Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals

Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals

Version 1- May07 Written by Dickson Sham

A- 1

Solidworks 2006

FundamentalsInfrastructure

Sketch

Solid Features

Surfaces

Assembly Design

2D Drawing

Design Table & Equation



A- 2

User InterfaceGeneral

File Name

Specification

Tree (all

features stored

in historical

order)

Dimmed features

(hidden)

Lights on model

Folder for solids

(one visible inside)

Folder for surfaces

(3 hidden inside)

Global coordinate (never

be changed)

Geometry area/

Working area

Menu bar (all

commands)

Feature Manager (to

switch the layout of

toolbars)

Toolbars

(commonly-used

commands only)



A- 3

Type of Documents

The common documents are:

A) A part document (. sldprt) , which contains

information how the model is built

B) An assembly document (.sldasm), which

contains the relative positions of components

C) A drawing document (.slddrw), which can be a

part drawing or an assembly drawing

C

General

A

B



A- 4

Display Settings

To improve the 3D surface accuracy:

•Select “Tools->Options...” on the menu bar,

then open the tab page Document

Properties

•Then Select “Image Quality”

•Increase the value for HLR/HLV resolution

To change the background color of the geometry area:

•Select “Tools->Options...” on the menu bar, then open

the tab page System Options

•Then Select “Colors”

•Change the colors of “Viewpoint Background” , “Top

Gradient Color” & “Bottom Gradient Color”

General



A- 5

Change the view with the mouse

A. Rotating enables you to rotate

the model around a point. Click

and hold the middle mouse button,

then drag the mouse.

B. Panning enables you to move the

model on a plane parallel to the

screen. Press and hold “Ctrl” key,

then click and hold the middle

mouse button, then drag the

mouse.

C. Zooming enables you to increase

or decrease the size of the model.

Press and hold “Shift” key, then

click and hold the middle button,

then drag the mouse up or down.

Middle button

General



A- 6

Create a Sketch

Build a Sketch:-

1. Click “Sketch” Icon

2. Select a plane or a planar face

3. Draw a profile (with lines, curves and/or

centerlines)

4. Add geometrical constraints (relations)

5. Add dimensional constraints & modify the

values

6. Click “Exit Sketch” icon

Sketch



A- 7

Toolbars in sketch

Project external

curves/sketches/edges

onto the active sketch

Get the intersection

curve between

“external curves/

sketches/edges/faces”

and the active sketch

plane

Sketch



A- 8

Construction Geometry

Construction geometry is created within a

sketch to aid in profile creation. Only

standard geometry will be used for

creating solids or surfaces (Fig.1)

Construction geometry is shown in

dashed format. To convert an element

into a construction element, select it and

activate the option” for construction”.

You can also toggle any construction

elements from construction to standard

by deselecting the option.

Construction geometry

Fig.1

Sketch



A- 9

Constraining the sketch

• Dimensional Constraints

(click the icon, then select the element(s))

• Length

• Distance

• Angle

• Radius/Diameter

Remark: To discontinue the command, click

the icon again.

• Geometrical Constraints

(multi-select the two elements by

pressing “CTRL” key and click the icon)

• Perpendicularity

• Horizontal/Vertical

• Concidence

• Tangency

• Symmetry (multi-select the elements on the

both side and then select the centerline)

You can also create constraints with other

sketches and 3D elements out of the sketch

To show or hide all geometrical constraints on the

screen, select “View / Sketch Relations”

Sketch



A- 10

Color and Diagnostic

1. Blue: Under-constrained

2. Black: Fixed/Fully constrained

3. Red: Over-constrained

Only case 1 & 2 are allowable. For

case 3, you must fix the error

before quitting the sketch mode,

otherwise a warning message will

pop-out and you cannot continue

until the error is fixed.

Case1

Case2

Case3

Size dimensions

and location

dimensions

have been fully

defined

One dimension

is redundant

Sketch



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View Orientation• By default, the screen is parallel to the

sketch support.

• To making constraints between the sketch

geometry and the 3D element, you may

need to rotate the model into a 3D view.

• To return the default orientation, press

“space” key on the keyboard to activate the

menu of orientation, and then select “Normal

to” (the viewpoint normal to the sketch plane)

We can create a distance

constraint between the circle

centre and the solid edge

Sketch



A- 12

Solid Modeling

Feature-Based Solid Modeling

Sketch Extrude

Fillet

Hole

Parent and Children RelationIf deleting Hole,

we get:

If deleting Fillet,

we get: If deleting Extrude,

we get:

Solids



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Limit Type

Types of limit are :

AC B

E

E

A plane

surface

ABCDEFGH

surface

F

Solid (body)

G H

Extrude in both directions

Solids



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Extrude

A. Extruded Boss/Base (material added by extruding a sketch)

B. Extruded Cut (material removed by extruding a sketch)

A B

You can define the extrusion direction by

selecting a datum plane, a line, a planar

surface, and a straight solid edge.

Extrude in opposite direction

Define wall thickness (optional)

Define the depth by different modes, e.g.

dimension, up to next, through all, up to surface

By default, extrusion start from the

sketch; but it can also start from the

offset direction from the sketch

Define the region for

“Crossed “ profile

Solids



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Revolve

A. Revolved Boss/Base (material added by rotating a sketch)

B. Revolved Cut (material removed by rotating a sketch)

A B

You need to draw another straight line along

the centerline so that the profile is closed

Centerline

LINE

You can change the mode

to Two-Direction or Mid-

plane

Solids



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Sweep

A. Swept Boss/Base (material added by sweeping a profile along a path)

B. Cut-Sweep (material removed by sweeping a profile along a path)

A B

Path

Profile

Profile Control

- Follow Path

keeping the angle value

between the sketch plane

used for the profile and the

tangent of the path

- Keep Normal Constant

Sweeping the profile while

the profile‟s normal is

unchanged

Solids



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Loft

A. Lofted Boss/ Base (material added by sweeping one or more planar section curves along one or more guide curves

B. Cut- Loft (material removed in the same way)

A B

Section 2

Section 1

Section 3

If sections do not have

the same number of

vertices, “ratio coupling”

will be used by default

You can drag to

change the

closing point

(blue point)

- You can use an

additional guide

curve to control

sweeping path

Make the loft

tangent to the

connecting faces on

start/ finish ends

Solids



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Hole

A. Simple Hole (circular material removed from the existing solid);

B. Hole Wizard

Several types of holes are available: Simple, Tapered, Counterbored, Countersinked, Pipetap)

You can add “Dimensional”

relations between the hole

center and the solid edges

Recall the dimensions

for standard screws

Define the depth of the hole

Click here to define the

position of the hole

Solids



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Fillets

Fillet (creating a curved face of a constant or variable radius

that is tangent to, and that joins, two faces.)

Constant

Radius

Variable

Radius

Face to

faceAll round

Tangent Propagation: a fillet is

applied to the selected edge and all

edges tangent to the selected edgeWithout

Setback

With

Setback

Solids

Click to select

the edge

The tangent

edges are also

highlighted by

the system,

according to

“Tangent

Propagation”



A- 20

Chamfer

Chamfer (removing & adding a flat section from a selected

edge to create a beveled surface between the two

original faces common to that edge.)

Two Dimensioning

Modes for Edges

Le

ng

th1

Angle

Le

ng

th1

Length2

For Vertex

Solids



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DraftDraft (adding or removing material depending on the

draft angle and the pulling direction)

Neutral Plane

Side faces to draft

Pulling direction

Remark: Neutral plane always

keeps unchanged after a draft

is created

Top face as

neutral plane

Bottom face as

neutral plane

Solids

Case 1

Case 2



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Other Features

Shell (empty a solid while keeping a given thickness on its sides)

Face to remove

Rib (create a wall by extending an open profile up to limiting faces)

A line with two ends, which are not

touching solid facesThe rib always touches the solid faces, not matter

how the faces are changed / moved.

Solids

Wall thickness

Accepted

Accepted



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Reference Geometry

Select “insert / Reference Geometry”, then select

Reference

Select a curve and a point

Select a surface and a point

Offset the reference plane

up to a point

Select a line and a point

Offset by value /

Rotate by value

Obtain the axis of a

cylindrical surface

Reference Geometry



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3D Sketch3D Sketch (Draw a sketch in 3D space; you don‟t need to

create a plane before creating a 3D sketch)

Build a 3D Sketch:-

•Click “3D Sketch” Icon

•Draw a profile (with lines, curves and/or axis)

(Remark: if you switch the viewpoint to Front View, the

sketch plane will be “Front Plane”; similar for other

viewpoints)

(Remark: 3D sketch can be a non-planar curve)

•Add geometrical constraints (relations)

•Add dimensional constraints & modify the values

•Click “3D Sketch” icon again to exit

Curves

This is a 3D sketch



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Projected Curve

Sketch onto Face(s) (project a sketch onto a face. The

projection can only be along the normal of the sketch)

Along the normal

of the sketch

Limitations:

(1) Only planar sketches can be projected

(2) You cannot select other projection

direction than the normal of the sketch

You can project it onto a face

of a surface or a solid

Sketch onto Sketch (create a curve resulting from the

intersection of the extrusion of two curves. )A 3D resultant

Curve

The two extruded

surfaces will not

be created after

this command

Curves



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Helix CurveInsert / Curve / “Helix/Spiral”

Draw a circle on a

sketch

Curves

Spiral Curve

3 ways to define a helix:

1) Pitch and revolution

2) Height and revolution

3) Pitch and Height

Pitch

Height

With Taper (optional)

Draw a circle on a

sketch

Define Pitch and

Revolution



A- 27

Composite CurveInsert / Curve / “Composite”

Curves

Curve through reference points

Control

point

Control

point

Control

point

Control

point

Create a 3D Spline by defining the control points

Limitation: Cannot define the direction of tangency

at a control point.

If you need to control the direction, use “3D sketch”

Cannot define

the direction of

tangency

Simply select the broken curves /edges and click ok

to join them as one.

(A composite curve is then created, representing

this group of curves/edges)



A- 28

Extrude

Extrude (create a surface by extruding a profile along a given direction)

If the profile is planar,

the direction will be

its normal by default.

But you can change

it to other direction.

Revolve

Revolve (create a surface by revolving a

planar profile about an axis)

Remark: The axis must be a straight line

Surfaces



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Sweep

Sweep (create a surface by sweeping out a profile along a

path)

Options

•Profile Orientation

•Additional Guide Curves

•Start /End Tangency

Profile

Path

Loft (create a surface by sweeping two or more section

curves along an automatically computed or user-defined

spine. The surface can be made to respect one or more

guide curves. )

Loft

Options

•Additional Guide Curves

•Start /End Tangency

•Centerline

Surfaces



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Offset

Fill (create a surface to fill the opening among a number of

boundary segments)

Offset (create a surface, or a set of surfaces, by offsetting

an existing surface, or a set of surfaces)

Fill

Surfaces

We can specify the desired continuity type

between any selected support surfaces and

the fill surface (Point or Tangent continuous)

The four points must

be tangent-continuous

Remark: if Offset value = 0, you

can duplicate the selected

surface



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Trim SurfaceStandard Trim (split a surface by means of a trim tool. The

trim tool can be a surface or a sketch)

Mutual Trim (trim two or more surfaces)

Trim Tool ( always keeps unchanged)

Piece to keep

Result by

“Standard Trim”Original

Result by

“Trim”

Pieces to keep

Trim by a sketch

Surfaces



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Untrim - Surface

Knit (join surfaces as one element)

The two original surfaces

are hidden; a “Knit”

surface is created

REMARK: If the resultant

surface hasn‟t any open

ends, the enclosed

volume can be

transformed into a solid

Knit - Surface

Surface untrim, select

both left edges and the

inner edge. Under

Options, select Connect

endpoints.

OR

Surface untrim, select the

face. Under Options,

select All edges. All

edges are extended to

their natural boundaries.

UNtrim (patch surface holes and external edges by extending an

existing surface along its natural boundaries)

Surfaces



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Surface- Fillets

Fillet (creating a curved face of a constant or variable radius

that is tangent to, and that joins, two surfaces.)

Constant

Radius

Variable

Radius

Face to

faceAll round

Tangent Propagation: a fillet is applied

to the selected edge and all edges

tangent to the selected edge

Without

Setback

With

Setback

Same

as Solid

Surfaces



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Extend (Surface only)

Extend the whole Surface / the surface from an edge

Extend by Curvature Trend

The extrapolated

surface is joined

with the original

surface as one

Extend Surface along the

tangential direction

Click the face

Click the edge

This will be a

straight edge

Surfaces



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Draft Analysis

Draft Analysis

(analyze the draft angle on a surface/ a group of

surfaces)

STEPS:

1. Select “Tools / Draft Analysis” on the menu bar

2. Select a Direction as “Direction of Pull”

3. Enter a value as A (Angle), e.g 3 deg

4. Click “Calculate” icon

If the big surface has no undercut, it should either all

Green or all Red.

Green: draft > 3deg

Yellow: -3deg< draft <3deg

Red: draft < -3 deg

Positive draft

Negative draft

Direction of Pull

Parting

surface/plane

Surfaces



A- 36

Cut Solid (with Surface)

Cut with Surface (split a solid with a plane or surface )

Thick Surface (add material to a surface in two opposite

directions or in one direction)

Thicken Surface

Solids + Surfaces



A- 37

Pattern /Mirror

Features to Pattern

- Select “Hole1” & “Fillet1” on the tree

Faces to Pattern

- Select all faces of the hole

Instance to skip

- Select the bad instance to

skip

Bodies to Pattern

- Select the solid body

3 instances

skipped

Transformation

(Solid/ Surface)



A- 38

Translate, Rotate, Mirror, Scale

TranslateRotate

MirrorUniform Scale

Select Insert/Features/ “Move/Copy”, then select

“Translate” or “Rotate”

Select Insert/Features/

“Pattern/Mirror”, then select “Mirror”

X-Y-Z Individual

Scale

Select Insert/Features/ “Scale”

These commands are

also valid for surfaces

Transformation

(Solid/ Surface)



A- 39

Face - ReplaceFace - Replace (a Boolean operation combining a surface with

a body. This capability adds or removes material by modifying

the surface of the solid.)

Face - Move

Add a surface

on topOriginal Solid

The solid face is

replaced; Material

is added inside

the cover surface

Original BossRotateTranslate

The radius of the

curved face remains

the same.

Offset

The radius of the

curved face increases

Face – Move (offset, translate, and rotate faces and features directly on solid or surface models. )

Solids + Surfaces



A- 40

Assembly Design

An assembly stores a collection of components (parts or sub assemblies).

The file extension is .sldasm.

Main Assembly

Part

Sub-assembly

Constraints between the part

(base) and the sub-assembly

Assembly

Parts belonging to

“Sub-assembly”

Constraints among the parts of

sub-assembly



A- 41

Create a New Assembly

Create a New Assembly by:

- Select File /New / Assembly

Assembly

Insert existing componentsClick “Insert Component” icon

Select the file of the component

Then press “Enter” key to complete (the component will be

“fixed” at the assembly origin)

Or

Click on an empty space in the geometry area (the

component will be placed at that location but it is

still free-to-move)



A- 42

Move componentsUpper Assembly is

activated Component being moved

Assembly

Instant SimulationTheir axes are

coincided

The base is fixed

Drag the bucket

by mouse

The base is deactivated

Remark:

(1)You can only move the components of

the active assembly

(2) To activate an assembly, right-click on it

and then select “Edit Assembly”



A- 43

Constraints between components

To align the axis onto another axis,

select the corresponding circular

faces and then use “concentric”

mate

Assembly

Click the icon “Mate” to define the

constraints between two components



A- 44

Interference check

Click “Interference Detection” icon

Click “Calculate” icon

Check the result on the list

Press “Esc” key on the keyboard to exit

Interference result

The overlapped portion

is highlighted

Assembly



A- 45

Part /Assembly Drawings

We can create a 2D drawing from a part

or an assembly. They have the parent-

and-child relationship; 3D model is the

parent and the drawing is his child. If the

3D model is changed, the drawing will be

changed automatically.

The file extension of Solidworks drawings

is *.slddrw, no matter it is a part drawing

or an assembly drawing.

Same as the assembly file, the drawing

file cannot be opened properly if the

system cannot locate the part/assembly

file.

Wherever when we open the drawing file,

the system will try to locate the parent

part/assembly file to update all the views.

2D Drawing

It is unidirectional arrow; 3D can

change 2D, but not vice versa



A- 46

Create Views

To create a 2D drawing:-

•Select “File/New…” on the menu

•Click “Drawing” and then OK

•Select a template, e.g. A-4 Landscape

•Click “Browse”, the select a part /assembly file

•Then Select “Single View” or “Multiple Views” (Single view – create

views one by one and we can see the preview; Multiple Views – create

many views at one time by highlighting the view icons below)

•If you want to scale down the view to fit it onto the paper, you can use

“Custom size”. But generally, we prefer using a bigger paper to making

the model views smaller.

To change the properties of the 2D drawing:-

•Right-click on the paper and then select “Properties”

•We can now change the paper size and also change the projection

method. (By default, First Angle projection is used. First Angle

projection is commonly used in China, but Third angle projection is

used in United states and Taiwan.)

•(Remark: After the projection method is changed, all existing views will

be updated correspondingly)

2D Drawing



A- 47

Create Views

To remove all tangent edges on a view:

-Right-Click on the view

-Select Tangent Edge/ Tangent Edges Removed

To show hidden edges on a view:

•Single Click on the view

•Select “Hidden Lines Visible”

on the pop-up window on the left

2D Drawing

To add or remove curves on a view:

(For dependent curves, projected from 3D)

-We can only hide the curve that we don‟t want to see. We

cannot delete it.

-To hide the curve, right-click on the view and then select

“Hide edge” then select the curve

(For independent curves, created on the view)

- Simply select and delete it.

To create a section view:

-Double-click the parent view

-Select “ insert/ Drawing View / Section” on the menu bar

-Pick two points to define the mirror line



A- 48

DimensioningTo Create Dimensions on a view:-

•Click “Smart Dimension” icon

•Select an entity / entities to dimension

•Remark: Type of dimension (distance, length, angle, diameter) is

automatically selected

•To add a tolerance, select the dimension and then change the type of

tolerance, e.g. LIMIT or Symmetric

•To add a text before or after the dimension, type in the text before or after

<DIM>

To change the dimension properties of the sheet:-

•Select “Tools /Options” on the menu bar

•Select “Document Properties”

•Select “Detailing / Dimensions”

•Change the arrow style to “closed filled”

•Select “Precision…” to increase/decrease the number of decimal

places

•Select “Detailing /Arrows” to change the arrow size

•Select “Detailing / Annotation Fonts/ Dimension” to change the dimension

font size

2D Drawing

LIMIT Symmetric



A- 49

Editing Title Block

To edit Title Block:-

-Double-click “Sheet Format 1‟ on the tree

(All the views will become invisible, and you can now

select, add or delete any lines on the title block)

-After editing, double-click “Sheet Format1” again to exit

To add a text onto Title Block:-

•Double-click “Sheet Format 1‟ on the tree to activate

•Click “Note” icon

•Type in the text

•(You can change the text properties by the toolbar

“Formatting”)

•Click ok to complete

•Drag the text to the desired position

•Double-click “Sheet Format 1” on the tree again to exit

2D Drawing



A- 50

Equations and Design TablesParameters

To Define an Equation to control parameter(s):-

(Use a simple box as an example)

• Height (30) = Length(80) - Width (50)

• Define “Length” and “Width” as the driving parameters,

“Height” as the driven parameter.

• Select “Tools /Equations” on the menu bar

• Click “Add..”

• Double-click the feature to show all related parameters

• Select the driven parameter

• Type „‟=“

• Select a driving parameter, then type “-”

• Select the other driving parameter, then click ok

• (The equation is added. Now the parameter “Height” is driven

by “Length” and “Width”

To Create a Design Table to control parameter(s):-

• Select “Insert/ Design Table” on the menu bar

• Select “Blank” as source; Select “Block model edits that would

update the design table”; Deselect the below three options

• Click ok to create

• Double-Click on the feature “Extrude1” to show all related

parameters

• Double-Click the parameters to add them into the design table

• Add anther rows of values for these parameters

• Click on empty space to complete

• Select a configuration under “Configuration Manager”

- END-

Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals

Education

dickson sham

fundamentals solidworks

sketch mode

sketch planewe

sketch icona

view sketch relations

construction elements

middle mouse button