Solidworks Tutorials

Welcome to the Solidworks self-learning page! Here, you will find different tutorials that you can take as stand-alone activities, or you can combine them together to create completed parts.

All of the tutorials here are free to use. They encompass everything from sketching fundamentals, solid modeling, 3-D sketching, orthographic drawing, and component finite element analysis (to name a few).

With exception to Tutorial #1, the tutorials offer a full building experience on your choice of examples through the use of what we call the Tutorial Train.

The Tutorial Train is a sequential tutorial arrangement based on a set project. For instance, if you want to make a "Fidget Spinner", you would select "Tutorial Train - Next Stop Fidget Town". If you would rather come up with a piggy bank, you would select "Tutorial Train - Next Stop Pigville".

Once the Tutorial Train is completed and it looks like the Solidworks assembly will work, you will then be able to create the working prints needed to build the project. Using the respective Tutorial Trains for the Fab Lab machinery, you will actually be able to CREATE what you worked on in the Tutorial! Finally, no longer the typical mundane tutorials!

Tutorial #1

Setting Up Solidworks - Program Standardization

In this tutorial you will learn how to change the many different options within Solidworks. However, the primary purpose of this tutorial is to standardize your computer to the tutorials offered. That way there will not be confusion.

Tutorial Set #2

Sketching Fundamentals

These tutorials will show you how to make sketches, use geometric concepts, apply dimensions, and utilize relations. Sketching is the building blocks and in order to get accurate items, one must first have accurate sketches.

Tutorial Set #3:

Extrusions

These tutorials will show you how to make extrusions, the building blocks of 3-D modeling. These will consist of extruded boss/base arrangements and extruded cuts. Fillets and chamfers will also be included with this.

Tutorial Set #4:

Revolutions

These tutorials will show you how to make revolved components and revolved cuts. Typical examples of this include flanges, shafts, and wheels.

Tutorial Set #5:

Sweeps

These tutorials will show you how to make swept components and swept cuts. Typical examples of this include screw threads, springs, or a shaft key ways.

Tutorial Set #6:

Sheet Metal

This tutorial set will show you how to make sheet metal components such as flanges, miter flanges, closed corners, and flat patterns. Typical examples of sheet metal components include auto body parts and simple mounting brackets.

Tutorial Set #7

Reference Geometry

This tutorial set will show you how to use reference geometry to give common fixture points, new starting planes, or mounting axis.

Tutorial Set #8

3-D Sketching

This tutorial set will show you how to use 3-D sketching to create complex forms such as tubes, hoses, pipes, or formed wires.

Tutorial Set #9

Finite Element Analysis

This tutorial set will show you how to use the Finite Element Analysis portion of Solidworks to see if your design will actually withstand the forces that it will see in real life.

Tutorial Set #10

Complex Assemblies

This tutorial will take all of the prior tutorials within the particular Tutorial Train you selected and build a full assembly. Here you will see how things interact with each other, and any changes that will need to be made to the individual items.

Tutorial Set #11

Component Drawings

In this tutorial, you will come up with the working drawings for a few of the items you made within the Tutorial Train you selected.

Please note that to complete complex assemblies, you will need to go through all of the tutorials to build your individual parts that the assembly will be made from.