origin from the graphics area. If planes are visible, click View, Planes to clear
them from the graphics area.
3.Click Window, knee.sldprt, and close the part document. The assembly remains open.
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Bringing More Components into the Assembly
Use the Insert Components tool to add more components to the assembly.
1.Click Insert Components (Assembly toolbar).
2.In the PropertyManager, click to pin the PropertyManager. This keeps the PropertyManager visible,
so you can insert more than one component without having to re-open the PropertyManager.
3.Under Part/Assembly to Insert, click Browse, then navigate to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\

assemblymates.
4.Select saddle.sldprt, then click Open.
5.Click in the graphics area to place the component approximately as shown below.
The saddle.sldprt component is added to the assembly. You can zoom the view by pressing Z (zoom out)
or Shift+Z (zoom in).
6.Repeat steps 3 through 5 for table.sldprt.
7.Click .
Bringing More Components into the Assembly (continued)

The FeatureManager design tree displays information about the assembly components.
1.Examine the FeatureManager design tree.
The prefix (-) before a component name indicates that the position of the component is under-defined.
You can move and rotate these components.
2.Click to expand each item to display the component features.
3.To collapse the entire FeatureManager design tree in one step, right-click Assem1 at the top of the
FeatureManager design tree and select Collapse Items.
4.Practice moving and rotating the individual components:

•To move a component, click and drag a face of the component.
•To rotate a component, right-click and drag a face of the component.
You can also click Move Component or Rotate Component (Assembly toolbar), and drag to
move or rotate components.
5.Save the assembly as mill.sldasm. If a message prompts you to rebuild before saving, click Yes.
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Mating the Saddle and Knee
Add mates to define relationships between the assembly components.
To make selections easier, rotate the view by dragging with the middle mouse button in the graphics area.
Then,after making the selection, click Previous View (View toolbar). Other tools on the View toolbar are
useful as you work through this tutorial.
2.Select the top face of the knee and the bottom face of the saddle for
Entities to Mate .
The Mate pop-up toolbar appears in the graphics area. Coincident is selected in both the PropertyManager
and the pop-up toolbar. A preview of the coincident mate appears.
3.To see how you can flip the alignment of the saddle, under Standard Mates,
for Mate alignment:
a.Click Aligned .
b.Click Anti-Aligned .
A closer look at Mate Alignment
4.In the PropertyManager, click to accept the mate.
The face of the knee and the face of the saddle now lie in the same infinite plane. The mate appears in the
PropertyManager under Mates.
5.Click again to close the PropertyManager.
6.To test the mate:

a.Click Move Component (Assembly toolbar), and drag the saddle.
You can only drag side to side and front to back, but not up and down. In some views, it might look like the
saddle is moving out of the coincident plane, but if you check in the Front view or Right view, you can see
that it is not.
b.Click Rotate Component (Assembly toolbar), and drag the saddle. You can rotate the saddle only within
the plane coincident with the knee.
7.Click
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Mating the Saddle and Knee (continued)
Add another mate between the saddle and knee.
2.Select the corresponding angular faces on the saddle and knee as shown.
The Mate pop-up toolbar appears in the graphics area. Coincident is selected in both the PropertyManager
and the pop-up toolbar. A preview of the coincident mate appears.
3.Click Add/Finish Mate (Mate pop-up toolbar).
The selected angular faces are now mated.
Mating the Table and Saddle

Add mates between the table and saddle similar to the ones between the saddle and knee.
1. Select the top face of the saddle and the bottom face of the table.
2. Accept the Coincident mate.
You can accept a mate by doing any one of the following:
o Click (PropertyManager).
o Click Add/Finish Mate (Mate pop-up toolbar).
o Right-click when the pointer changes to
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3.Select the corresponding angular faces on the table and saddle.
You can also select the items to mate before opening the PropertyManager. Hold down Ctrl as you
select the items.
4.Accept the Coincident mate.
5.Close the PropertyManager.
7.Drag the table.

The table and saddle are still not fully constrained.

You could add limit mates, which would allow the saddle and table to move, but only within a specified range.
However, limit mates can slow performance significantly, so they should be used only when necessary (for
example, for collision detection). Instead, add mates to lock the saddle and table in position, to prevent
unexpected movement of these components as you add more components.
First, mate the right plane of the saddle to the right plane of the table.
If an item was already selected in the graphics area, it appears under Mate Selections. Right-click in the
selection box and click Clear Selections.
2.In the flyout FeatureManager design tree:

•Expand saddle and table.
•Select the following for Entities to Mate :
o Right Plane of saddle
o Right Plane of table
3.Accept the Coincident mate.
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Mate the front plane of the saddle to the front plane of the assembly.
1.In the flyout FeatureManager design tree, select the following for Entities to Mate :
a.Front Plane of the assembly mill
b.Front Plane of the component saddle
Do not accept the coincident mate. Instead, add a distance mate.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Standard Mates:
a.Click Distance .
b.Type 250 for Distance and press Enter.
c.To see how you can flip the direction of the dimension, select and then clear
Flip Dimension several times.
d.Position the saddle near the center of the knee.
3.Click twice, to accept the mate and close the PropertyManager.
The positions of the saddle and table are fully defined. In the FeatureManager design tree, the prefix (-) no longer
appears for saddle and table.

Rename the mates to make them easier to find.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, expand Mates .
2.Click-pause-click on the last Coincident mate in the folder.
3.Type to rename the mate Table Lock, then press Enter.
4.Rename the Distance mate Saddle Lock.
5.Right-click mill at the top of the FeatureManager design tree and select Collapse Items.
6.Save the assembly.
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Using Windows Explorer to Add Components
Another way to add components to the assembly is to drag them in from Windows Explorer.
1. Start Windows Explorer.
2. Navigate to the <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\assemblymates folder.
3. Click each item listed below individually, and drag it into the graphics area. Place the items approximately
as shown.
head.sldprt
bracket.sldprt
scale.sldprt
Mating the Bracket and Saddle
Hide the table to make it easier to mate the bracket and saddle.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click table<1> and select Hide components . The table is hidden,
but not removed from the assembly. The icon in the FeatureManager design tree changes from to .
3.Add a Coincident mate between the back face of the bracket and the front face of the saddle.
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Set the distance between the bracket and saddle.
1.Select the top face of bracket and the top face of saddle.
Do not accept the coincident mate. Instead, add a distance mate.
2.Click Right (Standard Views toolbar), then zoom to the bracket.
3.In the Mate pop-up toolbar:

a.Click Distance .
c.Click Flip Dimension if necessary to position the bracket below the saddle face.
d.Accept the mate.

Add a third mate between the bracket and saddle to fully define the bracket location.
1.Click Isometric .
2.Add a Coincident mate between the Right Plane of bracket and the Right Plane of saddle.
3.Close the PropertyManager.
138
Positioning the Encoder Head
Add mates to position the encoder head on the bracket.
1.Click Mate .
2.Add a Coincident mate between one of the small bottom faces of the head and the top face of
the bracket.
Add a concentric mate between a hole in the bottom of the head and the corresponding hole in the bracket.
1.Use Select Other to select one of the holes in the bottom of the head:
a.Right-click the side face of the head approximately over the hidden hole.
b.Choose Select Other.
The side face is hidden so you can see the faces underneath.
The pointer changes to . A box appears with a list of the items that were beneath the pointer
when you right-clicked. Hover the pointer over items, either in the list or in the graphics area,
to highlight them in the graphics area.
If the pointer was not directly over the hidden hole when you right-clicked, the hole does not appear on the list.
However, you can still highlight the hole in the graphics area.
c.Click with the left mouse button when the intended face is highlighted.
2.Select the corresponding hole in the bracket.
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3.Accept the Concentric mate.
To fully define the position of the head, add a mate between the head and saddle.
1.Drag the head to see that it still has one degree of freedom.
2.Add a Parallel mate between the head and the saddle:

a.Select the front faces of the head and saddle.
b.Click Parallel .
c.Accept the mate.
Mating the Scale and Head

Mate the scale with the encoder head.
1.Click Mate .
2.Add a Concentric mate between the scale and the cylindrical face of the hole that runs lengthwise
through the head.
Leave the scale free to move back and forth.
4.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click table<1> and select Show components .
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Using SmartMates
With SmartMates, you can create mating relationships automatically by inferencing the geometry of existing
components as you drag new components into the assembly.
Here you create a concentric mate and a coincident mate automatically.
1.Click File, Open, and open pillar.sldprt.
2.Tile the windows so you can see the part and assembly windows.
3.In the assembly window, change the view to Isometric .
4.Zoom to the hole near the right end of the table.
Using SmartMates (continued)

Now drag the pillar into the assembly.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree of the pillar document, select Extrude2, the feature with the cylindrical
face you want to mate.
2.Drag the feature name into the assembly document and over the hole.
The pointer changes to . This pointer indicates that if the pillar is dropped at this location, a concentric
mate and a coincident mate will result. A preview snaps into place.
3.Press Tab several times to see how you can toggle the alignment (aligned/anti-aligned).
4.Drop the pillar.

5.Repeat steps 1-4 to add a pillar to the hole at the other end of the table.
6.Close pillar.sldprt and maximize the assembly window.

141
Using File Explorer to Add Components
Another way to add components to the assembly is to drag them in from the File Explorer in the Task Pane.
1.Click Isometric .
2.Click the File Explorer tab in the Task Pane.
3.Click in the title bar to pin the File Explorer (to keep it visible).
4.Navigate to the <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\assemblymates folder.
5.Click each item listed below individually, and drag it into the graphics area.Place the items approximately
as shown.
•clamp.sldprt
•pin.sldprt
6.Click to unpin the File Explorer, then close it by clicking anywhere in the graphics area.
Mating the Clamp, Pin, and Pillar

Drag the components into the approximate correct location and orientation before adding mates. This gives the mate solver
application a better chance of snapping components into the expected location.
1. Check the Front, Top, and Right views, and drag the clamp and pin into approximately the positions shown.
2. Click Isometric , then zoom to the right front corner of
the table.
142
Rotate the pin so it is vertical.
1.Right-click the pin and select Move with Triad.
2.Right-click the center sphere of the triad and select Show Rotate Delta XYZ Box.
3.In the box:

a.Type 90 for DeltaX.
b.Click OK three times, so the pin is vertical.
4.Click anywhere in the graphics area to close the box.

Add the mates.
1.Add a Concentric mate between the clamp and pillar.
2.Add a Concentric mate between the pin and clamp.
143
Mating the Scale and Pin
1.Add a Concentric mate between the scale and pin. Flip the alignment (aligned/anti-aligned) if
necessary to correctly orient the pin.
Because the scale is already constrained to be concentric with the head, the pin and the clamp move within
their degrees of freedom to the position shown.
2.Add a Coincident mate between:

•The planar face on the end of the scale
•The planar face on the pin
3.Close the PropertyManager
Copying Components
At the left end of the table, make copies of the clamp and pin.
1.Hold down Ctrl and drag clamp<1> from the FeatureManager design tree into the graphics area.
Another clamp appears in the graphics area, and clamp<2> appears in the FeatureManager design tree.
The <2> notation indicates the second instance of this part in the assembly.
2.Repeat step 1 to create a copy of pin<1>.
144
Rotate the clamp to reposition the flats.
1.Right-click the clamp and select Move with Triad.
2.In the box:

a.Type 90 for DeltaX.
b.Click OK three times, so the flats on the clamp are positioned as shown.
3.Click anywhere in the graphics area to close the box.

1. Add a Concentric mate between the
clamp and pillar.
2. Add a Concentric mate between the

pin and clamp.
3.Add a Concentric mate between the scale and pin.
Do not add a coincident mate between the end face of the

scale and the side face of the clamp, because that
over-defines the location of the components.
4.Click Isometric .
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Reviewing the Mates
You can use the FeatureManager design tree to review the mates you added.
1.At the bottom of the FeatureManager design tree, expand Mates .
Each mate is identified by the type, instance number, and names of the components.
If you have added or deleted mates, or if you selected mate components in

a different order, the names of the mates in your assembly may differ from
those shown here.
2.Click any mate in the FeatureManager design tree to see the relevant components
highlight in the graphics area.
Reviewing the Mates (continued)

You can also review mates for a single component.
1.Expand pillar<1> in the FeatureManager design tree.

The features used to make the pillar are displayed. The mates in the mill assembly
that involve pillar<1> are listed in the Mates in mill folder.
146
2.Right-click the assembly icon at the top of the FeatureManager design tree and select Tree Display,
View Mates and Dependencies.
The mates that involve pillar<1> are displayed. The features used to make the pillar
are listed in the Features folder. Displaying the FeatureManager design tree in this way is useful if you
want to focus on the structure or hierarchy of the assembly rather than the details of the sketches and features.
The icon indicates mates that are in the path to ground. These mates hold the part in position relative
to the origin of the assembly.
Editing a Mate
Change the Coincident mate between scale<1> and pin<1> to a Distance mate. First use View Mates to find
the mate.
1.Right-click scale<1> in the FeatureManager design tree and select View Mates . Components that are
not involved in mates to scale<1> are hidden. The View Mates dialog box appears and displays a list of all
the mates that involve scale<1>. Two mates between scale<1> and pin<1> are listed - one Concentric and
one Coincident.
3.Select the Coincident mate.
The mate highlights in the graphics area and a mate callout appears.
4.Click Zoom to Selection (View toolbar).
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5.In the mate callout, click Edit .
6.In the PropertyManager, under Standard Mates:
a.Click Distance .
c.Select or clear Flip Dimension if necessary to position the scale as shown.
7.Click twice.
8.Close the View Mates dialog box.
Checking the Assembly
Check the assembly to make sure you added all the necessary mates.
1.Click Isometric .
2.Right-click mill at the top of the FeatureManager design tree and select Collapse Items.
3.Click Rebuild (Standard toolbar).
4.Examine the components in the FeatureManager design tree. The prefixes indicate the status of the locations
of the components:
The under-defined components still have a rotational degree of freedom. Their rotational positions are not
relevant to the design intent of this assembly, so it is not necessary to fully constrain them.
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Checking the Assembly (continued)
Suppress the Table Lock and Saddle Lock mates so you can see how the assembly components move in
relationship to each other.
1.Expand Mates , hold Ctrl, and select Table Lock and Saddle Lock.
2.Right-click and select Suppress .
The table and saddle are now free to move.
3.Select and drag a face on the table.
The table and saddle move. All the mating relationships (except the two you suppressed) are maintained.
4.Hold Ctrl, and select Table Lock and Saddle Lock again.
5.Right-click and select Unsuppress .
The table and saddle return to their locked positions.
149
Assembly Visualization
Activating the Assembly Visualization Tool
Visualizing Gradient Properties
Adding Another Color
Hiding Components
Changing the Sorting Property
Creating an Equation for Sorting
Editing the Value of a Property
Visualizing Discrete Properties
Saving the List as a Text File
Saving as a Display State
Viewing the Display State
150
Assembly Visualization provides different ways to display and sort an assembly's components in a list and in the graphics
area.
You can rank components based on the values of their custom properties, and activate a spectrum of colors that reflects
the relative values of the properties for each component.
o This tutorial demonstrates the following:

Sorting a list of components by various properties
o Applying colors to the model to help you visualize and compare the value of the sorting property for each
component
o Hiding some components so you can focus on others
o Creating and sorting by an equation
o Editing property values
o Saving the sorted list to an external file
Activating the Assembly Visualization Tool
To activate the Assembly Visualization tool:
1.Click here: or open install_dir\samples\tutorial \assemblyvisualize\ food_processor.sldasm.

2.
2.Click Assembly Visualization (Tools toolbar or Evaluate tab on the CommandManager).
The Assembly Visualization tab in the Manager Pane contains a list of all components in the assembly,
sorted initially by file name. The blue value bars indicate the relative value of the mass of each component.
For a complete list of possible icons, see SolidWorks Help: Assembly Visualization Tab. 151
Visualizing Gradient Properties
You can use a spectrum that blends gradually from one color to the next to help you visualize a numerical
property, such as Mass or Volume, whose value changes in irregular increments from one component to the next.
1.At the top of the last column, click Mass to sort the components by mass.
2.Click Mass again (if necessary) to list the components from heaviest to lightest.
3.On the left side of the panel, click the vertical bar.
The vertical bar displays a spectrum of colors from red to blue. In the graphics area, the components change
to the color that is beside their entry in the Assembly Visualization panel. The colors indicate the relative mass
of the components. The heaviest components are shown in red, the lightest in blue, and the others in shades in
between.
Adding Another Color
To add another color to the spectrum:
1.Click in the blank area to the left of the vertical bar.
2.In the Color dialog box, select (yellow) and click OK.
A yellow slider is added to the spectrum. The parts change color in the graphics area.
You can move the color sliders up and down to modify the spectrum. You can right-click a color slider
and change its color or delete it. To return to the original two sliders, right-click any slider and click
Reset all.
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Hiding Components
You can use rollbars to temporarily hide components, to help you focus on a subset of components.
1.Under the column headers, drag the horizontal bar down and position it below gear-caddy.
In the graphics area, the heaviest component, gear-caddy, is hidden.
2. At the bottom of the list, drag the horizontal bar up and position it above shaft gear insert.
The three components that weigh the least are hidden. Note that the spectrum adjusts to the visible components,
showing their relative values.
3. Return the bars to their original positions:

a.Right-click the top bar and click Roll to Top.
b.Right-click the bottom bar and click Roll to End.
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Changing the Sorting Property
You can change the property used to sort components.To change the sorting property:
1.Click the arrow to the right of Mass.
The flyout list contains some commonly used properties. You can also select from any other custom properties
already defined in the components, as demonstrated in the following steps.
2.Click More.
3.In the dialog box, in Properties, select Cost.
Cost appears in Column header.
4.Click OK.
Cost appears at the top of the property column, and the components are sorted from highest to lowest cost.
In the graphics area, the colors of the parts change accordingly.
Creating an Equation for Sorting

You can create equations involving custom properties that have been defined in the component files.
Some components are in the assembly multiple times. For example, there are five rubber feet on the bottom
of the base plate. Component rubber feet appears at the bottom of the list because it costs the least.
Now create and sort by an equation that calculates the extended cost for each part.
1.Click the arrow to the right of Cost.
2.Click More.

a.In Properties, select Cost.
b.In Column header, type Extended Cost.
c.Select Use Formula.
"Cost" appears in the equation box.
d.In the equation box, type *. 154
e.In Properties, select Quantity.
The equation defines extended cost as cost multiplied by quantity
4. Click OK.
Extended Cost appears at the top of the property column and the components are sorted from highest to
lowest extended cost. Component rubber feet moves up to the middle of the list. In the graphics area, the
colors of the parts adjust accordingly.
You can right-click in the header area and select Unit Precision to change the number of decimal places.
Editing the Value of a Property

You can add, edit, or remove values of properties directly from the Assembly Visualization list.
You cannot change calculated properties such as Volume, Mass, and Quantity.
The property MakeOrBuy has already been added to the components.Each component has a value of either
M or B.
1.Click the arrow to the right of Extended Cost and click More.
2.In the dialog box, in Properties, select MakeOrBuy.
3.Click OK.
MakeOrBuy appears at the top of the property column.
4.Click the column header to reverse the sorting order.
At the bottom of the list, note that rubber feet does not have a value for MakeOrBuy.
5.In the sorting property column, click-pause-click on the blank area for rubber feet.
6.Type B and press Enter.
The value for property MakeOrBuy is set to B for component rubber feet, and the component moves up with
the other B components.
The change is also applied in the component file rubber feet.sldprt.
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Visualizing Discrete Properties
can use a spectrum that steps from one distinct color to the next to help you visualize a property with discrete
values, such as MakeOrBuy. In this case, the blend of colors applied in the graphics area does not accurately
represent the fact that only two discrete values are possible.
1.Right-click one of the color sliders and click Group Identical.
The red, yellow, and blue sliders disappear, and are replaced by four new sliders. Two of the new sliders are
one color, and two are a contrasting color. In the graphics area, all the B parts are one color and all the M parts
are another.
The colors in your model might be different from those shown here. The colors are randomly assigned.
If rubber feet is still selected, it appears in a third color (the selection color). Click a blank region of the
graphics area to clear the selection and show rubber feet in its Assembly Visualization color.
To change the colors, you can right-click and click Group Identical again. To change to specific colors,
you can right click each slider and select Change Color.
The custom column data is saved so it will appear the next time you access Assembly Visualization in this
model.
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Saving the List as a Text File
You can save the list information in a separate file.
1.In the header area of the list, right-click and click Save As.
2.In the Save As dialog box:

a.For Save in, select My Documents.
b.For File name, type my_food_processor.
c.For Save as type, select Text(*.txt).
d.Select Parts only.
e.Click Save.
The list information is saved in a text file in a parts-only format.
Saving as a Display State

You can save the Assembly Visualization view as a display state.
1.Click the arrow to the right of MakeOrBuy and click Add Display
State.
2.At the top of the panel, click Exit Visualization .
The panel closes and its tab disappears. In the graphics area, the
model returns to its original coloring.

Now view the model in the new display state.
1.Click the ConfigurationManager tab at the top of the Manager Pane.
2.Under Display States, double-click Visualization Display State-1.

In the graphics area, the model is displayed in the colors from Assembly Visualization.
The display state is a snapshot of the assembly colors when you created the display state. If you change the
value of a component's MakeOrBuy property, The display state does not update. If you want an updated display
state, you need to return to Assembly Visualization and create a new one.
3.Under Display States, right-click Visualization Display State-1 and click Properties.

a.For Display State name, type Visualization - Make or Buy.
b.Click .
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Blocks to Assembly
Blocks to Assembly
1. Blocks
2. Basic – Four Bar Linkage
2.1.Sketching the Linkage
2.2. Making Blocks
2.3. Adding Relations
2.4. Testing the Linkage
3. Advanced – Crane
a. Creating, Editing, Inserting Blosks
Making Blocks-the Base
Editing Blocks
Inserting the Upper Arm
Moving and Renaming Blocks
Saving Blocks and Linking Files
b. Connecting Blocks
Inserting the Central Arm
Connecting the Arm and Base
Connecting the Arms
Testing the Arms
c.Advanced – Crane
d.Using Nested Blocks and Links
Inserting the Cylinder and Piston
Connecting the Cylinder and Piston
Making Nested Blocks
Scaling and Linking to File
Inserting a Second Piston Mechanism
4. Finishing The Layout Sketch
Exploding Blocks
Linking the First Piston Mechanism
Linking the First Piston
Linking the First Cylinder
Linking the Second Piston
Linking the Second Cylinder
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Blocks
Create blocks from single or multiple sketch entities. With blocks, you can quickly develop conceptual models of
mechanisms or linkages. These models ultimately include several parts that pivot, slide, or rotate.
The benefit of modeling mechanisms with layout sketches is the speed and flexibility with which designers can
experiment with design variations.
Blocks allow you to:

 Create layout sketches using a minimum number of dimensions and relations.
 Freeze a subset of entities in a sketch to manipulate them as a single entity.
 Manage complex sketches.
 Edit all instances of blocks simultaneously.
 Create assembly components from layout sketches.
The Blocks tutorial includes two lessons:
1.Open a new part, click Sketch (Sketch toolbar) and open a sketch on the Front plane.
2.Click Line (Sketch toolbar), and coincident with the origin, sketch a horizontal line to the right.
3.Click Smart Dimension (Dimensions/Relations toolbar), and dimension the line to 76.
Although dimensions are not required in this layout sketch, you add one dimension as a reference to
proportion the rest of the sketch. This allows you to insert another compatibly-sized block in the sketch.
Later, when you build the crane, you learn how to scale blocks.
4.Click Line (Sketch toolbar), and using inferences as you sketch, add three non-parallel and non-
perpendicular sketch entities.
As you drag the pointer, the line length updates dynamically.
5.Press Esc to clear the tool.

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Making Blocks
1.Click Make Block (Blocks toolbar).
2.Select the horizontal line for Block Entities, and in the PropertyManager click .
3.Click in the graphics area to clear the selection.
You have created a block. Note that:
• Block1-1 is displayed in the FeatureManager design tree under Sketch1.

•The geometry of the block in the graphics area is displayed in gray.
4.Repeat steps 1-3 with each line entity.
You can select each entity in any order.
•Four blocks, identified as Block1-1 through Block4-1, are displayed in the FeatureManager design tree
under Sketch1.
•The geometry in the graphics area for all blocks is displayed in gray.
Why did I make each entity a separate block?
Adding Relations
1.Right-click Sketch1 and select Edit Sketch .
3.In the graphics area, select the bottom left point.
4.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, click Fix .
5.In the graphics area, select the horizontal line.
6.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, click Horizontal , then click
7.Click Exit Sketch in the confirmation corner to close the sketch.
Why did I add these relations?
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Testing the Linkage
1.Select the end point on the right, and drag the Four Bar linkage.
2.Close or save the model.
Making Blocks-the Base

Create the crane base and make a block.
1.Open a new part and open a sketch on the Front plane.
2.Click Line (Sketch toolbar), and coincident with the origin, sketch
the figure using inference as you sketch to create the relations.
3.Click Smart Dimension (Dimensions/Relations toolbar), add dimensions to
fully define the sketch, and then click .
4.Click Make Block (Blocks toolbar).
5.Box-select the sketch entities for Block Entities.
6.Click and leave the sketch open.
The crane base is listed as Block1-1 in the FeatureManager design tree.
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Editing Blocks
Edit the block so new sketch entities are included in the block.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Block1-1, and select Edit Block.
2.Click Point (Sketch toolbar) and add two points to the crane base sketch.
3.Dimension the points as shown and then click .
4.Click the block confirmation corner to close the block.
This adds the points to Block1-1.
5.Click Add Relations (Dimensions/Relations toolbar).
6.In the graphics area, choose the bottom left point for Selected Entities.
7.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, select Fix .
8.In the graphics area, choose the horizontal base line for Selected Entities,
select Horizontal , and then click .
Inserting the Upper Arm
Insert the upper arm block.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Sketch1 and click Edit Sketch
2.Click Insert Block (Blocks toolbar).
3.In the PropertyManager, under Blocks to Insert:

a.Click Browse, go to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\blocks.
b.Select upper_arm.sldblk, and click Open.
4.Click to place the block in the graphics area, and then click .
Click once in the graphics area, and then click to insert a single instance of the block. Although you may
see a second image of the block as you move the cursor, only one instance of the block is inserted. You
can leave the upper arm anywhere in the graphics area, and position it later.
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Moving and Renaming Blocks
Move and rename blocks.

1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Block1-1, select Properties, type Crane Base for Name, then
click OK.
2.Repeat for upper_arm-1, but type Upper Arm for Name.
In the FeatureManager design tree, -1 is added to both blocks, to indicate they are the first instance of each
block in Sketch1.
3.With Upper Arm selected, drag the block to approximately the distance shown from Crane Base and click in
the graphics area to deselect.
You can select any sketch entity in a block to drag, rotate, and position an unconstrained block. If the block's
movement is restricted, it means a relation by inference exists between the Crane Base and the Upper Arm.
Delete any relation except the Fix and Horizontal relations applied earlier
Saving Blocks and Linking Files

Save Crane Base-1 and Upper Arm-1 as blocks.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Crane Base-1, and select Save Block.
2.In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the location where you want to save the block, type crane_base (the
.sldblk extension is added) and click Save.
3.In the graphics area, select any sketch entity on Upper Arm-1.
4.In the PropertyManager, under Definition, select Link to file and then click
.
When you select Link to File, changes made to the original file propagate to all instances of the block or
nested block. When linked to file, you cannot edit the block in the current document.
5.In the FeatureManager design tree, select Upper Arm-1.
6.Click Save Block (Blocks toolbar), and save as upper_arm.sldblk.
7.Click Save (Standard toolbar), and save as mycrane.sldprt.
Saving the model automatically rebuilds it.
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Inserting the Central Arm
Insert and scale the central arm.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, select Sketch1.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Blocks to Insert:

a.Click Browse, go to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\blocks, select central_arm.sldblk, and click
Open.
b.Under Parameters, type 6 for Block Scale .
You can insert blocks and modify the scale, enabling you to use the same block with multiple models.
4.Click to place the block in the graphics area, and then click .
5.Save the model.
Connecting the Arm and Base

Connect the base to the central arm using relations. This allows the arm to pivot.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Sketch1 and click Edit Sketch .
2.Select any sketch entity on Central Arm-1, drag the block adjacent to the left point in the base, and then
click .
3.Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar) and zoom in to the top of the base and the bottom of the central
arm.
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5. Select the point on the base, and the center point of the arc for Selected Entities.
If the pointer does not allow you to select the center of arc, use Zoom to Area to magnify the image.
6.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, select Coincident , and click .
Connecting the Arms

Connect the central arm to the upper arm.
1.Select any sketch entity on Upper Arm-1, drag the block close to Central Arm-1, and then click .
2.Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar), zoom in to the top of Central Arm-1and the point on Upper
Arm-1.
3.Press Esc to clear the view tool, select the point on Upper Arm-1, and drag it until it is coincident to the
center of arc from Central Arm-1.
A coincident relationship is added to the Upper Arm PropertyManager.
4.Click in the graphics area to close the PropertyManager and click Zoom to Fit (View toolbar).
5.Save the model.
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Testing the Arms
Test the motion of the blocks by moving the arms. The crane should look as follows:
1.With the model in the Edit Sketch mode and none of the blocks underneath selected, pick an entity on the
upper arm and pivot the crane arms by dragging.
2.Click in the graphics area to close the PropertyManager.
Inserting the Cylinder and Piston
Add a cylinder and a piston between the central and upper arms.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, select Sketch1.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Blocks to Insert, click Browse:

a.Go to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\blocks
b.Select cylinder.sldblk, and click Open.
c.Under Parameters, type 6 for Block Scale .
4. Click to place the block in the graphics area, and then click
5.steps 2-4 to add piston.sldblk.
If the piston is not displayed at approximately the same angle as the cylinder,
under Parameters, change the angle for Block Rotation , and then click .
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Connecting the Cylinder and Piston
Connect the cylinder and the piston to create a piston mechanism.
1.Edit the sketch by dragging the piston so that it fits into the cylinder, click , and then click in the graphics
area to clear the selection.
3.Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar).
4. In the graphics area, zoom in to the top of the piston:
 Press Esc to clear the zoom tool, and

select the construction line at the top
of the piston for Selected Entities.
 Zoom out and zoom back in to the

bottom of the cylinder.
 Press Esc, then select the construction
line for Selected Entities.
To select a sketch entity, you must clear Zoom to Area and some of the other tools on the View toolbar.
To clear a tool, press Esc or Enter, or select another tool in its place.
5.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, select Colinear , and then click
6.Click Zoom to Fit (Dimensions/Relations toolbar), and then click in the graphics area to clear the
selection.
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Making Nested Blocks
You can create nested blocks by creating and saving a block that includes multiple blocks. Use nested blocks to:
•Insert a single block as opposed to multiple blocks.

•Edit multiple blocks simultaneously.
•Shorten the list of blocks displayed in the FeatureManager design tree.
•Manage scale factor.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, press Ctrl and select cylinder-1 and piston-1.
2.Right-click and select Make Block.
In the PropertyManager, cylinder-1 and piston-1 are listed as Block Entities.
3.Click , and in the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Block2-1 and select Save Block.
4.In the Save As dialog box, type piston_mechanism (the .sldblk extension is added) and click Save.
6.Right-click Block2-1, select Properties, type Piston Mechanism for Name and click OK.
Piston Mechanism-1 is added to the FeatureManager design tree.
7.Save the model.
Scaling and Linking to File

Scale the piston mechanism and link it to the .sldblk file.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Sketch1 and click Edit Sketch .
2.Select Piston Mechanism-1.
3.In the graphics area, drag the piston mechanism so it is adjacent to the central arm.
Piston Mechanism-1 is too small relative to the rest of the model and needs scaling.

a.Under Definition, select Link to File.
b. Click Browse, navigate to the location where you saved piston_mechanism.sldblk,
select piston_mechanism.sldblk, and click Open.
c.Under Parameters, set Block Scale to 1.4.
d.Click .
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e.Click Rebuild (Standard toolbar).
Inserting a Second Piston Mechanism
Insert another instance of the nested block.
Since Piston Mechanism was linked to file during the scaling edit, the block you insert is sized correctly.
1.Select Sketch1 and click Insert Block (Blocks toolbar).
2.In the PropertyManager, under Open Blocks, select Piston Mechanism.
3.In the graphics area, click to place the block to the right of central arm, then click
.
A second instance of the nested block, Piston Mechanism-1, is added to the FeatureManager design
tree.
4.Save the model.
Exploding Blocks
Nested blocks prevent motion between sets of blocks below the top level. Explode dissolves blocks from any
sketch entity. To allow motion between the cylinder and the piston, explode the nested block.
•Blocks that belonged to the nested block remain blocks.

•Relations you created between sketch entities remain intact.
Why did I nest the block and then explode?
1.Expand Piston Mechanism-1, select Piston-1 and drag the block.

The nested block moves, but the piston does not slide in the cylinder.
2.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Piston Mechanism-1 and select Explode Block.
Piston Mechanism-1 > is removed and Piston-1 and Cylinder-1 are displayed.
3.Repeat with Piston Mechanism-2 >.
4.Select a piston and drag to verify it slides in the cylinder and the colinear relation is intact.
You can explode a block before or after you add relations between the blocks that belong to the
nested block.
169
Linking the First Piston
Link the first piston to the upper arm.
The piston mechanisms are no longer nested blocks. Each piston and its accompanying cylinder are
separate blocks with a relation.
1.Right-click Sketch1 and click Edit Sketch .
2.Drag Piston-1 adjacent to Upper Arm-1, and then click in the graphics area to clear selection.
4. Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar), zoom in to Piston-1.
5. Clear the view tool, and then select the centers of the arcs for Selected Entities.
6.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, select Coincident , then click
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Linking the First Cylinder
Link the first cylinder to the crane base.
1.Click Zoom to Fit (View toolbar), clear the view tool, and drag Cylinder-1.
Place the cylinder adjacent to Central_Arm-1, and then click in the graphics area to clear the selection.
2.Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar) and zoom in to the lower section of the Cylinder-1 and the left side of
Central_Arm-1.
4.Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar), zoom in to Piston-1.
5.Clear the view tool, and then select the centers of the arcs for Selected Entities.
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Linking the Second Piston
Link the second piston to the central arm.
2.Drag Piston-2 adjacent to Central_Arm-1, and then click in the graphics area to clear the selection.
3.Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar) and zoom in to Piston-2.
4.Clear the Zoom tool, click Add Relations (Dimensions/Relations toolbar), and select the centers of the
arcs for Selected Entities.
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Linking the Second Cylinder
Link the second cylinder to the crane base.
1.Click Zoom to Fit (View toolbar) and drag the bottom of Cylinder-2 adjacent to the second point in
the crane base.
2.Zoom in to the bottom of the cylinder, clear the Zoom tool, and click Add Relations
(Dimensions/Relations toolbar).
3.Select the center of the arc on the cylinder and the point on the base for selected entities.
4. Add a Coincident relation, and then click .
5.Click Zoom to Fit (View toolbar), select any sketch entity on the upper arm, and move the arm
up and down and back and forth.
6.Close the sketch and save the part.
173
Customizing Solidworks
Customization
Saving and Restoring Settings
Creating Custom Templates
Creating a Custom Part Template
Creating a Custom Part
Template Overview
Opening a Part Document
Setting Document Properties
Applying Material Properties
Setting Custom Properties
Saving the Part Template
Creating a Custom Drawing Template
Creating a Custom Drawing
Template Overview
Opening a Drawing
Document
Editing the Sheet Format
Editing the Sheet Format (continued)
Inserting Predefined Drawing Views
Saving the Drawing Template
174
Customization
User Interface
User Interface Overview
Task Pane
CommandManager
Toolbars
Menus
Keyboard Shortcuts
System Options
Color Options
User Work Flow
Saving Custom Settings
Saving Custom Settings Overview
Setting System Options
Saving System Options Settings
175
This tutorial helps you customize the SolidWorks environment.
Save your current settings before starting this lesson so you can restore the original settings later.
Lessons:
Creating custom templates. Customize templates to ensure that everyone uses the same standards, options,
etc.
Customizing the user interface. Customize the Task Pane, toolbars, menus, keyboard shortcuts, etc.
Saving custom settings. Create backups of your settings and share them among users.
Saving and Restoring Settings

You can only restore settings if you saved them prior to completing a lesson.
In this procedure, you are asked to close SolidWorks. When you do,
this tutorial closes as well. After you close SolidWorks, you can start it up again
and then open the tutorial to this page to continue with these instructions.
To save or restore settings before changing them for the tutorial:
1.Close the SolidWorks software.
2.Click Start, Programs, SolidWorks <version>, SolidWorks Tools, Copy Settings Wizard .
3.Follow the instructions in the wizard.
176
In this lesson, you create templates that allow everyone to use the same settings (standards, options, etc.).
Choose from:
• Part template
• Drawing template
Creating a Custom Part Template Overview

In this lesson, you create a part template that allows everyone to use the same settings (standards, options,
etc.).
177
Opening a Part Document
To create a part template, first open a new part.
2.In the dialog box, click Part.
3.Click OK.

The Options dialog box contains System Options and Document Properties. Document properties apply
to the active document and to document templates rather than to the software environment.
There are several document properties that you can set to customize a template. This topic introduces you to
a subset of these properties. You can set additional document properties during this lesson if you find ones
that are suitable to your needs.
For system options, which are remembered through multiple sessions and releases of the software, see
the User Interface lesson.
2.Select the Document Properties tab.
3.On the left pane, select Dimensions.

4. On the right pane, select Dual dimensions display.
5. On the right pane, under Primary Precision, select

.123 (three decimal places) in Unit Precision.
6. On the left pane, select Annotations, Balloons.
7. On the right pane, under Single balloon, select Triangle in Style.
8. Click OK.
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Applying Material Properties
Next, apply material properties to the template so it creates steel parts.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Material <not specified> and select Edit Material.
2.In the dialog box, under SolidWorks Materials:

a.Expand Steel.
b.Select Cast Stainless Steel.
3.Click Apply and Close.
The material in the FeatureManager design tree updates to Cast Stainless Steel .
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Setting Custom Properties
When custom properties (also known as metadata) are pre-defined in a template, you do not need to define them for
each document.
1.Click File, Properties.
2.On the Custom tab:
a) In row 1, select CompanyName in Property Name.
b) Type SolidWorks in Value / Text Expression.
c) Press Enter.
d) In row 2, select PartNo in Property Name.
e) Type a dash (-) in Value / Text Expression.
The dash indicates a placeholder for users to replace with relevant information.
f.Press Enter.
g.In row 3, select Material in Property Name.
h.Select Material in Value / Text Expression.
The Value / Text Expression changes to "SW-Material@Part1.SLDPRT" and the Evaluated Value indicates
Cast Stainless Steel, which is linked to the material you applied earlier.
i.In row 4, type Lifecycle in Property Name.

j.Type Development in Value / Text Expression.
k.Click OK.
The metadata that you defined can be used as:

• Search criteria in Microsoft® Windows® Explorer or in downstream applications such as SolidWorks®
Workgroup PDM.
• Information in a drawing sheet format.
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Saving the Part Template
Finally, you save the part document as a template.

a.Select Part Templates (*.prtdot) in Save as type.
If you want multiple users to have access to this template, browse to a shared network location. All
computers must have file locations set up to access the template
.
b.Type steel part for File name.
c.Click Save.
4.In the dialog box, click Advanced if you are in novice mode.
The Templates tab shows the template, steel part. You can use this template for building parts in the future.
Congratulations! You have finished this lesson.
If you saved your original settings before completing this lesson, you can restore the settings with the
Copy Settings Wizard.
Creating a Custom Drawing Template Overview
In this lesson, you create a drawing template that allows everyone to use the same settings (standards,
options, etc.).
181
Opening a Drawing Document
To create a drawing template, open a new drawing.
To complete this tutorial, you must use the drawing tutorial template .
2.In the Advanced version of the dialog box, on the Tutorial tab, click draw.
You are in the Advanced version of the dialog box if the button in the lower left corner of the dialog box
says Novice.
3.Click OK.
4.If necessary, in the PropertyManager, click because you do not want to insert a view into the drawing.

Sheet formats ensure that drawings have a uniform format. In this procedure, insert a company name and
address in the sheet format.
1.Right-click in the drawing sheet and select Edit Sheet Format.
2.Use Zoom to Area (View toolbar) to zoom to the title block and then press Esc.
3.Move the pointer over the text, <COMPANY NAME>. When the pointer changes to ,double-click
the note.
4.Type SolidWorks Corp. (or your company name), then click
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5. Click Note (Annotation toolbar).
6. Click below the company name to place a text box.
7. Type the following address, (or your company address):
300 Baker Ave.

Concord, MA 01742
8.Using tools on the Formatting pop-up toolbar, customize the text

(font, size, etc.).
Because the text may extend off the screen, press CTRL+A to
select all of the text.
9.Click

Now you add text that is linked to custom properties.
2.Under the address, click to place the text box.
3.Type Author:
4.In the PropertyManager, under Text Format, click Link to Property .
5.In the dialog box, select SW-Author from the list, then click OK.
When you set the author as a custom property in the drawing document, the name will appear in the title block
when you use this template. If you want to use the author specified in the part or assembly document, select
Model in view specified in sheet properties.
6.Press Enter.
7.Type Date:
8. Click Link to Property .
9. In the dialog box, select SW-Long Date from the list, then click
OK.
10.Using tools on the Formatting pop-up toolbar, customize the text

(font, size, etc.).
Because the text may extend off the screen, press CTRL+A to
select all of the text.
11.Click .
Today's date appears in the title block.

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12.Right-click the sheet and select Edit Sheet to finish editing the
sheet.
Inserting Predefined Drawing Views
If you have predefined drawing views in a drawing template, they are pre-populated when you click Make
Drawing from Part/Assembly in a model.
1.Click Predefined View (Drawing toolbar).
2.Click to place the drawing view as shown.
In the PropertyManager, under Orientation,* Front is selected. When you insert a model into this view,
a front view will appear.
3.Click .
4.Repeat step 1 and click to place the drawing view as shown.
5.In the PropertyManager, under Orientation, click *Top .When you insert a model into this view, a top
view will appear.
6.Click
7.Insert another predefined view, and click to place the view as shown.
8.In the PropertyManager, under Orientation, click *Right . When you insert a model into this view, a right
view will appear.
9.Click . 184
The Options dialog box contains System Options and Document Properties. Document properties apply
to the active document and to document templates rather than to the software environment.
There are several document properties that you can set to customize a template. This topic introduces you
to a subset of these properties. You can set additional document properties during this lesson if you find ones
that are suitable to your needs.
For system options, which are remembered through multiple sessions and releases of the software, see
the User Interface lesson.
2.Select the Document Properties tab.
3.On the left pane, select Drafting Standard.
4.On the right pane, select ISO in Overall drafting standard.
5.On the left pane, select Units.
6.On the right pane, under Unit system, select MMGS (millimeter, gram, second).
7.Click OK.
Saving the Drawing Template

Finally, you save the drawing document as a template.
a.Select Drawing Templates (*.drwdot) in Save as type.
If you want multiple users to have access to this template, browse to a shared network location. All
computers must have file locations set up to access the template.
c.Type ISO drawing for File name.

d.Click Save.
4.In the dialog box, click Advanced if you are in novice mode.
The Templates tab shows the template, ISO drawing. You can use this template for future drawings.
If you saved your original settings before completing this lesson, you can restore the settings with the
Copy Settings Wizard.
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User Interface Overview
You can customize the SolidWorks user interface. The software remembers your choices through multiple
sessions and releases.
In this lesson, you learn how to customize the Task Pane, toolbars, menus, keyboard shortcuts, and other
elements of the user interface.
Task Pane
The Task Pane is at the right of the window when you first open the software. You can collapse, pin, float,
and hide the Task Pane.
A closer look at the Task Pane
You can adjust the Task Pane in several ways:
•To adjust the size of the Task Pane, drag it from the left.
•To prevent the Task Pane from collapsing, click to pin it open.
The pin changes to . You can still float and hide the Task Pane when it is pinned.
•To float the Task Pane, double-click or drag the title bar.
The tabs and controls are now at the top.
•To dock the Task Pane again, drag it back to the border or double-click the header.
•To collapse the Task Pane so that only its tabs are visible, click to the left of the Task Pane tabs.
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CommandManager
You can add toolbars to the CommandManager, float it, and hide descriptions.
A closer look at the CommandManager
1.Click New (Standard toolbar), select Part, then click OK.
The CommandManager is above the graphics area, with Features selected in the control area.
2.In the CommandManager, select Sketch in the control area.
3.To add a toolbar, right-click in the CommandManager and select Customize.
4.In the dialog box, on the Commands tab, in Categories, select Flyout Toolbars.
5.Under Buttons, drag Curves next to the Sketch on the CommandManager, then click OK.
The Curves toolbar appears on the Sketch toolbar in the CommandManager.
6.To toggle visibility of the descriptions of the toolbars and tools, right-click in the CommandManager
and select Use Large Buttons with Text.
You can also toggle the CommandManager visibility. Right-click in the window border and select
CommandManager.
Toolbars
You can customize display of toolbars and their tools. The visibility of toolbars is based on the document type
(part, assembly, drawing, or none). You can add flyout toolbars and tools, and move and remove tools to
make the tools you use frequently more readily available.
The Standard and View toolbars and the CommandManager are visible in the new part document you opened.
Another useful toolbar is Standard Views.
1.Right-click in the window border and select Standard Views .
2.Right-click in the window border and select Customize.
3.On the Commands tab, select Flyout Toolbars in Categories, then drag Tools onto the far right of
the Standard Views toolbar.
4.Select Explode Sketch in Categories, then drag Jog Line onto the same toolbar to the left of Tools .
5.With the Customize dialog box still open, on the toolbar, drag Isometric into a position second from the left.
6.Drag Trimetric from the toolbar into the graphics area to remove it from the toolbar. The pointer
changes to as you drag the tool off the toolbar.
7.Click OK.
8.Drag the toolbar into the graphics area to float it.

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9.Double-click the floating toolbar to dock it.
Menus
You can hide or show items on main menus and shortcut menus. Hide and show items on the Edit menu.
1.Click Edit, Customize Menu.
2.Clear Bend Table and select Object .
3.Click outside the menu or press Enter to save the changes.
4.Click Edit to see the changes.
Shortcut menus display a short version and, by clicking , a long version. Customizing a shortcut menu
determines which items appear on the short version.
Show a hidden item on a shortcut menu.
1.Right-click in the graphics area, click , and select Customize Menu.
2.Select Open Drawing , then click outside the menu.
3.Right-click to see Open Drawing on the shortcut menu.
Keyboard Shortcuts
You can add, delete, and edit keyboard shortcuts.
A closer look at shortcut keys
Add a keyboard shortcut.
2.On the Keyboard tab:
a.Select Tools in Category.

b.Select Rectangle in Command.
3.Click in the Shortcut(s) field and press a lowercase t; it will be capitalized automatically .
Letters are shown only in uppercase; for example, Shift+Z. A message informs you if a key is already
assigned to another command.
4.Click OK.
Use the new keyboard shortcut.
1.Click Sketch (Sketch toolbar) and select the Front plane.
2.Press t.
The Rectangle PropertyManager appears and the pointer changes to .

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3.Close the sketch
System Options
The Options dialog box contains System Options and Document Properties. System options apply to the
software environment rather than to specific documents.
For Document Properties, which apply only to the active document and are often saved in document
templates, see the Creating a Custom Part Template lesson. Set file locations.
2.On the System Options tab, select File Locations.
3.Select Sheet Formats in Show folders for.
4.Click Add.
5.Browse to My Documents, click Make New Folder, type Sheet Formats, then click OK.
6.If a prompt asks whether to change the search paths, click Yes.
7.Under Folders, select the new entry and click Move Up.
The application searches the folders in list order.
Click Reset to restore factory defaults for all system options or only for options on this page. Added file
locations are deleted from the list; however, folders are not deleted from the computer.
Set the backup folder.
1.On the System Options tab, select Backup/Recover.
2.Under Backup, select Number of backup copies per document.
3.Select Backup folder.
4.Click , browse to My Documents, click Make New Folder, type Backups, then click OK.
A closer look at Auto Recover and Backups
5.Click OK.
6.If a prompt asks whether to change the search paths, click Yes.
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Color Options
Color options are another category of system options. In this topic, you specify the background color for the
graphics area and a color for the sketch grid.
1.With a part open, click Options (Standard toolbar).
2.On the System Options tab, select Colors.
3.Select Viewport Background in Color scheme settings, then click Edit.
4.In the Color dialog box, under Basic colors, select white , then click OK.
5.Under Background appearance, select Plain (Viewport Background color above).
The Viewport Background color applies when Plain is selected. Top Gradient Color and Bottom
Gradient Color apply when Gradient (Top/Bottom Gradient colors above) is selected.
6.Select Grid Lines, Minor, click Edit, select red , then click OK.
7.Click Save As Scheme, type White Background for New scheme name, and click OK.
8.On the Document Properties tab, select Grid/Snap.
9.Select Display grid, then click OK.
The background is white.
10.Click Sketch (Sketch toolbar), select the Front plane to view the grid lines,
then close the sketch.
User Work Flow

You can customize the visibility of toolbars and menus based on an area of expertise. You can select
Consumer Product Design, Machine Design, Mold Design, or any combination. For each selection:
•Toolbars are added to the CommandManager

•Menu items are hidden on the Insert and Tools menus
You can customize the CommandManager and menus manually to achieve the same or similar results.
2.On the Options tab, select Machine design, then click OK.
The Sheet Metal and Weldments toolbars are added to the CommandManager because they apply to Machine
Design.
4.Click Insert, Customize Menu.
5.To show the hidden menu item, select Molds, then click outside the menu.
6.Click Insert to see the menu item.
If you saved your original settings before starting this lesson, you can restore the settings 190
with the Copy Settings Wizard.
Saving Custom Settings Overview
In this lesson, you use the Copy Settings Wizard to save user interface settings and system options for
backups or for sharing with others.
Setting System Options

There are several system options that you can set to customize the SolidWorks environment. This topic
introduces you to a subset of these options. You can set additional system options during this lesson if
you find ones that are suitable to your needs.
On the System Options tab, select the following options from the left and right panes (or confirm that they
are already selected):
2.Click OK.
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Saving System Options Settings
Use the Copy Settings Wizard to save settings to two different files.
Why do I need two separate files?
In this procedure, you are asked to close SolidWorks. When you do, this tutorial closes as well.
After you close SolidWorks, you can start it up again and then open the tutorial to this page to
continue with these instructions.
1.Close the software to save the options you changed.
2.In Windows®, click Start, All Programs, SolidWorks <version>,
SolidWorks Tools, Copy Settings Wizard .
3.Follow the instructions in the wizard.
4.In the Save Settings to File dialog box:

a.Type swSettings_Options.sldreg for the file name.
b.Select System options.
c.Clear all other options.
d.Click Finish.
1.Open the Copy Settings Wizard again.
2.In the Save Settings to File dialog box:
a.Type swSettings_UI.sldreg for the file name.

b.Select Keyboard shortcuts, Menu customization, and Toolbar layout.
c.Clear System options.
d.Click Finish.
If you saved your original settings before completing this lesson, you can restore the settings with
the Copy Settings Wizard.
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Design Checker
Design Checker
SolidWorks Design Checker Overview
Building the Design Requirements
Checking a Document
Fixing the Document
SolidWorks Design Checker Overview

SolidWorks Design Checker is an add-in that verifies design elements such as dimensioning standards, fonts,
materials, and sketches to ensure that a SolidWorks document meets pre-defined design criteria. You set
the requirements for evaluation, then SolidWorks Design Checker assesses the document.
In this tutorial, you use the following tools:
•Build Checks. Sets the requirements for evaluation.

•Check Active Document. Evaluates a drawing.
To enable SolidWorks Design Checker:
1.Click Tools, Add-Ins.
2.Select SolidWorks Design Checker, then click OK.
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Building the Design Requirements
First, set the requirements to evaluate the document.
1.Click Tools, Design Checker, Build Checks.
Close the welcome page if it appears and reduce the size of the SolidWorks Design Checker window .
2.Click File, New, then, on the Document Checks tab:
a.Click Dimensioning Standard .
b.Select ISO.
The document to be evaluated will be checked to ensure that the Overall drafting standard in Tools,
Options, Document Properties, Drafting Standard is set to ISO.
c.Click Units Setting .
d.Under Unit system, select MMGS (millimeter, gram, second).
The document to be evaluated will be checked to ensure that the units in Tools, Options, Document
Properties, Units is set to MMGS (millimeter, gram, second). The document is only evaluated to
determine the units used in Tools, Options, Document Properties, Units. This check ignores dimensions
in the graphics area that override the document properties units.
3.On the Dimension Checks tab, click Units Setting .
4.Select Use document's settings.
The document to be evaluated will be checked throughout the graphics area to ensure that the units are the
same as those defined in Tools, Options, Document Properties, Units. This check differs from the
Document Check Unit Setting because that check ensures that the units at the document level are
compliant, whereas this check looks at the units at the graphics area level.
5.On the Drawing Document Checks tab, click Standard Template .
6.Click Add and browse to \ProgramData\SolidWorks\install_dir\lang\ language_install_dir\sheetformat.
The above file path is valid for the Windows 7 operating system. To check the location of the
sheet format templates, click Tool, Options, System Options, File Locations. In Show folders for,
select Sheet Formats.
5.Select file c- Landscape.sldprt in Sheet size.
6.In Type of projection, select Third angle.
Design Checker ensures that each sheet uses the c - Landscape format with third angle projection.
7.Save the file as tutorial.swstd.
8.Close the Design Checker window.
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Checking a Document
Now that you have created a requirements file, you can run the file against a SolidWorks document to see if
the document meets your requirements.
1.In the SolidWorks window, click here: to open FoodProcessor.slddrw (or browse to
<install_dir>\samples\tutorial\advdrawings\FoodProcessor.slddrw).
2.Click Tools, Design Checker, Check Active Document.
3.On the Design Checker tab in the Task Pane, click Add Standards , browse to tutorial.swstd, then
click Open.
4.Select tutorial in Standard files and clear all other selected standard files.
This option lets you check your model using one or more *.swstd files. Make sure that only tutorial is
selected for a standard file.
5.Click Check Document.
The Design Checker runs the requirements file against the drawing and reports only the failed tests.
Failed Checks are organized by criticality level: Critical, High, Medium, and Low. Because you did not
assign any criticality levels to the checks, all are set to the default, High.
6.Expand each check and select the failed entity to see the failing parameters and values:
•Dimension's Units Setting Check. This check failed because two dimensions do not use the document's
settings.
•Drawing Document's Standard Template Check. This check failed because:
a.Sheet4 uses A3 - Landscape instead of c - Landscape.
b.Sheet1, Sheet2, and Sheet3 do not reference the c - Landscape format from the correct directory path.
Fixing the Document

Now that you have identified the failed checks, use the Auto Correct All tool to update the drawing so it passes
the requirements.
1.In the Design Checker task pane, click Auto Correct All.
Auto Correct All corrects all failed checks for which Design Checker supports autocorrection and triggers
revalidation of the document.
2.Select the remaining failed checks from the tree under
Drawing Document's Standard Template Check, and click Correct Selected.
3.Click Recheck Document to revalidate the document. The drawing is now per standard.
4.Click Close All or Save Report to create a report.
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Design Tables
Design Tables
Design Tables
Renaming Features
Displaying Dimensions
Renaming Dimensions
Verifying Relations
Verifying Relations (continued)
Inserting a New Design Table
Inserting a New Design Table (continued)
Viewing the Configurations
Editing the Design Table
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Design Tables
In this lesson you use a design table to create several variations of a part.
If you have completed the lessons on basic parts, assemblies, and drawings, you have already created the sample part.
If not, you can find the sample part in the sample folder <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\designtables.
To use a design table, you must have Microsoft Excel on your computer.
• This lesson demonstrates the following:

Renaming features and dimensions
• Displaying feature dimensions
• Defining and verifying geometric relations
• Creating a design table
• Displaying part configurations
• Editing a design table
Renaming Features
It is a good practice to give meaningful names to the features in your parts, especially when you plan to use
a design table. This eliminates confusion in complex parts, and helps other people who use the parts later.
1.Click here or open <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\designtables\tutor1.sldprt.
2.Click-pause-click on Extrude1 in the FeatureManager design tree (do not double-click).
You can also select features in the FeatureManager design tree, then press F2 to rename them.
3.Type the new name, Box, and press Enter.
Feature names cannot contain the @ character.
4.Rename these other features:
5. Save the part as tutor3.sldprt.
To give descriptive names to features as you create them, click Tools > Options. Under System Options, select
FeatureManager, then select Name feature on creation. Each time you create a new feature, the name of the new
feature in the FeatureManager design tree is automatically highlighted, and ready for you to type a new name.
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Displaying Dimensions
You can display or hide all the dimensions for all the features of the part. Then you can turn the display of
dimensions on and off, either individually, or on a feature-by-feature basis.
1.Right-click the Annotations folder in the FeatureManager design tree, and select Show Feature
Dimensions.
All the dimensions for the part appear. Notice that the dimensions that are part of a feature’s definition
(such as the depth of an extruded feature) are blue.
If you cannot see the dimensions, click Rebuild (Standard toolbar). You may need to move the
dimensions to see them clearly
2.Right-click the Fillet2 feature, and select Hide All Dimensions. Do the same for the Fillet3 and Shell1
features.
All the dimensions for these features are hidden.
3.Right-click one of the 60mm dimensions, and select Hide.

This individual dimension is hidden. It belongs to the Knob feature.
To restore hidden dimensions, right-click the feature in the FeatureManager design tree whose dimensions
are either partially or completely hidden, and select Show All Dimensions.
4.If the Dimension PropertyManager is open, click to close it.
5.Click View > Dimension Names.
The dimension names appear below the values in the model. Dimension names appear with default names.
You can rename dimensions, similar to renaming features. You will rename dimensions later in this lesson.
Renaming Dimensions
You can change individual dimension names. Renaming dimensions is especially useful when you plan to use
a design table. You use the dimension names to identify the elements you plan to change, and as headings in
the design table worksheet.
1.Click the Knob diameter dimension (70) in the graphics area.
2.In the Dimension PropertyManager, under Primary Value,

replace the text with knob_dia.
3.Click .
The name appears as dimension text in the graphics area.
4.Rename the following:
5. Click to close the Dimension PropertyManager, and

press Ctrl + S to save the part .
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Verifying Relations
Before you proceed, you should define some geometric relations that ensure that the knob is positioned correctly
with respect to the center of the box, regardless of the size. Relations add to the integrity of the design, and they
are often the most effective way to convey the design intent accurately.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Knob and select Edit Sketch .
The front of the model now faces towards you.
3.Delete the dimensions (60) between the circle and the sides of the box so the circle feature location is no
4.longer fixed. (Select the dimension and press Delete.)
4.Select the center point of the circle, and drag the circle to one side.
5.Click Centerline (Sketch toolbar) and sketch a diagonal centerline as shown to use for positioning the
circle. Press Esc to exit the Centerline tool.

Now add a midpoint relation between the centerline and the center point of the circle.
1.Click Add Relation (Sketch toolbar).
2.Select the centerline and the center point of the circle.
Line3 and Point2 appear under Selected Entities in the PropertyManager.
3.Under Add Relations, click Midpoint
The circle turns black, indicating the sketch is now fully defined.
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4. Click .
Now verify the relations in this sketch. You display sketch relations to see a list of the relations in the sketch.
The Display/Delete Relations PropertyManager lists all the relations in the current sketch, including both
relations that are added automatically as you sketch and relations that you add manually. You control the
type of relation you want to see with the Filter option.
1.Click Display/Delete Relations (Sketch toolbar).
2.In the PropertyManager, under Relations, select All in this sketch in Filter.
If you move the pointer over a box or an icon in the PropertyManager, a tooltip appears with the name of
the box or icon.
3.Click each relation in the Relations box.
The entities are highlighted in the graphics area. More information about each relation is shown under Entities.
4.Click .
5.Click Exit Sketch .
6.Save the part.
Inserting a New Design Table
If you have Microsoft Excel on your computer, you can use it to embed a new design table directly in the
document. A design table allows you to build several different configurations of a part by applying the values
in the table to the dimensions of the part.
First you prepare to insert the design table.
2.Right-click the Annotations folder in the FeatureManager design tree, and select Details.
3.In the Annotation Properties dialog box:

•Clear Always display text at the same size.
•Set Text scale to 1:1.
•Click OK.
Text now scales when you zoom in the graphics area.
4.Press Z to zoom out or Shift+Z to zoom in so you can see all of the part’s
dimensions in the graphics area. Use Pan , if necessary, to move the part to the lower-right corner of
the window.
To pan, you can also hold down Ctrl and press the arrow keys.
5.Click Select to release any active View tool.
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Now you are ready to insert a new design table.
If you accidentally click outside the worksheet before entering all the values, the worksheet closes.
To re-open it, click the ConfigurationManager tab at
the top of the FeatureManager design tree, expand Tables , right-click Design Table , and select Edit
Table.
1.Click Insert > Tables > Design Table.

•Under Source, select Blank to insert a blank design table.
•Under Edit Control, select Block model edits that would update the design table so you are not
allowed to change the model if these changes would update the design table.
•Under Options, clear New parameters and New configurations so that any changes you make to
the model do not update the design table.
3.Click .
An Excel worksheet appears in the part document window. Excel toolbars replace the SolidWorks toolbars. By
default, the third row (cell A3) is named First Instance, and column header cell B2 is active.
4.Double-click the box_width dimension value (120) in the graphics area.
Notice that the pointer changes to when it is over a dimension value, and a tooltip with the dimension name
appears briefly.
The dimension name is inserted in cell B2 and the dimension value is inserted in cell B3. The adjacent column
header cell, C2, is activated automatically.
To uncover dimensions hidden by the design table, point at the Excel worksheet’s outer dashed border and
drag the worksheet to another location in the graphics area. To resize the worksheet, drag the handles at the
corners or sides.

1. Double-click each dimension value in the graphics area, in the order shown in the list below, to insert the remaining
dimension names and values into the worksheet.
If you see $STATE@ followed by a feature name in a column header cell, you selected a face instead of a dimension
value in the graphics area. To replace a feature name with a dimension name, click the cell in the worksheet, then
double-click the correct dimension value in the graphics area.The worksheet should now match the images below.
2. Name the rows (cells A4:A6) blk2, blk3, and blk4. These are
the names of the new configurations that you will create. 201
1. Type the dimension values for blk2, blk3, and blk4, as shown below, into the worksheet.
The worksheet should now match the images below.
2. Click anywhere outside the worksheet in the graphics area. The worksheet closes. A message box appears, listing the new
configurations that the design table created.
3. Click OK to close the message box. The design table is embedded and saved in the part document.
4. Save the part. If a message box asks if you want to rebuild the part, click Yes.
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Viewing the Configurations
Now look at each of the configurations generated by the table.
1.Right-click the Annotations folder in the FeatureManager design tree, and click to clear the check
mark next to Show Feature Dimensions. This hides all the dimensions.
2.Click the ConfigurationManager tab at the top of the FeatureManager design tree. The list of
configurations appears.
3. Double-click the names of each configuration.
As you display each of the configurations, the part rebuilds using the dimensions
for the selected configuration.
Editing the Design Table

Now make changes to the design table.
1.In the ConfigurationManager tab, expand Tables
2.Right-click Design Table , and select Edit Table. The design table opens in the SolidWorks document.
To facilitate viewing the table, you can press F9 or click to toggle the visibility of the FeatureManager
design tree area.
3.Make the desired changes.
4.To close the design table, click anywhere in the graphics area outside the design table.
The configurations update to reflect the changes.
When using design tables or any other OLE object, you may need to click Zoom to Fit when returning
to the SolidWorks window.
To delete the design table, right-click Design Table and select Delete. In the dialog box, click Yes to delete
the design table, or No to retain it.
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DimXpert Tutorial
DimXpert Tutorial
DimXpert Tutorial Overview
Auto Dimensioning a Prismatic Part
Creating a Drawing from the Part
Auto Dimensioning a Turned Part
Combining Dimension Schemes
DimXpert Tutorial Overview

DimXpert for parts helps you prepare models for conversion to drawings or for use in TolAnalyst. DimXpert works by
inserting dimensions and tolerances, automatically or manually, in manufacturing features such as holes and slots.
Use DimXpert to:
• Prepare a model for conversion to a manufacturing drawing to ensure that the part will be built correctly.
• Prepare several parts for the TolAnalyst add-in. TolAnalyst automatically recognizes tolerances and dimensions
• created in DimXpert.
In this tutorial, you learn how to:
• Automatically dimension a prismatic part using plus-minus tolerancing.
• Create a drawing from the dimensioned part.
• Automatically dimension a turned part using geometric tolerancing.
• Use manual and automatic dimensioning to prepare a part for TolAnalyst.
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Auto Dimensioning a Prismatic Part
In this section, you create an automatic dimension scheme to fully define a part.
Open the sample part, Bracket_Auto_PlusMinus.sldprt, to complete this section.
•Click here , or in install_dir\samples\tutorial\DimXpert, open Bracket_Auto_PlusMinus.sldprt.
Creating a Drawing from the Part

You can quickly generate a drawing from the dimensioned part:
1.With the dimensioned part open, click File > Make Drawing from Part.
2.In the FeatureManager Design Tree, right-click Sheet1 and click Properties.
3.On the Sheet Properties dialog box:
a.Set Scale to 2 : 1.
b.Under Type of projection, select Third angle.
c.Under Sheet Format/Size, select Standard Sheet Size, clear Only show standard format, and then
select C (ANSI) Landscape.
d.Click OK.
4.On the Task Pane, on the View Palette , under Options, select:
•Import Annotations
•DimXpert Annotations
•Auto-start projected view
Create the drawing:
a.Drag the Front view from the Task Pane to the lower left corner of
the drawing sheet .
b.Move the cursor to the Front view, move the cursor up, and then click to place
the Top view.
c.Move the cursor to the Front view, move the cursor right, and then click to place
the Right view.
d.Move the cursor to the Front view, move the cursor up and to the right, and then 205
click to place the Isometric view.
e.Click
Auto Dimensioning a Turned Part
In this section, you create an automatic dimension and tolerance scheme for a
turned part.
Open the sample part, Coupling_Auto_Geo.sldprt, to complete this section.
•Click here , or in install_dir\samples\tutorial\DimXpert,

open Coupling_Auto_Geo.sldprt.
Combining Dimension Schemes

In this section, you use a combined automatic and manual scheme to fully define a part. When you have finished, the part
will be ready for use in TolAnalyst.
Open the sample part, Bracket_Auto_Manual.sldprt, to complete this section.
•Click here , or in install_dir\samples\tutorial\DimXpert, open Bracket_Auto_Manual.sldprt.
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DriveWorksXpress
DriveWorksXpress
DriveWorksXpress
Creating a Working Directory
Creating a Database
Capturing Model Information
Selecting Beam Length
Selecting Beam Height
Selecting Leg Height
Selecting Leg Overlap
Selecting Leg Inner Diagonal
Selecting Custom Properties
Selecting Drawings to Generate
Enabling Configurations
Creating a Form: Safe Working Load
Creating a Form: Opening Height
Creating a Form: Opening Width
DriveWorksXpress Rules
File Name Rule: Adding the Project Number to the Model File Name
File Name Rule: Adding to the Universal Beam File Name
File Name Rule: Adding to the Leg Part File Name
Creating a Configurations Rule
Creating Custom Property Rules
Creating Height Dimension Rules
Creating an Overlap Dimension Rule
Creating a Feature Rule
Generating Model Variations
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DriveWorksXpress
Use DriveWorksXpress to set up base models from which you can generate custom versions of models and drawings.
Do the design work only once: identify the key variables and their interrelationships and design a form to collect the
required data. You specify the characteristics of the new model, and the variation is generated automatically.
1. In this tutorial you:

Set up a DriveWorksXpress project for a pre-designed model on your local hard drive:
o Create a working directory for the DriveWorksXpress model and database.

o Select parameters and features whose values are specified in the model variations.
o Create a data entry form that takes parameter values as inputs.
o Define rules that specify how the model varies with parameter values.
2. Enter parameter values and run DriveWorksXpress to generate new models and drawings.
Creating a Working Directory

First, you create a local directory on your computer where model variation files are stored.
1. Create a folder called DriveWorksXpressTutorial on your local drive.

2. Copy the files in <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\driveworksxpress to DriveWorksXpressTutorial.
3. Open Mobile Gantry.sldasm in the DriveWorksXpressTutorial folder.
The gantry appears.
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Creating a Database
Next, you create the database file used by the DriveWorksXpress software to store model variation information.
1.Click Tools > DriveWorksXpress .

The DriveWorksXpress task pane appears.
2.Select Create/Change Database and click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar).
3.In the Open dialog box:

a.Browse to the DriveWorksXpressTutorial folder.
b.For File name, type Gantry Database.
c.Click Open.
A new database called Gantry Database.mdb is created in the DriveWorksXpressTutorial folder.
Capturing Model Information

Next, you identify information in the original model that will drive model variations.
1.In the DriveWorksXpress task pane, select Add Models and click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar).
If you have already created a database and added a model, this option is Add/Edit Models.
2.Select Use current open model and click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar). The Captured Models tab
appears, displaying a tree view of the open model.
3.Click Captured Assembly Structure .
4.Select universal beam and leg in the tree.
5. Click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar).
6. Click Capture (DriveWorksXpress toolbar), to display the Captured Assembly Structure tab.
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Selecting Beam Length
Next, you select the beam length and height to control the gantry width and
height in the model variations.
1.Double-click universal beam in the DriveWorksXpress tree to open the part.
2. Click Dimensions and Features .
If the Dimensions and Features tab is not visible, click Drawings and
Configurations , and then click Dimensions and
Features .
3. In the FeatureManager design tree, double-click Right End. The beam

length dimension appears.
4. Click the beam length dimension 1800 in the graphics area. The DriveWorksXpress software enters D1@Right
End@universal beam.Part for Address.
Do not close the Dimension PropertyManager that appears.
5. In the DriveWorksXpress task pane, for Name, type Beam Length, and click Add. The beam length is listed under
Dimensions.
If Name is unavailable, select the dimension line and not the dimension value.
Selecting Beam Height

Next, you select the beam height dimension to control the beam height in the model variations.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, double-click Base-Extrude.
2.Click the beam height dimension 203 in the graphics area. The DriveWorksXPress software enters
D1@Sketch1@universal beam.Part for Address.
Do not close the Dimension PropertyManager that appears.
3.In the DriveWorksXpress task pane, for Name, type Beam Height, and click Add. The beam height is listed
under Dimensions.
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Selecting Leg Height
Next, you select the leg height dimension to control the gantry height in the model variations.
1.Click Captured Models , and double-click leg to open the model.
2.Click Dimensions and Features .
3.Double-click the Lower Layout sketch in the SolidWorks FeatureManager to display the leg height and
minimum overlap dimensions.
4. Click the leg height dimension 3000.
The DriveWorksXpress software enters D2@Lower Layout@Leg.Part for Address.
5. In the DriveWorksXpress task pane, for Name, type Leg Height, and click Add.
The leg height is listed under Dimensions in the DriveWorksXpress task pane.
Selecting Leg Overlap

Next, you select the dimension measuring the overlap between the upper and lower portions of the leg, to control the
ability of a gantry model variation to withstand loads.
1.Click the minimum overlap dimension 400 in the graphics area.
The DriveWorksXpress software enters D4@Lower Layout@Leg.Part for Address.
2. In the DriveWorksXpress task pane, for Name, type Minimum Overlap, and click Add.
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The minimum overlap is listed under Dimensions in the DriveWorksXpress task pane.
Selecting Leg Inner Diagonal
The leg inner diagonal support is not required for beams smaller than 3000 mm, so you can generate configurations with
or without this support. Next, you select the inner diagonal feature to control the suppression of the inner diagonal support
in generated models.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, select the Inner Diagonal feature.
The DriveWorksXpress software enters Inner Diagonal for Address and for Name.
2. In the DriveWorksXpress task pane, click Add.
The inner diagonal is listed under Features in the DriveWorksXpress task pane.
Selecting Custom Properties

Next, you capture custom properties to insert model information and metadata in the drawings of model
variations.
1.Click Captured Models , and double-click Mobile Gantry to open the model.
2.Click Custom Properties .
The properties are listed in the DriveWorksXpress task pane.
3.To include the project number and safe working load in drawings of generated models, select Project and Safe
Working Load.
Selecting Drawings to Generate
Next, you associate a drawing with the original model to generate revised drawings for each new model variation.
1.Click Drawings and Configurations .
2.Under Drawing, click Browse, and navigate to the DriveWorksXpressTutorial folder.
3.Select mobile gantry.slddrw, and click Open.
The file path appears in the Drawing pane.
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Enabling Configurations
Next, you select the beam, which has three configurations, to define configuration-based model variations.
1.Click Captured Models , and double-click universal beam to open the model.
2.Click Drawings and Configurations .
3.Select Yes, allow me to create a rule to switch configurations.
Creating a Form: Safe Working Load

Next, you create a form to specify a project number and safe working load as inputs that control model variations.
You can later refer to the input data to generate names for the model variations based on the input data.
1.Click Form (DriveWorksXpress toolbar).
2.In the DriveWorksXpress task pane, type Project Number in the Name text box.
3.For Type, select Text Box.
4.Select Required.
5.Click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar), and then click Add.
6.For Name, type Safe Working Load, and for Type, select Drop Down.
7.Select Required and in Options:

a.Type 500 Kg and press Enter.
b.Type 1000 Kg and press Enter.
c.Type 1500 Kg.
To refer to this text as string values later in the tutorial, you must enter the text in those string values exactly
as you enter it under Options.
8.Click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar), and then click Add.
A closer look at form design
Creating a Form: Opening Height
Next, you specify opening height as a variable input to control model variations.
1.For Name, type Opening Height for Name, and for Type, select Spin Button. The Minimum Value, Maximum
Value, and Increment text boxes appear.
2.For Minimum Value, type 1500 for Maximum Value, type 2500, and for Increment, type 50.
The units for these values (metric) are taken from the gantry model and are not entered in the form.
3.Click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar).

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Creating a Form: Opening Width
Next, you create specify the opening width as a variable input that controls model variations.
1.Click Add.
2.For Name, type Opening Width, for Type, select Numeric Text Box, and select Required.
The Minimum Value and Maximum Value text boxes appear.
3.For Minimum Value, type 1500, and for Maximum Value, type 4000 .
4.Click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar).
5.Click Test to view and test the sample form.
6.Click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar) to exit Test mode.
DriveWorksXpress Rules
Based on your captured parameter selections, you can click Rules (DriveWorksXpress toolbar) to list the
rules you must create. For this tutorial, you create:
•Three rules to specify file names for the generated model, parts, and drawings
•One configuration rule
•Two custom property rules
•Four dimension rules
•One feature rule
A closer look at the DriveWorksXpress Rule Builder dialog box
File Name Rule: Adding the Project Number to the Model File Name
Next, you create a file name rule for the model to append the project number to the model name.
1.Click Rules (DriveWorksXpress toolbar).
2.In the DriveWorksXpress task pane, select the Edit check box adjacent to the File Names rule type, and
click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar).
3.Double-click mobile gantry.
4.In the DriveWorksXpress Rule Builder dialog box, select Inputs > Project Number.
5.Click OK to apply the rule.
A closer look at the DriveWorksXpress Rule Builder dialog box
A closer look at file name rules 214

File Name Rule: Adding to the Universal Beam File Name
Next, you create a file name rule that appends calculated and entered model data to the universal beam part
file name. In this example append the project number, the opening width, and the safe working load to the
original beam part file name for each generated model variation.
1.In the DriveWorksXpress task pane, double-click universal beam.
2.In the DriveWorksXpress Rule Builder dialog box, select Inputs > ProjectNumber and Math > &.
You can enter the & operator between two entities to concatenate the two entities.
3.Type " " (including the space), and select Math > & and Inputs > OpeningWidth.
You can type quotes " " to specify strings within the quotes.
4.Select Math > & and type " Wide - " (including the quotes, spaces, and hyphen).
5.Select:
o Math > &
o Inputs > Safe Working Load
o Math > &
6. Type " Safe Working Load" (including the quotes and spaces).
7. Click OK and clear Show Missing Rules Only.
Under Formula, the rule appears as =ProjectNumber & " " & OpeningWidth & " Wide - " & SafeWorkingLoad &
"Safe Working Load".
You can scroll or expand the DriveWorksXpress task pane to view the Formula column.
For example, you can enter the following values in the form:
o Project number = 1
o Opening width = 1600
o Safe working load = 1500 Kg
With this rule, the beam part file name for the configuration generated by DriveWorksXpres is
universal beam 1 1600 Wide - 1500 Kg Safe Working Load.sldprt
A closer look at file name rules
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File Name Rule: Adding to the Leg Part File Name
Next, you create a file name rule that appends entered or calculated model data to the leg part file name. In
this example you append the project number, the opening height, and some text to the leg part name for each
generated model variation.
1.In the DriveWorksXpress task pane, double-click Leg.

2.In the DriveWorksXpress Rule Builder dialog box, do the following:
a.Click Inputs > ProjectNumber.
b.Click Math > &.
c.Click Inputs > OpeningHeight.
d.Click Math > &.
3.Type " High" (including the quotes and space).
4.Click OK.
The rule is listed in the Formula column as =ProjectNumber & OpeningHeight & " High".
A closer look at file name rules
Creating a Configurations Rule

The beam configuration names exactly match the values assigned to the safe working load in the form. Next,
you create a rule that selects the model variation configuration from the safe working load value you enter.
1.Click Previous (DriveWorksXpress toolbar).
2.In the DriveworksXpress task pane, clear Edit next to File Names and select Edit next to Configurations.
3.Click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar), and double-click Configuration in the Name column.
4.In the DriveWorksXpress Rule Builder dialog box, select Inputs > SafeWorkingLoad.
5.Click OK.
Creating Custom Property Rules

Custom property rules specify how DriveWorksXpress calculates the values of custom properties from the form
data you enter to generate models. Next, you create a custom property rule for the project number and safe
working load.
2.In the Rules pane, clear Edit next to Configurations and check Edit next to Custom Properties.
3.Click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar), and double-click Project.
4.In the DriveWorksXpress Rule Builder dialog box, select Inputs > ProjectNumber.
5.Click OK.
6.Double-click Safe Working Load.
7.In the DriveWorksXpress Rule Builder dialog box, select Inputs > SafeWorkingLoad. 216
8.Click OK.
Creating Height Dimension Rules
Dimensions of the generated model can depend the data you enter in the forms. Dimension rules specify the
value of dimensions in the model variation you generate. Next, you create a dimension rule that computes the
beam height of the generated model based on the safe working load value. You also create dimension rules that
specify other generated model part dimensions from the form data.
2.In the DriveWorksXpress task pane, clear Edit next to Custom Properties and check Edit next to Dimensions.
3.Click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar), and double-click Leg Height.
4.In the DriveWorksXpress Rule Builder dialog box select Inputs > OpeningHeight.
5.Click OK and double-click Beam Length.
6.Select Inputs > OpeningWidth and click OK.

7. Double-click Beam Height and select Logic > IF. The cursor appears before the first comma of the IF
expression IF( , , ).
8. Select Inputs > SafeWorkingLoad.
9. Type = "500 Kg" after the variable. Place the cursor after the first comma and type 200, then place it after the
second comma and type 250. Click OK.
The rule is IF( SafeWorkingLoad = "500 Kg", 200 , 250).
This expression specifies the beam height according to the value of the safe working load. If the value of
the variable SafeWorkingLoad is 500 Kg, the beam height is set to 200 mm. Otherwise, the beam height
is 250 mm.
You must place quotes around the string value "500 Kg" for the SafeWorkingLoad variable in the rule. You
must type the string exactly as you enter it in the form.
A closer look at IF logic
Creating an Overlap Dimension Rule

Next, you create a dimension rule to calculate the leg minimum overlap dimension from the leg opening height
data you enter in the form.
1.In the DriveWorksXpress task pane, double-click Minimum Overlap.
2.In the DriveWorksXpress Rule Builder dialog box, do the following:

a.Click Math > (.
b.Click Inputs > OpeningHeight.
c.Click Math > /.
3.Type or cut and paste the following text after the division symbol: 10) + 100. The rule (OpeningHeight / 10) +
100 divides the opening height by 10 and adds 100 to the result.
4.Click OK.

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Creating a Feature Rule
You can use feature rules to suppress or display features. Next, you create a feature rule to suppress the inner
diagonal leg support based on model data you enter in the form.
2.In the DriveWorksXpress task pane, clear Edit next to Dimensions, check Edit next to Features.
3.Click Next (DriveWorksXpress toolbar), and double-click Inner Diagonal.
4.In the DriveWorksXpress Rule Builder dialog box, select Logic > IF. The cursor appears before the first comma
of the IF expression IF( , , ).
5.Select Inputs > OpeningWidth and type > 3000. IF(OpeningWidth > 3000 , , )
6.Place the cursor after the first comma and type "Unsuppress". IF(OpeningWidth > 3000 , "Unsuppress",)
7.Place the cursor after the second comma, type "Suppress" and click OK. The rule is: IF(OpeningWidth > 3000 ,
"Unsuppress", "Suppress")
This rule displays the inner diagonal feature when the beam length is greater than 3000 and otherwise
suppresses it. You are done configuring DriveWorksXpress.
Generating Model Variations

Next, you run the DriveWorksXpress software to generate model variations.
1.ClickRun (DriveWorksXpress toolbar) and enter the following in the form:

o A001 for Project Number
o 500 Kg for Safe Working Load
o 1650 for Opening Height
o 1700 for Opening Width
2.Click Create to generate the new model.

3.Click Close when the run is complete.
The 500 Kg safe working load model variation appears in SolidWorks with the inner diagonal feature suppressed. The new
assembly, parts, and drawings files are created in the DriveWorksXpressTutorial folder:
o Mobile Gantry A001.sldasm

o Mobile Gantry A001.slddrw
o Leg A001 1650 High.sldprt
o Universal Beam A001 1700 Wide - 500 Kg Safe Working Load.sldprt
4. Open Mobile Gantry A001.slddrw to view the updated drawing.
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Event-based Motion Studies

Opening the Model
Viewing Motor and Sensor Parameters
Viewing Trigger and Control Actions
Calculating the Motion
Changing the Linear Motor Speed
Changing the Servo Motor Profile
Calculating the Motion for the New Profile
In this tutorial, you examine an event-based motion study of a welding robot to tour the features of event-based
motion.
Event-based motion requires a set of tasks. The tasks can be sequential or can overlap in time. Each task is defined by a
triggering event and its associated task action. Task actions control or define motion during the task.
The tutorial model is set up for the following event-based motion study tasks:
• Task 1: Use a position sensor to stop the motion of a plate at a given location after .01 seconds.
• Tasks 2-4: Turn on three displacement servo motors. Each servo motor is set to move in one of the three spatial
directions.
• Task 5: Activate the servo motors to move the robot to its welding X, Y, Z position.
• Task 6: Begin welding when the robot is in position.
• Task 7: Activate the servo motors to move the robot back to its original position.
You must have a SolidWorks Simulation® Professional license and you must add in
SolidWorks Motion to run this tutorial.
A Closer Look at Event-based Motion Studies
219
Opening the Model
First, you open the model and examine some components.
1.Click here: or open install_dir\samples\tutorial\MotionStudies\weldingrobot\weldingrobot.sldasm.
2.Select the Motion Study 1 tab.
Notice there are four linear motors listed in the MotionManager and one sensor listed in the FeatureManager
design tree.
A Closer Look at the Motion Study Features
3.For Type of Study, select Motion Analysis if it is not selected.
Why is Motion Analysis unavailable?
The event-based motion task schedule appears.
Why is the event-based motion task schedule unavailable?
Viewing Motor and Sensor Parameters
Next, you examine values for the motors and the sensor in this study.
1.Place your pointer over the MotionManager time slider to check that the time is at 0 sec. If it is not,
drag the slider all the way to the left.
This step places the assembly components in their initial positions and initializes the motor values.
2.Right-click LinearMotor4 in the MotionManager tree and click Edit Feature to view the motor parameters.
Notice the constant velocity is set to 75 mm/s.
3.Click .
4.Right-click the sensor in the FeatureManager design tree and click Edit Sensor.
Notice this is a proximity type sensor, sensing the position of an assembly component in motion. For this
model, the sensor is in place to indicate when the plate to weld has reached its required position.
A Closer Look at Sensors
5.Click .
6.Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the other motors in this study and observe that these are displacement servo
motors.
A Closer Look at Servo Motors
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Viewing Trigger and Control Actions
Next, you open the Trigger and Features dialog boxes to better understand the event-triggered motion setup.
A Closer Look at Triggers
A Closer Look at Task Actions
1.In the Trigger column, double-click the sensor Proximity1 , the trigger for Task1.
The Trigger dialog box appears with the sensor selected.
o You can specify triggers from sensors or tasks, or you can specify time-based triggers.
o From the Trigger dialog box, you can click Add Sensor to create a new sensor trigger.
2. Do not change the trigger selection and click OK to close the dialog box.
3. In the Feature column for Task1, double-click LinearMotor4 .
The Features dialog box appears, with the motor selected.
You can specify actions by activating or changing motors, torques, or forces, or by toggling mate
suppression. You can also apply an action that stops the motion altogether.
Do not change the feature selection.
4. Click OK to close the dialog box.
Calculating the Motion

Next, you calculate the event-triggered robot motion.
1.Click Timeline View (MotionManager toolbar) to see the motion events in a timeline.
Event-based key points appear in the timeline as the events take place.
You can calculate event-based motion from the Event-based View or the Timeline View
3. Click Zoom to Fit (View toolbar).

4. Hover over a key point to view information about the
event for a given component.
5. Hover over the MotionManager timeline slider.
The simulation takes 2.3533 seconds.
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Changing the Linear Motor Speed
Changing the linear motor speed affects the simulation time.Next, you duplicate the study and change the
linear motor speed.
1.Right-click the Motion Study 1 tab of the motion study and click Duplicate.
2.Select Motion Study 2, the duplicate study.
3.Right-click LinearMotor8 in the MotionManager and click Edit Feature .
4.Change the motor velocity to 35 mm/s and click .
Notice that changing the speed with which the plate moves into place does not affect
the overall simulated motion. The welding task does not begin until the plate is properly placed.
6.Hover over the MotionManager timeline slider.

The simulation takes 3.7753 seconds, due to the slower motor speed during Task1.
Changing the Servo Motor Profile

Next, you change the servo motor displacement profile.
1.Right-click the Motion Study 1 tab of the motion study and click Duplicate.
2.Select Motion Study 3, the duplicate study.
3.Click Event-based View (MotionManager toolbar).
4.Adjust the column widths under Actions so that you can view the feature names and their profiles.
Notice that all of the motors have a linear profile. The servo motor profile specifies the displacement path of
the motor.
5.Select the Harmonic profile for LinearMotor9 in Task6.
6.Select the Constant Acceleration profile for LinearMotor11 in Task8.
7.From the Duration column, change the action duration for Task6-Task9 from 0.3 seconds to 0.5 seconds.
You might have to click the scrollbar to the right of the task list to view some tasks.
More About Profiles
222
Calculating the Motion for the New Profile
Next, you calculate the motion for the new servo motor displacement profile.
2.Hover over the MotionManager timeline slider.
The simulation takes 2.5533 seconds, which is slightly slower than with the original profile.
3.Close the assembly and click No if you are prompted to save the document.
FeatureWorks
FeatureWorks
FeatureWorks Overview
FeatureWorks Basics
FeatureWorks Basics
Setting Options
Interactive Feature Recognition
Local Recognition and Re-Recognition
Recognizing Cut Revolves
Recognizing Cut Extrudes
Recognizing Holes
Recognizing Boss Extrudes
Sheet Metal Recognition
Setting Options
Recognizing an Edge Flange
Recognizing a Sketched Bend
Recognizing Cut Extrudes in Sheet Metal
Recognizing the Base Flange 223
FeatureWorks Overview
The FeatureWorks software recognizes features on an imported solid body in a SolidWorks part document.
Recognized features are the same as features that you create using the SolidWorks software. You can edit
the definition of recognized features to change their parameters. For features that are based on sketches, y
ou can edit the sketches to change the geometry of the features.
When recognizing features, you sometimes need to create features from sketches that are not fully defined.
Therefore, you need to turn off the Use fully defined sketches option.
To allow the use of under defined sketches:
1.Do one of the following:
•Click here to set this option.
•Click Options (Standard toolbar). On the System Options tab, click Sketch. Clear Use fully defined
sketches, then click OK.
FeatureWorks Lessons
• FeatureWorks basics • Sheet metal recognition
FeatureWorks Basics
In this lesson, you recognize features such as fillets, extruded cuts, holes, and extruded bosses, using both
interactive and automatic feature recognition
224
Setting Options
Before you recognize features, set the FeatureWorks options.
1.Click here to open housing.x_b (or browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\featureworks\housing.x_b).

The part appears in the FeatureManager design tree as Imported1.
2.Click No if prompted to run Import Diagnostics.
3.If a FeatureWorks message box prompts you to proceed with feature recognition, click No.
4. Click FeatureWorks Options (Features toolbar) or Insert, FeatureWorks, Options.
•For General:
oSelect Overwrite existing file.
oClear Prompt for feature recognition as part opens.
•For Dimensions/Relations, under Relations, select Add constraints to sketch to fully define the sketch.
•For Advanced Controls:

oUnder Diagnose, select Allow failed feature creation to allow creation of features that have rebuild errors.
oUnder Performance, clear both check boxes.
6.Click OK.
Interactive Feature Recognition

In this topic, you interactively recognize fillet features.
1.Click Recognize Features (Features toolbar) or Insert, FeatureWorks, Recognize Features.

a.Under Recognition Mode, select Interactive.
b.Under Feature Type, select Standard features.
c.Under Interactive Features, select Fillet/Round in Feature type.
When you select Interactive recognition mode, FeatureWorks enables the SolidWorks selection filters
during entity selection. You can only select entities based on the Feature type you selected. For
example, you can only select faces when you select Fillet/Round in Feature type.
d.Select the filleted face shown
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e.Select Chain fillet faces.
The neighboring fillets are selected automatically.
f.Click Recognize.
The recognized feature disappears from the solid body. Any geometry not yet
recognized still appears in the graphics area.
A closer look at selecting features
3.Recognize the remaining fillets on the part.
FeatureWorks recognizes one fillet feature at a time unless the fillets have
the same radius. You must recognize some fillets before others. For
example, you must recognize small radii fillets before large radii fillets.
4. Do not close the PropertyManager
Local Recognition and Re-Recognition

Local Recognition allows you to recognize groups of features at once without recognizing the entire part.
1.Under Recognition Mode, click Automatic.
2.Under Automatic Features, select Extrudes and clear the other check boxes.
3.Select the face shown. You can select either the front or back face.
The face is listed under Local recognition entities

4. Click .
The Intermediate Stage PropertyManager appears. Under Recognized Features, FeatureWorks has
automatically recognized five Cut-Extrudes and one Boss-Extrude, plus the fillets from the interactive
recognition.
5. Select Cut-Extrude1 in the list which corresponds to the large central cut extrude. Under Re-Recognize, select
Hole and click Re-Recognize.
FeatureWorks re-recognizes the extruded cut as a hole.
Why did I re-recognize that feature?
6.Click .
A FeatureWorks message informs you that FeatureWorks will continue recognizing features on the remaining
imported body.
If the FeatureWorks message disappears, re-display it by selecting

from the Sldworks menu in the status bar.
7.Click OK.
The software returns to the FeatureWorks PropertyManager. FeatureWorks
recognizes the local features and they disappear from the mode
8. Do not close the PropertyManager
226
Recognizing Cut Revolves
a) Under Recognition Mode, select Interactive.
b) Under Feature Type, select Standard features.
c) Under Interactive Features, select Cut Revolve in Feature type.
d) Select the inside face of the revolve shown.
e. Select Chain revolved faces and Recognize similar.
f.Click Recognize.
FeatureWorks chains together faces for the revolve feature from a minimum set of faces you select, and recognizes features
with similar characteristics. Both side revolve features are recognized.
2.In the PropertyManager, click .
3.In the Intermediate Stage PropertyManager:

a.Under Recognized Features, hold down Ctrl and select both cut revolves.
b.Click Combine Features.
FeatureWorks recognizes both revolves and combines them as one feature.
4.Click and OK.
5.Do not close the PropertyManager
Recognizing Cut Extrudes

1.Rotate the part so you can select the features on the back.
a. Under Interactive Features, select Cut Extrude in Feature type.
b. Select the cylindrical face of the small hole shown.
c. Select Recognize similar.
d. Click Recognize.
FeatureWorks recognizes five cut extrudes.
e. Click .
Five more cut-extrudes appear in the Recognized Features list.

3.Under Recognized Features:
a. Hold down Ctrl and select the four cut extrudes shown from the list.
b. Click Find Patterns.
The Pattern Recognition PropertyManager appears.
4.Under Pattern Recognition Mode, select Automatic.
5.Under Pattern Type, select Circular.
6.Click .
A message reports two circular patterns found.
7.Click OK.
In the Intermediate PropertyManager, CirPattern1 and CirPattern2 are listed.
227
8.Click and OK
9. Select any face inside the housing such as the one shown.
10. In the PropertyManager, under Interactive Features, select Cut Extrude in
Feature type and clear Recognize similar.
11. Click Recognize.

FeatureWorks recognizes the inside cut extrude.
12. Do not close the PropertyManager.
Recognizing Holes
In this topic, you automatically recognize hole features.

a.Under Recognition Mode, select Automatic.
b.Under Feature Type, select Standard features.
c.Under Automatic Features, select Holes and clear the other check boxes.
d.Click .
FeatureWorks recognizes four new hole features automatically and lists them under Recognized Features.
Why did I use automatic feature recognition?
2.Click and OK.
Recognizing Boss Extrudes

a) Under Recognition Mode, select Interactive.
b) Under Interactive Features, select Boss Extrude in Feature type.
c) Select the face of the large, circular boss shown.
d. Click Recognize.
FeatureWorks recognizes the boss as an extruded boss.
2. Select the face of the side boss and click Recognize.
3.Repeat step 2 for the other side boss.

FeatureWorks recognizes the side bosses as boss extrudes.
228
4.Select the top face of the bottom boss as shown and click Recognize.
FeatureWorks recognizes the boss as a boss extrude.
5. Select the remaining base feature face as shown, and click Recognize.
The Intermediate Stage PropertyManager appears.

6. Click .
The part automatically rebuilds, and its features are recognized as SolidWorks features. The Imported
feature no longer appears in the FeatureManager design tree.
FeatureWorks can recognize features specific to sheet metal. These features include base flange, edge flange, miter
flange, hem, and sketched bend. Using these features, you can bypass the recognition of other features such as fillets
229
Setting Options
Before you recognize features, set the FeatureWorks options.
1.Click here to open sheetmetal.x_b (or browse to<install_dir>\samples\tutorial\featureworks\

sheetmetal.x_b).
The part appears in the FeatureManager design tree as Imported1.
2.Click No if prompted to run Import Diagnostics.
3.If a FeatureWorks message box prompts you to proceed with feature recognition, click No.
4.Click FeatureWorks Options (Features toolbar) or Insert, FeatureWorks, Options.

•For General:
oSelect Overwrite existing file.
oClear Prompt for feature recognition as part opens.
•For Dimensions/Relations, under Relations, select Add constraints to sketch to
fully define the sketch.
•For Advanced Controls:
oUnder Diagnose, select Allow failed feature creation to allow creation of
features that have rebuild errors.
oUnder Performance, clear both check boxes.
6.Click OK.
Recognizing an Edge Flange

First, recognize the edge flange on the part.
1.Click Recognize Features (Features toolbar) or Insert, FeatureWorks,Recognize Features.
2.Rotate the part to match the orientation in the image below.

a.Under Recognition Mode, select Interactive.
b.Under Feature Type, select Sheet metal features.
c.Under Interactive Features, select Edge Flange in Feature type.
d.Select the face shown.
The face name appears in Selected entities.

e. Click Recognize.
The recognized feature disappears from the solid body. Any geometry not yet recognized still appears in the graphics
area.
230
Recognizing a Sketched Bend
Next, recognize the sketched bend.

a. Under Interactive Features, select Sketched Bend in Feature type.
b. Select the face shown.
c. Click Recognize.
The bend in the metal disappears from the body.
2.Do not close the PropertyManager.
Recognizing Cut Extrudes in Sheet Metal

Recognize the cuts in the sheet metal part.
a. Under Feature Type, select Standard features.
b. Under Interactive Features, select Cut Extrude in Feature type.
c. Select the edge shown.
d. Select Recognize similar.
e. Click Recognize.
FeatureWorks recognizes all the circular cuts.
2. Recognize the rectangular cuts. In the graphics area, select all four edges of one rectangle
only. Make sure Recognize similar is still selected, then click Recognize.
FeatureWorks recognizes both rectangular cuts.
Recognizing the Base Flange

Recognize the base flange feature last.
a. Under Feature Type, select Sheet metal features.
b. Under Interactive Features, select Base Flange in Feature type.
c. Select the face shown.
d. Click Recognize.
Now that you have recognized all of the features in the part, the Intermediate Stage PropertyManager appears.
The entire part appears in the graphics area.
2. Click .
The part rebuilds, and its features are recognized as SolidWorks features.
3. In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Flat-Pattern1 and select Unsuppress .

The sheet metal part flattens. 231
4. Suppress the Flat-Pattern1 feature again to fold the part.
Fillets
Fillets
Building the Fillet Features Sample Part
Creating the Base
Creating the Base (continued)
Creating the Grip
Adding Draft to the Grip
Fillet Features
Fillet Features
Creating a Face Fillet
Creating Constant Radius Fillets
Creating a Variable Radius Fillet
Creating a Variable Radius Fillet (continued)
Mirroring the Model
Filleting the Parting Line
Inserting a Library Feature
Editing a Library Feature
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In this lesson, you learn how to build the sample part used in the Fillet Features tutorial.
The steps include:
•Using relations in sketches

•Adding draft angles to extruded features
Creating the Base

You can capture the symmetry of the knob in the design intent of the part. You build one half of the sample
part in this tutorial, then in the Fillet Features tutorial, you mirror the model to create the other half. Any changes
you make to the original half are reflected in the other half.
When you relate features to the origin and the planes, you need fewer dimensions and construction entities,
and you can more easily modify the part.
1.Click New on the Standard toolbar and open a new part.
2.Click Extruded Boss/Base on the Features toolbar and open a sketch on the Front plane.
3.Click Centerpoint Arc on the Sketch toolbar.
4.Drag downward from the origin, then release the pointer.
A circumference guideline appears.
5. Click and drag an arc approximately 180° counterclockwise around the origin.
6.Draw a vertical line from the bottom endpoint of the arc, through the origin, and ending near the upper endpoint
of the arc.
7.Press escape to release the tool.
8.Hold down Ctrl and select the upper endpoints of both the line and arc.
9. In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, select Merge.
10. Dimension the arc radius to 15mm.
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Creating the Base (continued)
Now you add relations and create an extrude feature.
1.Click Select on the Standard toolbar, hold down Ctrl, then select the vertical line and the origin.
The Properties PropertyManager appears.
2.Under Add Relations, click Midpoint , then click OK .

The line is now fully defined.
The Extrude PropertyManager appears.
•Set Depth to 10.
5.Click OK to create the extrude.
Creating the Grip

Now you create the grip of the knob.
1.Click Right on the Standard Views toolbar.
2.Select the Right plane in the FeatureManager design tree, then
click Extruded Boss/Base on the Features toolbar to open a sketch.
3.Sketch four lines approximately as shown to create the profile. Do not create
any inferenced perpendicular relations between lines.
4. Add a Collinear relation between the vertical sketch line and the model edge as shown.
5. Dimension as shown.
6. Click Exit Sketch on the Sketch toolbar.
7. In the PropertyManager, under Direction 1
•Set Depth to 5.
8.Click OK to create the extrude.
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Adding Draft to the Grip
You add draft to taper the grip, giving it an aesthetically pleasing design in the finished part.
1.Click Dimetric on the Standard Views toolbar.
2.Click Draft on the Features toolbar.
 Click Manual.
•Select Neutral Plane in Type of Draft. The neutral plane is the plane or face that you choose to determine
the pull direction when creating a mold. The Z axis direction of the neutral plane is the direction in which the
part ejects from the mold.
•Set Draft Angle to 10°.
•Select the Right plane for Neutral Plane, using the flyout FeatureManager design tree.
a.In the upper left corner of the graphics area, click the plus sign to expand the design tree.
b.Select the Right plane.
•Click in Faces to Draft, then select the three faces shown

4. Click OK to create the drafts.
Fillet Features
This lesson describes how to use different types of fillets. In this lesson, you modify this knob part by:
•Adding different fillet types:
o face
o constant radius
o variable radius
•Using mirroring to assure symmetry
•Applying a library feature
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Creating a Face Fillet
You need the sample part, Knob.sldprt, to complete this tutorial. Do one of the following:
•Click here: Open Knob.sldprt or browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\fillets\knob.sldprt.

•Build the sample part. Click here to learn how
In this section, you blend some of the faces using a face fillet with a hold line. For a face fillet, you
can specify the radius between faces, or you can specify a hold line. When you specify a hold line,
the face that shares an edge with the hold line is removed. The radius of the fillet is determined by t
he position of the hold line relative to the selected faces.
Now create a face fillet.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Fillet Type select Face fillet.
3.Under Items To Fillet:
a.Click inside the first selection box, Face Set 1 . In the graphics area, select the face labeled below as
Face Set 1.
b.Click inside the second selection box, Face Set 2 . In the graphics area, select the face labeled
below as Face Set 2.
4.Under Fillet Options, click inside the Hold line selection box, then select the edge labeled Hold Line.
5. Click OK , then save the part
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Creating Constant Radius Fillets
Now you round some of the edges using a series of constant radius fillets.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Fillet Type, select Constant radius.
3.Click the edge of the grip labeled 5.
4. Under Items To Fillet, set Radius to 5 and select Full preview.
A preview of the fillet appears in the graphics area.
5. Click OK .
6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 to add fillets to the edges labeled 2 and 0.5. Change
the radius values to match the values of the labels.
When filleted edges intersect, it is good practice to add the larger fillet first.
Creating a Variable Radius Fillet

You create variable radius fillets by specifying a different radius for each vertex of the edges you want to fillet.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Fillet Type, select Variable radius.
4.For Items To Fillet, select the four edges shown.
Creating a Variable Radius Fillet (continued)

Under Variable Radius Parameters, set the radius values for the five vertices as shown in the illustration.
1.Select V1 in the Attached Radii box.
2.Set Radius to 1, then press Enter.
The value 1mm appears for vertex V1 in Attached Radii and in the callout in the graphics area.
3.For each remaining vertex, set the radius to match the corresponding value shown in the illustration.
a.Select V2 in Attached Radii , set Radius to 1.5, then press Enter.
b.Click Set Unassigned to set the remaining radii to 1.5.
c.Select V5 in Attached Radii , change Radius to 1, then press Enter.

237
The values for each of the vertices appear in the list. The fillet previews appear in the graphics area.
4.Click OK .
To verify the radius values, double-click VarFillet1 in the FeatureManager

design tree. The values appear in the graphics area. Click anywhere in the
graphics area to hide the values.
5.Click Shaded With Edges on the View toolbar.
6.Save the part.
Mirroring the Model

To take advantage of the part’s symmetry and to finish the part, mirror the part about the Right plane.
1.Click Trimetric on the Standard Views toolbar.
2.In the FeatureManager design tree, select the Right plane.
3.Click Mirror on the Features toolbar.
The Mirror PropertyManager appears. The Right plane is listed under
Mirror Face/Plane .
4.Under Bodies to Mirror, click any geometry in the graphics area.
A preview of the mirrored model appears in the graphics area.
5.Click OK .
A mirror image of the original part is joined to the part at the selected plane to make a complete, symmetrical part.
Filleting the Parting Line

When you mirrored the drafted grip, it created a parting line along the top of the
grip. Smooth the parting line by adding a constant radius fillet.
1.Click Dimetric on the Standard Views toolbar
2.Click Fillet on the Features toolbar and select the edge shown
3. Under Fillet Type, select Constant radius.
4. Under Items To Fillet, set Radius to 5.
5. Make sure Tangent propagation is selected, so that the fillet extends along all of the
segments of the edge.
6. Click OK .
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Inserting a Library Feature
A library feature is a frequently used feature, or combination of features, that you create once and then save
in a library for future use. The SolidWorks software comes with several pre-made library features in the
Design Library.
Here, you insert a keyway.
1.Select the Design Library tab on the Task Pane.
2.Expand Design Library .
3.Navigate to features\metric\keyways.
4.Drag bore with square keyway bs 4500p1 onto the part.

5.In the PropertyManager, under Configuration, select:
a.
b.Link to library part. If you edit the library feature, this option ensures that
the changes you make in the original library feature are applied to this part.
6.In the graphics area, select the outer edge for the reference edge, then click
Editing a Library Feature

When you edit a library feature, you edit it in the context of the *.sldlfp file, which is the file extension for library
features.
1.Rotate the part. Notice the keyway cuts through the entire part.
2.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click bore with square keyway bs 4500p1 and select Edit In
Context. The *.sldlfp file opens.
3.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Keyway and select Edit Feature .
b.Set Depth to 5.
5.Click .
6.Click Window, knob.sldprt to return to the part window. 239

The part updates with the modified keyway.
Import/Export
Import/Export
Import/Export Overview
Import/Export Basics
Importing an IGES File
Inserting a DXF File
Extruding the Company Logo
Editing Imported Features
Exporting an STL File
Diagnosing and Repairing Import Errors
Using the Import Diagnostics Tool
Repairing Gaps and Faces
Correcting Repair Errors
Recreating Missing Fillets
Thickening the Model
Loft
Loft Features
Setting Up the Planes
Sketching the Profiles
Copying a Sketch
Creating the Loft
Creating a Boss Loft
Creating a Boss Loft (continued)
Bending the Part with the Flex Feature
240
Import/Export Overview
• Import/Export Basics: Guides you through importing a

gasket and logo, then exporting the model as a different file
type.
• Diagnosing and Repairing Import Errors: Guides you

through repairing common import errors using Import
Diagnostics and other tools
This lesson guides you through the import of a gasket and company logo, and
demonstrates the following:
• Importing an IGES file
• Inserting a DXF file
• Exporting a SolidWorks part document as an STL file
Importing an IGES File

You can import files to the SolidWorks software from other applications. The
geometry and structure of the resulting SolidWorks model matches that of the
model in the source application. In this lesson, you import surfaces from an IGES
file. Because the surfaces form a closed volume, you can use them to create a
base feature.
1.Click Open .
2.In the dialog box, select IGES (*.igs; *.iges) in Files of type.
3.Click Options to set the import options.
4.In the Import Options dialog box, click General.
5.Select Surface/solid entities and Try forming solid(s).
The SolidWorks software attempts to form solids from the surface or solid
entities in the imported file.
6.Click OK to accept the other default settings.
7.Browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\importexport, select gasket.igs,
and click Open.
8.If prompted to run Import Diagnostics, click No.
The SolidWorks software forms a base feature from the imported surfaces.
The imported body appears in the graphics area, and Imported1 appears in
the FeatureManager design tree.
9.When prompted to proceed with feature recognition, click No.
You can use FeatureWorks to recognize imported features as editable

SolidWorks features. For example, using FeatureWorks, you could recognize
the Imported1 feature as an extrude feature with hole features.
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Inserting a DXF File
You can insert a DXF or DWG file directly into the SolidWorks document. The DXF file that you insert in this
lesson contains the company logo for a fictitious company, Rainbow Corporation. The gasket file should still
be open.
1.Click Hidden Lines Removed .
2.Click Front on the Standard Views toolbar.
3.In the graphics area, select the front face of the gasket.
4.Click Insert, DXF/DWG.
5.In the dialog box, browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\importexport, select rainbow.dxf, then click Open.
6.In the DXF/DWG Import dialog box, select Import to part as: and 2D sketch, then click Next.
7.In the DXF/DWG Import - Document Settings dialog box, clear Add constraints to solve all apparent relations
and constraints in the sketch, then click Next.
8.In the DXF/DWG Import - Drawing Layer Mapping dialog box, select Merge points closer than and accept
the Distance of 0.001. This option merges points that, after import, are within a specified merge distance.
9.Click Finish.
10.Click Rebuild .
A new sketch that contains the company logo is created in the part.
Now reposition the inserted sketch entities.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Sketch1 and select Edit Sketch .
2.Add the dimensions from the lower left corner of the rainbow to the gasket edges, as shown, to position the
sketch entities.
If the sketch does not appear to move, click Rebuild .
3.Click Exit Sketch
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Extruding the Company Logo
To finish the part, extrude the company logo into the gasket.
2.Select Sketch1 in the FeatureManager design tree

.
•Set Depth to 1.
5.Click OK .
Now change the color of the new extrusion.
1.Select Cut-Extrude1 in the FeatureManager design tree.
2.Click Edit Appearance on the Standard toolbar.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Color, select a color from the color palette, then click OK .
4.Click Shaded With Edges to display the colored logo on the gasket.
Editing Imported Features

You can replace an imported feature with geometry from a new file. In this example, you replace the gasket with
another gasket that has a larger central hole.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Imported1 and select Edit Feature .
2.Click OK in the parent/child message.
3.In the dialog box, browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\importexport, select gasket_edited.igs, then click
Open.
The Imported1 feature is replaced with the new imported body that has a larger central hole. The software also
rebuilt the pre-existing cut-extrude feature. The software rebuilds pre-existing features whenever possible.
4.Click Shaded With Edges
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Exporting an STL File
You can save a SolidWorks part document as an STL file. The STL format is intended for transfer to rapid
prototyping machines.
2.In the Save As dialog box, select STL (*.stl) in Save as type, then click Options to set the export options.
The Export Options dialog box appears with STL selected on the File Format tab.
3.Under Resolution select:
•Fine to create a finely tessellated STL file.
•Show STL info before file saving to display a dialog box when you save the file that contains numerical data
about the STL file.
4.Click OK.
You can experiment with the Resolution settings to determine the best settings for your own rapid
prototyping machines.
5.Click Save to save the file with the default name, gasket.STL.
A message box appears displaying the number of Triangles, File Size, and File Format.
6.Click Yes to complete the save operation.
7.If a dialog box asking if you want to export all bodies appears, click OK .
Click here to go to the Diagnosing and Repairing Import Errors lesson.
This lesson guides you through diagnosing and repairing common import errors using these tools:
• Import Diagnostics to heal gaps and bad faces
• Features to fill in gaps
244
Using the Import Diagnostics Tool
Inconsistencies can occur when you import geometry from another design system. You need to check,
and sometimes repair, imported files. You can use Import Diagnostics to identify and repair problems with
imported geometry.
1.Click File, Open.
2.Select Parasolid (*.x_t,*.x_b,*.xmt_txt,*.xmt_bin) in Files of type and browse to

<install_dir>\samples\tutorial\importexport\ImportErrors.x_b).
3.If prompted to run Import Diagnostics, click No.
A message automatically prompts you to run Import Diagnostics when you open a part with an imported
feature.
4.In the FeatureManager design tree, click to highlight each of the two imported surface bodies to familiarize
yourself with the model.
5.Click Import Diagnostics (Tools toolbar).
The PropertyManager reports 12 gaps between faces.
6.Under Gaps between faces, right-click a gap and select Zoom to Selection to zoom to the gap. Examine
each gap to familiarize yourself with how the part currently looks.
The list displays the gap number and the number of free edges. For example, Gap<2> [10] means the second
gap that has 10 edges.
To view a gap from the opposite direction, right-click a gap and select Invert Zoom to Selection.
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Repairing Gaps and Faces
1.Under Gaps between faces, click Attempt to Heal All to repair the reported gaps.
Import Diagnostics checks for faulty faces, then tries to re-knit gaps. If that fails to completely repair the model,
Import Diagnostics attempts to close gaps by creating new smaller faces and knitting them into place.
The PropertyManager reports one gap and 19 faulty faces.
2.Under Faulty faces, right-click a face and select Zoom to Selection to zoom to the face. Examine each face
to check if it makes sense with respect to the correct part geometry.
Examination reveals that problems seem to exist around the area by the vent and screw holes and that
Face<2> is a duplicate face. The model cannot be knitted together because the duplicate face causes invalid
topology.
3.Right-click Face<2> and select Delete Face.
All faces now display a checkmark which indicates they are repaired. The Message box reports that the last
operation to heal a gap failed and that you can model a patch for the gap manually.
The message box changes colors to indicate the number of errors remaining. Red indicates a high number, while
green means no errors remain.
4.For each of the remaining gaps, right click and select Heal gap.
5.Click .
Within Import Diagnostics, use these optional tools from the shortcut menu:
•Gap Closer . Manually repair small gaps.

•Repair Face. Select individual faces to repair. The Attempt to Heal All command is very order-dependent.
You might need to assist it by repairing individual faces in a different order after you run Attempt to Heal All.
Correcting Repair Errors

Import Diagnostics mistakenly filled some surfaces during healing. You can delete
these surfaces using Import Diagnostics.
1.Click Shaded With Edges .
2.Rotate the model to view it as shown. Examine the two screw mounting holes.
Note that they have been incorrectly filled in.
3.Click Import Diagnostics (Tools toolbar).

4.In the graphics area, select the face covering one of the holes so it appears under
Faulty faces in the PropertyManager.
5.Right-click Face<0> and select Delete Face.
The uppermost face is deleted from the hole, but there is a second incorrect face
directly under it.
After selecting a face, you can also right-click it in the graphics area and select
Delete Face from the shortcut menu.
6.Select the second face, then right-click and delete it.
7.Repeat these steps to delete the two incorrect faces covering the other screw
hole. 246
8.Check the model to make sure the incorrect faces are deleted.
Recreating Missing Fillets
Import Diagnostics reports that four gaps remain because there are two missing
fillets for each screw hole.
2.Click Fillet (Features Toolbar).
a.Under Fillet Type, select Face fillet.
b.Under Items to Fillet:
•Set Radius to 0.5mm.
•Select the top faces surrounding the screw hole for Face Set 1.
•Select the inside face of the hole for Face Set 2.

4.Click .
5.Repeat steps 2-4 to fillet the other screw hole.
Thickening the Model

In this lesson, you repaired all faulty faces and gaps using Import Diagnostics and fillet features. You can
therefore thicken the model to turn it into a solid model.
Sometimes, healing the model fails to repair all import errors. In that case, you cannot form a solid model
from the imported surfaces because they do not completely enclose a volume.
You can build the missing surfaces using surface tools, such as Fill Surface, Lofted Surface, or Planar
Surface, and where necessary, the 3D Sketch tool. Then use the Knit Surface tool to knit all the surfaces
together and either select Try to form solid in the PropertyManager or run the Thicken command.
1.Click Thicken (Features toolbar).
2.Select the model in the graphics area.
3.In the PropertyManager, select Create solid from enclosed volume to turn the surface into a solid.
4.Click .
The Thicken body replaces the Surface Bodies folder.
Other tools exist to repair import errors:
•Check Tools. Checks model geometry and identifies undesirable geometry in parts.
•Heal Edges. Merges multiple edges into a single edge.

247
Loft Features
In this lesson, you create this hammer head using loft features. A loft is a base, boss, or cut created by connecting
multiple cross sections, or profiles. This lesson demonstrates the following:
•Creating planes
•Sketching, copying, and pasting the profiles
•Creating a solid by connecting the profiles (lofting)
•Adding a flex feature to bend the model
Setting Up the Planes

To create a loft, you begin by sketching the profiles on faces or planes. You can use existing faces and planes,
or create new planes.
1.Click New on the Standard toolbar and create a new part.
The planes in a SolidWorks model are not always visible. However, you can display them. For this lesson, it is
helpful to display the Front plane.
2.Click View and verify that Planes is selected.
3.Right-click the Front plane in the FeatureManager design tree and select Show . The Front plane
appears in the graphics area.
4.With the Front plane still selected, click Plane on the Reference Geometry toolbar. The Plane
PropertyManager appears. A preview of the new plane, Plane1, appears in the graphics area. Under First
Reference, Front is listed in the First Reference box.
5.Set Offset distance to 25 and click .
A new plane, Plane1, is created in front of the Front plane.
The planes used in a loft do not have to be parallel, but they are for this lesson.
5.With Plane1 selected, click Plane on the Reference Geometry toolbar
again, and add another offset plane at a distance of 25mm. (This is Plane2).
6.Click OK .
7.Another way to create an offset plane is to copy an existing plane. Select

Plane2 in the graphics area, hold down Ctrl, and drag to a location in front of
Plane2.
Drag the edge or the label, not the handles. Dragging the handles changes the
size of the plane display.
Another offset plane, Plane3, is created.
8.To set the offset distance for the new plane, set Offset distance to 40 in
the PropertyManager.
9.Click OK . 248
Your graphics area should look like this image.

Sketching the Profiles
You create the body of the hammer head by lofting between simple profile sketches.
1.Select the Front plane, then click Sketch on the Sketch toolbar.The view orientation changes to a front
view.
You may find it easier to see the sketch entities if the planes are not shaded.
Click Options on the Standard toolbar. On the System Options tab, select Display/Selection. Clear
Display shaded planes and click OK.
2.Sketch and dimension a 60mm square as shown to center it about the origin.
3.Exit the sketch.
5.Open a sketch on Plane1, and sketch a circle, centered on the origin.
It appears as though you are sketching on top of the first sketch. However, the first sketch is on the Front plane, and it
is not affected by sketching on Plane1, a parallel plane in front of it.
6.Dimension the circle to 50mm in diameter.
7.Exit the sketch.
8.Open a sketch on Plane2, and sketch a circle, centered on the origin. As you drag, make the diameter of the circle
coincidentwith the vertex of the square. (Watch for the pointer.)
9.Exit the sketch.
249
Copying a Sketch
You can copy a sketch from one plane to another to create another profile.
1.Click Isometric on the Standard Views toolbar to see how the sketches line up.
If a sketch is on the wrong plane, you can change the plane. Right-click the sketch in the FeatureManager
design tree or the graphics area, and select Edit Sketch Plane . Select the new plane for the sketch,
then click OK in
the Sketch Plane PropertyManager.
2.Select Sketch3 (the larger circle).
3.Click Copy on the Standard toolbar.
4.Select Plane3.
5.Click Paste on the Standard toolbar.
When you paste a sketch on a plane, a new sketch is created automatically on that plane.
6.Save the part as loft.sldprt.
250
Creating the Loft
Now use the Lofted Boss/Base feature to create a solid model based on the profiles.
1.Click Lofted Boss/Base on the Features toolbar.
2.In the graphics area, click near the same place on each profile (for example, the upper-right side), so the loft
path travels in a straight line and does not get twisted. Select the sketches in the order you want to connect
them.
A preview shows you how the profiles will be connected. The system connects the points or vertices closest to
where you click.
4.Examine the preview of how the profiles will be connected.
•If the sketches appear to be connected in the wrong order, you can use
the Move Up or Move Down buttons under Profiles in the PropertyManager to rearrange the order.
•If the preview indicates that the wrong points will be connected, right-click in the graphics area, select Clear
Selections, and select the profiles again.
5.Click OK to create the solid model.
251
Creating a Boss Loft
For the pointed end of the hammer head, you create another loft.
1.Hold down Ctrl, and drag the Front plane to create an offset plane behind the original Front plane.
The Plane PropertyManager appears.
2.Set Offset distance to 200.
3.Make sure that Flip is selected so the new plane is created behind the Front plane, then click OK to create
the new Plane4.
5.Click Normal To on the Standard Views toolbar.
6.Open a sketch on Plane4, then sketch and dimension a narrow

rectangle as shown, which is the profile you use to create the next loft.
7.Exit the sketch.
Creating a Boss Loft (continued)

Now you complete the second lofted boss.
1.Click Isometric on the Standard Views toolbar.
2.Click Lofted Boss/Base on the Features toolbar.
3.Select the square profile:

a.Rotate the model as shown and select the face in the
lower corner closest to you.
b.Click Isometric again
4.Click the lower part of the narrow rectangular sketch . Examine

the preview of how the two profiles will be connected.
5.Click OK .
6.Click Shaded With Edges on the View toolbar, and save the part.
252
Bending the Part with the Flex Feature
The flex feature deforms a model. You can use the flex feature to bend, twist, taper, or stretch a model. Here
you use the flex feature to bend the hammer head.
1.Click Flex on the Features toolbar.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Flex Input, select:
a.The part in the graphics area for Bodies for Flex .

b.Bending
3.Under Trim Plane 2, click in Select a reference entity for Trim Plane 2 .
4.In the graphics area, select the vertex as shown.
Trim Plane 2 aligns to the selected vertex.
5.Right-click the triad's center sphere as shown, and select Align to.
If you do not see this option, click in Bodies for Flex and try again.
6.Expand the flyout FeatureManager design tree and select the Right plane to align the trim
plane axis (blue Z axis on the triad) parallel to the Right plane.
253
7.Right-click the triad's center sphere and select Move Triad to Plane 2.
The center of the model is aligned with the center of the triad.
8.Drag the pointer over an edge of Trim Plane 1. When the pointer changes to , click and drag the pointer
up and down. Only the material between the trim planes moves.
9.Click
254
Molds Design
Molds Design
Finishing the Model
Opening the Model
Inserting Mounting Bosses
Mirroring the Mounting Bosses
Preparing The Mold
Checking for Draft
Adding Draft
Applying Scaling
Creating The Mold
Generating Parting Lines
Adding Shut-off Surfaces
Creating Parting Surfaces
Finishing the Mold
Preparing for the Tooling Split
Applying the Tooling Split
Applying the Tooling Split (continued)
Moving the Core from the Cavity
Enhancing Mold Visibility
Enhancing Mold Visibility (continued)
Creating the Tooling Assembly
Creating the Tooling Assembly (continued)
Molded Product Design- Advanced
Mouse Gestures / Belum
Multibody Parts / Belum
PhotoView 360 and Appearances
255
In this lesson, you create a mold tooling for a telephone handset.
You start with a model of a telephone handset. Before creating the mold tooling, you add
mounting bosses to the model. This demonstrates the fastening features commonly used on
molded products.
Then you create the mold, which is composed of a core and cavity. The core duplicates the
inner surface of the model, and the cavity duplicates the outer surface of the model. A parting
surface divides the core from the cavity.
To manufacture the telephone handset, the core and cavity are joined together, and liquid
plastic or metal is injected to fill the open areas between the core and the cavity. After the
liquid cools and solidifies, the core and cavity are separated, and the part is ejected. Before
you create the core and cavity, you prepare the model using the tools listed below, to ensure
that the part will eject properly.
Opening the Model

Open telephone.sldprt, then save it with a new name so the original model is
still available if needed.
1.Click here: to open telephone.sldprt (or browse to

<install_dir>\samples\tutorial\molds\telephone.sldprt).
2.Clear RealView Graphics (View toolbar) to optimize your computer's

performance for the complex calculations required to create molds.
3.Save the part as MyTelephone.sldprt.
256
Inserting Mounting Bosses
First, you add mounting bosses to the part.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree:
a.Expand Boss-Extrude1.
b.Click Sketch14 and select Show .
2.Click Mounting Boss (Fastening Feature toolbar).
3.Select the face as shown. This is where the mounting boss will be placed.
4.In the graphics area, select the:

a.Top face of Boss-Extrude1 for Select Direction.
Select a top face and not an edge. If you select an edge, right-click the
selected edge of Boss-Extrude 1 part and click Select Other to select the
top face from the list.
b.Circular sketch for Select circular edge to position the mounting boss
5.In the PropertyManager, under Boss:
a. Set Enter diameter of the boss to 5.
b. Click Select mating face, then select the top face of the boss as you did in step 4. This creates the mounting
boss at the same height as the boss.
c. Set Enter draft angle of the main boss to 1.
a. Under Fins, set Enter number of fins to 0.
b. Under Mounting Hole/Pin, set Enter height of the inside hole/pin to 20.
7.Click
8.Repeat steps 2 through 7 to create a second mounting boss on the opposite side of the
phone as shown.
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Mirroring the Mounting Bosses
Now that you have two mounting bosses, you can mirror them to create two more.
1.Click Plane (Reference Geometry toolbar).
2.In the graphics area, select the point as shown.
3.the FeatureManager design tree, select the Front plane, then click .
A plane is created parallel to the Front plane through the selected point. You can
mirror the mounting bosses about this plane.
4.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Sketch14 and select Hide
.
6.In the FeatureManager design tree, select:
a.Plane9 for Mirror Face/Plane .
b.The two mounting bosses for Features to Mirror .
7.Click .
The mounting bosses are mirrored to the other side of the part.
Checking for Draft

Now that the model is complete, you can start to create the mold.
First, verify that all faces include sufficient draft with the Draft Analysis tool.
(Draft is a slight taper on selected model faces that facilitates removal of the
part from the mold tooling.)
2.Click Draft Analysis (Mold Tools toolbar).
Why did I do this?
3.Select the Top plane in the FeatureManager design tree for Direction of
Pull in the PropertyManager.
If necessary, click Reverse Direction so the preview arrow points up.

For Direction of Pull, you can select a linear edge or any other entity that
specifies a vector. When you select a plane or planar face, the direction is
normal to the selected entity.
4.Under Analysis Parameters:
a.Set Draft Angle to 0.5.

b.Select Face classification.
5.Click Rotate View (View toolbar) to see the faces with negative draft. 258
Under Color Settings, each face type displays a count.
• The draft colors shown are the default values. Edited values may display
different colors.
• To identify problem faces, hide faces that have correct draft (Positive draft
and Negative draft) by clicking Show/Hide
6.Click Front (Standard Views toolbar) to examine the lower edge of the
model, below the positive draft.
7.Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar) to magnify the area that requires draft.
The color indicates that these faces have a draft angle less than the 0.5 specified for Draft Angle .
8.Click .
The analysis results remain visible in the graphics area.
Draft Analysis does not add an item to the FeatureManager design tree.
You can also run Undercut Analysis if the model includes undercut areas (trapped areas that prevent the part
from ejecting from the mold).
Adding Draft
Not all faces meet the .5° specified in Draft Angle . Use the Draft tool to
add draft to the faces.
1.Click Draft (Mold Tools or Features toolbar).
2.In the PropertyManager, select Parting Line in Type of Draft.
3.Set Draft Angle to 1.
4.Under Direction of Pull:
•Select the Top plane in the FeatureManager design tree.
•If necessary, click Reverse Direction so the preview arrow points down.
Why did I do this?
5.Click Dimetric (Standard Views toolbar).
6.For Parting Lines , select each edge along the bottom of the model. You
can select each edge individually, or right-click one edge and click Select
Tangency.
7.Click to add the draft.

The draft analysis results update in the graphics area. The thin faces along the bottom edge become red 259
to show that they now have negative draft.
Applying Scaling
Use the Scale tool to apply shrink factor to accommodate for the amount the plastic will shrink as it cools. The
Scale tool scales only the geometry of the model. It does not scale dimensions, sketches, or reference geometry.
Why do I do this?
1.Click Scale (Mold Tools toolbar).
2.Expand Solid Bodies(1) in the FeatureManager design tree and select Draft2 as the Solid and Surface
or
Graphics Bodies to Scale in the PropertyManager.
The body in Solid Bodies(1) assumes the name of the last feature applied to it.
3.Select Centroid in Scale about.
4.Select Uniform scaling.
5.Set Scale Factor to 1.05.
6.Click
Generating Parting Lines

The Parting Line tool checks draft and adds parting lines. Parting lines separate
the core from the cavity.
These requirements ensure ejection of the model from the mold.
1.Click Parting Lines (Mold Tools toolbar).
2.Select the Top plane in the FeatureManager design tree for Direction of Pull in
If necessary, click Reverse Direction so the preview arrow points up.
3.Set Draft Angle to 0.5.
4.Click Draft Analysis to check the model for draft.
Under Parting Lines, the eight edges that define the path of the parting line appear for Edges . Under
Message, a message warns that you might need to create shut-off surfaces.
If the model includes a closed-loop chain of edges that runs between positive and negative faces
(without straddle faces), the parting line is generated along that chain of edges. However, a system-
generated parting line does not guarantee that all faces have sufficient draft.
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5.Compare the colors on the model with the colors under Mold Parameters.
6.Click Rotate View (View toolbar) to examine the flip side of the model.
Rotate the model and verify that there are no Straddle faces or faces that
display No Draft
The model meets all of the requirements needed to separate the core from the cavity.
The draft colors shown are the default values. Edited values may display different colors. To verify the draft
type, place the pointer over the color to display the tooltip.
7.Click to create the parting lines.
8.Save the model.
A closer look at parting lines
Adding Shut-off Surfaces

To cut the tooling block into two pieces, you need two complete surfaces (a core surface and a cavity surface)
without any through holes. Shut-off surfaces close up the through holes.
The changes to the geometry required to patch so many areas are very complex. Depending on variables
such as your hardware, the number of processes running, and so on, these shut-off surface operations
might require a few minutes to complete.
1.Click Shut-off Surfaces (Mold Tools toolbar).
In the PropertyManager, all the through holes appear in Edges .

2.Under Edges, select the following:
•Knit. Joins each shut-off surface into the cavity and core surfaces.
•Filter loops. Filters out loops that do not appear to be valid holes.
•Show callouts.
In the graphics area, callouts identify each loop with the default surface fill type, Contact.
A closer look at shut-off surfaces fill types
3.Click Zoom In/Out (View toolbar) and enlarge the image.

4.Click
The uneven coloring of the model occurs because the cavity surface is coincident with the faces of the
solid body. 261
A closer look at cavity, core, and shut-off surfaces
Creating Parting Surfaces
Parting surfaces extrude from the parting line and are used to separate the mold cavity
from the core.
1.Click Parting Surfaces (Mold Tools toolbar).
2.In the PropertyManager, under Mold Parameters, select Perpendicular to pull.
3.Under Parting Surface, set Distance to 10.
4.Under Options, select Knit all surfaces and Show preview.
5.Click .
The parting surface appears in Parting Surface Bodies , which is under Surfaces Bodies in the
Preparing for the Tooling Split

Create a parting plane that is perpendicular to the pull direction.
1.Click Rotate View (Standard Views toolbar), and turn the model to view
the bottom side with negative draft.
2.Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar), zoom in to the rectangular rib above the
mouthpiece, and select the top face of the rib.
3.Click Plane (Reference Geometry toolbar).
4.Click Front (Standard Views toolbar).
5.In the PropertyManager, under First Reference, Face<1> appears in First Reference :
•Click Distance and enter 20.
•If necessary, select Flip to position the plane below the reference face.
6.Click
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Applying the Tooling Split
Next, sketch a rectangle on the plane to create a planar surface.
1.Click Draft Analysis (Mold Tools toolbar) to turn off the draft analysis
results.
2.Click Tooling Split (Mold Tools toolbar).
A sketch opens.
3.Select Plane10 in the FeatureManager design tree.
3.Click Normal to (Standard Views toolbar).
4.Click Hidden Lines Removed (View toolbar).
5.Click Rectangle (Sketch toolbar), sketch a rectangle, and dimension

as shown.
The vertical dimension (85) is from the endpoint of the arc to the bottom
edge of the rectangle. The horizontal dimension (175) is from the origin
to the left edge of the rectangle.
6.Exit the sketch.
Applying the Tooling Split (continued)

In the PropertyManager, the following appears:
• Shut-Off Surface1[1] under Core

• Shut-Off Surface1[2] under Cavity
• Parting Surface1 under Parting Surface
2.Under Block Size:
•Set Depth in Direction 1 to 90.
•Set Depth in Direction 2 to 70.
•Select Interlock surface.
Why did I do this?
•Set Draft Angle to 3.
3.Click Shaded With Edges (View toolbar).
4.Click to create the core and cavity blocks.
You can also create side core features if the model includes undercut areas (trapped areas that prevent
the part from ejecting from the mold).
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Moving the Core from the Cavity
Use the Move/Copy Bodies feature to separate the core from the cavity.
2.Click Move/Copy Bodies (Features toolbar).
In the PropertyManager, click Translate/Rotate if you do not see the

Translate group box.
2.In the graphics area, select the cavity body.
The cavity is highlighted, and Tooling Split1[2] appears for Solid and
Surface or Graphic Bodies to Move/Copy in the PropertyManager.
3.Under Translate, set Delta Y to 160.
4.Click
Enhancing Mold Visibility
Now display the core and cavity entities without additional bodies or surfaces.
1.To hide the solid body of the phone: Under Solid Bodies(3) , right-click Parting Line1 and select Hide .
2.To hide the cavity, core, and parting surfaces: Under Surface Bodies(4) , right-click each of the following
folders and select Hide :
•Cavity Surface Bodies(1)
•Core Surface Bodies(1)
•Parting Surface Bodies(1)
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Enhancing Mold Visibility (continued)
Use the Appearances PropertyManager to change the colors and to apply transparency to the core and cavity.
1.Near the bottom of the FeatureManager design tree, click Tooling Split1 >
Appearances > Tooling Split1.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Color, select

(orange) from the swatch.
4.Click Advanced and select the Illumination tab.
5.Move the Transparent amount slider approximately

halfway to adjust the cavity transparency.
5.Click .
6.Save the part.
Creating the Tooling Assembly
You now have a multibody part file, which maintains your design intent in one
convenient location. Changes to the telephone handset model are
automatically reflected in the tooling bodies. Now create an assembly where
you can add other supporting hardware, create assembly features, and so on.
First, rename the tooling bodies for easier identification.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, in Solid Bodies , click-pause-click

Tooling Split1[1].
The body name is highlighted and ready to rename.
2.Type Core and press Enter.
3.Repeat steps 1 and 2 for Body-Move/Copy1, and name it Cavity.
Now save the bodies in separate part documents.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, in Solid Bodies , right-click Core

and select Insert into New Part.
2.Enter MyTelephone-Core.sldprt and click Save.

3.Click Window and select MyTelephone.sldprt to return to the telephone handset part.
4.n the FeatureManager design tree, in Solid Bodies , right-click Cavity and select Insert into New Part.
5.Enter MyTelephone-Cavity.sldprt and click Save.
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Creating the Tooling Assembly (continued)
Now create an assembly containing the tooling parts.
1.Create a new assembly document.
2.In the Begin Assembly PropertyManager, click .
3.Under Part/Assembly to Insert, select MyTelephone-Core and drop it in the graphics area.
4.Repeat step 3 for MyTelephone-Cavity.
The two tooling parts are now components of the assembly, with external references to MyTelephone.sldprt.
You can add other supporting hardware, create mates, and so on. Changes to the telephone handset model are
automatically reflected in the tooling parts in the assembly.
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Pattern Features
Pattern Features
Building the Pattern Features Sample Part
Creating the Revolved Base Feature
Creating the Revolved Base Feature (continued)
Extruding a Thin Feature
Shelling the Part
Pattern Features
Pattern Features
Creating an Oblong Cut
Creating an Oblong Cut (continued)
Creating the Linear Pattern
Using an Equation in the Pattern
Testing the Equation in the Pattern
267
In this lesson, you learn how to build the sample part used in the Pattern Features tutorial.
The steps include:
•Creating a revolved base feature

•Extruding a thin feature
•Shelling a part
Creating the Revolved Base Feature

In this lesson, you create a housing for a microphone. Because the housing is cylindrical, you can create the housing
as a revolved feature.
1.Click New on the Standard toolbar and open a new part.
2.Click Revolved Boss/Base on the Features toolbar.
The Front, Top, and Right planes appear.
The display changes so that the Front plane is facing you, and a sketch opens on the Front plane.
Now sketch the profile.
1.Sketch and dimension the profile as shown.
268
2.Click Sketch Fillet on the Sketch toolbar.
•Set Radius to 30.
•Select Keep constrained corners so that the corner dimensions and relations are retained to a virtual
intersection point.
4.Select the endpoint of the 50mm vertical line that is coincident with the endpoint of the diagonal line, then
click OK .
The corner is filleted away.
5.Click Zoom to Area on the View toolbar and drag-select

around the filleted intersection.
The filleted corner is visible, as well as the virtual sharp of the two lines,
indicated by the witness lines.
A virtual sharp is the virtual intersection point of two entities. Dimensions and
relations to the virtual intersection point are retained even though the actual
intersection no longer exists
6.Click Zoom to Fit on the View toolbar to return to a view of the entire sketch
Creating the Revolved Base Feature (continued)

Next, revolve the part.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Revolve:
•Select the long vertical line for Axis of Revolution .
•Set Angle to 360.
3.Click OK .
4.Click Save on the Standard toolbar, and save the part as mhousing_<your name>.sldprt.
269
Extruding a Thin Feature
Now create a thin-walled extrusion for the microphone capsule.
1.Select the top face of the model in the graphics area.
•Select Reverse to offset the edge to the inside.
5.Click OK to create the sketch.
Why did I use Offset Entities to create the sketch?
•Set Depth to 5.
8.Select Thin Feature:
•Click Reverse Direction to extrude the wall to the inside

•.
•Select One-Direction in Type.
9.Click OK to create the thin-walled extrusion.
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Shelling the Part
Hollow out the part by removing the top and bottom faces.
2.Click Shell on the Features toolbar.
•Select the top and bottom faces for Faces to Remove
Use Select Other from the shortcut menu to select the lower face.
4.Click OK
5.To see the shelled part better, click Shaded With Edges on the
View toolbar and rotate the part.
Pattern Features
In this lesson, you learn how to create a linear pattern and a circular pattern. A linear pattern is a one- or two-
dimensional array of features. A circular pattern is a circular array of features.
The steps include:

•Creating an oblong cut
•Creating a linear pattern
•Creating a circular pattern
•Using an equation to drive the circular pattern
271
You need the sample part, mhousing.sldprt, to complete this tutorial. Do one of the following:
•Click here: Open mhousing.sldprt or browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\patterns\mhousing.

sldprt.
•Build the sample part. Click here to learn how
First you create the feature that you are going to pattern. You create a profile of an oblong on a
reference plane. Use mirroring to take advantage of symmetry and to decrease the number of
relations needed to fully define the sketch.
The SolidWorks application enters sketch mode because no active sketch is selected.
For extrude and revolve features, if no active sketch is selected when you select the tool,
you are prompted to select a plane, planar face, or edge on which to sketch the feature, or to
select an existing sketch to use for the feature.
4.Select Front Plane in the FeatureManager design tree to open a sketch on that
plane.
5.Click Centerline on the Sketch toolbar, and sketch a vertical centerline

through the origin.
6.Click Line on the Sketch toolbar, and sketch two horizontal lines of equal
length, beginning at the centerline.
Watch for the on-curve pointer that indicates when you are exactly on
the centerline. Also, click View, Sketch Relations to turn off the display
of relations in the graphics area if the relations obscure the sketch geometry.
7.Click Tangent Arc on the Sketch toolbar, or right-click in the graphics area
and select Tangent Arc. Create a tangent arc as shown. Then press Esc to
deselect the tool.
8.Hold down Ctrl, and select the centerline, both horizontal lines, and the tangent arc.
9.Click Mirror Entities on the Sketch toolbar.
The sketch entities are mirrored across the centerline.

10.Dimension the oblong as shown
272
The sketch is fully defined.
Creating an Oblong Cut (continued)
Now create the cut.
4.In the PropertyManager, under Direction 1, select Through All in End Condition.
5.Click OK to create the oblong cut.
Creating the Linear Pattern

Now you create a linear pattern of the oblong cut on the sample part. You use a vertical dimension to specify the
direction in which to create the linear pattern.
1.Double-click Cut-Extrude1 in the FeatureManager design tree.

The dimensions of the Cut-Extrude1 feature appear in the graphics area.
2.Click Linear Pattern on the Features toolbar.
The Linear Pattern PropertyManager appears with the Pattern Direction

selection box active.
•For Pattern Direction, click 60 in the graphics area to create the pattern along
the same direction as the dimension line.
•If necessary, click Reverse Direction so the arrow in the graphics area
points up
•Set Spacing to 10. This value is the distance between corresponding points
on the patterned feature.
•Set the Number of Instances to 4. This value includes the original cut-
extrude feature.
A preview of the pattern appears in the graphics area. A callout indicates

the Direction, Spacing, and Instances.
4.Select Cut-Extrude1 for Features to Pattern if it is not already selected.
5.Under Options, select Geometry pattern.
The Geometry pattern option speeds up the creation and rebuilding of the
pattern. Individual instances of the feature are copied, but not solved.
6.Click OK .
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7.Save the part.
Now create a circular pattern of the linear pattern, using a temporary axis as the axis of revolution.
1.Click View, Temporary Axes.
2.Click Circular Pattern on the Features toolbar.
•For Pattern Axis, select the temporary axis that passes through the center
of the revolved feature.
The pointer changes to when you move it over the axis.
Axis <1> appears in Pattern Axis.
•If necessary, click Reverse Direction so the arrow in the graphics area points up.
•Set Number of Instances to 3.
•Clear Equal spacing.
4.Under Features to Pattern , select LPattern1 from the

A preview of the circular pattern updates in the graphics area as you enter
the parameters in the PropertyManager.
5.Under Options, select Geometry pattern.
6.Click OK .
A circular pattern of the linear pattern is created around the part’s axis of revolution
.
7.Click View, Temporary Axes to turn off the display of axes, then click
Shaded With Edges on the View toolbar.
274
Using an Equation in the Pattern
You can also use an equation to drive the circular pattern. In this section,
the equation calculates the spacing angle by dividing 360° by the number
of instances desired. This creates a full circle of equally spaced patterns.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, double-click CirPattern1.
Two values appear on the part: 3 (total instances) and 120° (spacing angle)
.
You may need to move the dimensions to see them clearly.
2.Click Equations on the Tools toolbar.
The Equations, Global Variables, and Dimensions dialog box appears.

Equation View is selected.
3.In the Name column, under Equations, click Add equation.
4.Select the spacing angle dimension (120).
The name of the spacing angle dimension, D2@CirPattern1 (the second dimension in the circular pattern),
appears under Equations.
5.In the Value/Equation column, type =360/.
6.Select the total instances value (3) in the graphics area.
D1@CirPattern1 is added to the equation. The equation should look as follows:
"D2@CirPattern1" = 360 / "D1@CirPattern1“
7.Click OK to complete the equation and to close the dialog box. An Equations folder is added to the
To add, delete, or edit an equation, right-click the folder and select Manage Equations.
Testing the Equation in the Pattern

Now test the equation. Increase the total instances of the circular
pattern from three to four.
1.Click CirPattern1 in the FeatureManager design tree.
2.In the graphics area, click the total instances value (3).
3.Type 4 in the callout and press Enter.
The callout is Instant3D functionality, which is enabled by default.

If it is not visible, enable Instant3D by clicking
Instant3D (Features toolbar).
The part updates to show four instances of the pattern. The spacing
angle value changes to 90 in the graphics area. 275
4.Save the part.
Revolve and Sweep
Revolve and Sweep

Revolve and Sweep Features
Sketching a Revolve Profile
Sketching a Revolve Profile (continued)
Creating the Revolve Feature
Sketching the Sweep Path
Sketching the Sweep Path (continued)
Sketching the Sweep Section
Creating the Sweep
Completing the Part
Viewing the Cut
276
Revolve and Sweep Features
In this lesson, you create the candlestick shown below. This lesson demonstrates:
•Creating a revolve feature

•Creating a sweep feature
•Creating an extruded cut feature with a draft angle

You create the base feature of the candlestick by creating a sketch profile and
revolving the sketch profile around a centerline.
1.Click New on the Standard toolbar and create a new part.
2.Click Revolved Boss/Base on the Features toolbar.
The Front, Top, and Right planes appear.
4.Click Line on the Sketch toolbar. Sketch a vertical line from the origin, and
sketch the two horizontal lines as shown.
5.Click Smart Dimension on the Sketch toolbar. Dimension the lines as shown.
Sketching a Revolve Profile (continued
Now sketch and dimension the arcs and lines needed to complete the profile.
First create the small arc at the top of the sketch.
1.Click Tangent Arc (Sketch toolbar).

You might need to click the down arrow on the Arc flyout button to select
the Tangent Arc tool.
2.Click the endpoint of the top horizontal line, move the pointer to the right,
then downward.
Watch the pointer for feedback and for inferencing. As you sketch, inferencing
pointers and lines help you align the pointer with existing sketch entities and
model geometry.
3.When the radius is approximately 10mm (R=10) and the vertical inferencing line
is visible, click again.
4.Click Smart Dimension on the Sketch toolbar and dimension the arc radius to 10.
277
Now create the vertical line and the second arc.
1.Click Line on the Sketch toolbar, or right-click in the graphics area and
select Line from the shortcut menu.
2.Sketch a vertical line downward approximately 150mm long, starting at the lower
endpoint of the arc. Do not dimension the line at this time.
3.Click 3 Point Arc on the Sketch toolbar, or right-click in the graphics area
and select 3 Point Arc.
You might need to click the down arrow on the Arc flyout button to select
the 3 Point Arc tool.
4.Sketch an arc so that the arc endpoints are coincident with the line.
(Watch for the pointer.) Use the following measurements:

•length approximately 40mm (L=40)
•angle approximately 180° (A=180)
•radius approximately 20mm (R=20)
5.After clicking to end the arc, set the angle to 180° in the Parameters section of
6.Click Smart Dimension on the Sketch toolbar or right-click in the graphics area
and select Smart Dimension, then dimension the arc radius to 20.
7.Click Trim Entities on the Sketch toolbar.
8.In the PropertyManager, under Options, click Trim to closest

9.Select the highlighted segment to delete it.
10.Right-click in the graphics area and select Smart Dimension. Dimension the upper
vertical line to 40, as shown.
278
Now add relations and a tangent arc.
1.Click Select on the Standard toolbar, then hold down Ctrl and select
the vertical lines on each side of the lower arc.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, click Equal , then click OK .
The Equal relation ensures that both vertical lines will maintain equal length.
3.Click Tangent Arc on the Sketch toolbar, then click the endpoint of
the lower vertical line.
4.Move the pointer downward to create an arc that has an angle of 90° and
a radius of approximately 60mm. Click to place the arc.
5.Sketch another tangent arc. Move the pointer until the endpoint of the arc is
coincident with the endpoint of the bottom horizontal line as shown.
6.Click View, Sketch Relations to hide the sketch relations in the graphics area.
7.Dimension the rest of the sketch as shown.
When you are done dimensioning, the sketch is fully defined (All lines and
endpoints are black).
279
Creating the Revolve Feature
Now that you created the sketch profile, you revolve the profile around
the centerline to create the revolve feature.
The Revolve PropertyManager appears.

If you move the pointer over a box or an icon in the PropertyManager, a tooltip
appears with the name of the box or icon.
2.For Axis of Revolution , select the long vertical line in the sketch.
3.Under Direction1:
•In Revolve Type, select Blind.
•Set Direction 1 Angle to 360.
3.Click .
The Revolve feature is created.
4.Save the part as Cstick.sldprt.
Sketching the Sweep Path

A sweep is a base, boss, or cut created by moving a section along a path. In this part of the tutorial, you
create the candlestick handle by using a sweep First, you sketch the sweep path. The path can be an open
curve, or a closed, non-intersecting curve. Neither the path nor the resulting sweep can be self-intersecting.
1.Select the Front plane in the FeatureManager design tree, then click Sketch on the Sketch toolbar
to open a new sketch.
4.Click View, Temporary Axes. Notice that the temporary axis of the revolved base appears.
5.Right-click in the graphics area and select Line, then move the pointer over the temporary axis.
The pointer changes to indicating that the pointer is exactly on the temporary axis.
6.Sketch a horizontal line as shown, and dimension the line to 60.
280
7.Right-click in the graphics area and select Tangent Arc.
8.Sketch an arc starting at the endpoint of the line. Dimension the arc to a radius of 150.
If the radial dimension is out of view, click the Leaders tab in the Dimension
PropertyManager. Click Foreshortened , then click .
9.Select the endpoints of the arc and set the vertical dimension to 65.
As you move the pointer, the dimension snaps to the closest orientation.
When the preview indicates the dimension type and location you want,
right-click to lock the dimension type. Click to place the dimension.
10.Right-click and select Tangent Arc, then sketch another arc as shown. Dimension it to a
radius of 20.

Now add relations to control the sweep path.
1.Click Select on the Standard toolbar, then hold down Ctrl and select the endpoints of the tangent arc you
just sketched.
The Properties PropertyManager appears. The two endpoints are listed under Selected Entities.
2.Under Add Relations, click Horizontal .
3.Click .
The dimensions and relations prevent the sweep path from changing size and shape when moved.
4.Click Display/Delete Relations on the Sketch toolbar.
5.In the PropertyManager, under Relations, select All in this sketch in Filter.
6.Select each relation in Relations.
As you select each relation, its entities are highlighted in the graphics area.
7.Click
.
Why did I display the sketch relations?
A closer look at sketch relations
281
Next, dimension the sweep path with respect to the revolved base.
1.Dimension the distance between the horizontal line of the sweep path and
the bottom edge of the revolved feature to 10.
2.Click Exit Sketch on the Sketch toolbar
The sweep path is fully defined.
Sketching the Sweep Section

After you sketch the sweep path, you need to sketch the sweep section.
1.Select the Right plane in the FeatureManager design tree, then click Sketch on the Sketch toolbar to
open a new sketch.
3.Click Ellipse on the Sketch toolbar, then sketch an ellipse anywhere in the graphics area.
To sketch an ellipse, drag horizontally from the center point of the ellipse to set the width of the ellipse,
release the pointer, then click and drag vertically to set the height.
4.Click Select on the Standard toolbar, then hold down Ctrl and click the endpoints of the ellipse as
shown.
5.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, click Horizontal , then click OK
.
This relation ensures that the ellipse is not slanted.
6.Dimension the ellipse as shown.
7.Click OK .
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9.Hold down Ctrl and click the center point of the ellipse and the endpoint of the horizontal line of the sweep path.
10.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, click Coincident , then click OK .
This coincident relation ensures that the center point of the sweep section lies on the plane of the sweep path.
11.Click View, Temporary Axes to hide the temporary axis.
Creating the Sweep

Now you combine the sweep path and sweep section sketches to create the sweep
.
1.Click Swept Boss/Base on the Features toolbar.
•Select Sketch3 (the ellipse) in the graphics area for Profile .
•Select Sketch2 (the path) in the graphics area for Path

A preview of the sweep appears in the graphics area. Note how the colors in
Profile and Path match those in the graphics area.
3.Under Options, select Follow Path in Orientation/twist type.
4.Click OK to create the sweep.

6.Save the part.
The candlestick’s handle is complete.
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Completing the Part
The final step is to create a cut to hold a candle.
1.Select the top face of the revolved base feature, then click Extruded Cut
on the Features toolbar.
3.Click Circle on the Sketch toolbar, and select the sketch origin. Sketch and
dimension a circle as shown.

•Select Blind in End Condition. Click Reverse Direction if necessary to make

the arrow point down.
•Set Depth to 25.
•Click Draft On/Off , and set Draft Angle to 15.
7.Click .
The cut is added to the top of the candlestick.
Viewing the Cut

You can make the part transparent to help to see the angled cut.
1.At the top of the FeatureManager design tree, to the right of the tabs,
click Show Display Pane .
2.Move the pointer over cstick at the top of the FeatureManager design tree,
and then across into the Transparency column.
3.When the pointer changes to , click in the column.
In the graphics area, the part becomes transparent. You can see the angled cut in
the top of the candlestick.
4.Click again in the Transparency column to return the part to its

original appearance.
5.Click Hide Display Pane .
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Routing – Electrical
Routing – Electrical
Electrical Routing
Opening the Model
Setting Routing Options
Manually Creating a Harness
Inserting Connectors
Creating the Route Using Auto Route
Specifying the Wire and Pins
Including Clips in the Route
Routing Through the Clips
Splitting The Route
Defining Split Points
Connecting from the Split
Routing from the Split Point
Specifying the New Cable Wires
Saving the Harness
Importing From-To Information
Inserting Components
Connecting the Route
Flattening the Harness
Setting Drawing Options
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Electrical Routing
You can model cables or harnesses with Solidworks electrical routing tools.
•In this tutorial, you learn how to:
Add Routing to SolidWorks and set routing options.
•Manually create a route:
• Drag connectors and clips from the electrical routing Design Library to
create a harness.
• Specify wires and pins within the harness.
• Split a route.
•Import a route.
•Create a drawing from the route.
This tutorial assumes knowledge of SolidWorks assemblies and drawings.
Opening the Model

Before creating the electrical harness, first add in SolidWorks Routing,
and open the assembly.
1.Click Tools > Add-Ins.
2.Select SolidWorks Routing.
Select SolidWorks Routing in the Start Up column to activate Routing every

time you start the SolidWorks application.
3.Click OK.
4.Click here: or open

<install_dir>\samples\tutorial\routing\electrical\Top_assy.sldasm.
5.Click File > Save As and save the assembly as my_top_assy.sldasm.
Most electrical routing options are available only when you edit a route. If you exit this
mode, select Edit Route (Electrical Routing toolbar) to continue.
Setting Routing Options

You can view or modify routing options in the System Options dialog box. Next, you set the option to manually
place the electrical route through clips.
1.Click Options (Standard toolbar) and select Routing.
2.Clear Automatically route on drop of clips.
3.Click OK.
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Inserting Connectors
Next, you insert plug connectors from the Design Library into the assembly.
When you drag a component from the Routing Library into the
assembly, the Route Properties PropertyManager appears. When you
close it, a new subassembly for the route harness opens in 3D sketch
mode. Assembly colors appear gray in 3D sketch mode. In addition,
the Auto Route PropertyManager appears.
A closer look at the Routing Library
1.Click Rotate View (View toolbar) and rotate the assembly to view
the holes in
2.the blue inside wall.

2.From the electrical folder in the Routing Library, select plug-5pindin.sldprt.
What if I cannot access the Design Library?
3.Drag the plug into the assembly and mate it with the right-most hole on the blue
side.
Click Yes if prompted to set options for routing, and click to close
the Route Properties PropertyManager if it appears.The assembly
turns gray and the Auto Route PropertyManager appears.
A closer look at mates for routing
4.Click Rotate View (View toolbar) and rotate the assembly to view the
six holes opposite the plug.
5.Drag another plug-5pindin.sldprt into the assembly and mate it with the lower
middle hole on the side opposite the first plug.
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Creating the Route Using Auto Route
Each route component has a CPoint. CPoints are the connection points
from which you connect electrical route segments. When you drag routing
components into the assembly, a small length of cable extends a stub
from the CPoint.
Next, you use Auto Route to route cables between the stub ends of two
components.
The Auto Route PropertyManager must be open to perform this

procedure.
If it is closed, click Auto Route (Routing Tools toolbar).
1.Zoom in on one of the plugs in the assembly and select the stub at the
end of its CPoint.
The Auto Route PropertyManager displays the selected point in Current

Selection.
2.Zoom to the other plug and select its end stub.
The route connecting the two points appears.
3.Click
Specifying the Wire and Pins

Next, specify the details of the wires running through the harness.
1.Click Edit Wires (Electrical Routing toolbar).
2.Click Add Wire in the PropertyManager.
3.Double-click 20g blue and click OK.
Selecting 20g blue assigns the 20-gauge blue wire part to the internal
cable wire when you complete this procedure. 20g blue appears in
Selected Wires.
4.Click Select Path in the Edit Wires PropertyManager.
5.Select the cable.

6.Click .
7.Under From - To Parameters, select 1 for Pin for each plug.
8.Click .
The harness contains a single 20-gauge blue wire connected to Pin 1 on each plug
.
9.Click Exit Sketch and click .
288
A closer look at editing wires
Including Clips in the Route
Next, you insert clips to organize the harness.
1.From the electrical folder of the Routing Library, select the

90_richco_hurc-4-01-clip.sldprt clip.
2.Drag the clip to the lower left hole of the side of the assembly and mate it
with the hole.
This is the side of the assembly that has holes but no plugs. You might
need to rotate the assembly to display this side.
If prompted to select a configuration, click OK to select the default.
3.Click to place the clip when it mates with the left hole of the side wall.
4.Drag two more clips where they mate with the other holes as shown.
5.Right-click to stop adding new clips.
Routing Through the Clips

Next, you route the cable through the clips while editing the route.
1.Click Route through Clip (Routing Tools toolbar).
2.Select the cable.
3.Click each clip in succession.
With each click, the cable is routed through the selected clip.
4.Click
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Defining Split Points
Next, while editing the route, you specify the point at which to split the route.
1.Click Split Route (Routing Tools toolbar).
2.Rotate and zoom the model to display the wall with six holes.
3.Select a point in the middle of the cable to define the split point.
You can enter more than one split point before you exit the sketch.
4.Click Exit Sketch

5.Click
Connecting from the Split

Next, while editing the route, you insert another plug from the electrical Routing
Library. This plug specifies the split segment connector.
1.Rotate the assembly to view the side with six holes.
2.Click Edit Route (Electrical Routing toolbar).
3.Drag plug-5pindin.sldprt from the electrical Routing Library and insert it into
the lower right hole as shown..
4.Press Esc to close the Insert Components PropertyManager if it

appears. Now you can connect the route from the split point to the
plug.
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Routing from the Split Point
Next, you use Auto Route to connect the split point to the stub at the end of
the plug.
1.Select the split point in the harness.
If the Auto Route PropertyManager does not open automatically,
click Auto Route (Routing Tools toolbar).
2.Select the stub at the end of the plug connection point.

The route splits and the new segment appears.
3.Click .
4.Shift + select both cables, and under Add Relations in the
PropertyManager, click Tangent , and click .
5.Click Exit Sketch and click .
Specifying the New Cable Wires

Next, you specify two wires within the new split cable.
1.Click Edit Route (Electrical Routing toolbar)
2.Click Edit Wires (Electrical Routing toolbar).
3.Click Add Wire in the PropertyManager.
4.Double-click 20g red and 20g white.
This is to specify two wires in the new route cable.
5.Click OK.
6.Click Select Path and select the new route segment.
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7.Select the other route segment to route the wires between two plugs.
8.Click .
The two new wires are highlighted.
9.Click .
10.Click Exit Sketch and click
Saving the Harness

Next, you save the harness and its references to a new assembly.
1.Select File > Save As.

2.The harness is a referenced virtual sub-assembly.
3.Enter my_top_assy_completed.sldasm for File name, without clicking Save.
4.Click References in the Save As dialog box to save the harness references, as well as the assembly.
5.Click Browse to navigate to a folder outside of the SolidWorks installation.
6.Click Save All in the Save As with References dialog box.
7.Close the assembly.
Importing From-To Information

From-To lists, often suppled by electrical designers, specify the electrical
route with connector part numbers and wire specifications. Next, you import
from-to list information to specify a new electrical routing harness.
The from-to list used in this example references parts in the default
setup for the Routing Library. You must have this default library setup
to use the supplied from-to list.
A closer look at the Routing Library
1.Click here: or open

<install_dir>\samples\tutorial\routing\electrical\Top_assy.sldasm.
2.Click File > Save As and save the assembly as

my_fromto_top_assy.sldasm.
3.Click Start by From/To (Electrical Routing toolbar).
4.In the PropertyManager, click to browse for the From-to list file.
5.Navigate to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\routing\electrical\From-To List.xls and click Open.
6.Select Start a new assembly.
7.Click
You are prompted to insert components.

292
8.Click Yes.
Five connectors are listed in the Insert Component PropertyManager.
Inserting Components
The names of components listed in the Insert Component
PropertyManager are derived from the imported from-to list.
A closer look at from-to lists
Next, you insert the listed components and complete the route specified
by the from-to list.
1.Click Rotate (View toolbar) and Zoom to Fit (View toolbar)
for access to the short side of the assembly with six holes.
2.Insert battery1 in the lower middle hole and motor1 in the upper right hole as
shown.
When you mate a connector, it is removed from the Insert route
connectors list in the PropertyManager.
3.Insert xcon1, xcon2, and xcon3 from left to right in the opposite wall of the
assembly.
4.Click Yes when prompted to start the route.
5.Click to close the Route Properties PropertyManager.
The Auto Route PropertyManager appears.
Connecting the Route

Route guidelines display a preview of the route before you connect it.
Next, you display the route guidelines and create the harness cables.
1.In the Auto Route PropertyManager, click Guidelines. The new route harness
guidelines appear.
2.In the PropertyManager, click Merge guidelines to form routes .
3.Select all guidelines. No 5

No 6
You can box-select to select all guidelines
4.Click .
5.Click in the Auto Route PropertyManager.
6.Click Save Sketch The route is created.

No 7
7.Click
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Flattening the Harness
To flatten a harness for an electrical drawing, if your route subassembly is a virtual component, you must first
save it to an external file.
1.Click Flatten Route (Electrical Routing toolbar).
2.If prompted to save the virtual route as an assembly, click Yes and in the Save As dialog box, select the
harness and click Same As Assembly and click OK.
3.If prompted to rebuild, click Yes.
Setting Drawing Options

Next, you display the BOM, cut list, connector tables, and balloons in the
drawing.
1.In the Flatten Route PropertyManager, for Flatten Type, select Annotation.
2.For Flatten Options, select Display 3D connectors.
3.Select Drawing Options and select the following:

•Electrical BOM
•Cut list
•Connector table
•Auto balloon
Click Yes if prompted to continue before selecting drawing options.
4.Click .
5.Click Yes when prompted to add a length field to the BOM template.
The drawing includes the flattened harness, the BOM, the cut list, the
connector tables, and the balloons.
The flattened configuration and drawing are simplified representations of the route. The annotations on the route
segments display the length of the routed wire.
6.Click File > Save As to save the drawing.
7.Navigate to a directory away from your installation directory and save the
drawing (along with its references) as my_top_assy_fromto_drawing.slddrw.
Click Yes if you are prompted to save the drawing references.
8.Close the drawing and click File > Save As to save the assembly.
9.Save the assembly in your own directory as my_top_assy_fromto_completed.sldasm

and close the assembly.
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Pipe and Tube Routes
Customizing Routing Templates
Customizing Routing Templates (continued)
Adding Parts to the Routing Library
Specifying the Default Routing Template
Starting a Route
Starting a Route (continued)
Creating the Route
Adding a Tee Fitting
Adding a Flange
Creating an Orthogonal Route
Adding a Ball Valve Assembly
Manually Sketching a Route
Creating A Flexible Tube Route
Finishing the Routes
Route Drawings
Inserting a View
Adding a BOM
Changing the View
Adding Balloons
295
With SolidWorks Routing, you can create a special type of subassembly that
builds a path of pipes, tubes, or electrical cables between components.
SolidWorks Routing is available with SolidWorks Office Premium.
In the Pipe and Tube Routes lesson, you create the pipe and tube routes shown
below.
The lesson includes:
•Customizing a routing template

•Adding parts to the Routing Library
•Creating route paths by various automatic and manual methods
In the Route Drawings lesson, you create a drawing for the above assembly.
The drawing includes:
•A bill of materials
•Pipe length information
•Auto balloons

With SolidWorks Routing, you can create a special type of subassembly that
builds a path of pipes or tubes between components.
A route subassembly is always a component of a top-level assembly.
When you insert certain components into an assembly, a route subassembly
is created automatically. You model the route by creating a 3D sketch of the
centerline of the route path. The software generates the pipe or tube along the
centerline. To begin, activate the SolidWorks Routing add-in.
2.In the Active Add-ins column, select SolidWorks Routing to activate it for
this session.
In addition, you can select it in the Start Up column to automatically activate
Routing every time you start the SolidWorks application. This is useful if you
work with Routing often.
3.Click OK.
SolidWorks Routing is added in.
You can find additional information about SolidWorks Routing in the SolidWorks Help. Click Help,
SolidWorks Help. On the Contents tab, expand SolidWorks Routing.
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Customizing Routing Templates
After you add in SolidWorks Routing, the software generates a default routing template, which uses the same
settings as the standard assembly template, but also contains special routing-related model data. You cannot
access the routing-related model data.
In this tutorial, you copy the default routing template and create a custom routing template. You must make sure
hidden files and folders are visible.
1.In Windows Explorer, click Tools, Folder Options.
2.On the View tab, under Advanced settings, make sure Show hidden files and folders is selected.
3.Click OK.
Now determine the default template location.
1.From the Windows Start menu, click All Programs > SolidWorks version > SolidWorks Tools >
SolidWorks version Routing Library Manager . The Routing Library Manager appears.
2.Select the File Locations and Settings tab.The default template location is listed next to Routing
Template. The path is typically C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\SolidWorks\
SolidWorks version\templates or C:\ProgramData\SolidWorks\SolidWorks version\templates,
depending on your operating system.
3.Do not exit the Routing Library Manager.
Now browse to the template.
1.In Windows Explorer, browse to your default template location.The default routing template,
routeAssembly.asmdot, appears in the folder.
What if the routing template does not appear in the folder?
2.Close Windows Explorer.

Now create a custom routing template and set its units to inches. If your company policy allows, you could
save the custom template in the default template location, but for this tutorial, you save it in a new folder
that you create.
1.In Windows Explorer, create a folder on your local drive called C:\MyRoutingTutorial.
2.In SolidWorks, click Open .
3.In the Open dialog box:

a.For Look in, browse to your default template location (typically C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Application Data\SolidWorks\SolidWorks<version>\templates).
If your default template location is different, browse to that location.
b.In File of type, select Template (*.prtdot;*.asmdot;*.drwdot).

c.Select routeAssembly.asmdot.
d.Click Open. 297
Now save a copy of the template and change some settings in it.
2.In the Save As dialog box:
a.For Save in, browse to C:\MyRoutingTutorial.

b.For File name, type MyRouteAssembly.
c.For Save as type, select Assembly Templates (*.asmdot).
d.Click Save.
3.Click Options .
a.On the Document Properties tab, select Units.

b.Under Unit system, select IPS (inch, pound, second).
c.Click OK.
Adding Parts to the Routing Library

The Routing Library contains parts (such as flanges, fittings, and pipes) for you to use in routes you create.
By default, the Routing Library is located in a folder named routing in the Design Library. You can add
components to existing folders in the Routing Library, or create new folders.
You must have write access to your Design Library to create folders and add parts. If you do not have
write access, you can skip this page and use a default part already in the library.
Create a new folder in the Routing Library and add a rubber tubing part.
1.Click here: to open tube - rubber.sldprt (or browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\routing-

pipes\tube - rubber.sldprt).
2.In the Task Pane:
a.Click the Design Library tab.
b.Browse to Design Library\routing\tubing.
The tubing folder contains several sub-folders, such as flanges, tees, and tubes.
3.At the top of the Task Pane, click Create New Folder .
4.Type tutorial for the folder name and press Enter.
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Specifying the Default Routing Template
Now specify that the template you created is the default template.
1.Switch to the Routing Library Manager application:
a.Click Routing File Locations and Settings .
b.Click next to Routing template.
c.Browse to C:\MyRoutingTutorial.
d.Select MyRouteAssembly.asmdot.
e.Click Open.
f.Click OK again and Exit in the Routing Library Manager.
MyRouteAssembly.asmdot is now the routing template. To revert to the default template click Load Default
in the Routing Library Manager.
Starting a Route
Add some pipe and tube routes to an assembly.
1.In SolidWorks, click Options .
2.On the System Options tab, select Assemblies, clear Save new
components to external files and click OK.
3.Click here: to open Piping-Tubing.sldasm (or browse to

<install_dir>\sample\tutorial\routing-pipes\Piping-Tubing.sldasm)
4.Save the assembly as MySkid.sldasm (in the same folder as

Piping-Tubing.sldasm).The assembly already contains a filter, a
regulator, and three flanges that need to be connected by pipe or
tube routes.
If shadows are on, turn them off by clicking Shadows In Shaded Mode (View toolbar).
Now determine your default template location.
299
Start the first route by dragging a flange into the assembly.
You can use tools on the View toolbar to zoom, rotate, and pan
the model view to facilitate working with the model.
1.Click Start by Drag/Drop (Piping toolbar).
The Design Library opens to the piping section of the Routing Library.
2.In the lower panel, double-click the flanges folder.
3.Drag slip on weld flange.sldprt from the library to the flange face
on the regulator.
4.Drop the flange when it snaps into place.

5. Select List all configurations and select Slip On Flange 150-NPS4.
6. Click OK.
The Route Properties PropertyManager appears.

In the Route Properties PropertyManager, you specify the properties of the route
you are about to create. Some of the items you can specify include:
•Which pipe or tube parts to use

•Whether to use elbows or bends
For this tutorial, use the default settings.
1.Click .
The following happens:

•A 3D sketch opens in a new route subassembly.
•The new route subassembly is created in the FeatureManager design tree as
[Pipe_1-MySkid] .
If you have cleared the Routing Option, Save route assembly externally,
the new subassembly is saved as a virtual component. To view Routing
Options,
click Options and select Routing.
•A stub of pipe appears, extending from the flange you just placed.
300
Creating the Route
Start creating the segments of the route.
1.Drag the endpoint of the stub to increase the pipe length as shown. You do not
need to be exact.
Now add the horizontal flange to the route, so you can connect the pipe to it.
2.Zoom to the horizontal flange.
On the View menu, make sure Routing Points is selected and Hide All
Types is cleared.
3.Move the pointer over the connection point (CPoint1) in the center of the
flange.
The pointer changes to and the connection point is highlighted.
4.Right-click CPoint1 and select Add to Route.
A stub of pipe extends from the flange.
Adding a Tee Fitting

To add a tee fitting to the route, first you need to add a point where you want
to place the fitting.
1.Click Edit Route (Piping toolbar).

The 3D route sketch opens.
2.Click Split Entities (Sketch toolbar).
3.Click the centerline of the pipe approximately where shown to add a split
point.
4.Press Esc to turn off the Split Entities tool.

301
Adding a Flange
Now route the pipe from the tee fitting to the upper flange. First you need to add
the flange to the route.
1.Zoom to the upper flange.
flange.
The pointer changes to and the connection point is highlighted.
A stub of pipe extends from the flange.
Creating an Orthogonal Route

Now use Auto Route to automatically create an orthogonal route from the tee fitting to the flange.
1.Click Auto Route (Routing Tools toolbar).
2.Select the endpoints of the two stubs (one at the tee fitting, the other at the flange).
The points are listed under Current Selection in the PropertyManager. Because this is a rigid pipe route,
Orthogonal route is automatically selected under Auto Route. An orthogonal route between the two points
appears in the graphics area.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Auto Route, for Alternate paths, click the up and down arrows until the path
appears as shown.
4.Click .
5.Click in the Confirmation Corner to exit the sketch.
In the FeatureManager design tree, the new tee and elbows appear in Components and new pipe parts
appear in Route Parts .
302
Adding a Ball Valve Assembly
Now add a ball valve assembly to the route. First, you need to create
another split point.
1.Click Edit Route (Piping toolbar).
The 3D route sketch opens.
2.Click Split Entities (Sketch toolbar).
3.Click the centerline of the pipe approximately where shown to add a split
point.
4.Press Esc to turn off the Split Entities tool.
Manually Sketching a Route

Now create a route from the lower flange to the pipe that runs between the ball
valve assembly and the tee fitting.
1.Zoom to the lower flange.

flange.
4.Click Line (Sketch toolbar) and sketch lines approximately as

shown.
Sketch the straight lines only - the sketch fillets are added
automatically.
A Closer Look at 3D Sketches
303
Creating A Flexible Tube Route
All the route segments you have created so far are part of the same route
subassembly. Now create a new route subassembly containing a flexible tube
route between the tube fittings on the tops of the regulator and filter.
First you need to change the editing focus from the route subassembly
back to the top-level assembly.
1.Click Edit Component (Assembly toolbar).
The editing focus changes back to the top-level assembly.

3.Click View Routing Points (View toolbar).

4.Right-click CPoint2 on the fitting on top of the regulator and select Start
Route.
Finishing the Routes

2.Click Edit Component (Assembly toolbar) to change the editing

focus back to the top-level assembly.
3.Click View Routing Points (View toolbar) to turn off display of

routing points.
Route Drawings
In this lesson you create a drawing for the routes you created in the Pipe and Tube Routes lesson. In
addition to views of the routes, the drawing has a bill of materials (BOM) that includes pipe length information.

•Open the assembly you completed in the Pipe and Tube Routes lesson.
•Click here: to open FinalSkid.sldasm.

•Browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\routing-pipes\FinalSkid.sldasm.
2.Click New .
3.In the New SolidWorks Document dialog box:

a.Click Advanced.
b.On the Templates tab, click Drawing .
c.Click OK.
4.In the Sheet Format/Size dialog box:

a.Select Standard sheet size.
b.Select D - Landscape.
c.Click OK. 304
A new drawing opens and the Model View PropertyManager appears.
Inserting a View
Place a view of the assembly on the drawing sheet.
a.Under Part/Assembly to Insert, select the assembly.
b.Click .
c.Under Orientation, for Standard views, select *Isometric .
d.Under Display Style, select Shaded With Edges .
e.Under Dimension Type, select True.
2.In the graphics area, click to place the view as shown.
3.Click
Adding a BOM
Now add a BOM.
1.Click Bill of Materials (Table toolbar).
a.Under BOM Type, select Parts only
b.Click .
3.In the graphics area, click to place the BOM.

4.Zoom to the BOM table.
Notice there is no information about pipe lengths.
Changing the View
Change the scale of the view by changing the scale of the drawing.
2.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Sheet1 and

select Properties.
3.Change Scale to 1 : 8.
4.Click OK.
305
5.Select the view in the graphics area, and then drag it to position it
on the sheet.
Adding Balloons
Now add balloons.
1.Select the drawing view.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Balloon Layout, select:

•Square
•Ignore multiple instances
•Balloon Edges
4.Click .
5.Save the drawing
306
Sheet Metal
Sheet Metal
Sheet Meta
Base Flange
Creating a Base Flange
FeatureManager Design Tree
Miter Flange
Adding a Miter Flange
Adding a Miter Flange (continued)
Mirroring the Sheet Metal Bends
Edge Flanges
Creating an Edge Flange
Mirroring a Sheet Metal Feature
Tabs
Adding a Tab
Bending a Tab
Cutting Across a Bends
Adding a Cut Across a Bend
Adding a Cut Across a Bend (continued)
Closed Corners
Creating Closed Corners
Creating Closed Corners (continued)
Flattening and Folding the Part
Sheet Metal Drawings
Creating a Sheet Metal Drawing
Creating a Sheet Metal Drawing (continued)
Adjusting the Bend Notes
Adjusting the Bend Notes (continued) 307
Sheet Metal
In this lesson, you create the sheet metal part. This lesson demonstrates:
•Creating a base flange
•Adding a miter flange
•Mirroring the part and creating new bends
•Adding an edge flange and editing its sketch profile
•Mirroring a feature
•Adding and bending a tab
•Adding a cut across a bend
•Folding and unfolding bends
•Creating a closed corner
•Creating a sheet metal drawing
•Adding bend line notes
Creating a Base Flange

When you develop a sheet metal part, you generally design the part in the
folded state. This allows you to capture the design intent and the
dimensions of the finished part.To create a sheet metal part, you sketch an
open profile and use the base flange feature to create the thin feature and
the bends.
1.Open a new part.
2.Click Base Flange/Tab (Sheet Metal toolbar).
4.Sketch and dimension the profile.
Expand the Line flyout menu on the Sketch CommandManager and
sketch a Centerline (Sketch toolbar) through the origin, then use
Add Relation (Sketch toolbar) to add a Symmetric relation

between the three vertical lines. Later, this allows you to mirror about
the Right plane.
•Set Depth to 75.
What are Sheet Metal Gauges?
7.Under Sheet Metal Parameters:
•Set Bend Radius to 1.

308
8.Click .
The sketch is extruded and the bends are added.
FeatureManager Design Tree
A base flange feature creates the following features in the FeatureManager design tree:
• Sheet-Metal1. Contains the default bend parameters including bend radius, bend allowance, and
relief type.To edit, right-click Sheet-Metal1 and on the context toolbar, click Edit Feature .
• Base-Flange1. Designates the first solid feature of the sheet metal part. To edit the Base-Flange
parameters, right-click Base-Flange1 and on the context toolbar, click Edit Feature .
• Flat-Pattern1. Flattens the sheet metal part. The flat pattern is suppressed by default because the part
is in its bent state. To flatten the part, right-click Flat-Pattern1 and on the context toolbar, click Unsuppress .
When the Flat-Pattern feature is suppressed, new features are automatically inserted above the
Flat- Pattern feature in the FeatureManager design tree. When the Flat-Pattern feature is
unsuppressed, new features go below it in the FeatureManager design tree and are not shown in the
folded part.
Adding a Miter Flange

You can add flanges to your sheet metal part with corners that are
automatically mitered. First you add a notch to limit the propagation of the
miter flange. Then you add and dimension the sketch for the miter flange.
1.Click Extruded Cut (Features toolbar), and select the bottom face.
2.Sketch and dimension a circle with its center coincident to the midpoint of
the edge, as shown.
3.Close the sketch.

4.In the PropertyManager, click Link to thickness under Direction 1, and then click
5.Click Wireframe (View toolbar).
6.Click Miter Flange (Sheet Metal toolbar).
7.Select the inside vertical edge as shown to create a sketch plane normal to
the selected edge with its origin at the closest endpoint of the edge. Make sure
to select the upper portion of the edge.
8.Click Bottom (Standard Views toolbar).
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9.Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar) and zoom to the sketch origin.
10.Starting at the origin, sketch as shown.
a.Horizontal Line (Sketch toolbar), with an

approximate length of 20.
b.Tangent Arc (Sketch toolbar), with an

approximate radius of 10.
c.Line (Sketch toolbar) tangent to the arc,

with an approximate length of 6.
indicates tangency.
11.Click Smart Dimension (Dimensions/Relations toolbar) and

dimension as shown.
Miter Flange - Arc Sketches
Adding a Miter Flange (continued)

Now you create the miter flange.
2.Click Isometric (Standard Views toolbar)
4.Click Propagate .
The miter flange is propagated to the tangent edges, stopping at the notch.
5.In Miter Parameters, under Flange position, click Material Outside .
6.Click
8.Save the part as Cover.sldprt.
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Mirroring the Sheet Metal Bends
When you mirror a sheet metal part, many of the bends are mirrored as
well.
1.Click Back (Standard Views toolbar).
2.Zoom to the right corner of the model's back face.
4.Select one of the back planar faces, as shown, for Mirror Face/Plane
.
5.Click Bodies to Mirror , and select the sheet metal body as shown, for
Solid/Surface Bodies to Mirr
6.Click .
8.Expand Mirror1 in the FeatureManager design tree to view new bends for
the mirrored geometry.
Creating an Edge Flange

Create an edge flange using the edit sketch profile and offset options.
1.Click Edge Flange (Sheet Metal toolbar).
2.Select the outer edge as shown.

3.Drag the edge flange as shown, and click.
N0 5
No 4
•Under Flange Length, set Length to 30.
•Under Flange Position:
oSelect Material Outside .
oSelect Offset.
oSet Offset Distance to 15.
•Under Flange Parameters, click Edit Flange Profile to display the

Profile Sketch dialog box.
5.Select the end points along the base flange (inside edge) and drag them
towards the center as shown.
Repositioning the end points removes the relation between the width of
the base flange and the width of the edge flange.
6.Click Smart Dimension (Dimensions/Relations toolbar) and
dimension the edge flange as shown.
7.Click Finish to close the Profile Sketch dialog box and complete the edge flange.
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Mirroring a Sheet Metal Feature
You can mirror sheet metal bodies as well as selected sheet metal
features. Use the Right plane to mirror the edge flange feature.
The plane used to mirror the sheet metal feature must be centered
between the edges of the base flange.
2.Expand the FeatureManager design tree, and in the PropertyManager:
a.Under Mirror Face/Plane, select Right for Mirror Face/Plane

.
b.Under Features to Mirror, select Edge-Flange1 for Features
to Mirror
3.Click
Adding a Tab
1.Select the face as shown, then click Base Flange/Tab (Sheet Metal toolbar).
No 1
No 2
2.Sketch a rectangle, making one edge of the
rectangle coincident to the upper edge of the
edge flange.
A sketch opens on the selected face.

3.Dimension the rectangle to stick out 20 from the edge flange and be 40 long.
4.Clear the Dimension tool.
5.Add a coincident relation between the midpoint of one of the long lines of
the rectangle and the edge flange:
a.Right-click one of the long lines of the rectangle, and click Select Midpoint.
b.Click Add Relation (Dimensions/Relations toolbar).
c.Right-click the long edge of mirrored edge flange, and click Select Midpoint.
d.In the PropertyManager, under Add Relations, click Coincident, then click
7.Click .
The tab is added to the part. The SolidWorks software links the thickness of the
tab to the thickness of the base flange.
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Bending a Tab
Now you specify how to bend the tab.
1.Select the top face of the tab, then click Sketched Bend (Sheet Metal
toolbar).
2.Sketch a horizontal line of any length. Dimension it as shown.
The bend line does not need to be the exact length of the face
you are bending.
4.In the PropertyManager under Bend Parameters:
a.Select the face with the sketch below the bend line for Fixed Face
b.Click Material Outside .
c.Set Bend Angle to 90.
d.Select Use default radius.

5.Click .
6.Save the part.
Adding a Cut Across a Bend

To cut across a bend, you start by unfolding only the bend that you want to
cut across. Unfolding only one bend results in faster system performance.
1.Click Unfold (Sheet Metal toolbar).
2.In the graphics area, select the face and bend as shown for Fixed face
and Bends to unfold .
You can only select bends when the Bends to unfold box is active.
3.Click to unfold the selected bend.
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Next, you create a cut through the bend.
1.Click Extruded Cut (Features toolbar).
2.Select the face shown, and click Normal To (Standard Views toolbar).
3.Sketch and dimension a rectangle, and add a Collinear relation between the
rectangle edge and the edge of the edge flange as shown.
5.In the PropertyManager, under Direction 1, select Through All in
End Condition, then click to cut through the bend region.

Now, fold the bend back to its bent state.
1.Click Fold (Sheet Metal toolbar).
2.In the PropertyManager, click Collect All Bends to add all unfolded bends to Bends to fold .
3.Click to return the part to its bent state.
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Creating Closed Corners
Now add a closed corner to one side of the base flange. A closed corner
extends a flange so that the gap between two flanges is narrowed.
To create a closed corner, first add an edge flange to the base flange.
1.Click Edge Flange (Sheet Metal toolbar).
2.Select the edge as shown.

a.Under Angle, set Flange Angle to 75.
b.Under Flange Length:
•Set Length End Condition to Blind.
•If the preview faces down, click Reverse Direction
•Set Length to 85.
c.Under Flange Position, select Material Outside .
d.Under Custom Relief Type:

•In Relief Type, select Rectangle.
•Select Use relief ratio.
•Set Ratio to 0.3.
4.Click
Creating Closed Corners (continued)

Next, add a closed corner by extending the face that is adjacent to
the angled edge flange you just added.
1.Click Closed Corner (Sheet Metal toolbar).
2.Select the face of the base flange as shown for Faces to Extend
3.Select Butt for Corner type.
4.Click
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Flattening and Folding the Part
You can flatten all the bends of a sheet metal part at once.
1.Verify that the rollback bar is rolled to the end, then click Flatten
(Sheet Metal toolbar). This is the same as unsuppressing the Flat-Pattern

feature that was created with the Base Flange feature.
The flattened sheet metal part appears with all of the bend lines shown.
You may also see a bounding box around the part. The bounding box is the
smallest rectangle in which the flat pattern can fit.
2.To fold the part back up, click Flatten again.
3.Save the part.
Creating a Sheet Metal Drawing

Now create a drawing of the sheet metal part. Start with an isometric view of the folded model, and then add a
view of the unfolded model.
2.On the System Options tab, click Drawings, Display Style.
3.Under Tangent edges in new views, select Visible, and click OK.
4.Click Make Drawing from Part/Assembly (Standard toolbar), then click OK to open a drawing sheet.
5.Drag the Isometric view from the View Palette to the upper-right corner of the drawing sheet.
a.Under Scale, select Use custom scale.

b.Select User Defined in the list and type 1:3.
c.Click
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Creating a Sheet Metal Drawing (continued)
Next, add a view of the unfolded model. A flat pattern view is automatically
added in the PropertyManager when you create a sheet metal part.
a.Click .
b.Under Orientation, in More views select (A) Flat pattern.
c.Under Scale, select Use custom scale. Select User Defined in
the list and type 1:3.
d.Click to place the view in the drawing sheet.
The view orientation of flat patterns in a drawing views varies,

depending on such
factors as the way you extruded the base flange. To rotate the view,
select the drawing, click Rotate (View), and make your choices in
the dialog box. You may also need to use Flip view in the PropertyManager.
3.Click .
4.Save the drawing as Cover.slddrw.
Click Save All to save both the drawing and the updated model if a message box notifies you that the model
referenced in the drawing was modified.
Adjusting the Bend Notes

First reduce the font size.
You can set font size as well as other options as part of the drawing
template.
1.Box-select the drawing.

•Under Text Format, clear Use document font.
•Click Font.
3.In the Choose Font dialog box, select Points, 9 for Height, and click OK.
4.Click the sheet to clear the block-select.
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Adjusting the Bend Notes (continued)
Now adjust the bend notes for clarity by hiding, moving, and adding
leaders to selected notes.
In this example, the bend notes are positioned Above Bend Line
.
1.Press Ctrl and select UP 59.04° R7 and DOWN 90.00° R1 from the
miter flange located at the bottom, as shown.
2.Right-click and select Hide.
3.Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the miter flange bend line notes at the top, as
shown.
4.Select UP 59.04° R7 from the miter flange located at the top, drag outside
the part's shape to the left, and click to position.
5.In the PropertyManager, under Leader, click Leader
You can change the angle of a bend note, the leader type, and the arrow style.
6.Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the three remaining miter flange notes.
8.Press Ctrl and select the five vertical instances of UP 90.00° R1 and
DOWN 90.00° R1 along the center of the drawing.
9.In the PropertyManager, under Text Format, set Angle to 0.
10.Click to place the bend notes so the drawing view approximately resembles the
image below.
11.Save the drawing.
318
Smart Components
Smart Components
Smart Components
Training Assemblies
Creating Smart Components
Setting Diameter Values
Examining Smart Component Definition
Inserting Smart Components
Inserting Smart Features
Editing Smart Components
Smart Components
To make a component smart, you associate it with other components and features, such as bolts and mounting
holes. When you insert Smart Components into assemblies, you can choose to insert the associated components and
features.In this tutorial, you make a pillow block bearing smart, and then add it to a stepped shaft assembly.
This lesson includes:
•Making a component smart.

•Adding a Smart Component to an assembly.
•Using the auto-sizing functionality.
•Editing Smart Component definitions.
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Training Assemblies
You define a Smart Component in a training assembly. A training assembly
contains:
•The component you want to make smart.

•Components you want to associate with the Smart Component.
•Components containing features you want to associate with the Smart
Component.
The assembly used to define the pillow block bearing as a Smart Component
was previously created.
When you define the bearing as being smart, the following data is captured in the bearing file as a
Smart Feature :
•External references to the files of associated components (cap screws and washers).
•Information to create the associated feature (mounting boss).
•Information to reconstruct the training assembly.
After you establish the bearing as smart, you no longer need the files for the training assembly or the part
containing the mounting boss feature, because the information is stored in the bearing file. You do
still need the files of associated components (cap screws, lock washers, and flat washers), because the bearing file
contains external references to these files.
Creating Smart Components

Open the training assembly to define the Smart Component
1.Click here: to open pillow_block.sldasm,

(or browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\
smartcomponents\pillow_block.sldasm).
The training assembly is shown in an exploded view to facilitate component selection.
2.Click Make Smart Component (Assembly toolbar).

3.Select the bearing for Smart Component
The bearing (the component that you are making smart) is highlighted.
4.Select the cap screws, lock washers, and flat washers for Components
The cap screws, lock washers, and flat washers are components you
want to associate with the bearing selected in step 3.
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5.In the PropertyManager, under Features, click in Features to make
smart
.
The entities already selected are hidden in the graphics area to
facilitate choosing
the features you want to associate with the bearing. You can toggle
the visibility by clicking Show Components/Hide Components.
6.In the graphics area, select the top boss extrude.
7.In the PropertyManager, under Auto Size, select Diameter.
8.In the graphics area, select the inside cylindrical face in the pillow block for
Concentric mate reference
Why select Auto Size options?
Setting Diameter Values

1.In the PropertyManager, click Configurator Table.
A closer look at the Configurator Table
2.Click in the cells of the Configurator Table, and select the values shown.
Configurator Table values
3.Enter the values for the minimum and maximum diameters.
4.Click OK, then click .
5.Click Save (Standard toolbar). In the Save Modified Documents dialog box, click Save All.
All the Smart Component's defining data is saved in the component document bearing.sldprt.
6.Close the Training Assembly.
321
Examining Smart Component Definition
Examine the definition of the Smart Component where all the defining
data is stored.
1.Click here: to open bearing.sldprt,(or browse to
<install_dir>\samples\tutorial\smartcomponents\bearing.sldprt.
2.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Smart Feature ,

and select Preview.
A preview window appears with a temporary assembly containing the

Smart Component.
3.Expand each folder under Smart Feature , then select items from
these folders to highlight them in the preview window.
4.Click anywhere outside the preview window to close it, then close the
model.Click No when prompted to save the changes.
Inserting Smart Components

Open an existing shaft assembly, and insert the Smart Component.
1.Click here: to open stepped_shaft.sldasm,(or browse to

<install_dir>\samples\tutorial\smartcomponents\stepped_shaft.sldasm).
2.Click Insert Components (Assemblies toolbar).
3.In the PropertyManager, under Part/Assembly to Insert, click Browse.
4.Browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\smartcomponents\bearing.sldprt.
5.Move the pointer along the shaft.
Small diameter Medium diameter Large diameter

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Because you specified Diameter when creating the Smart Component in
the training assembly, you can place the bearing anywhere along the
stepped shaft, and the component adjusts.
6.Click to place the bearing on the medium diameter section of the stepped
shaft.
7.Click Add/Finish Mate (Mate pop-up toolbar) to accept the
concentric mate.
Inserting Smart Features

Activate the smart features of the bearing.
1.Select the bearing, and click Insert, Smart Features.
A preview window appears that highlights the reference face in the training
assembly for which you need to select a corresponding face in the stepped shaft
assembly.
2.In the graphics area, select the top face of the base.
•In the PropertyManager, under References, Face indicates that the

reference was specified.
•In the preview window the highlight is removed.
3.Click .
The boss extrude extends from the bottom of the bearing to the base plate, and the screws and washers are inserted.
4.Save and close the assembly.
323
Editing Smart Components
1.Open bearing.sldprt.
2.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Smart Feature and select
Edit in Defining Assembly.
A temporary assembly, bearing_ta.sldasm opens.
3.Click Edit Definition on the pop-up toolbar.
4.In the PropertyManager, click Configurator Table.
5.For bearing configuration NPD-28, use same screws and washer as for bearing
configuration NPD-32.
6.Click OK, then click .
7.On the ConfigurationManager tab, double-click NPD-28 to see the updated

configuration.
8.Save and close the assembly.
The temporary assembly disappears. The updated defining data is saved in the component document bearing.sldprt.
324
Surfaces
Surfaces
Surfaces Overview
Creating the Base Entities
Lofted Surface - Creating the Base
Swept Surface - Creating the Handle
Swept Surface - Creating the Exit Nozzle
Split Lines - Dividing the Exit Nozzle
Split Lines - Dividing the Base
Lofted Surface - Surface Bodies
Lofted Surface - Surface Bodies (continued)
Fom The Basic Model
Knit Surface - Joining the Base Entities
Filled Surface - Enclosing an Open Area
Filled Surface - Enclosing an Open Area (continued)
Planar Surface
Knit Surface - Joining the New Entities
Extend And Modify The Model
Revolved Surface
Move/Copy Bodies - Moving a Surface
Trim Surface - Removing Surfaces
Extruded Surface - Creating a Trim Tool
Move/Copy Bodies - Copying a Body
Finish The Model
Trim Surface - Creating Cuts - Set 1
Delete Solid/Surface - Deleting Trim Tools
Untrim Surface - Patching a Surface
325
Thicken Surface - Creating a Solid
Surfaces Overview
Surfaces are a type of geometry with zero thickness. To create surfaces, you use many of the same methods used to
create solids, such as extrudes, revolves, and sweeps. Surfaces also use other functions or features such as trim,
untrim, extend, and knit.
Surfaces have advantages over solids. They are more flexible than solids because you do not have to define the
boundaries between the surfaces until the final steps of the design. This flexibility helps product designers work
with smooth, extended curves such as those used in automobile fenders or telephone housings.
In this lesson, you start with an existing sketch composed of lines, arcs, splines, and sketch points. Then you apply
the following surface features to create a nozzle:
Finished nozzle
Existing sketch
326
Lofted Surface - Creating the Base
First, create the base for the nozzle using a surface loft between two arcs.
Surface lofts include the same options as solid lofts. You can specify
Start/End Tangency types, use Guide Curves, and so on.
Click here Open Nozzle.sldprt, or browse to

<install_dir>\samples\tutorial\surfaces\nozzle.sldprt.
For clarity, many images display only the sketches relevant to that procedure.
1.Click File, Save As and save the model as nozzle_01.sldpart.
2.Click Lofted Surface on the Surfaces toolbar.
3.Select Sketch2 and Sketch3 for Profiles in the PropertyManager.
4.Under Start/End Constraints:
•Select Normal to Profile in Start constraint and End constraint.

•Set Start Tangent Length and End Tangent Length to 0.50.
5.Click OK
Swept Surface - Creating the Handle

With the Swept Surface tool, create the nozzle grip. To define the finger hold of the grip,
include a guide curve in the surface sweep.
1.Click Swept Surface on the Surfaces toolbar.
2.Select Sketch6 for Profile in the PropertyManager.
3.Select Sketch4 for Path .
4.Under Guide Curves:
•Select Sketch 5 for Guide Curves .
•Select Merge smooth faces.
5.Under Options, clear Merge tangent faces.
6.Click OK
327
Swept Surface - Creating the Exit Nozzle
Create another swept surface for the exit nozzle.
1.Click Swept Surface on the Surfaces toolbar.
2.Select Sketch 9 for Profile in the PropertyManager.
3.Select Sketch 7 for Path .
4.Under Guide Curves:
•Select Sketch 8 for Guide Curves .
•Select Merge smooth faces.

5.Click OK .
Split Lines - Dividing the Exit Nozzle

The Split Line tool divides a face into multiple faces. This allows you to connect
the base, the grip, and the exit nozzle with surface lofts. First, split the exit nozzle
.
1.Click Split Line on the Curves toolbar.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Type of Split, select Projection.
3.Under Selections:
•Select Sketch 10 for Sketch to Project .
•Select the face of the exit nozzle for Faces to Split .
If necessary, rotate the exit nozzle to select the face.

4.Click OK
Split Lines - Dividing the Base

Next, split the base.
1.Click Split Line on the Curves toolbar.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Type of Split, select Projection.
3.Under Selections:
•Select Sketch 11 for Sketch to Project .
•Click in Faces to Split , and select the face of the base. 328
4.Click OK
Lofted Surface - Surface Bodies
Connect the three surface bodies using surface lofts. First, connect the exit nozzle
to the grip.
2.Select the top segment edge of the exit nozzle (created by the split feature), and
the grip for Profiles in the PropertyManager.
If the profile for the loft is twisted , adjust the connector .
3.Under Start/End Constraints, select Tangency To Face

for Start constraint and End constraint.
4.Under Options, select Merge tangent faces.
5.Click OK .

Next, connect the base to the grip.
2.Select the edges on the base and the grip for Profiles in the PropertyManager.
Check the preview. If the profile is twisted, adjust the connector .
3.Under Start/End Constraints:
•Select Tangency to Face for Start constraint and End constraint.
•Set Start Tangent Length to 3, and End Tangent Length to 7.
Switch the start and end lengths as required, to apply the value of 7 to the side
near the grip.
5.Click OK
329
Finally, connect the base to the exit nozzle.
2.Select the edges on the base and the exit nozzle for Profiles in the PropertyManager.
If the profile is twisted, adjust the connector .
3.Under Start/End Constraints, select Tangency to Face for Start constraint and End
constraint.
5.Click OK
6.Save the model.
Knit Surface - Joining the Base Entities

Join the surfaces you created with lofts and sweeps using the knit command. Knitting surfaces combines two or
more adjacent surface bodies into one.
1.Click Knit Surface on the Surfaces toolbar.
2.Expand Surface Bodies in the FeatureManager design tree.
3.Select all the surface bodies in the folder for Surfaces and Faces to Knit .
4.Click OK .
The Surface Bodies folder now holds a single surface body.
Knit Surface does not change the appearance of the model.
330
Filled Surface - Enclosing an Open Area
Fill each side of the area enclosed between the base, the grip, and the exit nozzle
using the Filled Surface tool. To manipulate the curvature of the surface, use a sketch
point to constrain the curve. Constraint Curves allow you to add slope control to
the patch.
1.Click Back to display the model in profile.
2.Click Filled Surface on the Surfaces toolbar.
3.Select an edge, right-click and choose Select Open Loop for Patch Boundaries
in the PropertyManager.
Select Open Loop finds all the edges in a closed loop, creating the surface fill.
4.Under Edge settings:
•Clear Preview Mesh to display only the preview.
•Select Tangent in Curvature Control.
•Select Apply to all edges.
Why did I do this?
5.Click in Constraint Curves , and select Pull Point1.

6.Click OK
Filled Surface - Enclosing an Open Area (continued)

1.Click Front to display the model in profile.
2.Click Filled Surface on the Surfaces toolbar.
3.Select an edge, right-click and choose Select Open Loop for Patch Boundaries
in the PropertyManager. Select an edge
4.Under Edge settings:
•Select Tangent in Curvature Control.
•Select Apply to all edges.
5.Click in Constraint Curves , and select Pull Point2. Select Open Loop
6.Click OK
331
Planar Surface
Apply a planar surface to close the openings on the grip and the exit nozzle.
1.Click Planar Surface .
2.Select the edges on the exit nozzle for Bounding Entities in the
PropertyManager.
3.Click OK
4.Click Planar Surface .
5.Select an edge on the grip for Bounding Entities in the

PropertyManager, and in the graphics area, right-click and choose Select
Open Loop.
The four sketch entities on the grip are selected.
6.Click OK
Knit Surface - Joining the New Entities

Knit all the surfaces into a single entity.
1.Click Knit Surface on the Surfaces toolbar.
3.Select all the surface bodies in the folder for Surfaces and Faces to Knit .
4.Click OK .
The Surface Bodies folder now holds a single surface body.

5.Save the model.
Revolved Surface
Use the Revolved Surface tool to create a surface that extends the nozzle base.
1.Select Sketch13 in the FeatureManager design tree.

2.Click Revolved Surface on the Surfaces toolbar.
•Select Blind in Revolve Type.
4.Click OK 332
Move/Copy Bodies - Moving a Surface
Move the revolved surface, and position it below the existing nozzle base with
the Move/Copy Bodies tool. This tool moves, rotates, or copies bodies and surfaces,
and places the bodies in any position using coordinates.
1.Click Move/Copy Bodies on the Features toolbar.
3.Select Surface-Revolve1 for Solid and Surface or Graphic Bodies to Move/Copy

in the PropertyManager.
4.Clear Copy.
5.Under Translate, set to -6.35 to move the surface

body down.
To display the Translate properties, you might have to click

Options, and then click Translate/Rotate.
6.Click OK
Trim Surface - Removing Surfaces

Use the Mutual option of the Trim Surface tool to remove extraneous faces.
The Mutual option uses multiple surfaces as mutual trim tools.
1.Click Trim Surface on the Surfaces toolbar.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Trim Type, select Mutual.
3.Select Surface-Knit2 and Body-Move/Copy1 in the graphics area for

Trimming Surfaces Surface-Knit2 Body-Move/Copy1
4.Select Remove selections
5.Click Pieces to Remove

6.Select the faces shown in the graphics area.
Body-Move/Copy1 Trim1 Surface-Knit2 Trim1

You can select the faces for Pieces to Remove in any
order. The list that appears in Pieces to Remove is based
on your selection order, not on the entity you select.
7.Click OK
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Before After
Extruded Surface - Creating a Trim Tool
With the Extruded Surface tool, create a trim tool at the base of the nozzle.
Trimming the surface creates the first notch at the nozzle base.
For clarity, switch the display to Hidden Lines Visible .
1.Select Sketch14.
2.Click Extruded Surface on the Surfaces toolbar.
•Select Mid Plane in End Condition.
•Set Depth to 140.

4.Click OK
Move/Copy Bodies - Copying a Body

To create a second, intersecting trim tool, move and copy the surface extrude you
created in the previous step.
2.Click Move/Copy Bodies on the Features toolbar.
3.In the FeatureManager design tree, expand Surface Bodies , and select
Surface-Extrude1.
4.Under Bodies to Move/Copy:
•Select Copy.
•Set Number of Copies to 1.
5.Expand Surface-Revolve1 in the FeatureManager design tree, right-click
Sketch13, and select Show .
6.Under Rotate, click Rotation Reference (Linear Entity, Coordinate System,
or Vertex) .
•Select Line1@Sketch13 in the graphics area for Rotation Reference

(Linear Entity, Coordinate System, or Vertex).
Line1 is the axis used with Sketch13 to create the surface revolve.
• Set Angle to 90.
7.Click OK . 334
Create the first of two cuts at the base of the nozzle with the Trim Surface tool.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Trim Type, select Standard.
3.Under Selections:
•Select Body-Move/Copy2 in the graphics area for Trimming Surface, Plane,

or Sketch
•Select Keep selections.
•Select the trimmed surface Surface-Trim1-Trim1 in the graphics area for Pieces to Keep
4.Click OK .
5.Under Surface-Bodies in the FeatureManager design tree, click
Body-Move/Copy2, and select Hide

Create the second of two cuts at the base of the nozzle with the Trim Surface tool.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Trim Type, select Standard.
3.Under Selections:
•Select Surface-Extrude1 in the graphics area for Trimming Surface, Plane,
or Sketch .
•Select Keep selections.
•Select the other surface trimmed surface Surface-Trim2-Trim1 in the graphics area
for Pieces to Keep
4.Click OK .
5.Under Surface-Bodies in the FeatureManager design tree, click Surface-Extrude1,
and select Hide
335
Delete Solid/Surface - Deleting Trim Tools
Delete the surface extrude and the surface body created with the move copy tool.
These entities were used to trim the model and need to be removed for the final
thicken surface operation.
1.Click Delete Solid/Surface on the Features toolbar.
3.Select Surface-Extrude1 and Body-Move/Copy2 in the folder for Solid/Surface
Bodies to Delete
4.Click OK
Untrim Surface - Patching a Surface

To strengthen the base of the model, use the Untrim Surface tool to patch one of the surface cuts.
1.Click Untrim Surface on the Surfaces toolbar.
2.Select Edge1 in the graphics area for Selected Face/Edges in the PropertyManager.
The Untrim Surface tool extends an existing surface along its natural boundaries, so you
can select any edge from Surface-Trim3.
3.Under Options:
•Select Extend edges.
•Select Merge with original.
4.Click OK
Thicken Surface - Creating a Solid

Thicken the surface model to create a solid model.
1.Click Thicken on the Features toolbar.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Thicken Parameters:
•Select Surface-Untrim1 for Surface to Thicken .
•Click Thicken Side 1 .
•Set Thickness to 0.5. Before After
3.Click OK
4.Save the model. 336

TolAnalyst
TolAnalyst
SolidWorks Tolerance Analysis
Introducing TolAnalyst
Selecting Features to Measure
Defining the Assembly Sequence
Setting Assembly Constraints
Completing Assembly Constraints
Viewing the Analysis Results
Analyzing Offset Tolerances
Reviewing DimXpert Dimensions
Defining the Measurement
Completing the Definition
Defining the Assembly Constraints
Modifying the Contributing Tolerances
Changing the Top Plate Dimension Scheme
Analyzing Minimum Clearance
Activating a Display State
Defining Axle-1 Constraints
Defining Bushing-2 Constraints
Defining Axle_support-2 Constraints
Reviewing the Study Results
Modifying the Hole Tolerances 337
SolidWorks Tolerance Analysis
These tutorials introduce you to using of TolAnalyst to study how tolerances and assembly methods affect dimensional
stack-up between two features of an assembly.
Complete the DimXpert for parts tutorials before starting the TolAnalyst tutorials.
Perform these tutorials in sequence:
•
•Analyzing Offset Tolerances
•Analyzing Minimum Clearance Tolerances
This tutorial demonstrates using TolAnalyst to perform stack-up analysis of a simple
assembly.
•You learn how to:

Create a measurement between two features to determine the worst-case
minimum/maximum relationship.
•Create an assembly sequence for the components.
•Apply constraints to each part.
•Evaluate the results.
To activate the TolAnalyst add-in:
1.Click Tools > Add-Ins.
2.In the Active Add-Ins column, select TolAnalyst.
3.Click OK.
Before running TolAnalyst, you must use DimXpert for parts to add tolerance dimensions
to the components. The sample assembly has already been dimensioned using DimXpert.
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Selecting Features to Measure
You measure from the center shaft to the hole in the front cover plate.
1.To ensure that the parts of the assembly are resolved when you open the assembly:
a.Click Tools > Options.
b.On the System Options tab, click Performance.
c.Under Assemblies, disable Automatically load components lightweight.
d.Click OK.
2.Click here or open <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\TolAnalyst\Introduction\

Gear Box.sldasm.
For reference, <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\TolAnalyst\Introduction\Gear

Box Complete.sldasm shows the completed TolAnalyst study.
3.Click TolAnalyst Study (DimXpert toolbar).
This tool is also located in the DimXpertManager
4.For the Measure From field in the 5.For the Measure To field,
PropertyManager, select the shaft. select the cut-extrude on the
cover plate.
Simple Hole1@Round
Boss2@Worm Gear Cover Plate-2 appears
Shaft-1 appears in the in the list.
list.
6.Under Measure From and Measure To, select

Max to dimension the maximum gap between The Message box turns green,
the two features. indicating you have selected
7.Click in the graphics area to place the sufficient entities.
dimension.
8.Click .
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The analysis results vary based on the order that you assemble parts.
1.Expand the flyout FeatureManager design tree.
2.Select (f)Housing<1>.
In the PropertyManager, Housing-1@Gear Box is listed as the base part under Tolerance
Assembly, and as the first component under Components and Sequence.
The base's neighboring parts become transparent and appear in the PropertyManager
under Neighbors. All other parts are shown in wireframe.
3.Under Neighbors, select Round Cover Plate-1 and click Add.
The cover plate is added under Components and Sequence.
4.Add the remaining parts under Components and Sequence in this order:
o Worm Gear Shaft-1
o Round Cover Plate-2
5.Click .
To save the TolAnalyst study data and exit, click in any TolAnalyst
PropertyManager. Edit the study to return to the saved data and continue the analysis.
Setting Assembly Constraints

You must set at least one assembly constraint for each part in the assembly, using the constraint callouts.
In this example, you apply two constraints, primary and secondary, to each part. In the Assembly Constraints
PropertyManager, under Tolerance Assembly, three components marked with require constraints.
Round Cover Plate-1 is selected. Constraint callouts show:
•The type of constraint (using icons).
•The first feature available for the constraint.
• , , and for primary, secondary, and tertiary constraints.
For example, means you can set a coincident type of constraint with Plane1 as the first
feature availablefor the primary constraint. The , , and boxes change state after you select them
as the constraint.
1.Hover over the Plane1 constraint callout.
Available constraint features highlight. Although the features are on the back
side of the model, you can see them because the model is transparent.
The tooltip describes the features and components constrained. It tells you
the features that are listed under Constraints when you select a constraint
You can use Constraint Filters to filter for Coincident ,
Concentric , or Distance constraints.

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2.In the Plane1 constraint callout, click to set a primary coincident constraint
between Plane1@Round Cover Plate-1 and Plane4@Housing-1.
The constraint information appears in the PropertyManager under Constraints.
The Round Cover Plate-1 icon changes to , indicating the part has the required
single primary constraint.
To clear a selected constraint, under Constraints, right-click the constraint and

select Delete. You can also click the selected constraint tag again in
the constraint callout ( , , or ).
3.Hover over the Hole Pattern1 callout.
4.Click to establish a secondary concentric constraint between

the Hole Pattern1 feature on the rear cover plate and the Hole Pattern8 feature on
the housing.
Completing Assembly Constraints

Apply constraints to the final two components under Tolerance Assembly.
1.Under Tolerance Assembly, Components, select Worm Gear Shaft-1.
2.To define the primary constraint:
Action In constraint callout Boss1, click .
Constraints Boss1@Worm Gear Shaft-1 Simple Hole1@Round Cover Plate-1
Result Concentric constraint between the worm gear shaft and the
hole in the cover plate.
3.To define the secondary constraint:
Action In constraint callout Plane1, click .
Constraints Plane1@Worm Gear Shaft-1 Plane2@Round Cover Plate-1
Result Coincident constraint between the planes of the worm gear

shaft and the cover plate.
4.Under Components, select Round Cover Plate-2.
5.To define the primary constraint:

Action In constraint callout Plane1, click .
Constraints Plane1@Round Cover Plate-2 Plane6@Housing-1
Result Coincident constraint between the cover plate and the housing.
6.To define the secondary constraint:

Action In constraint callout Hole Pattern1, click .
Constraints Hole Pattern1@Round Cover Plate-2 Hole Pattern10@Housing-1
Result Concentric constraint between the hole pattern of the cover plate and the
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hole pattern of the housing.
Viewing the Analysis Results
The Analysis Results PropertyManager reports the results.
Under Analysis Summary, the minimum gap dimension between Boss2@Worm Gear Shaft-1
and Simple Hole1@Round Cover Plate-2 is -1.35 and the maximum gap dimension is 5. RSS
values are also listed.
The Analysis Data and Display box reports on the dimensions and geometric tolerances that
contribute to the minimum and maximum dimensions.
To view the analysis results:
1.Click Min and Max to toggle between the contributors.
A callout in the graphics area reports the results.
The approximate percentage of contribution appears for each contributing feature.
2.Under Analysis Summary, click Export Results to save a summary report of

the tolerance analysis results.
3.Click to save the TolAnalyst study.
Analyzing Offset Tolerances

This tutorial shows how to perform a TolAnalyst study to compute the worst-case
conditions for a measurement defined between the two 22 mm holes in the axle
assembly for a caster. For the axle assembly to run smoothly, the offset between the
two holes cannot exceed 0.275 mm.
•Review the DimXpert dimensions.

•Define the measurement to be analyzed.
•Define the assembly sequence.
•Define the assembly constraints.
•Review and modify the contributing tolerances.
•Change the top plate dimension scheme and recalculate.

Before you can use TolAnalyst to analyze an assembly, you must dimension
the assembly parts using DimXpert for parts.
The parts in the assembly for this tutorial have already been dimensioned.
Review the DimXpert dimensions and tolerances to better understand the tolerance
study results.
To review the DimXpert dimensions:
d.Click OK.
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2.Click here or open <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\TolAnalyst\Offset\Caster.sldasm
3.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Top_plate and select
Open Part .
4.Click Show Tolerance Status (DimXpert toolbar).
The highlighted features are dimensioned.
The part is not completely dimensioned or toleranced. TolAnalyst does not require
you to fully constrain each part to evaluate a study. However, TolAnalyst gives
warning messages when the tolerance chains required to evaluate a study are
incomplete or broken.
5.Close the part and return to the assembly.
6.Right-click Axle_support<1> and click Open Part
7.Note the DimXpert dimensions, and then close the part.

The first step in creating a TolAnalyst study is to specify the measurement as
a linear dimension between two DimXpert features. In this study, it is the distance
between the bores in the axle supports along the Y-axis.
You can only select those faces that are associated with a DimXpert feature.
To define the measurement:
1.Return to the assembly.

3.To select the feature to measure from:
a) In the PropertyManager, select Measure From.

b) In the graphics area, right-click the center of the axle (Revolve1 of
Axle<1>).
c.Select Select Other and select the face of the bore on

Axle_support<1>.
Refer to the graphic to ensure that you have selected the correct
Axle_support<1> face.
The Measure From field lists SH1@Axle_support-1.
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Completing the Definition
1.Click to rotate the model so that you can see Axle_support<2>.
2.To select the feature to Measure To:
a.In the graphics area, right-click the center of the axle.

b.Select Select Other and select the face of the bore on Axle_support<2>.
The Measure To field in the PropertyManager lists SH1@Axle_support-2.

3.Click in the graphics area to place the dimension.
A zero length dimension is applied between the two borings along the Z-axis.
The Message box turns from yellow to green, indicating the measurement is defined.
4.To modify the dimension to be along the Y-axis, under Measurement Direction,
select .
The measurement updates to be along the Y-axis.

5.Click .

Define the order in which the parts connecting the two bore faces are assembled.
Part order in the FeatureManager design tree does not necessarily reflect assembly
order during production. The assembly order you define can impact a study's
worst-case results.
To define the assembly sequence:
2.Select Top_plate<1>.
In the PropertyManager,Top_plate-1@Caster appears as the base part under

Tolerance Assembly, and as the first component under Components and Sequence
.
The base's neighboring parts become transparent and appear in the PropertyManager
under Neighbors. All other parts are shown in wireframe.
The base part remains fixed during the evaluation and is used to establish the study's coordinate system.
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All other parts are allowed to float for assembly analysis.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Neighbors, select Axle_support<1> and click Add. The axle support is added to the
Components and Sequence list.
4.Select Axle_support<2> and click Add.

The axle support is added to the list. The Message indicates that the assembly sequence is defined.
5.Click

In the this step, constraint callouts appear for Axle_support<1>. Each callout
represents a constraint that you can apply between DimXpert features on the
axle support and top plate.
When you select constraints, the callouts update automatically to

allow only valid selections.
The types of constraints you choose and the order in which you apply
them can significantly impact the worst-case results. The assembly mates
you define do not have to reflect the actual production practices.
To define the assembly constraints:

1.Under Constraint Filters, select Use Smart Filters to hide constraints that are not within close proximity
to the considered feature.
2.In the constraint callout P1, click .
This primary constraint is a coincident constraint between the top face of the axle support and the
corresponding bottom face of the top plate.
In the PropertyManager, the constraint appears under Constraints. In the Components list, precedes
the part name.
The appears for each part having at least one constraint. You should consider whether adding
additional constraints will affect the results. For example, since this is a simple one-dimensional
study along the Y-axis, a single constraint is sufficient. If the study were to determine the offset along
the Z-axis, you would need additional constraints. When uncertain, you should fully constrain each
part where possible.
3.Under Components, select Axle_support-2.

4.In the constraint callout P1, click
The Message states that the minimum number of constraints has been
applied.
5.Click
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Modifying the Contributing Tolerances
TolAnalyst computes the worst-case results and displays them in the Analysis Results step of the TolAnalyst study.
A callout in the graphics pane displays the worst-case maximum dimension between the bores, 0.67 mm.
In the PropertyManager, the Analysis Summary reports minimum and maximum dimensions of -0.67 and 0.67,
and RSS (Root Sum Square) minimum and maximum of -0.373 and 0.373. Both exceed the 0.275 requirement.
To improve these results, you can:

•Change the assembly sequence and constraints
•Change the dimension and tolerance schemes applied to the contributing parts
•Reduce the tolerance values of the contributing dimensions and tolerances
To determine which method to use, you need to know which variables can be changed and which cannot, and how
each change affects manufacturing, assembly, and inspection.
For example, if a part being used in the assembly is an existing or purchased part, changing its tolerance values
and/or dimension schemes may not be possible. However, it may be possible make these changes for new parts
being designed exclusively for the assembly.
In this tutorial, you reduce the tolerance value of the key contributing tolerances.
Changes you make to the tolerance values are persisted in the part. To make changes,
you must have both read and write access to the part you are editing.
Under Analysis Data and Display, the Contributors list states each contributing feature and its percent contribution to
the worst-case minimum or maximum condition. These percentages tell you which tolerance contributors to reduce.
1.Rotate the model as shown.
2.Under Analysis Data and Display, in the Contributors list, combine the contributions of
P4@Top_Plate-1 (37.31%) and P5@Top_plate-1 (37.31%). The contribution of this surface
profile tolerance to the tolerance stack is over 74%.
3.Under P5@Top_plate-1, select the surface profile tolerance Surface

profile1@Top_Plate-1. The tolerance is displayed in the graphics area.
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4Under either P4@Top_plate-1 or P5@Top_plate-1, double-click Surface
Profile1@Top_plate-1.
You can also double-click the tolerance in the graphics area.
5.In the dialog box, change the tolerance from 0.5 to 0.2 and click OK.
6.In the PropertyManager, under Analysis Parameters, click Recalculate.

The recalculated results are:
If you base the requirements for the assembly on statistical RSS values, the change made to the surface profile
tolerance exceeds the requirements.
However, if you base the requirements on the worst-case analysis, the assembly remains non-compliant.
Changing the Top Plate Dimension Scheme

To bring the worst-case results within specification, you change the tolerance
scheme applied to the top plate and recalculate the results.
To change the top plate dimension scheme:
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Top_plate<1> and select Open Part .
2.Right-click the surface profile tolerance (indicated by ) and select Properties.
a.On the first line, under Tolerance 1, change 0.2 to 0.5.

b.Add a second tolerance on the second line:
•Under Symbol, select Profile of Surface .
•Under Tolerance 1, type 0.1.
•Select Composite frame.
•Click OK.
The profile tolerance now states that the two surfaces must lie within a 0.5 zone
nominally located from datum A, and additionally, lie within a common zone 0.1.
4.Switch to the Caster.sldasm assembly.
5.In the DimXpertManager, right-click Study1 and select Edit Feature.
TolAnalyst recalculates the results of the study using the updated tolerance scheme. The
new results for the minimum and maximum offset are 0.27, which is within the specified
limit of 0.275.
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This tutorial shows how to perform a TolAnalyst study to compute the worst-case conditions for a measurement
defined between two of the 11 mm holes in the axle supports for a caster. You use the results of the study to
determine the size of the minimum clearance hole required to allow 10 mm screws to pass through the axle
supports and into the threaded holes in the top plate under the worst-case conditions.

•Review the DimXpert dimensions for the axle assembly.
•Activate a display state.
•Define the measurement to be analyzed.
•Define the assembly sequence.
•Define the assembly constraints.
•Compute the hole size for the clearance holes.

Before you can use TolAnalyst to analyze an assembly, you must dimension
the assembly parts using DimXpert for parts.
The parts in the assembly for this tutorial have already been dimensioned.
Review the DimXpert dimensions and tolerances to better understand the tolerance
study results.
To review the DimXpert dimensions:
d.Click OK. No 3
2.Click here or open <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\TolAnalyst\Minimum_clearance\
Caster.sldasm
3.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Top_plate and click Open Part
4.Notice the +0.25 position tolerance applied to the threaded holes on the top plate.
This tolerance is added to the size of the screw (10 mm) to determine the virtual size of the
threaded holes when you compute the hole size.
No 4
5.Close the part.
6.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Axle_support<1> and click Open Part
348
7.Notice the dimension for the diameter of the hole pattern, .
The current dimension is 11 mm. This TolAnalyst study gives you the information
needed to modify the dimension to accept 10 mm screws under worst-case conditions.
8.Close the part.
9.Optionally, open the following parts and review their DimXpert dimensions:
(-) Bushing<1> (-) Axle<1>
Although the dimensions of these parts are not affected by this TolAnalyst study, they give you a more complete
picture of the assembly.
10.Close the parts and keep the assembly open.
Activating a Display State

You can activate a display state to hide the top plate and wheel, which are not part of this study. This provides better
access to the remaining parts.
Although this is an optional process, the rest of the illustrations in this tutorial assume that you have activated
the display state.
To activate a display state:

1.In the ConfigurationManager, under Display States double-click Display State-3.
2.Return to the FeatureManager design tree. The top plate and wheel are hidden.
349
You create a new TolAnalyst study to define the measurement to analyze.
In this study, the measurement is between the two rear holes in the axle supports,
along the X axis.
To define the measurement:
2.Select the faces of the two rear holes.
3.Place the dimension.
The Message box turns from yellow to green, indicating the measurement is defined.
4.In the PropertyManager, under Measurement Direction, select .
5.Click

In this step, define an assembly order starting with the left axle support (1) as the base part, and then in this order: left
bushing (2) , axle (3), right bushing (4), right axle support (5).
To define the assembly sequence:
2.Select Axle_Support<1>. In the PropertyManager, Axle_support-1@Caster

appears as the base part under Tolerance Assembly, and as the first component
under Components and Sequence.
The base's neighboring parts become transparent and appear in the

PropertyManager under Neighbors. All other parts are shown in wireframe
3Under Neighbors, or from the graphics area, select components in this order. Click
Add after each selection:
a) Bushing-1
b) Axle-1
c) Bushing-2
d) Axle_support-2
The components appear under Components and Sequence. The Message box turns
from yellow to green, indicating the measurement is defined.
350
4.Click Next
Define how each part is constrained when it is added to the assembly.
To define the assembly constraints:
1.Under Constraint Filters, select Use Smart Filters to hide constraints that are not
within close proximity to the considered feature.
2.To define constraints for Bushing-1:
a.For the primary constraint, click in the B1 constraint callout.
TolAnalyst defines a concentric constraint between the outer diameter of

the bushing and the bore in the axle support.
Constraint B1@Bushing-1
SH1@Axle_support-1
In the PropertyManager, the constraint appears under Constraints. In the Components list, precedes the part
name.
b.To add a secondary constraint, click in constraint callout P2.
TolAnalyst defines a coincident constraint between the shoulder of the

bushing and the face of the axle support.
Constraint P2@Bushing-1
P2@Axle_support-1
A tertiary constraint is not required for parts created using revolves. These parts do not require a rotational constraint
about the part axis.
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Defining Axle-1 Constraints
To define Axle-1 constraints:
1.Under Components, select Axle-1.

2.Define the primary constraint:
Action Click in constraint callout B1.

Constraint Because there are multiple B1 constraint callouts, ensure
that the entries under Primary Constraint-1 match these:
B1@Axle-1
SH1@Bushing-1
Result Concentric constraint between the outside diameter of the

bushing and the bore in the axle support
3.Define the secondary constraint:
Action Click in constraint callout P2.

Constraint P2@Axle-1
P1@Bushing-1
Result Coincident constraint between the shoulder of the bushing and the face of the axle support
Defining Bushing-2 Constraints

To define Bushing-2 constraints:
1.Select Bushing-2.
Action In constraint callout SH1, click .

Constraint SH1@Bushing-2
B2@Axle-1
Result Concentric constraint between the inside diameter of the

bushing and the outside diameter of the axle
Action In constraint callout P1, click .

Constraint P1@Bushing-2
P3@Axle-1
Result Coincident constraint between the shoulder of the axle and the face of the bushing
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Defining Axle_support-2 Constraints
To define Axle_support-2 constraints:
1.Select Axle_support-2:
Action In constraint callout SH1, click .

Constraint Because there are multiple SH1 constraint callouts, ensure that
the entries under Primary Constraint-1 match these:
SH1@Axle_support-2
B1@Bushing-2
Result Concentric constraint between the bore in the axle support and
the outside diameter of the bushing
Action In constraint callout P2, click .

Constraint P2@Axle_support-2
P2@Bushing-2
Result Coincident constraint between the face of the axle support and the shoulder of the bushing
4.Click .
Reviewing the Study Results

The Analysis Results step of the TolAnalyst study gives numerical results and a graphical display of the Max condition.
To view the results:
1.Review the numeric data listed under Analysis Summary:
The accumulation of the tolerances applied to the three contributors results in a max/min condition
of 105 =+/- 0.6.
2.Review the contributing dimensions listed under Analysis Data and Display. Information appears for
the bushings and the axle.The accumulation of the tolerances applied to the three contributors results
in a max/min condition of 105 =+/- 0.6.
3.Click 353
Modifying the Hole Tolerances
You can now compute the minimum size for the clearance holes in the axle supports and modify the tolerances as
needed.Changes you make to the tolerance values are persisted in the part. To make changes, you must have both
read and write access to the part you are editing.
To compute the minimum hole size and modify the tolerances:

1.Add the worst-case tolerance stack to the virtual size of the top plate's threaded holes.
a.Determine the virtual size of the threaded holes by adding the screw size to the position tolerance of
the threaded holes on the top plate:
10.00 mm Screw size

+0.25 mm Position tolerance
10.25 mm Virtual size of the threaded holes
b.Calculate the minimum clearance hole size using this formula:
10.25 mm Virtual size of threaded holes

0.60 mm Tolerance stack (from Analysis Summary)
10.85 mm Minimum clearance hole size
2.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Axle_support<1> and select Open Part
3.In the graphics area, click the dimension for the clearance holes .
4.In the DimXpert PropertyManager, under Tolerance /Precision, for Tolerance Type ,
select Symmetric.
5.Set the Maximum Variation to 0.15mm.

6.Click OK. The clearance hole dimension updates.
7.Click Geometric Tolerance (DimXpert toolbar).
8.Create a zero-based position tolerance:
Symbol Select Position .

Tolerance 1 •Change the value to 0.
•Click Diameter
•Click Maximum Material Condition .
Primary Type A.
Secondary Type B.
Tertiary Type D and click Maximum Material Condition .
9.Click the left clearance hole to apply the position tolerance.

10.Click OK.
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Toolbox
Toolbox
SolidWorks Toolbox
Toolbox Basic
Toolbox Basic Tutorial
Creating a Part
Creating an Assembly
Adding a Hex Bolt
Adding a Second Hex Bolt
Adding Nuts to the Assembly
Changing the Length of the Bolts
Smart Fasteners
Smart Fasteners Tutorial
Configuring the Smart Fasteners Browser
Inserting and Editing Smart Fasteners
Adding Washers and Nuts
Adding Washers and Nuts (continued)
355
SolidWorks Toolbox
With SolidWorks Toolbox, you can add standard hardware components to an
assembly.To enable SolidWorks Toolbox:
2.In the dialog box, select SolidWorks Toolbox and SolidWorks Toolbox Browser,
then click OK.Toolbox Lessons There are two lessons in this tutorial:
•Toolbox Basic Tutorial
•Smart Fasteners Tutorial
Toolbox Basic Tutorial

This lesson introduces you to SolidWorks Toolbox and describes the following concepts:
•Adding hardware to an assembly
•Editing hardware in an assembly
Creating a Part
First, you create a part to use as a component in an assembly.
1.Create a new part that is a 100mm x 100mm x 20mm block.
For instruction on creating a part, see the tutorial Lesson 1 - Parts.
2.Use the Hole Wizard (Features toolbar) to create two holes with
the following parameters:
•Hole Type - Hole

•Standard - ISO
•Type - Drill sizes
•Size - Ø12.0
•End Condition - Through All
•Options - Accept the defaults.
Click , select points on the block for the hole locations, and click
The location of the holes does not need to exactly match the image below.
A closer look at the Hole Wizard

356
3.Save the part as block.sldprt and close the part.
Creating an Assembly
Next, you create the assembly to which you will add SolidWorks Toolbox hardware
components.
1.Create an assembly and add two instances of block.sldprt to the assembly
For instruction on creating an assembly, see the tutorial Lesson 2 - Assemblies.
2.Change one of the instances to a different color so you distinguish between the two.
3.Add three Coincident mates to align the faces of the blocks.
4.Save the assembly as blocks.sldasm.
Adding a Hex Bolt

Now you add a standard hex bolt from the SolidWorks Toolbox library.
1.Open the Design Library .
2.Expand Toolbox, ISO, Bolts and Screws, Hex Bolts and Screws.
If you are prompted to configure Toolbox, see your Toolbox administrator. If you
are the Toolbox administrator, click Configure and close the Toolbox Settings wizard
.
The lower pane of the Design Library displays thumbnail previews of the available
hardware types.
3.Drag a Hex Screw Grade AB ISO 4014 to the graphics area of the assembly,
but do not drop it yet.
4.Notice a preview of the bolt appears in the graphics area.

5.Drop the bolt into one of the holes when the preview changes to the following:
The Configure Component PropertyManager appears. You set the parameters of the selected
component in this PropertyManager.
6.Select M12 in Size.
7.Select 50 in Length.
8.Add a description so you can easily reference this component again:

a.In the PropertyManager, under Part Numbers, click Add.
b.In the dialog box, type tutorial bolt for Description, and click OK.
9.Click to add the component to the assembly.
Because of SmartMates and Mate References on the SolidWorks Toolbox components, the software
automatically adds two mates between the block and the bolt. A Concentric mate aligns the bolt to
the hole and a Coincident mate aligns the bolt head to the block.
357
Adding a Second Hex Bolt
Next, you add a second hex bolt to the assembly. The Insert Components
PropertyManager is open allowing you to add more instances of the same Toolbox
component.
1.Drop a second fastener on the other hole of the assembly in the graphics area.
2.The second screw appears in the assembly. Its size parameters match the first screw
because you inserted a second instance of the same fastener without closing the
PropertyManager.
3.Click
Adding Nuts to the Assembly

Add other fasteners to the assembly.
1.Rotate the view so you can see the back of the assembly.
2.In the Design Library , expand Toolbox, ISO, Nuts, Hex Nuts.Notice the
thumbnail previews update.
3.Drag a Hex Nut Grade C ISO-4034 nut into the assembly and drop it on the
edge of the hole where the bolt protrudes.
4.Select M12 in Size, and click .
A nut appears in the assembly.
5.Drop a second nut on the edge of the second hole.
6.Click .
The nut sizes automatically to the most recently used size.
Because of SmartMates and Mate References on the SolidWorks Toolbox components, the software
automatically adds mates between the block and the nuts. A Concentric mate aligns the nut to the hole
and a Coincident mate aligns a flat face of the nut to the block.
358
Changing the Length of the Bolts
Now that you have added the nuts, you can see that the bolts are not long enough.
You can edit the definition of the bolts to change their length.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click one of the bolts, and select
Edit Toolbox Component.
2.In the PropertyManager, select 60 in Length.
The Part Numbers list for the new length setting displays Part Number Unassigned.
This is because the description you added earlier was for a bolt with a length of 50.
To easily reference the bolt with a length of 60, click Add and add the description:
Tutorial Bolt 60.
3.Click .
The bolt changes length and extends past the nut.

4.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click the other bolt, and select
Edit Toolbox Component.
5.In Part Numbers, double-click Tutorial Bolt 60 and click .
Smart Fasteners Tutorial

With SolidWorks Smart Fasteners, you can automatically add fasteners to assemblies.
This lesson demonstrates the following:
•Configuring Smart Fasteners

•Adding Smart Fasteners
•Editing Smart Fasteners
359
Configuring the Smart Fasteners Browser
Before inserting the Smart Fasteners, you need to configure the Smart Fastener
browser default settings.
1.To open the lens mount assembly, click here: Open \samples\tutorial\
toolbox\lens_mount.sldasm.
2.Click Tools > Add-Ins, select SolidWorks Toolbox Browser, and click OK
.
3.Click Toolbox, Configure and then click 1 - Hole Wizard.
4.Expand the Hole Wizard tree to display ANSI Metric > Counterbore Holes
and
select Hex Bolt - ANSI B18.2.3.5M.
5.Click Reassign and expand ANSI Metric > Bolts and Screws> Hex Head.
6.Select Heavy Hex Bolt - ANSI B18.2.3.6M.
Why did I do this?
7.Click 5 - Configure Smart Fasteners.
8.On the Smart Fasteners page, for Fastener to use with Non-Hole Wizard holes:
•Click Browse .
•Expand ANSI Inch > Bolts and Screws > Countersunk Head and select Countersunk Elevator Bolt.
Why did I do this?
9.Under Washer sizes, select Exact match.
10.Under Automatic fastener change, clear Change stack components when fastener size is changed.
This limits the available types of washers to only those that exactly match the fastener size.
11.Click Yes to save changes.
360
Inserting and Editing Smart Fasteners
Now, you insert Smart Fasteners for all the holes.
1.Click Smart Fasteners (Assembly toolbar), or click Insert, Smart Fasteners
2.Click OK to the message that appears.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Selection, click Populate All.
Smart Fasteners populates all of the suitable holes with the default fasteners you
previously set. A list of fasteners appears as groups under Results in
To edit the Smart Fasteners:
1.Under Results, select Group1 (Countersunk Elevator Bolt).
2.Under Series Components, Fastener, right-click Countersunk Elevator Bolt and select
3.Change fastener type.
4.Select ANSI Inch > Bolts and Screws > Machine Screws > Hex Screw.
5.Click OK.
The fastener updates.
Adding Washers and Nuts

Next you add washers and nuts to the fasteners.
1.Under Properties, select 1.5 for Length, so the bolts are long enough for the bottom stack fasteners.
2.The Thread Length is updated.
3.Under Series Components, for Bottom Stack, in Add to Bottom Stack, select :
• Plain Washers (Type B) - Narrow
• Plain Washers (Type B) - Narrow (select twice to add two washers)
• Machine Screw - Hex Nut
This adds two washers and one nut per bolt.
3.Rotate the model to see the washers and nuts. Keep the PropertyManager open.
361
Adding Washers and Nuts (continued)
Add nuts to exposed bolts:
1.Rotate the assembly. Notice that the bottom pan cross heads are exposed.
2.Under Results, select Group8 (Pan).
3.Under Series Components, for Bottom Stack, in Add to Bottom Stack, select Hex Nuts - Jam
(B18.2.4.5M)
Smart Fasteners adds one jam hex nut to each pan cross head bolt.
4.Click .
5.Note that the screws are still too long. To shorten them:
a.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Smart Fastener12 and select Edit Smart Fastener.
b.In the PropertyManager, under Properties, select 70 in Length.
c.Click .
d.Repeat for Smart Fastener13.
362
Weldments
Weldments
Weldments Overview
Weldment Parts
Weldment Parts
Adding a Structural Member
Adding More Groups
Adding the Cross Member
Trimming the Structural Members
Adding End Caps
Adding Gussets
Adding Fillet Weld Beads
Sketching a New Segment
Changing the Pierce Point
Creating a Sub-Weldment
Creating a Sub-Weldment (continued)
Weldment Drawings
Weldment Drawings
Adding Weld Symbols
Creating Cut List Items
Adding Custom Properties
Adding a Cut List
Adding a Cut List (continued)
Adding a Column to the Cut List
Adding Balloons to the Drawing View
Creating a View of a Weldment Body
363
Weldments Overview
Weldments functionality allows you to design a weldment structure as a single part. There are two lessons in this tutorial.
In the Weldment Parts lesson, you create the weldment shown below. The weldment includes:
•Structural members
•Cut list (before update)
•Trim and extend features
•End caps
•Gussets
•Weld beads
In the Weldment Drawings lesson, you create a drawing for

the weldment. The drawing includes:
•Cut list (after update)

•Custom properties
•View of an individual body of the weldment part
Weldment Parts
You use 2D and 3D sketches to define the basic framework of a weldment part.
Then you add structural members along the sketch segments. To start this lesson,
open the part document weldment_box.sldprt, which already contains some 2D and
3D sketches.
1.Click here to open weldment_box.sldprt, or browse to <install_dir>

\samples\tutorial\weldments\weldment_box.sldprt.
2.Save the part as MyWeldment_Box.sldprt.
In the FeatureManager design tree, click Sketch1, then 3DSketch1, then Sketch2. When you click each item, the
corresponding sketch segments are highlighted in the graphics area.

• To display the Weldments toolbar, click View, Toolbars, Weldments. - or -
• To add the Weldments toolbar to the CommandManager, right-click a tab in the CommandManager and select
Weldments from the list.
364
Adding a Structural Member
Add a group within a structural member along the four front segments.
1.Click Structural Member (Weldments toolbar).
When you create the first structural member in a part, a weldment feature is created and added
to the FeatureManager design tree. The software also creates two default configurations in the
ConfigurationManager: a parent configuration Default<As Machined> and a derived configuration
Default<As Welded>.
A closer look at weldment default configurations
Structural members contain one or more groups, which can be treated as a single unit. Segments
in a group can be parallel or contiguous.
3.Under Selections:
•Select iso in Standard.

•Select square tube in Type.
•Select 30 x 30 x 2.6 in Size.
You can use the weldment profiles supplied with the software, as in the previous step, or you can
create your own custom weldment profiles. See Weldments - Creating a Custom Profile in the
SolidWorks Help.
•Select each edge shown for Path segments to create Group1.

4.Under Settings, select Apply corner treatment and click End Miter .
Use Zoom to Area on the View toolbar to see the mitered corners.
The sample part in this lesson creates structural members along straight segments only. However, you can also
create structural members along curved segments .
365
Adding More Groups
In the same structural member, add a group along the side segments.
All groups within a single structural member share the same profile, defined by
settings under Selections.
1.Click New Group.
2.Select each edge as shown for Path segments to create Group2.
Group1 contains contiguous, end-to-end segments. Group2 contains parallel segments.
Why did I create Group2, instead of making the side segments part of Group1?
Adding the Cross Member

Now add a new structural member with a rectangular profile across the top of the box.
1.Under Selections:
•Select iso in Standard.
•Select rectangular tube in Type.
•Select 50 x 30 x 2.6 in Size.
•Select the sketch entity shown for Path segments.
Because this segment has a rectangular profile, you need to check the orientation of
the structural member.
2.Click Right (Standard Views toolbar), and zoom to the end of the segment.
The rectangular profile of the segment is oriented vertically, so it extends above and
below the existing square segment.
3.Under Settings, set Rotation Angle to 90 and press Enter.
The rectangular profile of the segment changes from vertical to horizontal.

4.Click to add the cross member and click to close the PropertyManager.
In the FeatureManager design tree, Structural Member2 appears and Cut list
is incremented.
366
Trimming the Structural Members
Now trim the structural members so they butt against each other correctly in
the weldment part. First, trim the ends of the cross member.
1.Click Trim/Extend (Weldments toolbar).
3.Under Corner Type, click End Trim .
4.In the graphics area, select the rectangular tube for Bodies to be Trimmed.
Structural Member2 appears in the Bodies list.
Adding End Caps
Now add end caps to close the open ends of the segments of the back structural member
.
1.Click End Cap (Weldments toolbar).
3.Under Parameters:
•Select the two upper faces in the back corners for Face . Zoom into the corners
as necessary.
•Set Thickness direction to Inward to make the end cap flush with the original extent of the structure.
4.Under Offset :
•Select Use thickness ratio, and set Thickness Ratio to 0.5

.
•Select Chamfer corners, and set Chamfer Distance to 3.
5.Click
6.Repeat steps 3 through 5 to cap the two lower faces in the back corner.
In the FeatureManager design tree, End cap1 and End cap2 appear and
Cut list is incremented.
367
Adding Gussets
You can add gusset features between two adjoining planar faces. Gussets
can have triangular or polygonal profiles. In this lesson, you add triangular gussets
to the four front corners of the weldment part.
1.Click Trimetric (Standard Views toolbar), then zoom to the lower left corner
of the model.
2.Click Gusset (Weldments toolbar).
4.Under Supporting Faces , select the two faces as shown.
5.Under Profile:
a.Click Triangular Profile .
b.Set Profile Distance1 and Profile Distance2 to 50.
c.Click Inner Side .
d.Set Gusset Thickness to 5.
You can allow room for a weld bead under the gusset by creating a chamfered gusset.
6.Under Location, click Profile Locates at Mid Point .
7.Click
8.Repeat steps 4 through 7 to add gussets to the other three corners of Structural Member1, as shown. The distances,
thickness, and parameters are already set to match the first gusset.
In the FeatureManager design tree, Gusset1 through Gusset4 appear and Cut list is incremented.
368
Adding Fillet Weld Beads
Add fillet weld beads between the gussets and Structural Member1
.
1.Zoom to the bottom left corner of the front group.
2.Click Fillet Bead (Weldments toolbar).
4.Under Arrow Side:
a.Select Full length for Bead type.
b.Under Fillet size, set Bead size to 3.
c.Select the gusset face shown for Face set 1 .

d.Click in Face set 2 , then select the two flat faces of the
structural member, as shown.
The software assigns the Intersecting edges based on your selections for
Face set 1 and Face set 2 .

5.Select Other Side:
a.Use the same Bead type and Fillet size as in Arrow Side.
b.Rotate the part, then select the gusset face shown for Face set 1 .
You can rotate the view about a selected edge. Click Rotate View (View toolbar),
click the vertical edge of the gusset, then drag to rotate the view.
c.Click in Face set 2 , then select the same two flat faces as in Arrow Side.
6.Click .
The fillet weld beads and annotation appear.
7.Repeat steps 4 through 6 to apply fillet weld beads to the remaining three gussets.
In the FeatureManager design tree, Fillet Bead1 through Fillet Bead4 appear and
the Cut list is incremented.
9.Save the model.
After you update the Cut list , fillet beads are not listed as Cut-List-Items,
but they remain displayed in the Cut list folder.

369
Sketching a New Segment
Now add the two rails on the bottom of the box. First, sketch the lines to locate the rails.
1.Click Bottom (Standard Views toolbar).
2.To hide the weld symbols while you work on the new sketch, right-click Annotations
in the FeatureManager design tree, and clear Display Annotations.
3.For the sketch plane, select a face on one of the bottom structural members as shown.
To filter so that only faces are available for selection, click Toggle Selection Filter
Toolbar (Standard toolbar). Click Filter Faces (Selection Filter toolbar) and
select a face in the graphics area. Click Clear All Filters (Selection Filter toolbar)
to turn off the filter, then close the Selection Filter toolbar.
4.Click Sketch (Sketch toolbar) to open a sketch.
Changing the Pierce Point

Add an I-beam structural member along the sketch segments to define the rails on
the bottom of the part. You change the pierce point of the I-beam profile to position
the structural member properly.
1.Click Trimetric Standard Views toolbar).
2.Click Structural Member (Weldments toolbar). No 5
3.In the PropertyManager, under Selections:

•Select iso in Standard. No 4
•Select sb beam in Type.
•Select 80 x 6 in Size.
•Select the two new sketch segments for Path segments.
4.Click Right (Standard Views toolbar).

No 6
5.In the PropertyManager, under Settings, click Locate Profile.
The display zooms to the profile of the structural member. The default pierce point
centers the profile on the sketch segment.
6.Select the point in the center of the top edge of the profile, as shown.
The profile location changes so that the top edge of the profile is on the sketch
segment. Because the sketch is on the bottom face of the part, the top face of the new
structural member is flush with the bottom face of the part.
7.Click .
In the FeatureManager design tree, Structural Member3 appears and
the Cut list is incremented. 370
8.Save the model.
Creating a Sub-Weldment
You can group related entities together into sub-weldments. Create a sub-weldment
for the back of the box, to group the four structural member segments and four end caps
.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, expand Cut list .
2.Under Cut list , press Ctrl and select:
•Trim/Extend2[2] and TrimExtend4[1]
•End cap1[1] through End cap2[4]
Your numbers may differ from the numbers specified in the cut list. If your numbers
differ, make sure you select the cut list items shown in the image below.
The selected entities are highlighted in the graphics area.
3.Right-click and select Create Sub-Weldment.
A new folder named Sub-weldment1(8), containing the selected entities, appears under Cut list(31) .
The (8) after Sub-weldment1 indicates the number of entities in the sub-weldment.
Creating a Sub-Weldment (continued)

Now create a separate part file for the sub-weldment.
1.Right-click the Sub-weldment1 folder and select Insert into New Part.
The sub-weldment opens in a new SolidWorks window and the Save As dialog
box appears.
2.Type a new name for File name or accept the default. If a message asks if you
want to save the component documents, click Save All.
4.Close the sub-weldment part.
5.Save the weldment box part.
371
Weldment Drawings
In this lesson you create a drawing for the part you created in the Weldment Parts
lesson. The drawing includes views of the part and a cut list with custom properties.

•Open the part you created in the Weldment Parts lesson.
•Click here to open weldment_box2.sldprt.

•Browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\weldments\weldment_box2.sldprt.
2.Save the part as MyWeldment_Box2.sldprt.
3.Click New (Standard toolbar), and create a new drawing.
4.In the PropertyManager, do the following (if the PropertyManager does not
appear, click Model View (Drawing toolbar) or Insert, Drawing View, Model):
a.Under Part/Assembly to Insert, select MyWeldment_Box2.
b.Click .
c.Under Orientation, in More views, select *Trimetric.

d.Under Dimension Type, select True.
5.Click to place the view as shown, and scale it as necessary.
Adding Weld Symbols

You can insert the weld annotations from the model into the drawing view
.
1.Click Model Items (Annotations toolbar).
•Under Source/Destination, select Entire model for Source.
•Under Dimensions, clear Marked for drawing .
•Under Annotations, select Weld Symbols .
3.Click .
The weld annotations are inserted into the drawing view.
4.Drag the annotations to position them as shown.
5.Save the drawing.
372
Creating Cut List Items
You can display a cut list on the drawing sheet.The cut list:
•Groups identical items, such as the four gussets or the two I-beam members
•Isolates items that do not belong on a cut list, such as the eight fillet beads
1.Click Window, and select the part document window.
2.In the FeatureManager design tree, expand Cut list(31) .
3.Right-click Cut list(31) and select Update.
Identical items are grouped together in Cut-List-Item folders, and the cut list icon changes from to .
4.Under Cut List(31), select each cut list item to highlight the entities in the graphics area.
•Cut-List-Item1(8): sub-folder with Sub-weldment1(8) created earlier

•Cut-List-Item5(4): four mitered members of the front frame
•Cut-List-Item7(1): one rectangular cross member
•Cut-List-Item6(4): four side segments of the box
•Cut-List-Item8(4): four gussets
•Cut-List-Item9(2): two I-beam segments
Fillet Bead1[1] through Fillet Bead4[2] are listed separately.
5.Save the model.
Adding Custom Properties

You can add custom properties, such as part number and description, to cut list items. You can display the custom properties
in the cut list that you add to the drawing.
1.In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Cut-List-Item1(8) and select Properties.

a) Click in Property Name and select PARTNUMBER.
b) Type SUB5551 for Value / Text Expression, then press Enter.
SUB5551 appears for Evaluated Value.

3.Add another custom property:
a) Click in Property Name and select DESCRIPTION.
b) Type Back Frame for Value / Text Expression, then press Enter.
4.Click Cut-List-Item8.
5.Add the following custom properties:

Name Value
PARTNUMBER G9876
DESCRIPTION Gusset
373
6.Click Cut-List-Item5.
The properties LENGTH, ANGLE1, ANGLE2, DESCRIPTION, and MATERIALare already listed for Cut-List-Item5.
DESCRIPTION is defined in the profile that you selected to create the structural member. The values for LENGTH ,
ANGLE1, ANGLE2, are calculated by the software. MATERIAL is linked to the material applied to the body.
6.Add the custom property, PARTNUMBER, with the Value / Text Expression M1234-01
.
8.Repeat step 7 for the remaining cut list items, assigning the following values for PARTNUMBER:
• Cut-List-Item6: M1234-02
You can display these part numbers in the cut list that you add to the drawing.
9.Click OK.
10.Save the model.
Adding a Cut List

Add the cut list to the drawing.
1.Click Window, and select the drawing document window. If you

are asked to update the drawing sheets, click Yes.
2.Click Weldment Cut List (Table toolbar).
3.Select the drawing view in the graphics area.
5.Click in the graphics area to place the cut list in the upper-left corner of
the drawing sheet.
Adding a Cut List (continued)

You can edit the table format directly from the cut list table.
1.Select the ITEM NO. column in the table.
The Table Formatting pop-up toolbar appears. Column headers appear with
column A highlighted.
2.Ctrl +select all the columns.
3.In the toolbar, clear Use document font
4.To change the text height, select 12 in the Height box.
5.Click to close the toolbar.

374
Adding a Column to the Cut List
Add a new column to the cut list for the custom property PARTNUMBER that you
added in the part document.
1.Right click in the LENGTH column, and select Insert, Column Right.
2.In the PropertyManager, under Column Properties:
a.Select Cut list item property.

b.Select PARTNUMBER in Custom property.
c.Type PART NO. for Title.
3.Click .
A new column is added to the cut list, listing the part numbers you defined for
the cut list items in the part document.
To adjust the column width, drag the column border.
4.Select the PART NO. column and use the pop-up toolbar to change the font
height to 12.
5.Right-click in the table and select Formatting, Entire Table.
6.Set Column Width to 40 and Row Height to 10, then click OK.
Adding Balloons to the Drawing View
Now add balloons to the drawing view.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Balloon Layout, click Layout Balloons to Square
4.Click .
Balloons are added to the drawing view. The item number in each balloon
corresponds to the item number on the cut list.
5.Drag the balloons and weld symbols to position them as shown.
Balloon numbers may vary based on how you created the model.
375
Creating a View of a Weldment Body
To create a drawing view of a single body from the weldment part, you select
the body and define the view orientation in the part document, then return to
the drawing document to place the view. Create a view of the rectangular cross member.
2.In the drawing document, click Relative View (Drawing toolbar). If you are
asked to use the auto-saved version of the part, click Yes.
The part document opens.
3.In the PropertyManager, under Scope:
•Select Selected Bodies.
•In Bodies for creating view, pick the cross member in the graphics area.
4.In the PropertyManager, under Orientation:
•Select Front in First, then select the face shown for Front.
•Select Bottom in Second, then select the face shown for Bottom.
This selects the rectangular cross member and defines the front and bottom
orientations of the drawing view.
5.Click .
The display changes back to the drawing document.
6.Click to place the relative view as shown and click .
The face you selected for Front is facing frontward, and the face you selected
for Bottom is facing downward.
7.Dimension the relative view as shown.
376
8.Save the drawing.
377

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SolidWorks Tutorials

Tutorial ini menyajikan fungsi SolidWorks dalam

Untuk rincian tentang konvensi berkenaan dgn

If you are new to the SolidWorks software, familiarize

1. Introduction to SolidWorks 22. Introduction to SolidWorks

The Introduction to SolidWorks lesson guides you

This lesson includes:

•Creating base, boss, and cut features from

You begin this lesson by creating a new part

1.Click New on the Standard toolbar.

The New SolidWorks Document dialog box

A new part window appears.

Sketching the Circle

1.Click Extruded Boss/Base on the Features toolbar.

3.Click Circle on the Sketch toolbar.

4.Move the pointer over the origin .

5.Click to place the center point on the origin.

7.Click to finish the circle and click in the PropertyManager.

Now add a diameter dimension to the circle.

1.Click Smart Dimension on the Sketch toolbar.

2.Select the circle.

Extruding the Base Feature

1.Click Exit Sketch on the Sketch toolbar.

2.In the PropertyManager, under Direction 1:

Notice the shaded preview of the extrusion.

Saving the Part

1.Click Save on the Standard toolbar.

1.Click Extruded Boss/Base on the Features toolbar.

2.Select the top face of the part.

3.Click Top on the Standard Views toolbar.

4.Click Circle on the Sketch toolbar.

5.Move the pointer over the origin.

The pointer changes to .

In the completed sketch, the symbol indicates this relationship.

6.Click to place the center of the circle.

7.Move the pointer to create the circle.

8.Click to finish the circle and click in the PropertyManager.

Dimensioning the Boss Sketch

1.Click Smart Dimension on the Sketch toolbar.

2.Select the circle.

3.Move the pointer and click to place the dimension.

1.Click Offset Entities on the Sketch toolbar.

2.In the PropertyManager, under Parameters:

a.Set Offset Distance to 5.

b.Select Reverse to offset the circle to the inside

1.Click Exit Sketch on the Sketch toolbar.

3.In the PropertyManager, under Direction 1, set Depth to 12.

Sketching the Hole

1.Click Extruded Cut on the Features toolbar.

2.Select the top face of the part.

3.Click Top on the Standard Views toolbar.

4.Click Circle on the Sketch toolbar.

5.Move the pointer over the origin.

The pointer changes to .

6.Click to place the center of the circle.

7.Move the pointer to create the circle.

8.Click to finish the circle and click in the PropertyManager

Dimensioning the Hole Sketch

2.Select the circle.

3.Move the pointer and click to place the dimension.

1.Click Exit Sketch (Sketch toolbar).

2.Click Trimetric (Standard Views toolbar).

Creating Holes Using the Hole Wizard