Preface
SOLIDWORKS is one of the most used pieces of software for 3D engineering and product design applications. These applications cover areas such as aviation, automobiles, consumer product design, and more. This book takes a practical approach to mastering the software at a professional level. The book starts with the very basics, such as exploring the software interface and opening new files. However, step by step, it progresses through different topics, from sketching and building complex 3D models to generating dynamic and static assemblies.
This book takes a hands-on approach when it comes to covering different tools in SOLIDWORKS. Whenever a new tool is introduced, we will go through a practical exercise of using it to create sketches, 3D part models, assemblies, or drawings. When required, we will provide you with supporting files that you can download to follow up on the concepts and exercises in your own time. In addition, it includes two comprehensive projects linking the different parts of the book together through practical applications. If you are a complete beginner in SOLIDWORKS, it will be best to follow the book from start to finish, like a story. However, you can also jump between chapters.
Who this book is for
This book targets individuals who would like to get started with SOLIDWORKS and feel comfortable using the software. They could be aspiring engineers, designers, makers, drafting technicians, or hobbyists. This book is also designed for individuals interested in becoming Certified SOLIDWORKS Associates (CSWAs) or Certified SOLIDWORKS Professionals (CSWPs).
The book does not require a specific background to follow it, as it starts from the basics of what SOLIDWORKS is and how to use it. However, basic theoretical background knowledge of what 3D modeling is would be helpful.
What this book covers
Chapter 1, Introduction to SOLIDWORKS, covers what SOLIDWORKS is and the applications that utilize the software. It also explores the professional certifications that SOLIDWORKS offers.
Chapter 2, Interface and Navigation, teaches you how to navigate around the SOLIDWORKS interface.
Chapter 3, SOLIDWORKS 2D Sketching Basics, covers what sketching is in SOLIDWORKS. It also covers how you can sketch basic entities such as lines, circles, rectangles, arcs, and ellipses.
Chapter 4, Special Sketching Commands, covers commands that enable us to sketch more efficiently. These include the mirror, offset, trip, and pattern commands.
Chapter 5, Basic Primary One-Sketch Features, explores the most basic features used for generating 3D models from sketches. Each of these features requires you to have one sketch to apply it. The features include extruded boss and cut, revolved boss and cut, fillets, and chamfers.
Chapter 6, Basic Secondary Multi-Sketch Features, explores another set of basic features that require more than one sketch to apply. They include swept boss and swept cut and lofted boss and lofted cut. It also explores reference geometries and how to generate new planes.
Chapter 7, Materials and Mass Properties, explores structural materials for your 3D parts. It also teaches you how to calculate mass properties such as mass, volume, and the center of gravity.
Chapter 8, Standard Assembly Mates, explores what assemblies are in SOLIDWORKS. You will learn how to generate simple assemblies using the standard mates: coincident, parallel, perpendicular, tangent, concentric, lock and set distance, and angle.
Chapter 9, Introduction to Engineering Drawing, explores what engineering drawings are and how to interpret them according to commonly recognized international standards.
Project 1, 3D - Modeling a Pair of Glasses, presents a comprehensive practical exercise linking the topics in chapters 2 to 9 to 3D model a pair of glasses.
Chapter 10, Basic SOLIDWORKS Drawing Layout and Annotations, teaches you how to generate basic engineering drawings using SOLIDWORKS drawing tools.
Chapter 11, Bills of Materials, explores what bills of materials are and how to generate and adjust bills of materials with SOLIDWORKS drawing tools.
Chapter 12, Advanced SOLIDWORKS Mechanical Core Features, covers the advanced features used to generate more complex 3D models. These include the draft feature, shell feature, Hole Wizard, feature mirroring, rib features, multi-body parts, and feature patterns.
Chapter 13, Equations, Configurations, and Design Tables, explains applying equations to link different dimensions within the model. You will also learn how to utilize configurations and design tables to generate multiple variations of a single part within one SOLIDWORKS file.
Chapter 14, SOLIDWORKS Assemblies and Advanced Mates, covers using advanced mates to generate more dynamic assemblies. These include the profile center, symmetric, width, distance and angle range, path, and linear/linear coupler mates.
Chapter 15, Advanced SOLIDWORKS Assemblies Competencies, explores additional assembly features to better evaluate and generate more sound and flexible assemblies. These include the interference and collision detection tools, assembly features, configurations, and design tables for assemblies.
Project 2, 3D - Modeling an RC Helicopter, presents a comprehensive practical exercise covering topics from across the book to 3D model a remote-control helicopter.
To get the most out of this book
You will need to have access to the SOLIDWORKS software for most of the chapters. Some chapters will also require you to have access to Microsoft Excel on the same machine.
You should practically follow all the steps and examples in this book in SOLIDWORKS as you are reading the book. This is because the book was designed to give you hands-on practical experience.
You require no previous knowledge or skills to follow this book. However, having a basic, theoretical understanding of what 3D modeling is would be helpful.
Download the example code files
You can download the example code files for this book from GitHub at https://github.com/PacktPublishing/Learn-SOLIDWORKS-Second-Edition. If there's an update to the code, it will be updated in the GitHub repository.
We also have other code bundles from our rich catalog of books and videos available at https://github.com/PacktPublishing/. Check them out!
Code in Action
The Code in Action videos for this book can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3IUs7eO.
Download the color images
We also provide a PDF file that has color images of the screenshots and diagrams used in this book. You can download it here: https://static.packt-cdn.com/downloads/9781801073097_Colorimages.pdf.
Conventions used
There are a number of text conventions used throughout this book.
Code in text: Indicates code words in text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles. Here is an example: "To recall the part configurations, we can use the title format $configuration@partName<instance>."
Bold: Indicates a new term, an important word, or words that you see onscreen. For instance, words in menus or dialog boxes appear in bold. Here is an example: "Once we have the parts at the colliding position, we can use the Smart Dimension command to get the exact collision angle or distance measurements."
Tips or important notes
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