2005 Eastern Region SolidWorks User Conference: Tips and Tricks from SolidWorks World

Or, good solutions to problems that you didn’t know Or, good solutions to problems that you didn’t know you had…you had…

Getting even more from multibodies

How do you turn off [x] Merge bodies/features default behavior?InsertWeldment, even if you will not create structural shapes, the [ ] merge option will now be off by default.

Is there an easier way to have individual detail drawings of welded on tabs without making a weldment into an assembly or modeling extra parts?

Make a derrived part by using InsertPart, to embed the weldment part inside a new blank part file.

In the derrived part, hide the bodies that should not show in the tab detail drawing. (repeat as needed)

Caveat – hole callouts will not be hole wizard intelligent

Performance power ups

Fewer features – always rebuilds faster, sometimes smaller file sizes.

Use mirror, linear pattern, circular pattern of 1 instance, and exploit any symmetry you can find in your part.

Divide profile sketches with a center/symmetry line and use contour select for feature generation.

Pattern Feature vs. Pattern Sketch? Feature patterns rebuild faster, and make it easier to skip an

element Sketch patterns result in smaller part file sizes.

Shapely sweeps – make the profile and path as simple as possible

Put the splines and arcs in the guide curves to get the desired shape.

Use contour select with edges, centerlines and other items in addition to the sketch to get the desired profile.

Speeding up Large Assemblies

Hardware considerations & technique changesRAM, lots of it. Fast video, bigger CPU, fast front side bus, and SCSI drives

T100 network dedicated to SolidWorks users (no T10 Switches!)

Keep all apps at the same SP level

Use plenty of swap space (not on the network), keep your journal file local, and for goodness sakes defrag your hard drive every now and then

Use templates to store as many settings as possible

Use fully defined sketched if possible

Combine features sensibly

Resolve rebuild errors

Don’t model threads, don’t use text for features, and minimize unnecessary detail

Don’t “featurize” imported geometry (leave it “dumb”)

Still more resource saving techniques…

Use the `thread’ texture on a part face (rotated 90) to simulate knurl grooves, wires, and similar.

Select face, then: RMB Appearance Texture Thread…

Use sheet metal to simulate ribbon cable, plastic clips Apply Jog, Hem, and Sketch Bend as needed…

Shortcut for `in-context’ flexible parts

1. Connector parts have lines in hidden sketches for building a surface loft

2. Create new part in assembly (ribbon cable part)

1. Close 2D sketch2. Open 3D sketch

3. Convert all lines that will be used for surface loft

4. Create Surface Loft using contour select for sections

5. Thicken surface

The lesser known shortcuts…

Insert a design table to set multiple configuration specific custom file properties at one time.

column headings are $propname…cells hold property values

Table can later be deleted and properties remain set

Table can be copied from one part file to another

Use Structural Steel sketches from the Toolbox pull down menu to add new Weldment profile sizes.

Save as - C:\Program Files\SolidWorks\data\weldment profiles\ansi inch\square tube\MyNewSize.sldlfp

Remember to set custom file property `Description’ as: TUBE, SQUARE "V_leg@Sketch1 X "V_leg@Sketch1 X "Thickness@Sketch1“

RMB – Move or Copy Entities, also works to position or copy sketch text easier and more precisely

SolidWorks 2005 sp1.1 and later…

And did you know (or remember)…?

You can [Ctrl] and select multiple mates in an assembly to edit them at the same time.

Scroll down in the Mate Property Manager that pops-up and the Mates group box will list the mates, with the current one highlighted.

When using the mouse wheel to Zoom In/Out, the center of the Zoom effect is on the mouse cursor.

Useful for working in drawings to edit revision block and title block with just 1 smooth operation.

Design Library panel turns every folder into a part pallet folder…

Folders – Desktop – My Documents\…

How about these…

You can quickly undo many changes/mistakes in one step

Ctrl+Z to Undo

Ctrl+Y to Re-Do (also, toolbar item)

Trim & Extend are the same tool

Use the right mouse button (RMB) to switch between them

2005 Trim has many more options… `Trim to closest’ is the prior version behavior

Power Trim can be used to over-ride coincident point relations

Misc. Use the SW Task Scheduler to make backup copies of large

projects at night.Schedule copy of a specific list of files or folders to a removable drive or similar and set it to occur at 11pmOr to save as *.pdf, for an unattended project archive or documentation CD set

To correct multiple mate errors work backwards through the history from last to first.

`flip’ mate alignment Suppress more difficult cases and move on to another.

CTRL-F will search for text in all notes on a drawing

Using Component Line Font combined with colored layersGives you easier colored assembly drawingsAllows component layers to pass through to AutoCAD & help keep parts as parts.

Use a black layer `format’ to force sheet formats to print black on any printer and under any condition.

Avoids the inactive gray color syndrome

Avoiding Errors

Rebuild errors come from changeEndeavor to make relations to things that change predictably!

Relate to planes instead of facesRelate to sketches instead of the edges and vertexes they createUse surface snapshots for ‘up to’ references

Sneaky errors come from unexpected effects of change

Make effects of change predictableUse geometric sketch relations instead of equationsUse linked values instead of equations‘Exercise’ your sketches

The (not so) minor details

You can now drag a block by any vertex in the block and have it inference & snap into position.

Not just the base point

Area Hatch – Works with sketch entities, model edges, and any combination of the two

Halo around text – Automatic when any annotation is over a hatch

Use the [alt] key to move drawing viewsNot necessary to select the view by its border

With ALT key down in 2005, you can pick anywhere to initiate the drag

Drawing Compare

Use it to compare two drawings to see the specific changes between revisions, or to find out what may have changed in your local copy versus the one on the network

Difference window

Zoomable windows of drawings being compared

The shell game

What to do when shells won’tUse variable thickness walls (+/- 25%) to handle disappearing faces (at fillets) that might cause it to fail

Test with Offset Surface command If offset surface fails shell will also fail

Change wall thickness while it is suppressed, and it will repair & rebuild faster

Where to find more…

/DesignPosts/SolidWork(ing)http://www.designsmith-services.com/designposts/viewforum.php?f=8

Eng-Tips.com (SolidWorks forum & FAQ)http://www.eng-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=559 SW forum threadshttp://www.eng-tips.com/faq.cfm?pid=559 SW FAQhttp://www.eng-tips.com/faqs.cfm?fid=520 top SW related websites

Scott Baughhttp://www.scottjbaugh.com/Tips_Tricks/Tips_Tricks.htm

SolidWorks World Tips & Tricks – Phil Sluder, Triaxial Designhttp://www.triaxialdesign.com/tip_tricks.html

Yahoo Groups & SWUGNhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Solidworks-SWUGNhttp://www.swugn.org

NewsgroupsComp.cad.solidworkshttp://groups-beta.google.com/groups?q=solidworks

How to keep track of it all

Create a `tips’ document in MSWordUse bulleted or numbered outline format

Use headings and other text formatting

Hyperlink between key listed items and major topics

Save as *.html, in the network /SolidWorks Data

Download a copy of this presentationhttp://www.SWUG-NH.org/Archive/Tips-n-Tricks_June2005.pps

Start a `tips’ blog or forum in your local Users Group website.

http://www.designsmith-services.com/designposts/viewforum.php?f=8

/DesignPosts/SolidWork(ing)

Technique samples & Tutorials Content Central – User Library

www.3DContentCentral.com

Mike Wilsonhttp://www.mikejwilson.com/solidworks/solidworks_files.htm

SWUGN – Paul Salvadorhttp://www.swugn.org/swxmodels.htm

DiMonte Grouphttp://www.dimontegroup.com/Tutorials.htm

FIRST CAD library, USFIRST & other robotic parts

http://www.firstcadlibrary.com/

Free utilities for users group membershttp://www.bwir.com/utilities

Thank you…

John Nolin, CSWPNH – SolidWorks Users Group,

http://www.SWUG-NH.org

Program Manager

DesignSmith LLC

603-465-7946

Fax 661-457-2553

http://www.DesignSmith-Services.com

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