Module 1

M O D U L E

Getting Started in Solid Edge

Objectives................................................................................................... 3 Solid Edge Overview.................................................................................. 4 Solid Edge Environments........................................................................... 5 The Assembly Environment........................................................................ 6 The Part Environment................................................................................ 8 The Draft Environment ............................................................................ 10 The Sheet Metal Environment.................................................................. 11 The Weldment Environment..................................................................... 12 The User Interface ................................................................................... 13 Interface Basics........................................................................................ 28 Creating Documents and Using Templates ............................................. 35 Finding, Opening, and Saving Solid Edge Documents............................ 38 User Assistance........................................................................................ 46 Review...................................................................................................... 49 Activity 1 – Creating, Saving, and Closing a File ................................... 51 Activity 2 – Opening and Searching for Files.......................................... 59 Summary .................................................................................................. 64

Module 1 Solid Edge Fundamentals Student Guide – Volume 1

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UGS PLM SOLUTIONS Do Not Copy

Getting Started in Solid Edge Module 1

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Objectives After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Use the Solid Edge interface.

• Find and open Solid Edge documents.

• Create and save Solid Edge documents.

• Access and use Solid Edge Help.

• Use Solid Edge learning tools.


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Solid Edge Overview

Solid Edge is a computer-aided design (CAD) system for mechanical assembly, part modeling, and drawing production. Developed with STREAM technology, Solid Edge is designed to increase software performance with an interface that ensures maximized user productivity and return on investment.

Solid Edge STREAM technology boosts essential CAD user productivity by capturing engineers' solid modeling design intentions through inference logic and decision-management concepts. STREAM technology makes Solid Edge easy to learn, easy to use, and more productive than any other mid-range CAD system on the market.

Solid Edge Environments To make the commands you need more accessible, Solid Edge has separate environments for creating parts, constructing assemblies, and producing drawings. Each environment is self-contained. For example, all the commands you need to create a drawing are in the Draft environment. The environments are tightly integrated, making it easy to move among them to complete your designs.

Insight Connect Insight Connect brings together Solid Edge Revision Manager, Solid Edge Smart View, and built-in document management functionality that allows you to easily manage your documents. Insight Connect works in conjunction with Microsoft SharePoint Server software, but adds the capability to manage the document links that are common between Solid Edge documents.


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Solid Edge Environments

Solid Edge includes several major environments: Part, Sheet Metal, Assembly, Weldment, and Draft.

Solid Edge Part is used to construct individual part models by creating a base feature, and then adding and removing material using additional features. Part documents use the file extension .PAR.

Solid Edge Sheet Metal is used to create individual sheet metal part models, also constructed by adding and removing material from base features. The Sheet Metal environment is a separate environment with tools that better accommodate the requirements of modeling sheet metal parts. Sheet metal documents use the file extension .PSM.

Solid Edge Assembly allows you to build an assembly using existing parts and subassemblies. You can also construct new parts within the context of the assembly. It is also possible to translate parts from third-party applications and place them into an assembly. You can also draw a 2-D layout for a conceptual design of a new assembly. You position parts in an assembly using assembly relationships. Assembly documents use the file extension .ASM.

Solid Edge Weldment allows you to construct a weldment document using a Solid Edge assembly. You add weldment-specific features such as fillet welds, stitch welds, and define pre-weld and post-weld features. Weldment documents use the file extension .PWD.

Solid Edge Draft uses Solid Edge 3-D parts and assemblies to produce 2-D drawings. You can also add 2-D graphics to a drawing, and you can create 2-D drawings without a 3-D model. Draft documents use the file extension .DFT.

The Solid Edge environments simplify the work you perform by providing a clear view of design data and a well-organized set of commands. When you select a Solid Edge document in Windows Explorer, the correct environment is activated for the design document you selected.


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The Assembly Environment

Solid Edge can manage large, complex assemblies containing many parts and subassemblies. The Assembly environment contains commands for fitting parts together with natural assembly techniques such as mate and align. Solid Edge accommodates the fact that most parts are designed in the context of an assembly. To support this workflow, Solid Edge provides tight integration with the part modeling environment, visualization tools, data management tools, and part-to-part relationship management tools. Solid Edge makes it easy to manage assembly data from the earliest phases of project planning, through revision cycles, manufacturing, project maintenance, and archival.

2-D Assembly Layouts The 2-D assembly layout capability in the Solid Edge Assembly environment supports assembly-focused design. This capability allows you to sketch 2-D orthogonal views of the layout on the base reference planes in the assembly document. You can include layout geometry in profiles as you create or edit 3-D parts.

Assembly Relationships The Assembly environment allows you to create associative relationships between parts. These relationships are automatically maintained throughout the development of the design to preserve your design intent. For example, when you mate two part faces, they remain mated when either part is modified. Solid Edge automatically maintains these relationships throughout the development of the design.

Assembly PathFinder The Assembly Pathfinder tab on the EdgeBar tool makes working in an assembly view easy. Assembly PathFinder is a tool that helps you navigate assembly models. Assembly PathFinder contains text and symbolic representations of the components of an assembly, and the relationships between components, in an outline format. You can use Assembly PathFinder to find and activate the parts and relationships that make up the assembly, and to control their display. Assembly PathFinder gives designers and engineers an uncluttered view of assemblies and provides tools for working with assemblies more efficiently. It is also useful for project managers whose primary involvement with assemblies is administrative.


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QuickPick QuickPick is a unique selection tool that makes it easy to locate parts and subassemblies within complex assemblies. When you move the cursor over an area dense with parts, the cursor displays an ellipsis to let you know that QuickPick is available. By clicking the mouse button, you can display a dynamic toolbar with a button for each part in the vicinity of the cursor. Passing the cursor over the buttons highlights each related part—even parts that are not visible in the view. Clicking a button selects the related part.

Interference Analysis Solid Edge provides interference analysis to verify whether space is occupied by more than one solid. If interference is detected, you can use one of several methods to analyze the results, such as creating an ASCII report file, displaying the interfering volumes, and highlighting parts that interfere with each other.

Document Management Solid Edge offers a robust set of functions for managing documents throughout a project life cycle. Document properties provide for easy tracking and maintenance. You can save documents in alternate formats and import documents from other systems. You can easily create parts lists, exploded bills of materials, and other types of reports. Document routing and status settings allow for revision control throughout the review and approval cycle.

Exploded Views Solid Edge enables you to create exploded views while maintaining your assembly structure and part-to-part relationships. You can have the system automatically explode an assembly in a defined direction and then manually move and position parts as needed.


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The Part Environment

The Solid Edge part modeling environment allows you to construct 3-D solid models with true features. The part modeling process starts with a base feature, such as a block or cylinder, which you build upon with part features to create a part model. Part features include protrusions and cutouts (extruded, revolved, swept, and lofted), holes, ribs, thin-walled solids, rounds, draft angles, and chamfers. You can also construct rectangular and circular feature patterns and mirror copies.

When you design parts in Solid Edge, all geometry is created in the context of constructing features. The software keeps track of construction elements for you, making them available when you edit the feature but hiding them from view while you work on other parts of the design. You can also add your own construction geometry, such as extruded, lofted, and swept surfaces, intersection curves, projected curves, and intersection points.

Feature PathFinder And Feature Playback The Feature PathFinder tab on the EdgeBar tool displays the make-up of a solid part in an outline format. You can use the Feature PathFinder tab to select part features for editing and to re-order part features. You can use the Feature Playback tab to run an animated playback of feature construction. Feature PathFinder and Feature Playback are especially helpful when you are working with parts constructed by other designers.

SmartStep The flow of each feature command is controlled by SmartStep—a ribbon bar that guides you through each step of creating a feature. SmartStep also allows you to return to a step you have already taken. For example, after creating a rib, you can quickly modify its profile or change its thickness.

Intelligent Sketching IntelliSketch helps you draw precision 2-D profiles for use in feature construction. As you draw, IntelliSketch gives you instant feedback about relationships between the elements you are drawing and other profile elements or part edges. You can use IntelliSketch to make elements horizontal or vertical, or to make one element parallel or perpendicular, or to connect a profile element to a part edge.


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QuickPick If you have used a CAD system in the past, then you are probably familiar with the tedious process of trying to locate a particular element among a crowd of others—you usually have to reject many choices as the software tries to find the element you want. QuickPick puts you in control and lets you pick the element you want.


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The Draft Environment

Solid Edge provides a separate drafting environment for producing engineering drawings directly from 3-D part or assembly models. Solid Edge drawings are associated with the 3-D model, so that the drawing reflects changes in the model as the design progresses. These model-to-drawing links minimize drawing maintenance in response to engineering changes, so that you can easily keep drawings up-to-date with the part or assembly model. Hidden line representations are properties of the drawing view—they do not affect your view of the solid model in the Part or Assembly environments.

You can create drawings that display various views, sections, details, dimensions, notes, and annotations. You can also add feature control frames, datum frames, weld symbols, and surface texture symbols to your drawings. Ensuring that the dimensions and annotations on your drawings conform to your company’s standards or international standards is easy—as in Microsoft Office products, you can capture these settings in styles and templates.


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The Sheet Metal Environment

Solid Edge has a separate sheet metal part modeling environment to better accommodate the unique requirements of sheet metal parts.

As in the Part environment, the sheet metal modeling process starts with a base feature which you build upon with additional features. The base feature can be a flat section or include one or more bends. The added features can be flat sections, simple or complex flanges, and edge breaks such as chamfers and rounds. Feature commands available in the Part environment are also included, such as holes, cutouts, and feature patterning and mirroring commands.

When completed, the sheet metal part can be quickly flattened, using industry standard formulas or custom programs you define.

Consistent User Interface If you are already familiar with the Part environment, you will find the same industry-leading user interface tools in the Sheet Metal environment, such as Feature PathFinder, SmartStep, IntelliSketch, and QuickPick. Specialized commands that automatically manage sheet metal-specific properties such as material thickness, bend radius, and bend relief make the Sheet Metal environment instantly familiar to designers of sheet metal parts.


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The Weldment Environment

Solid Edge has a separate environment for defining the unique features used on weldments. The weldment process starts by specifying an assembly document you want to use as the basis for the weldment. You can then define the types of welds you want to apply to the parts and any post-weld machining you want.

Feature PathFinder The Feature PathFinder tab on the EdgeBar tool in the Weldment environment helps you manage the parts and processes used to construct the weldment.


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The User Interface

Microsoft® Windows® users will find the Solid Edge user interface comfortable and familiar.

Solid Edge is a native Windows application, so the commands behave like typical Windows commands. However, the intuitive Solid Edge interface makes it easy to learn new commands and concepts regardless of your experience with Windows.

The Solid Edge user interface contains a menu bar, toolbars, and ribbon bars that make it easy to access commands and set options. It also contains other user-friendly features that aid you in learning commands, manipulating windows, specifying colors, and selecting elements.

(A) - Model Area: The model area is where the actual modeling of a part of construction of an assembly takes place. When is new part or assembly file is opened, the Base Reference Planes are located in this area.

(B) - Ribbon Bar: A ribbon bar is a dynamic toolbar that displays different options depending on the command you are using. Ribbon bar options work much like the options on standard Windows dialog boxes.


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(C) - Environment-specific Toolbar: Each environment has a toolbar that contains many of the commands you need for assembly building, part modeling, or drawing production.

The Select Tool button is at the top of this toolbar. The Select Tool allows you to select parts, part features, and drawing views.

(D) - Main Toolbar: The Main toolbar provides quick access to some commands you are likely to use frequently.

(E) - Status Bar: The status bar shows information and messages at the top left of the window. Some of the information is about what a particular command does or what action you should take.

(F) - Menu Bar: The menu bar contains the names of all the Solid Edge menus. Click a menu name to display a list of commands

Menu Bar The Solid Edge menu bar contains menus that are similar to other Windows applications. When you click a menu entry, a set of commands and options are displayed. To select a command or option from a menu, move the cursor over the command and click.


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The status of a command on a menu is indicated in several ways. If a command is active, it is highlighted. If a command is available, the command name is displayed in dark text. If a command is not available, is the command name is grayed out. If a command or option can be toggled on or off, it has a checkmark to indicate the option is set, and no checkmark when the option is cleared. A command that has a dialog box available is indicated with three dots, which are also known as an ellipsis. If a menu option has a fly-out with more commands available options, there is an arrow that points to the right.

Main Toolbar The Main toolbar contains commands commonly used for manipulating documents, printing documents, and managing views. The Main toolbar in each Solid Edge environment also contains tools and utilities designed to simplify the workflow in that environment. Similar to the menu commands, active toolbar buttons are available, grayed out toolbar buttons are not available.


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Environment-specific Toolbar The environment-specific toolbar is displayed vertically along the left side of the application window. When you select a command on the environment-specific toolbar, a command-specific ribbon bar is displayed.


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Command-specific Toolbar Many commands have a ribbon bar, which contain options for the current command, such as defining the length or angle of a line. This ribbon bar is displayed above the model area.

Other commands have a workflow-oriented ribbon bar, which is known as a SmartStep ribbon bar. A SmartStep ribbon bar guides you through the steps that are required to complete a task. For example, when you construct a protrusion feature, a SmartStep ribbon bar makes it easy to complete the task and also to make edits later.

Status Bar In the top left corner of the Solid Edge window, a status bar displays command descriptions, messages, and prompts as you work. As you work, you should always read the messages in the status bar. The messages make it easier to learn new tasks.

Flyout Menus A toolbar button with a small black arrow in the bottom right corner indicates that a fly-out menu is available, which contains more commands. To display the fly-out menu, position the cursor over the toolbar button, and hold down the left mouse button until the fly-out menu is displayed.


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ToolTips When you position the cursor over a command button and pause for a few moments, the command name is displayed in a ToolTip near the cursor. Ribbon bar options also have ToolTips available.


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QuickPick You use QuickPick to select an object when it is located close to other objects. Position the cursor over the object and hold the cursor still for a few moments. When an ellipsis (three dots) is displayed adjacent to the cursor, click the right mouse button to display the QuickPick toolbar. By moving the cursor over the list of selectable objects, the selectable objects highlight in the window. When the appropriate object highlights, click the corresponding object.


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Command Descriptions When you position the cursor over a command button, a brief description of the command is displayed in the status bar at the top left of the Solid Edge window.

Windows Solid Edge displays graphics in one or more windows. In the Part, Sheet Metal, Weldment, and Assembly environments, the default window is a 3-D window, which contains an isometric view of the working area. In the Draft environment, the default window is a 2-D view of a drawing sheet. Solid Edge will also create new windows when you perform certain operations.

You can have multiple Solid Edge documents open at the same time. The Window option on the Menu bar contains a list of the active documents. The active document will have a check mark next to it.

The New Window command creates a new window with the same contents as the active window. The new window becomes active and displays on top of all the other windows. If the contents of the open document change in one window, the other windows that contain the same document also reflect those changes. The open windows can be minimized.

You can use the Arrange Window command on the Window menu to automatically resize and arrange. You can set an option to arrange all windows or only the windows for the active file. The arrangement options are tiled, horizontal, vertical, and cascade.


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Windowing Commands The windowing commands on the Main toolbar allow you to magnify or reposition the graphics on the screen. You will use the Zoom Area, Zoom Out, Fit, and Pan –commands frequently.

Zoom Area: The Zoom Area command allows you to click and draw a rectangle that defines the window viewing area. The graphics inside the rectangle are redisplayed at a larger scale. You typically use Zoom Area to zoom in for a closer view of graphics.

Zoom: The Zoom command allows you to zoom in and out with a single click of the mouse. The position of the mouse determines the new center of the window and the graphics are zoomed out about that point. When you press and hold the left mouse button, you can move the mouse to dynamically zoom in or out. This command is also available by holding the CTRL key down and holding down the right mouse button.

Fit: The Fit command scales all graphics to be displayed in the window. This command is usually performed after a Zoom Area command. The Fit command allows all of the graphics to be visible after the viewing of the zoomed in area is completed.

Pan: The Pan command allows you to reposition the view area on the screen. Position the cursor over the graphics and click. Then move the cursor to a new location on the screen and click again. You can also Press and hold the mouse button to pan the window dynamically.

The Pan command is also available by holding down the CTRL and SHIFT keys and pressing the right mouse button.

Dynamic Viewing Commands These commands allow you to rotate or re-orient the view of a part.


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Rotate: Turns the view of a part or an assembly. Select an axis or part edge about which to rotate the view. You can drag the part or the assembly with the mouse, or type an angle value in the Rotation Angle box on the ribbon bar. Holding the up/down arrow keys on the keyboard will rotate the part in 15-degree increments. A free rotate is also available when you hold down the SHIFT key and press the right mouse button. To return a view to its original orientation, press the Home key on the keyboard.

Spin About: Selects a part face and then spins the part or assembly about an axis normal to or lying on the face. Either drag the part or the assembly with the cursor, or type an angle into the Rotation Angle box on the ribbon bar.

Look at Face: When a model face is selected with this command, the view rotates to a position that is parallel to the selected face.

Common Views: Allows you to view a specific face or to rotate the model. To define the view, click the faces, arrows, or points on the Common Views dialog box. Note that to return a view to its original orientation, press the Home key on the keyboard while in this command.


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Named Views

The Named Views command allows you to save and manage different view orientations using the Views dialog box.

• Name - Names a view to be saved.

• Description - Enters a description of the view saved.

• Apply - Sets the active window to the highlighted saved view.

• Redefine - Redefines a saved view using the view in the active window.

• Delete - Deletes the view highlighted in the Views dialog box.

Shading

The Shade command on the Main toolbar allows you to display the model shaded or with a visible/hidden line representation.


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Format View

The Format View dialog box provides controls parameters such as rendering, hidden-line appearance, lighting, perspective, and other viewing options.

Sharpen

The Sharpen command on the Main toolbar provides a selection box with five levels of display refinement. Each level improves viewing quality. You can choose the quality level you want from the list, or you can click the Sharpen button until you reach a visually appropriate quality level. When the highest sharpen level is selected, a message is displayed that indicates that the display is at its sharpest setting.


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Button Size You can set an option to change the button size to a larger setting for easier viewing of buttons and toolbars. Click the Toolbars command on the View menu, then set the Large Buttons option on the Toolbars dialog box, and click OK.


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Color Options To customize colors in Solid Edge, use the Options command on the Tools menu. The Colors tab on the Options dialog box controls the screen display colors.


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If the Active, Inactive, and Construction colors are not available, you will need to set the Use Tools Options Color Settings option on the Color Manager dialog box. This allows control as to whether the Tool>Options>Color settings will be used or if Individual Part Styles will be used. If Individual Part Styles are used, they are controlled using the Color Manager rather than the Tool>Options>Color tab.


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Interface Basics

Solid Edge is a native Windows application, so the commands behave like typical Windows commands. However, the intuitive Solid Edge interface makes it easy to learn new commands and concepts regardless of experience with Windows.

The Solid Edge window consists of several components.


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Using the Mouse You can use the left mouse button to do the following:

• Select an element by clicking it.

• Select multiple elements by dragging to fence them.

• Drag a selected element.

• Click or drag to draw an element.

• Select a menu or toolbar command.

• Double-click to activate an embedded or linked object.

In most cases, if an object is locatable and selectable, you can position the cursor over the object and click the right mouse button (right-click) to do the following:

• Display a shortcut menu. Shortcut menus are context-sensitive. The commands on the menu depend upon your cursor location and which elements, if any, are selected.

• Restart a command.

You can also use the mouse to locate objects. As you move the mouse cursor around on the drawing sheet, objects under the cursor change to a highlight color to indicate that they have been located. When you move the cursor away from a highlighted object, the object returns to its original color.


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Arranging Your Work Space You can arrange the Solid Edge work space in several ways:

• Move windows around on the screen.

• Display, hide, or customize toolbars using the Toolbars command on the View menu or the buttons on the Main toolbar.

• Move a ribbon bar to the top or bottom of the drawing sheet.

• Set viewing options for the active window by clicking Options on the Tools menu and setting the options you want on the dialog box.

Using Toolbars, Ribbon Bars and Dialog Boxes Solid Edge ribbon bars and dialog boxes work just like those in Windows.

Solid Edge toolbars give you quick access to commands. You can place a toolbar anywhere within the application window, either docked at the top, bottom, right, or left, or floating anywhere in your work space.

The Main toolbar contains commands for manipulating documents, printing documents, and managing views. Each environment's Main toolbar also contains tools and utilities designed to simplify the workflow in that environment. Many commands launch command-specific toolbars.


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On Solid Edge toolbars, a command button with a small black arrow in the right corner has a fly-out. Press and hold the command button to display the fly-out, which gives you access to a closely-related group of commands.

A ribbon bar, which is a dynamic, context-sensitive toolbar, appears when you click a specific command or when you select an element. In most cases, the same ribbon bar is used for editing as for creation, making the editing process easy and intuitive. You can drag a ribbon bar to the top or the bottom, but not to the sides, of the window. The following illustrations show the same ribbon bar docked and then floating.

Ribbon bars and dialog boxes can contain the following types of controls:

A checkbox sets or clears an option. When you click the checkbox, an x appears to show that the option is set. Clicking the checkbox again clears it.


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Radio buttons give you two or more options. Click an option to activate it.

A box accepts a value when you type it and press TAB or ENTER. You can edit the text by highlighting it with the cursor, and then pressing the BACKSPACE key or the DELETE key.

You can use the following math operators in value boxes: add (+), subtract (-), multiply (*), and divide (/). Multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction. You can use parentheses to change the order of operation; parts of the equation inside parentheses are evaluated first.

A drop-down list box gives you several options to select from. In some cases, you can also type a value.

A list box allows you to select an item from a list. You can scroll through the list using the scroll bar and double-click an item. Or, you can click an option on the list and then click the OK button on the dialog box.


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Docking and Floating To dock a toolbar, a ribbon bar, or the EdgeBar tool, double click its title bar.


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To float (un-dock) a toolbar, a ribbon bar, or the EdgeBar tool, double click along its edge.

Note: You can also dock, float, and reposition toolbars, ribbon bars, and EdgeBar by dragging them. To prevent the item from docking, press the CTRL key while dragging it.


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Creating Documents and Using Templates

You can create new documents in the following ways:

• Open one of the Solid Edge environments from the Start menu. For example, when you open the Part environment, NORMAL.PAR is used as the starting template for a new part document.

• Use the New command on the File menu and then select the environment-specific template you want from the New dialog box.

Both English and metric templates are delivered with Solid Edge for each environment:

• Assembly

• Draft

• Part

• Sheet Metal

• Weldment

Creating, Modifying, and Saving New Documents When you start the software, a new, blank document opens and is displayed on your screen. The new document is given a temporary filename and extension that corresponds to the environment you are in. For example, if you create a new part document using the NORMAL.PAR template, the document is given the temporary name PART1.PAR.

You can use the commands on the toolbars and menus to add information to your document, and you can use the edit commands to modify the information in your document.

Any changes you make to the document are temporarily stored in memory. You have to save the document to preserve the changes to your document. The first time you save the document, you can define a permanent document name and folder location using the Save As dialog box.


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Using Templates as a Starting Point Regardless of the method you use to create a document, a document template is used as a starting point. A template is a document that provides default settings for text, formats, geometry, dimensions, units of measurement, and styles that are used to produce a new document.

You can edit the property set of the standard templates to include default values for some of the properties as well as the additional custom properties you need to manage your documents. For example, to make it easier to create drawings that conform to your company's standards, you should consider defining a custom Draft document template where your company's dimensioning and annotation standards have been defined.


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Template Folders When you create custom templates for your company, you can put them in the Solid Edge V15\Program\Template folder or you can create your own company-specific template folder. If you create a company-specific template folder, the folder should be a subfolder in the Solid Edge V15\Program\Template folder. For example, if your company's template folder is named Custom Templates, the path to the folder would be Solid Edge V15\Program\Template\Custom Templates. When you create a subfolder within the Solid Edge V15\Program\Template folder, a tab is added to the New dialog box with the same name as the subfolder. This makes it easier for your company to access your custom templates.


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Finding, Opening, and Saving Solid Edge Documents

The Find, Open, Save, and Save As commands work like the same commands in any Microsoft Office product.

Finding Documents The Open command on the File menu allows you to search for documents. First click the Search button on the Open File dialog box to display the Search dialog box. You can search any folder, network drive, or managed library. You can search for documents by name, by properties defined in the documents, or by the creation or modification date for the document. Once you define the search criteria, click the Search Now button to perform the search. The Search dialog box expands to display the results of the search. You can double-click on a document in the results list to open it. You can also save search criteria for future use.

Opening Documents The Open command opens existing documents. Solid Edge keeps track of the documents you worked on last, so you can open them quickly. These documents are listed at the bottom of the File menu; just click the name of a document on the list to open it. You set the number of documents displayed in the list with the Options command on the Tools menu.

You can also open a document by double clicking the document name within Windows Explorer.

Opening Managed Documents When you use the Open command to open a document in a managed library, the document is checked out and copied to the local cache when the Always Synchronize Cache to Get Latest Version of The Document option is set. This option is located on the Manage tab on the Options dialog box. When the document is checked out, other users cannot make edits to it. Once the document is in the local cache, it is opened so you can work on it. If the document you are opening contains links to other documents, those documents are downloaded as read-only.

When the Always Synchronize Cache to Get Latest Version of The Document option is cleared, and the latest version of the document you are opening is already in your local cache, the document is opened, but the indirect documents are not checked to see if the latest versions are in your


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local cache. Use the Synchronize All command on the Cache Assistant dialog box to copy the latest version of the indirect documents to your local cache.

When the Always Synchronize Cache to Get Latest Version of The Document option is cleared, and the latest version of the document you are opening is not in your local cache, the latest version of the document you are opening is copied to your local cache and opened, and the latest version of any indirect documents are also copied to your local cache.

If you work with the Always Synchronize Cache to Get Latest Version of The Document option cleared, you should use the Synchronize All command on the Cache Assistant dialog box regularly to ensure that your local cache stays up to date with the managed library.

After you use the Open File dialog box to open a document from a managed library, the path listed in the Look In box on the Open File dialog box will default to your local cache. When you open another managed document, you can select the document from the local cache list, and the document in the managed library will be checked out and opened.

Opening Managed Documents with Links to a Spreadsheet When making changes to a managed document that has links to a spreadsheet, such as Excel, you should open the Solid Edge document first. When you open the Solid Edge document, it is checked out from the managed library and copied to your local cache. The spreadsheet is also copied to your local cache, but it is not checked out or opened. You should open the spreadsheet using the Edit Links command on the variable table shortcut menu.

For example, when you select a linked cell in the variable table, you can click the Edit Links command on the shortcut menu to display the Links dialog box. On the Links dialog box, you can select the entry for the spreadsheet, then click the Open Source button to check out and open the spreadsheet. After you have edited the spreadsheet, save and close it, then save and close the Solid Edge document.

Using Revision Rules You can use the Revision Rules option on the Open as File dialog box to specify a revision rule when opening managed documents that contain links. For example, if you select Latest Released, Solid Edge opens the assembly you have selected and then searches for the latest released revision for all of the parts in the assembly structure.


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These rules are very helpful in managing documents through the life of a project. You can use the following revision rules when opening managed document:

• As Saved

• Latest

• Latest Released

• External System

The As Saved option opens the document and updates the links as they were last saved. You would use this rule to open documents until you get close to the completion of a project. This is the default revision rule.

As you near the completion of a project, you can use the Latest or Latest Released rule to open your assembly or draft document. When you use these rules, Solid Edge ignores the Always Synchronize Cache to Get the Latest Version of the Document option on the Manage tab and loads the appropriate revisions to the local cache.

You can use the External System option if you want to control the links based on an external BOM provided by an ERP/MRP system stored on the local machine. The BOM file name matches the assembly or draft file name except for the file extension, which is XML. For example, if the file name is BEARING.ASM, the BOM file name is BEARING.XML. External BOM file names are case sensitive and you can use the Locations tab on the Options dialog box to control the location of the BOM file.

The default location for the external BOM is $:\Documents and Setttings\<user name>\Application Data\Unigraphics Solutions\Solid Edge\Version#\BOM Files. You can specify that Solid Edge look for the file in a different folder. To specify a different location, on the Tools menu, click Options. On the File Locations tab of the Options dialog box, select External BOM Files and then click Modify. On the Browse dialog box, specify the drive and folder for the log file.

After you have save the changes to your documents, you can use the Life Cycle Assistant command to set the status for the approved parts to "Released" and set the status for the old revisions to "Obsolete."

Document Availability In Solid Edge, the availability of a document is displayed in the Status bar of the Open File dialog box. The availability will be read-write or read-only. You can choose to open a document as read-only by setting the Read-Only box on the Open File dialog box.

You can also use the operating system to set a document to read-only. For example, using Windows Explorer, you can set a document's properties to


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read-only. This setting overrides the available status assigned in Solid Edge. For example, if a document has an available status, but has been set to read-only in the operating system, then you will not be able to get write access to the document.

Finding and Replacing Links You can use Revision Manager to search for documents containing a link to the original document version and replace the links with the new document version. For example, you can search for all assemblies using Part # 22242 Revision A and replace it with Part# 22242 Revision B.

Revision control is also available outside the software. You can use Revision Manager to rename or move one or more documents to new folders and update the appropriate links.

Resolving Document Links If you move documents from one location to another, the links to these documents could break. Solid Edge provides an ASCII text file that contains information to help you resolve links. LinkMgmt.txt contains information that allows you to specify search orders and a search algorithm that defines the folders to search when resolving the link.

By default, LinkMgmt.txt is located in the Solid Edge Program folder. For example, if you loaded Solid Edge to drive C, the path would be C:\Program Files\Solid Edge V15\Program\LinkMgmt.txt.

You must instruct Solid Edge to look for the LinkMgmt.txt file. You can also specify that Solid Edge look for the file in a different folder, including a folder on another machine in the network. To do this, on the Tools menu, click Options. On the File Locations tab of the Options dialog box, select Link Mgmt File and click Modify. On the Browse dialog box, specify the drive and folder containing the LinkMgmt.txt file.

You can use a text editor, such as Notepad, to edit the file. Review the following sample LinkMgmt.txt file.

CONTAINER RELATIVE ABSOLUTE BEGIN SEARCH PATH C:\My Documents \\machine123\My Documents END SEARCH PATH

The keywords, Container, Relative and Absolute, in the LinkMgmt.txt file indicate the method and order in which links are resolved. Container looks for the files in the same folder as the container document. Relative looks for


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the files relative to the container document at the time of placement or save. Absolute looks for the exact path for the files at the time of placement or save. You may want to reorder or remove the keywords from the LinkMgmt.txt file to improve the performance of resolving the links.

If you do not know where the documents exist, you can add Search Paths to the LinkMgmt.txt file. The folders listed between the keywords Begin Search Path and End Search Path are used to look for the links. Solid Edge recursively searches the subfolders of the specified folders. Once a document of the same name is found, the link is resolved.

The LinkMgmt.txt file is read when you open documents. Changes to the LinkMgmt.txt file do not affect any currently opened documents. You would need to close and reopen the documents for the new changes to take affect.

You should only use Search Paths if links cannot be resolved using the conventional methods of Container, Relative, or Absolute. If you have Search Paths in the LinkMgmt.txt file, Solid Edge will search these folders for the documents, which could cause an unnecessary impact on performance. To stop using Search Paths, you can edit, delete, or rename the LinkMgmt.txt file.

Saving Documents When you first save a new document, Solid Edge provides a default name and folder location. You can give the document a meaningful name and specify where you want to store the document on the disk. You can quickly save changes to an open document by clicking the Save button on the Main toolbar.

Note: If you use the Save As command on parts that are linked to an assembly, the saved as copy of the part is not linked to the assembly.

Setting a Reminder Time to Save Documents You can set an option on the General tab on the Options dialog box to have Solid Edge prompt you to save all open documents. The Save All Documents Every <XX> Minutes option allows you to define a time interval in which to be prompted. When this option is set and the time interval has expired, a dialog box is displayed when you select a new command. The dialog box prompts you to save all open documents. If you click Yes, the open documents are saved. If you click No, the time interval is restarted.

This option does not automatically save your documents for you, create backup files, or interrupt you while you are using a command. It waits for you to click a new command in Solid Edge before prompting you to save. This approach allows you to work in other applications without being interrupted, and prevents file corruption problems associated with automatic


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save options in other applications. There are some commands that do not react to the reminder interval. Commands that work within another active command, such as the view manipulation commands, do not react to the reminder interval.

Saving Draft Documents for the Solid Edge Viewer Solid Edge provides a stand-alone Viewer that allows you to view Solid Edge files without activating Solid Edge. To activate the viewer from Windows Explorer, click the right mouse button on the document you want to view, and then click Viewer on the shortcut menu.

Before you can view a Draft document with the Viewer, the meta file data for the document must be generated. To automatically generate this meta data when you save a Draft document, on the Tools menu, click Options. On the General tab of the Options dialog box, set the Include Draft Viewer Data In File option.

Saving Managed Documents You can use the Save As command to save a new document to your local machine or to a managed library. When you use the Save As command to save a new document to a managed library, it is also saved to your local cache, and the document remains checked out from the managed library. Subsequent saves will save the document only to the local cache. Later, when you close and save the document, the document will be checked in to the managed library and published if the Check In When Closing Documents option is set on the Manage tab on the Options dialog box.


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Open Command Opens an existing document or template in a new window. For some input formats, there are translation options you can set. The available translation-option dialog boxes are listed below.

If you try to open a part file that contains links to an assembly, a dialog box is displayed that asks if you want to open the assembly.

When you open a document from a managed library, the document is checked out and copied to the local cache when the Get Latest Version When Opening Documents option is set. This option is located on the Manage tab on the Options dialog box.

If you work with the Get Latest Version When Opening Documents option cleared, you should use the Synchronize All command on the Cache Assistant dialog box regularly to ensure that your local cache stays up to date with the managed library.

After you use the Open File dialog box to open a document from a managed library, the path listed in the Look In box on the Open File dialog box will default to your local cache. When you open another managed document, you can select the document from the local cache list, and the document in the managed library will be checked out and opened.

Note: For a list of all available input types, see the Files Of Type box on the Open File dialog box.


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Save As Command Saves the active document to a new name, folder, and format. For some output formats, there are translation options you can set. The available translation-option dialog boxes are listed below.

If you use the Save As commands on parts that are linked to an assembly, the saved as copy of the part is not linked to the assembly.

You can use the Save As command to save a new document to your local machine or to a managed library. When you use the Save As command to save a new document to a managed library, it is also saved to your local cache, and the document remains checked out from the managed library. Subsequent saves will save the document only to the local cache.

If you want to save a Solid Edge Draft file to AutoCAD (.DXF or .DWG) format and the file contains OLE objects such as a Word or .BMP document, you must save the file first. If you do not save the draft file, the OLE objects will not be translated to AutoCAD format.

Note: For a list of all available output types, see the Saving Solid Edge Documents to Other Formats topic.


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User Assistance

Solid Edge user assistance makes command information available as you perform tasks. You can access command, conceptual, reference, and instructional information any time during a design session.

In addition, Solid Edge provides several learning tools that can be activated from the on-line Help menu. You can also find on-line Help and other learning tools in the Solid Edge program group.

Solid Edge offers the following important user assistance features:

User Interface Features • ToolTips help you find command names. When you point the cursor at

the command button on the toolbar, a yellow label displays the command's name.

• Brief command descriptions show you a command's basic function. When you point the mouse cursor at the command button on the toolbar, the description appears in the Status Bar near the top of the window.


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On-line Help • Complete command descriptions give you more information. When you

click the Help button or press SHIFT + F1, the cursor changes to a northwest arrow with a question mark. You can then get context-sensitive Help on a command by clicking the command button on the toolbar or by clicking the command on the menu.

• A structured table of contents, an index, and full-text search capabilities provide easy access to Help topics. Press F1 any time you need on-line Help during a design session. When a command is active, the Help topic for that command appears. If no command is active, then the table of contents for the Help topics appears.

• You can also access the table of contents by clicking Solid Edge Help on the Help menu.

• Searches are not case-sensitive.

• Punctuation marks such as the period, colon, semicolon, comma, and hyphen are ignored during a search.

• You can group elements of your search using double quotes or parentheses to set apart each element. You cannot search for quotation marks.

• You can use wildcard expressions to search for words or phrases. Wildcard expressions allow you to search for one or more characters using a question mark or asterisk. For example, the search string dimension* would display topics that contain the term "dimension", "dimensional", and so on.

• If you are used to working with AutoCAD, you can benefit from the special Help topics for AutoCAD users.

• For topics on customizing Solid Edge, use the Programming with Solid Edge command on the Help menu.

Learning Tools • You can use the Tip of the Day command on the Help menu to display

helpful tips.

• To learn to use Solid Edge more efficiently, explore the Tutorials and What's New presentations available on the Help menu.

• You can use the About Solid Edge command on the Help menu to see the software version and license information.


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Solid Edge on the Web You can find up-to-date information about Solid Edge on the Solid Edge World Wide Web site at: http://www.solidedge.com/. The Solid Edge On The Web command on the Help menu gives you easy access to the Solid Edge home page.


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Review 1. What is the function and location of the menus, main toolbar, ribbon bar,

and the environment-specific toolbar?

2. Where can information about a file, such as author, be entered?

3. What are the five default templates delivered with Solid Edge?

4. List two ways to open a document. List three ways to save a document.

5. List the environments that make up Solid Edge.

6. How can you find information about the Protrusion command?

7. What must be drawn before the software can derive the base feature of a solid model?

8. What is the SmartStep ribbon bar?


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Activity 1 – Creating, Saving, and Closing a File

Overview In this activity, you will learn how to start Solid Edge and how to manage files. You will learn how to create, save, and close files, how to apply property information that makes files easier to manage, and how to open existing files.

Objectives

After completing this activity, you will be able to:

• Open any of the Solid Edge environments.

• Create a new Solid Edge file.

• Save a Solid Edge file.

• Close a Solid Edge file.

Note: For this class, all students will be working in a common local folder on each machine. The Fundamentals class files are delivered on CD. For the remainder of this course, it will be assumed that the data files were loaded on the C: drive. The folder C:/Fundamentals will be used when saving files.

1. On the Start menu, choose Solid Edge V15 > Part. Solid Edge starts the Part environment and creates a new Part file.

� Notice that any of the Solid Edge environments can be opened from this menu.


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2. Instead of using the file Solid Edge created, you will create a new file. On the File menu, click Close.

3. With no files open, notice that only the Open, New, and Help buttons are available on the Main toolbar. In the next few steps you will create a new file.

� On the Main toolbar, click New to create a new file.

� The New dialog box is displayed. Click the General tab and notice that there are NORMAL.XXX templates available for each Solid Edge document type. These template files define measurements in either Metric or English units, depending on which was chosen when Solid Edge was installed. However, Solid Edge provides Metric and English unit templates for all of its document types.

� Click the More tab of the New dialog box. Notice that there are NORMENG.XXX (for English units), and NORMMET.XXX (for Metric units) templates for each Solid Edge environment.


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� Select the NORMENG.PAR template and click OK.

4. You now have a blank part file with English units loaded, but the file has not been saved or named. Next, you will save the file and define properties for that file.

� On the Main toolbar, click the Save button.

� The Part Properties dialog box is displayed so you can define information to make the file easier to manage. Click the Summary tab and enter NewDoc in the Title field and your name in the Author field.


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� Click OK.


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� On the Save As dialog box, set the Save in: field to C:/Fundamentals. In the File name: field, type NewDoc. Notice that a file extension is put on the end of the file name by default when you save the file, but it is not necessary to do so manually. Solid Edge automatically adds a file extension based on the type of file you are saving. Click Save.

5. To close the file, on the File menu select Close.

6. Now you will reopen the file you created and saved.

� On the Main toolbar, click the Open button.


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� On the Open File dialog box, set the Look in box to the folder where you saved the file earlier in this activity (C:/Fundamentals).

� Set the Files of type field to Part Document (*.par).

� Select NEWDOC.PAR but do not click Open.

� On the Preview pane of the Open File dialog box, set the Properties option. Notice the information you entered in the Part Properties dialog box when you saved the file is now displayed. This aids you in selecting and opening the appropriate files.


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� Click Open.

7. Save and close the file. This completes this activity.


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Activity 2 – Opening and Searching for Files

Overview In this activity, you will learn how to open a Solid Edge file and then use the Search command to find a particular file based on a set of search criterion that you define.

Objectives

After completing this activity, you will be able to:

• Open any of the Solid Edge environments.

• Open a Solid Edge file.

• Execute a search to find particular Solid Edge files.

1. On the Start menu, choose Solid Edge V15 > Part. Solid Edge starts the Part environment and creates a new Part file.

2. Instead of using the file Solid Edge created, you will create a new file. On the File menu, click Close.


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3. In the next few steps you will search for and open an existing file.

� On the Main toolbar, click the Open button.

� The Open File dialog box is displayed. A file location (Look in:) and file name (File name:) are required. In this activity, you do not know the location of the file you want, so you will search to determine the file’s location. On the Open File dialog box, click Search.

� If the Query Root Folder dialog box is displayed, click OK to dismiss it. Then click OK on the confirmation dialog box.


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� Click the Browse button to the right side of the Look in folder: field.

� In the Browse dialog box, specify the Program Files folder on the C: drive and click Add to move that folder to the Available folders column.


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� Click OK to dismiss the Browse dialog box and accept the search location.

� In the For: field, type HEATSINK.

� On the Search dialog box, click Search Now. It will take a few moments for the search to be completed. When the search is complete, the Search dialog box expands to show the search results.


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Note: On the Search dialog box, notice that you can search for property conditions. For example, if you want to open a bolt made of steel rather than one made of copper, set the Material property to steel. These properties are defined as Part Properties. Therefore, you can see how important it is to define properties when you save a file.

� In the search results list on the bottom of the Search dialog box, single click the document name shown (HEATSINK.PAR). A preview box of the file is displayed.

� Double click the file and HEATSINK.PAR file is opened in the Solid Edge Part environment. Close this file without saving.

� This completes the activity.


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Summary The best way to learn Solid Edge is to spend time using it. Experience with Windows products adds familiarity to many of the commands in Solid Edge. Tools such as IntelliSketch, QuickPick, and SmartStep ribbon bars also make it easy to learn and use Solid Edge.

Things to remember:

• Templates are available with measurements defined in both metric and English units for each of the Solid Edge environments.

• Use the right mouse button to access shortcut menus and to restart commands.

• The status bar guides you through a command sequence. It is located in the upper left corner of the Solid Edge window.

• Arrows on pull down menus indicate a fly-out for that menu with more options.

Module 1

Documents

solid edge overview

solid edge module

solid edge environments

solid edge interface

solid edge easy

solid edge objectives

solid edge help

open solid edge documents