C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
SolidWorks Software
• Visually-based 3-D Mechanical design software • Engineers and Designers use it to:
– Quickly sketch out ideas – Experiment with features, dimensions – Produce solid models and detailed mechanical
drawings
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Design Intent
• Design intent determines how you want the model to react as a result of changes you make – Planning: deciding how to create model determines
how changes affect it – Factors that define it:
• Current needs – understand the purpose of the model to design it efficiently
• Future considerations – anticipate potential requirements to minimize redesign efforts when changing model
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Design Method
• Develop the model with the following steps – Sketches – create, decide how to dimension, where to
apply relations, etc. – Features – select appropriate features, determine
best features to apply and in what order – Assemblies – select what components to mate, what
types of mates, etc. (we will discuss this next lecture)
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
User Interface
• Windows functions – Dragging, resizing windows, open, save, cut, paste,
print, etc. – Open a document: drag part from Windows Explorer
in blank SW document – Create a drawing: drag a part into blank drawing
document to create one or more views of part – Create an assy: drag components in blank assy
document to mate together and create assy – Keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+O – open file, Ctrl+S –
save, Ctrl+Z undo task
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
• SW Document Windows – FeatureManager design tree – lists structure of the
part, assy, or drawing • Select element from tree to edit sketch, feature,
supress, unsupress feature or component, etc. – PropertyManager – displays relevant info along with
user-interface capabilities – Graphics area
User Interface
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Terminology
• Origin: appears as arrows, represents (0,0,0) of model. In active sketches, appears in red and is (0,0,0) of sketch.
– Can add relations to model origin, not to sketch origin
• Plane: flat construction geometry – Use for adding a 2D sketch, section
view of model, etc. • Axis: straight line used to create
model geometry, features, patterns • Face: boundaries that define the
shape of model or surface – Selectable area of model or surface
• Edge: location where two faces or surfaces meet along a distance
– Select edges for sketching, dimensioning, etc.
• Vertex: point at which two or more lines or edges intersect
– Select vertices for sketching, dimensioning, etc.
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Function Selection and Feedback
• Able to perform tasks in different ways • Get feedback as perform task pointers, inference lines, previews, etc.
• Menus – All SW commands accessible via menus – Standard Windows conventions sub-menus, check marks indicating “active”
• Toolbars – Access SW functions with toolbars organized by function, i.e. Sketch toolbar,
Assy toolbar. – Each has individual icons that represent specific tools – Display/hide, dock/undock/float, add/delete, customize
• Mouse Buttons – Left – selects menu items, entities in graphics area, objects in FeatureManager
design tree – Right – displays context-sensitive shortcut menus – Middle – rotates, pans, and zooms part or assy, pans in a drawing
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Sketches
• Models begin with a sketch – Sketch features – One or more features part – Combine and mate parts assembly – Parts or assembly drawings
• Sketch – 2D profile or cross-section – Create using a plane or planar face – All include the following elements:
• Origin • Plane • Dimensions • Relations
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Sketches
• Dimensions – Specify dimensions and relations between entities – Dimensions define length, radius, angle, etc. – When change dimensions, the size and shape of part
changes – Depending on how you dimension part, design intent
can be preserved • Keep one dimension constant while you change others • Driving and driven dimensions
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Sketches
• Driving Dimensions – Change the size of the
model when you change their value
– To maintain uniform shape from spline, need to dimension it
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Sketches • Driven Dimensions
– Created by SW, used for information only – Can be deleted but not modified – Change when you modify driving dimensions – Deciding which dimensions are the driving and which
are driven affects your design
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Sketches
• Sketch definitions – Fully defined (black): all lines and curves in sketch
and their positions are described by dimensions, or relations, or both
• Don’t need to be fully defined to create feature, should be fully defined to complete a finished part
– Under defined (blue): entities not fully described • Under defined entities are not fixed within sketch so you can
drag them – Over defined (red): sketches that include redundant
dimensions or relations • Can be deleted but cannot edit them
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Sketches
• Relations – establish geometric relations (equal, tangent, concentric, etc.) between sketch entities
• Apply two ways: – Inference: assumed by SW as draw sketch – Add Relations tool: choose type of relation to apply
• Equality between two horizontal lines – same length
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Sketches
• Sketch complexity – simplify sketches by: – Applying relations as you sketch – Taking advantage of repetition and symmetry – Example
• mirror left and right sides using Centerline – creates auto relations and dimensions
• Inference the position of arcs from Origin • Dimension and add concentric relation between inner arcs and
outer arc of base once
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Function Selection and Feedback
• Selection Filters – Help you select particular type of entity, excluding
selection of other entity types • Example: to select an edge, select Filter Edges to
exclude other entities
• Select Other – Use to scroll through multiple edges or faces in part,
including ones that are hidden
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Features • Completed sketch Feature
– Sketch-based features • Bosses, cuts, holes, extrudes, lofts, sweeps
– Features such as Lofts, sweeps • Require a profile along a path
– Applied feature: fillets, chamfers, shell, thicken, etc.
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Assemblies • Multiple parts assemblies
– Assemble parts using Mates • Coincident, colinear, parallel, etc.
– Tools • Move Component, Rotate Component • Collision Detection, Interference Detection
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Drawings • Create drawings from part or assembly • Multiple views
– Standard 3 views, isometric (3D), auxiliary • Import dimensions from model • Add annotations, bill of materials (BOM)
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Model Editing • Edit sketch – edit sketch entities (lines), change dimensions, view/
delete/add relations • Edit feature – change values associated with feature Edit
definition to display PropertyManager
• Hide and show – hide/show surface bodies, sketches, views, lines, components
• Suppress and unsupress – view model with or without particular feature, or part in assy’s with/without components
• Rollback – roll up the FeatureManager design tree back to prior state
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Resources
• SW Online Tutorial • SW Online Help • SolidWorks website • Google
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Parts
• Building blocks for SolidWorks models
• Used to create assemblies and drawings
• Overview – Learn tools for feature and part
creation
– Design approach
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Countertop Example
• Single part - includes sink and counter
• First create counter, then make the sink
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Countertop Example
• Create Base Feature with Extrude – Create a sketch of a rectangle at origin
• Dimension and add relations to fully define sketch
– Extrude sketch
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Countertop Example
• Add an Extrude to the Base – Create L-shaped
sketch on face of extrusion
– Extrude sketch
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Countertop Example
• Remove material with Cut-Extrude – Similar to extrude
except cuts material instead of adding it
– Create sketch of ellipse on face of base
– Cut “through-all” of base
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Countertop Example
• Use Loft to make a solid – Loft: solid feature created
that connects two or more sketch profiles (remember the propeller)
– Create Plane1 offset from Top plane (Insert Reference Geom)
– Sketch ellipse on bottom of base (Convert Entities)
– Create point on sketch on Plane1
– Use Loft tool to connect the two sketches
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Countertop Example
• Shell the Part – Loft created a solid
feature – Use shell tool to cut
out material – Shell tool: selected
faces are removed and thin faces remain on the rest of the part
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Countertop Example
• Round sharp edges with Fillets – Fillet: internal
rounding of an edge on a surface or solid
– Applied feature – don’t need to create sketch to apply them
• Select edges of existing feature
• Set radius • Create fillet
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Countertop Example: Faucet
• Sketch 1 – base profile • Extrude sketch 1 • Sketch 2 – two circles on bottom of base • Extrude sketch 2
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Countertop Example: Faucet
• Sweep tool to make spigot – Profile – circular sketch (cross-
section) – Path – sketched arc, tangent to a
vertical line – Starting point of path must lie on
the same plane as profile • Add additional extrudes and
fillets
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Countertop Example: Faucet Handle
• Two revolved features • Fillet feature
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Countertop Example: Faucet Handle
• Revolve the Sketch – Create sketch with Line
and Spline tools – Add centerline for
construction geometry – Use Revolved Boss/Base
tool to rotate sketch 360° to create solid feature
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Countertop Example: Faucet Handle
• Create Second Revolve – Create sketch with Line,
Tangent Arc, and Spline tools
– Add centerline for construction geometry
– Use Revolved Boss/Base tool to rotate sketch 360° to create solid feature
• Add cosmetic fillets
C. Thorne SAAST Robotics ‘08
Other Useful Tools
• Convert entities • Centerlines for centering parts instead of
dimensions • Edit sketch plane • Trim