SolidWorks Tips and Tricks Phil Sluder TriAxial Design and Analysis
If a topic cannot be explained in a freshman lecture, it is not yet fully understood‌ - Richard Feynman
A History of SolidWorks Tips and Tricks
Fillet Select Through Faces Option… and What’s Wrong with the Fillet Expert
Split Line Across Multiple Bodies (Wait, did he put a surface in there?)
Now you’ll never forget how Pierce works
Successful Helical Tubing
Merge Result Checked / Unchecked and Previous Bodies
Also: Combine, Common Weldment
Any Shape Detail View
Relinking Referenced Files – Part Referenced in Assembly / Drawing Scenarios • Alternate Part into Existing Assembly (use Replace Components) • Alternate Part into Existing Drawing • Part Renamed • Part Moved • Part Deleted (open Quick View)
Win Explorer
Save As Assembly with References (Ugh!)
Quick Review: What is In-Context Part / Assembly with References?
Capture Assembly Steps (All Inside Exploded View)
Create Bill of Materials, edit part numbers / custom properties, all in the assembly. •
Basics; Parts Info vs. Assembly Info
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Don’t ask me again… Oh wait, how do I get that back?
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Silly = Annotation, Notes, Border trick (Circular Default)
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Open part from Bill of Materials
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Use existing Bill of Materials in drawing
Wires and Tubing when Exploding the Assembly
Insert, Cut, Sweep, Solid Sweep
60min
Drawing Annotation; Area Hatch and Convert Entities
Isometric Section Views
As Manufactured - As Stocked - As Assembled
Springs in an Assembly (Engineer’s Solution)
f = k *x f = .87 * (2.25 – 2.10) f = .13 f = k *x f = .87 * (2.25 – .90) f = 1.17
OK, OK… I’ll Do An Animated Spring
Drawings without “Artifacts”
Pesky Filleting Problem (Forget the FilletExpert)
Faith Based Feature
Everything (well, not everything)‌ But lots of stuff turns out to be useful. Richard Feynman
Base Part / Derived Part(s) / Assembly 1. Insert Into New Part – No Feature 2. Insert, Part – No Feature 3. Save Bodies, Create Assembly - Feature 4. Split, Create Assembly - Feature
Relinking Referenced Files – In-Context Features within Top-Down Assembly Scenarios • Assembly Renamed, Assembly Moved • Assembly Deleted - > ? • Manually break references (at Part)
Sketch Plane InPlace Mate Geometric Relationships Sketch Dimensions, Shape, Location Up to Surface Conditions, Flat / Curved