In this chapter, we will look at SOLIDWORKS and its software interface, as well as its main components. In addition, we will cover how to navigate through the software interface so that you will be able to easily find your way around the software in the upcoming chapters. We will also talk about the document's measurement system in terms of the different standard units it uses globally, such as feet, inches, centimeters, and millimeters for measurements of length. Interacting and setting up an interface with the software and setting up our measurement system will be the first two actions we will perform in any new project.
The following topics will be covered in this chapter:
In this chapter, you will need to have access to SOLIDWORKS.
The project files for this chapter can be found in this book's GitHub repository: https://github.com/PacktPublishing/Learn-SOLIDWORKS-Second-Edition/tree/main/Chapter02.
Check out the following video to see the code in action: https://bit.ly/3EVROJv
This section addresses the three types of SOLIDWORKS files: parts, assemblies, and drawings. Here, we'll briefly cover what each file is for and how we can use each of them; however, more about each type of file will be covered throughout this book.
As we just mentioned, SOLIDWORKS files fall into three distinctive categories: parts, assemblies, and drawings. Each file type corresponds to a certain deliverable when we're making a product. By deliverable, we mean whether we need to deliver a three-dimensional (3D) part file, a 3D assembly file, or a two-dimensional (2D) engineering drawing. To illustrate these three file types, let's break down the simple cylindrical box shown in the following diagram:
We can induce three distinctive categories from the preceding cylindrical box diagram: parts, assemblies, and drawings. Let's take a look at each of these here:
After creating the two parts separately in two different part files, they can be put together into an assembly file.
The main purpose of SOLIDWORKS assemblies is to check how different parts—which are often created separately—interact with each other. This will help us evaluate whether or not the parts fit together correctly. It also helps the design and engineering teams evaluate the look of the product as a whole. In addition, through SOLIDWORKS assemblies, we can simulate the movements of mechanical products.
All three types of files—parts, assemblies, and drawings—are essential to SOLIDWORKS users. This is because they are all necessary for the creation of products.
Now that we understand what parts, assemblies, and drawings are, let's look at how we can open them in SOLIDWORKS.
Now that we know the difference between parts, assemblies, and drawings, we will explore how to start each type of file. Once you open SOLIDWORKS 2022, a Welcome window will appear, along with some shortcuts. One of those options is starting a new Part, Assembly, or Drawing file. These options are highlighted in the following screenshot. Once you click on any of these options, that type of file will be opened:
If the Welcome message does not appear, there is another way to open a new file, as follows:
In this book, first, we will focus on creating parts, then assemblies, and—finally—drawings. Being able to distinguish between the different types of files is very important as everything we do afterward will be built on top of the file type we choose. Now that we understand how to open parts, assemblies, and drawings in SOLIDWORKS, let's look at how to use the software's interface further.
In this section, we will discuss the main components of the SOLIDWORKS interface. These main components are the Command Bar, the Task Pane, the Canvas/Graphics Area, and the FeatureManager Design Tree.
Being familiar with these components is essential if we wish to use the software to a good extent. For a practical follow-up, you can download the SOLIDWORKS part linked with this chapter, which will be used to explain the main components of the SOLIDWORKS interface.
In this chapter, we will be focusing on the interface that's used when we need to deal with parts, instead of assemblies and drawings. However, the main components of the interface are the same when we deal with each file type.
When opening a part in SOLIDWORKS, regardless of whether it is new or existing, you will be faced with the view shown in the following screenshot. We will cover the four main categories of this screen: the Command Bar, the FeatureManager Design Tree, the Task Pane, and the Canvas/Graphics Area. These are the main sections of SOLIDWORKS that we'll be interacting with and referring to throughout this book.
We will look at the Command Bar, the FeatureManager Design Tree, the Canvas/Graphics Area, and the Task Pane in more detail in the following sections.
The Command Bar is located at the top of the screen. It contains all the SOLIDWORKS commands that are used for building models. It contains different categories of commands, and each category contains a set of different commands. A close-up of the Command Bar is shown in the following screenshot:
Different categories (tabs) of commands correspond to different functions. For example, in the Sketch category/tab, you will find all the commands that we will need in the sketching phase. In the Features category/tab, you will find all the commands that we will need in order to go from the sketching phase and start creating a 3D model. The categories that are shown in the preceding screenshot are not the only ones SOLIDWORKS provides, but they are the most common ones we will use. To show the hidden Commands categories, we can do the following:
This concludes our overview of the Command Bar, which contains the different commands we will use as we build 3D models. Now, we will look at the FeatureManager Design Tree.
The FeatureManager Design Tree details everything that goes into creating your parts. The following screenshot shows the FeatureManager Design Tree for the part we explored in this chapter. We can simplify the FeatureManager Design Tree by splitting it into four parts, as illustrated in the following screenshot:
The four parts of the FeatureManager Design Tree are listed here:
Note
Through the book, we will use the term design tree as a shortcut to FeatureManager Design Tree.
The design tree helps us to easily identify how the model was built and in which sequence. This makes it easier for us to modify existing models. Now, let's look at the canvas.
The canvas provides a visual representation of the model we have at hand. It contains three main components, as illustrated in the following screenshot:
Let's break down the components, as follows:
When controlling the model in the canvas, using a mouse with a scroll wheel is recommended due to the functionalities the scroll wheel has. Here are two ways the scroll helps model control:
Note
We will use the term canvas throughout the book. However, many would use the term graphics area.
Now that we have covered the canvas, let's talk about the Task Pane.
The Task Pane shows to the right of our interface by default. It contains shortcuts for the different tools we will be using in order to enhance the efficiency of our work. This includes access to common online resources and forums, as well as different tools, such as appearance adjustments and the View Palette (mainly for drawing files). In this book, however, we won't be using linked resources while making parts or assemblies. We will use the View Palette in Chapter 10, Basic SOLIDWORKS Drawing Layout and Annotations.
Now that we know about the major components of the SOLIDWORKS interface, we will learn how to adjust the measurement system of our open document.
Since SOLIDWORKS is an engineering software, all of the models are constructed in relation to user-provided (user-input) measurements. To facilitate communication, SOLIDWORKS uses standard systems that are currently used in the industry, including the International System of Units (SI), the imperial system, and variations of each.
When modeling with SOLIDWORKS, the user must take note of the measurement system that is set in the document. A measurement system is a set of common agreed-upon units that facilitate how we communicate quantities in terms of length, mass, volume, and so on. Some examples of such units are meters and inches, which are measurements of length.
These often correspond with internationally recognized systems such as the SI and the imperial system. The SI system is also commonly known as the metric system. Currently, it is used in most countries around the world. Another common system is the imperial system, which is mostly used in the United States (US).
The following table compares the major units that are used in the SI and imperial systems:
Before we start modeling anything in SOLIDWORKS, we must decide on which system to use. The unit system we use often depends on the standards that have been adopted by the organization we work for or by the requirements of our clients.
Now that you have decided which system to use, you must set it up on the software. You can adjust the unit of measurement by following these steps:
You can create your own measurement system by selecting Edit Document Units…. This will open the following window, where you can select custom options and customize and implement your own custom units:
Note that you can change the set units at any time during the modeling process. This will convert all the units that were already set in the file. For example, let's assume that the document's length measurement was set to IPS (inch, pound, second) and a line was drawn to measure 2 inches. If we change the measurement system later to MMGS (millimeter, grams, second), the length of the line will be automatically converted into 50.8 millimeters. This is because 1 inch is equal to 25.4 millimeters.
Note
The same procedure on adjusting the measurement system applies to the part, assembly, and drawing file types.
Knowing how to deal with measurement systems is essential, as our design aim will be to produce a tangible object for production or prototyping. If we don't follow the required settings from the start, our final 3D model may not have a tangible value.
In this chapter, we learned how to start the different types of SOLIDWORKS files—that is, parts, assemblies, and drawings. We also learned about the main components of the SOLIDWORKS interface, as well as the different measurement systems that are available and how to adjust them. These are the first steps we need to follow when we plan to use the software to make a project and its foundations.
In the next chapter, we will start working with SOLIDWORKS sketching. Sketching is foundational to building any 3D model.
The following questions will help to emphasize the main points we have learned in this chapter:
Important Note
The answers to the preceding questions can be found at the end of this book.