SolidWorks

SOLIDWORKS is used by millions of designers and engineers at hundreds of thousands of companies. It’s one of the most popular design and engineering software on the market. Known for its range of features and high functionality, SOLIDWORKS is used across multiple professions and industries around the world. SOLIDWORKS uses parametric design, which is why it’s such an effective tool for designers and engineers. This means that the designer can see how changes will affect its neighboring components, or even the overall solution. For example, if the size of a single component is increased, this would affect the joint or hole it’s attached to. This allows designers to spot and correct issues quickly and easily

Introduction to SolidWorks

This lesson includes:

Creating base, boss, and cut features from sketches
Adding fillets to smooth edges
Creating a circular pattern
Adding drawing views
Adding centerlines, center marks, and dimensions to the drawing

An overhead view of the pressure plate.

A trimetric view of the pressure plate, highlighting the circular pattern used to copy the extrusions.

A gif of the pressure plate being rotated from a 3D view, showing different angles.

Show Your Understanding

A rotating gif of my new object to include all of this lesson's objectives.

Objectives:

Creating base, boss, and cut features from sketches
Adding fillets to smooth edges
Creating a circular pattern
Adding drawing views
Adding centerlines, center marks, and dimensions to the drawing

The drawing for my new object with the overhead, isometric, and side views.

An overhead view of my new object.

Lesson One: Parts

A rotating 3D view of the tutorial 1 model,

Lesson 1 Objectives:

Setting up a new part document
Creating the base feature
Adding a boss feature
Creating a cut feature
Adding fillets
Adding a shell feature
Editing features
Completed Part

A section view of the model, showing the inside shell.

Lesson Two: Assemblies

A rotating gif of the assembly.

Lesson 2 Objectives

Adding parts to an assembly
Moving and rotating components in an assembly
Creating display states in an assembly

A section view of inside the combined models.

Lesson Three: Drawings

A large view of the drawing for Lesson 1.

A large view of the drawing for Lesson 2.

Seven Piece Cube Puzzle

In this assignment, we were given 7 3d-printed pieces that fit into a cube. These pieces do not fit together perfectly, so the cube has spaces in between. To transfer the pieces to SolidWorks, we used metric slide calipers to dimension them.

Piece 1

The first and most simple piece of the puzzle dimensioned and extruded.

Piece 2

The second piece of the puzzle dimensioned and extruded.

Piece 3

The third piece of the puzzle dimensioned and extruded.

Piece 4

The first portion of the fourth piece.

The second portion of this piece, an extra extrusion had to be added on top of the original.

Piece 5

The first portion of this piece, a bottom base.

The second addition, an extrusion on top.

Piece 6

The sixth piece of the puzzle dimensioned and extruded, a z piece.

Piece 7

The first portion of this piece, the base.

The extrusion to the top of the base to form the piece.

Fillets

KNOB

Building the Fillet Features Sample Part

Using relations in sketches
Adding draft angles to extruded features

The final, dimensioned knob for this section, the sides of the blue object are drafted so they slant at 10 degrees.

Fillet Features

Adding different fillet types:
- Face
- Constant radius
- Variable radius
Using mirroring to assure symmetry
Applying a library feature

This is a clear view of the product, only showing the lines, so you can see both the keyhole in the bottom and the fillets.

The final product for this is the first object mirrored and filleted on most sides to be rounded, and add

Product

We had to make a product using each of the section's goals,

Adding different fillet types:
- Face
- Constant radius
- Variable radius
Using mirroring to assure symmetry

This is a random object I made to use all of the goals in the section, along with a view of the mirrored section and axis it was mirrored from.

Revolve and sweep

Creating a revolve feature
Creating a sweep feature
Creating an extruded cut feature with a draft angle

Rotating gif of the final product, a candlestick.

Clear views to show the inside lines and the curves

Product

We were tasked to create any product that uses all of the lesson goals.

Creating a revolve feature
Creating a sweep feature
Creating an extruded cut feature with a draft angle

I made a mug using a revolve pattern for the exterior and a swept base for the handle.

Here is a view of the sketch that was revolved around the center axis, which was later filleted

A view of the swept path, the oval inside on the axis was the base that swept across the line.

Pattern features

Creating an oblong cut
Creating a linear pattern
Creating a circular pattern
Using an equation to drive the circular pattern

This gif shows the pattern around the shell, using an equation to decide the angle needed for 4 instances.

We used patterns and equations to copy a pattern around the axis, a clear view of 4 patterns is shown.

A view of the linear pattern used

Using the linear pattern, it is copied around in a circular pattern.

Product

We were tasked to make an object using the goals:

Creating an oblong cut
Creating a linear pattern
Creating a circular pattern
Using an equation to drive the circular pattern

The equation that was paired with the circular pattern to decide how many instances and the degrees it would be separated by.

I made a shell of an item and put a 4-hole pattern on it, this view shows 5 instances.

Lofts

Creating planes
Sketching, copying, and pasting the profiles
Creating a solid by connecting the profiles (lofting)
Adding a flex feature to bend the model

For this section, we made a hammer head using multiple planes, sketches and lofts.

A view of the flex used on the loft to bend the hammer head.

All the planes used to align the faces.

Product

We were tasked to create an item using the lesson goals:

Creating planes
Sketching, copying, and pasting the profiles
Creating a solid by connecting the profiles (lofting)
Adding a flex feature to bend the model

My final product was a twisted piece with a hook on the end with the flex.

A better view of the flex

Mouse gestures

Copy of 2.5 SolidWorks - Mouse Gestures

Mouse gestures are very useful tools when designing in Solidworks, but they have limits. The maximum spaces for items is 12, so if a project uses more than that, the top toolbar has to be used. I like using the top toolbars better than the mouse gestures, but if I use the mouse gestures enough, they will be faster than the top. During the making of the above object, I did change Chamfer to be on the wheel, since it was used to much on the outside. This wheel can be useful to make projects easier and less time-consuming, it just needs to be used more.

Rotating gif of the object, the chamfer size and side size is different from the instructions.

3d Sketching

Rack

3D Sketching

Sketching relative to coordinate systems
Dimensioning in 3D space
Mirroring features

Using a 3D sketch, a sweep, a linear pattern, and a mirror, this rack was made.

Initials

3D Sketching

Sketching relative to coordinate systems
Dimensioning in 3D space
Mirroring features

Using a 3d sketch, sweep, and mirroring the center of the letter, my initials were made.

Using a 3d sketch (Left), half of the letter was created, then mirrored over a diagonal plane (Right), this was repeated for both letters.

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