Lab Report 01

Objective:
Introduction to Design Modeler CAD software, its interface and components and to learn the
utilization of different orientation/ views in the graphical interface

Theory:
Solid Works:
SOLIDWORKS is the leader in 3D CAD technology, empowering product design teams
with intuitive, high performance software that is easy to use, and provides the freedom to
design products that set you apart.

Solidworks is an industrial-grade 3D CAD Software for engineers. Its feature set

encompasses both solid modeling computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided
engineering (CAE).
Attributes of Solidworks:
1. Feature Based Modeling:
Feature based modeling means that we start any model, part or assembly with basic features
and then add salient features on it. The first feature you create in a part is the base. This
feature is the basis on which you create the other features. The base feature can be an
extrusion, a revolver, a sweep, a loft, thickening of a surface, or a sheet metal flange.
However, most base features are extrusions.

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 Figure 1 (Feature Based Modeling)

The following are some of the features you can use to make parts in SOLIDWORKS.
Table 1.1-Feature Modeling Examples
Features Description Graphical Demonstration

Extrude creates a feature by extruding a 3D object from a 2D

sketch, essentially adding the third dimension. An extrusion
Extrude
can be a base (in which case it always adds material), a boss
(which adds material, often on another extrusion), or a cut
(which removes material).

Revolve creates a feature that adds or removes material by

revolving one or more sketch profiles around a centerline.
Revolve
The feature can be either a solid, a thin feature, or a surface.

Loft creates a feature by making transitions between profiles.

Loft A loft can be a base, boss, cut, or surface.

Sweep creates a base, boss, cut, or surface by moving a

profile (section) along a path.
Sweep
 Boundary creates very high quality, accurate features useful
Boundary for creating complex shapes for the consumer product
design, medical, aerospace, and mold markets. A boundary
can be a base, boss, cut, or surface.

2. Associativity:
Parts are the basic building blocks in Solidworks. Assemblies contain parts or other
assemblies, called subassemblies. Associativity between parts, assemblies, and drawings
assures that changes made to one document or view are automatically made to all other
documents and view.

Figure 2(Associativity in Solidworks)

3. Parametric Modeling:
Parametric is a term used to describe a dimension’s ability to change the shape of model
geometry as soon as the dimension value is modified.

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 Figure 3(Parametric Modeling)

Parametric modelling uses the computer to design objects or systems that model component
attributes with real world behavior. These are the benefits of 3D parametric modelling over
traditional 2D drawings:
a) Better product visualization, as you can begin with simple objects with minimal details.
b) Better integration with downstream applications and reduced engineering cycle time.
c) Existing design data can be reused to create new designs.

d) Quick design turnaround, increasing efficiency and Simulation. ➢ Installation of

Solidworks:
1. At first download a fresh setup of Solidworks from official website of Solidworks
developer.
Fill up the require fields there and proceed to downloading.

Figure 4 (Providing required

 2. After downloading the setup, double-click the Solidworks Installer Solidworks Setup to
start installation.

Figure 5 (Specifying the type of

3. After proceeding, provide the serial number which you’ve been emailed by the IT service
desk of Solidworks.

Figure 6(Providing Serial number

4. Review and accept the terms and conditions. Click install now to proceed.

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 Figure 7 (Accepting the Terms and Conditions)
5. After installation you would’ve been asked to activate your software. After activation
you can
use the software effortlessly.

Figure 8(Product Activation)

➢ Starting the software:

Solidworks is just like another application software. We can start by clicking on its icon
from desktop or from start menu.

Figure 9(Starting from Start Menu and Desktop Icon)

 ➢ Solidworks Explorer:

It is a free tool that is similar to Windows File Explorer but the difference is that it allows
you to manage file references for Solidworks parts, drawings, and assemblies. It can be
launched from the Tools drop-down inside Solidworks or from the Windows Start Menu
under the Solidworks Tools folder.
The most commonly used features of Solidworks Explorer are found by navigating to a
Solidworks file within Solidworks Explorer and clicking the file name to expose the flyout
shortcut toolbar. On this toolbar, seen in the image below, you can open a Document, Create
a Pack and Go, Rename a Solidworks file, Replace a Solidworks file, and Move a
Solidworks file.

Figure 10(Solidworks Explorer)

➢ Characteristics of Solidworks Explorer:

If you have Solidworks Explorer installed, you can also access these features by navigating
to the file in Windows File Explorer, right clicking the file, selecting Solidworks, and
selecting the desired feature.

1) Rename:

Solidworks has a search order that it goes through each time it tries to find referenced files
when opening a Solidworks file. Changing the name of the file directly in Windows File

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 Explorer often throws off this search because Solidworks does not know that you changed
the name of the file.
To do this safely, use Rename in Solidworks Explorer. Clicking Rename will launch a
window that allows you to enter a new name for the file and will show you where it’s used,
so you are aware of what files will be updated with this new name.

Figure 11(Rename Dialogue Box)

2) Replace:
It is used when you’ve just finished creating your entire assembly, but now you want to
change one of the parts that’s in it to a different part. After launching Replace, you have the
option to

browse to the new file that you want to replace the current file with. Once you select a new
file, you have the option to update in any specified locations where the current file is used.
 Figure 12 (Replace Dialogue Box)

3) Move:
Because of Solidworks search order when opening files, cutting and pasting a file from one
folder to another in Windows Explorer could break your file references. To avoid this
problem, use the
Move tool in Solidworks Explorer. When you choose to Move a document, you simply
browse to the new location and specify which of the “where used” locations you want to
update. By doing this, Solidworks knows the new location of the file and can open files that
reference that file flawlessly.

Figure 13 (Move Dialogue Box)

➢ Interface Familiarizing:
Here are main elements of Solidworks user interface:
1. Welcome Screen:
When Solidworks initially starts, you’ll be presented with the Welcome screen. This new
dialog for Solidworks provides several tools for getting started, including buttons to begin a
new part/assembly/drawing, browse for an existing document, open a recent document, or
access recent folder or Solidworks resources.

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 Figure 14(Welcome Screen)

To get started, click the Part button. This will open a new part document, and the rest of the
user interface will be revealed.

Figure 15(Solidworks Document)

2. Menu Bar:
It is the top most of the application. It executes New File, Open File, Save, Print, Undo,
Select, and Rebuild, File Properties and Options.

Figure 18 (Menu Bar)

 3. Command Manager:
This menu is used to gain access to part, assembly and drawing editing tools.

Figure 16(Command Manager)

4. Feature Manager Design Tree:

This menu provides an outline overview how your part, assembly and drawing is
constructed.

Figure 17(Feature Manager Design Tree)

5. Status Bar:
It provides an information about your part, assembly and drawing. Here we can set the units
of our drawing.

Figure 18(Status Bar)

6. Heads-up View Toolbar:

Here we can view tools such as zoom, pan, zoom plane and section view.

Figure 19(Heads-up View Toolbar)

7. Property Manager:
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This menu is used to view and to modify the features of a part or assembly.

Figure 20(Property Manager and Feature)

8. Configuring Manager:
It is utilized when we have to view the structural representation of part or assembly. The
configuration manager is the simplest way to create, select, and view multiple configurations
of parts and assemblies in a document.
When modeling, it is often necessary to create different configurations of a part to compare
different iterations of the model and this can be done very quickly with the configuration
manager. In Solidworks, there is an option to initialize different iterations of your model, and
this can be done very quickly using the modify configurations prompt. The configuration
manager table can

be used for manually changing dimensions and suppressing individual features and can be
done very quickly.

Figure 21 (Configuration Manager)

9. Search:
 This toolbar is used when we have to seek any guidance about any feature of Solidworks.

Figure 22(Search Toolbar)

10. Task Pane:

The Task Pane contains several tabs that all serve different purposes. It provides access to
SOLIDWORKS resources, libraries of reusable design elements.
It also provides access to views to drag onto drawing sheets, and other useful items and
information. The Task Pane appears when you open the SOLIDWORKS software.
Table 1.2-Task Pane Description
Symbols Nomenclature Description
Solidworks Groups of commands for SOLIDWORKS Tools, Online
Resources Resources, and Subscription Services, plus a link to the
Welcome dialog box.

Access the Design Library, Toolbox, 3D Content Central,

Design Library and SOLIDWORKS Content for a wide variety of
standard parts, library features, and other reusable
content.
Duplicate of File Explorer on your computer, plus an
File Explorer Open in SOLIDWORKS folder. If SOLIDWORKS PDM
is

added in, the tab changes to .

Images of standard views, annotation views, section
View Palette views, and flat patterns (sheet metal parts) to drag onto a
drawing sheet.

Appearances, Library of appearances, scenes, and decals.

Scenes, and Decals

In a customized interface that you create using the

Custom Properties Property Tab Builder, enter custom properties in
SOLIDWORKS files.

11. Graphics Area:

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This is the main area of the screen where models and drawings are viewed, controlled, and
selected. Controlling model orientation/zoom and learning to properly select entities are
critical to effectively designing with Solidworks, and are two of the first aspects that new
users should become comfortable with. To follow along with this section, use the open
command to open an existing Solidworks model.
Left click an entity in the graphics area to select it. Alternatively, left click and drag the
cursor to create a selection window.
Right click on an entity to display a shortcut menu and a context menu, which contain a
variety of commands applicable to the selected entity.
The context menu is the smaller menu that appears with only icons; the shortcut menu is the
larger menu that contains both icons and text.

Figure 23(Graphics Area)

➢ Orientation in Solidworks:
1) Orientation Dialogue Box:
We can change orientation of our drawing by using Orientation Dialog Box, this is an older
version of the View toolbars that are used today but can have its benefits. To get to this all
you need to do

is hit the Space Bar while in Solidworks, this lists all of the Standard view with an * next to
them and has 3 buttons across the top New View, Update Standard Views, Reset Standard
Views.
 Figure 24(Orientation)

2) Pan:

This option is used to scroll the part, assembly, or drawing in the document window. Use the
CTRL Key + hold down your middle button, and you can Pan your Part on the screen. We

can do this from view toolbar. When this feature is in use, the mouse pointer changes to.

3) Rotate:
To rotate a model, click down on the center mouse wheel (or center mouse button if you do
not have a wheel) and drag the cursor. This will rotate the view freely in space but does not
change the coordinates of any geometry. If rotation is activated while hovering the cursor
over existing geometry, that point will be fixed in space during rotation. To pan the view,
hold the Ctrl key and follow the same steps.

Figure 25(Rotation in Solidworks)

4) Zoom:

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Scroll the center mouse wheel to adjust the level of zoom in the model. By default, scrolling
forward will zoom out, while scrolling backward will zoom in. This behavior can be
reversed by changing the settings available in the View category of the System Options.
Alternatively, if you do not have a center mouse wheel, hold the shift key and click and drag
the center mouse button to zoom. This method also works with a center mouse wheel. For
the best zoom performance, it is important to remember that when using the mouse wheel to
zoom, the model will be zoomed in/out with respect to where the cursor is on the screen.

Figure 26 (Zoom in Solidworks)

5) Move:
In multibody parts, you can move, rotate, and copy solid and surface bodies, or place them
using mates.

Figure 27 (Moving a Component)

The overall user interface can be visualized here:

 Figure 27(User Interface of Solidworks)

➢ Navigation in Solidworks:
Mouse is used to navigate in Solidworks. Mouse buttons operate in the following ways:
→ Left Button: Selects menu items, entities in the graphics area, and objects in the Feature
Manager design tree.
→ Right Button: Displays the context-sensitive shortcut menus.
→ Middle Button: Rotates, pans, and zooms a part or an assembly, and pans in a drawing.

➢ Mouse Gestures:
You can use a mouse gesture as a shortcut to execute a command, similar to a keyboard
shortcut. You can use mouse gestures to invoke mapped commands quickly.
To activate a mouse gesture, from the graphics area, right-drag in the gesture direction that
corresponds to the command. When you right-drag, a guide appears, showing the command
mappings for the gesture directions.

Figure 28 (Sketch & Drawing guide with eight gestures)

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