Wiley SolidWorks 2010: No Experience Required
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1. 2s X D oy 2e ol o IP lon o Copy to Adobe Illustrator opia SHEN Hs i ebuild Ctrl B i FIGURE 1 26 Adding a menu item 4 Once you are finished customizing the menu press Enter or click outside the menu Even though SolidWorks gives you the ability to remove menu items we strongly recommend that you keep all the menu items visible especially while you are still learning Once you become more familiar with using SolidWorks you may decide that it would be best to hide some items but we personally keep all items visible in the menus Use Toolbars In the past toolbars played a major role in using SolidWorks however with the CommandManager shortcut bars and mouse gestures your reliance on the toolbars will be minimal Even with the CommandManager context menus keyboard shortcuts and shortcut bars there will be times that toolbars will be helpful especially when you require a set of tools that you do not use very often The toolbars in SolidWorks contain most of the tools and add in products Each toolbar is named to match a specific task such as Features Drawing and Layer Hide Show Toolbars By default all the toolbars in SolidWorks are hidden and even though there are a couple of toolbars that can be activated by keyboard shortcuts the rest of the toolbars must be activated manually To show a particular toolbar you can do one of the followi2. 1 Enter the customize mode for the CommandManager and in the Customize window select the Commands tab Toolbars Commands Menus Keyboard Options Toolbars Options F Enable CommandManag E targe icons E Use large buttons with text F Show tooltips BENE Wuse large tooltip IS E align ae 2 Make sure the tab that will contain the new tool button is active in the CommandManager If it is not already active click the Features tab in the CommandManager Use the CommandManager 25 3 On the left side in the Commands tab the Categories window con tains all the tool sets available in SolidWorks The category name will correspond to the function that the tool set will apply to For example you ll find the Extruded Boss Base tool in the Features cat egory Click the Features category and the available tool buttons will be displayed on the right 4 Locate the Split tool in the Buttons section If you are not sure which tool is which briefly hover your mouse pointer above each tool in the Buttons section until the tooltip is displayed as shown in Figure 1 25 Buttons BreGC amp iaagERea E E E E OOE BeBasseacingd Zla Ta Te sa dh RA NI ats SUeSaRHS ES AL Crestes multiple bodies from single body You can create the bodies in the existing part or in separate parts t FIGURE 1 25 Selecting a button to add 5 Drag the Split button directly onto the CommandManager Wh
3. One of our favorite features of the CommandManager is the ability to create a custom tab that can be used to create a group of some of your favorite tools This can prove to be especially useful if you have a set of common tasks and you want to minimize the number of mouse clicks when selecting tabs The first thing you will need to do is create a new empty tab on the CommandManager 1 Enter the customize mode for the CommandManager as discussed in the previous section and click the New Tab button 24 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks 2 On the very top of the menu select Empty Tab The New Tab name will be highlighted mene ANITE RATA 3 Enter the name of the new tab 4 Add the desired buttons as described in the next section 5 Once your new tab is finished click OK in the Customize window ronment in which they were created If you want to have the new tab available S N OTE By default newly created tabs exist only in the document envi in all environments then use the Copy Tab To command discussed earlier Add and Remove Tools in Tabs Adding tools to the CommandManager tabs is one of the great advantages of using the CommandManager SolidWorks for the most part did a good job of anticipating which tools will be used most often in various environments but you may find that there some changes you would like to make In this example you will add the Split tool to the Features tab
4. Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks Start SolidWorks Navigate the SolidWorks Interface Use the CommandManager Use and Customize the Menus Use Toolbars Use the Keyboard Use the Mouse Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks olidWorks 2010 is one of the most popular 3D mechanical computer aided design CAD packages on the market today Since its introduc tion in 1995 SolidWorks has become a favorite design tool for many of today s engineers mechanical designers and industrial designers In part because of its easy to learn graphical user interface and powerful set of tools SolidWorks is used by many top companies worldwide to design engineer and document their products in a variety of fields At the core of SolidWorks is the ability to create parametric 3D solid geometry that is then used to create drawings manufacturing instructions instruction manuals animations full color renderings and other types of documentation Regardless of the complexity of the item being created the creation process is easy and follows the same basic steps First a sketch is created that is turned into a base feature The base feature is then further refined by adding features that add or remove material from the base feature Individual part models can then be used to build assemblies that represent the final design After creating the 3D part or assembly models drawings are made to document the design and manufacturing process
5. G m satin finish stainless steel matte steel FIGURE 1 13 Appearances Scenes tab in the task pane Custom Properties EZ A property page for part files was not found Click Create now to launch the Property Tab Builder If you already have a template place it in the folder specified in Tools Options File Locations Custom i Property Files S Press F5 to refresh the page FIGURE 1 14 Custom Properties tab in the task pane Menu Bar At the top of the screen is the ribbon style menu bar shown in Figure 1 15 The menu bar provides quick access to the most common actions including creating opening saving and printing documents If you are familiar with previous versions of SolidWorks you may notice the lack of pull down menus Not to worry they are still there for the times you need them 15 16 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks If you hover over the SolidWorks logo on the left side of the menu bar the menu items will fly out Nearly all SolidWorks commands are available in these pull down menus but some menus and menu items will only be available depending on the active document type SolidWorks De m Ae S _ basepistesiorrer Qv ress DE v OX Solid Worley Fle cat View Inserti Tools windows Hepi aa basepatesoert Qroes CYC OX FIGURE 1 15 SolidWorks menu bar CommandManager The CommandManager by default is located below the menu bar and is a co
6. Use the Mouse 45 As we said in the very beginning it may be difficult to remember the layout but as you become accustomed to the button layout you will be able to select a command often without even looking Manipulate Views with the Mouse Although the Heads up View Toolbar the View Menu and the Shortcut Menu provide you access to the tools needed to manipulate your views in the graph ics area the scroll wheel on your mouse is often a quicker way to go The scroll wheel or middle mouse button gives you the ability to rotate pan and zoom in and out in the graphics area If you are new to CAD that last sentence may be a surprise to you Yes indeed the scroll wheel that is most often used to quickly scroll through documents is also a button Give it a try instead of spinning the wheel push down directly on the scroll wheel Now let s put that button to work for us by learning how to rotate the sketch we have opened To rotate the view with the middle mouse button in a part or an assembly 1 With the mouse pointer in the Graphics Area press and hold down the wheel 2 Move the mouse around while still holding the wheel to rotate the view The mouse pointer will change to the rotate view icon See Figure 1 38 FIGURE 1 38 Rotating the view using the middle mouse button You can also rotate the view around a vertex edge or face in a part or assem bly In this example we want to rotate the view in relation to the
7. Document 1 ar ch Locations F 30 Content Central 10 Local Files 2 PLATE R ASSEMBLY SLDASM ga Reference base plate 1 Base Mate Press C crlusers alex documents ny solidworks fies base plate SLDDRW FIGURE 1 10 Search tab of task pane 4 To move to the next screen click the blue right pointing arrow or click Next at the bottom of the Search tab see Figure 1 11 5 To return to a previous screen click the blue left pointing arrow 6 To jump to a specific page select the page number at the bottom of the tab Search H it Type SoldViorks Assembly Document 1 cs SolidWorks a Drawing Doorn ent 1 Ci Search Loca 3D Content nt Central 10 Y Local Files 2 P 1 FM 5TM s Patented THIN Air Powered Toggle Presses g Content Central P 5 FM TM s Patented THIN Air Powered Toggle Presses roduce hi high 3D Content Central Previous m FIGURE 1 11 Scrolling through search results in task pane View Palette The View Palette tab contains images of standard views section views annota tion views and flat patterns that can be dragged into a drawing as shown in 13 14 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks Figure 1 12 The View Palette tab displays available drawing views when you create a drawing from a part or assembly browse to a document from the View Palette tab or select a document in the list of open documents from the View
8. Learning a new CAD package can be a daunting task In addition to the new terminology first time users may feel a bit overwhelmed with a new user interface toolbars and commands In this chapter you will spend some time launching SolidWorks for the first time becoming familiar with the SolidWorks interface and working with the CommandManager Start SolidWorks Before installing and running SolidWorks for the first time ensure that you meet the recommended minimum system requirements SolidWorks currently supports the following operating systems gt Windows 7 32 bit Professional Ultimate or Enterprise Edition gt Windows 7 64 bit Professional Ultimate or Enterprise Edition gt Windows Vista 64 bit Ultimate Business or Enterprise edition SPO or newer gt Windows Vista 32 bit Ultimate Business or Enterprise edition SPO or newer gt Windows XP Professional 32 bit SP2 or newer gt Windows XP Professional 64 bit Start SolidWorks And here are the random access memory RAM requirements Minimum 1GB RAM when parts contain fewer than 200 features and assem blies contain fewer than 1 000 components Recommended 2GB RAM or more when parts contain more than 200 features and assemblies contain more than 1 000 components Once you have verified that your computer is able to support SolidWorks and it is installed onto your system you can launch it by selecting Start gt Programs gt SolidWorks 2010 gt
9. Send To Properties FIGURE 1 31 Using accelerator keys to access menu items Use the Mouse Probably one of the first things you learned when you first sat down at a com puter was how to move the mouse around and click things The mouse is one of the most important inventions in the past century because it allows even the most novice user to interact with a PC with little or no training Up to this point you have been using the mouse to primarily select commands options and menus but in SolidWorks the mouse plays a central role in nearly everything you may need to do Not only is the mouse used to press buttons select commands and move toolbars it s used to perform the following tasks and more gt Yy YV V Vv Vy Yy Select entities in the graphics area Select commands Manipulate views Display options for a selection Create sketches Create extrusions and cuts in models Move and rotate components in assemblies Use the Mouse 39 More than likely you are using a standard two button mouse with a scroll wheel Each of the two buttons and the scroll wheel has a variety of functions while working in SolidWorks and we will be covering each of them in more detail throughout the entire book however there are some basic functions you should be familiar with before continuing The next few sections are easier to learn if you follow along using the part named ExampleSketch SLDPRT which can be downloaded from
10. SolidWorks 2010 SPX X gt SolidWorks 2010 You might notice a slight difference if you are using another version of windows N OT E Allimages in this book are from SolidWorks running on Windows 7 such as Windows XP SolidWorks License Agreement The first time you launch SolidWorks you will be presented with the SolidWorks License Agreement You must accept the license agreement in order to use SolidWorks After reading the license click Accept to continue If for some reason you do not accept the terms of the license agreement clicking Do Not Accept will exit SolidWorks Help and Workflow Customization After accepting the SolidWorks License Agreement you will then be presented with the Welcome To SolidWorks window This screen allows you to custom ize the appearance of dynamic help as well as the workflow You will see this only the first time you launch SolidWorks on your computer but you can make changes to the options anytime you want in the SolidWorks Options window Three options are available in the Help Customization section of the screen mm Each option will provide the user with a different level of dynamic help so con g sider your needs when making your selection I Am A New User Show Quick Tips To Help Me Get Started This option will provide you with pop up messages that appear while working in different modes of SolidWorks I Am New To This Version Of SolidWorks Show Me Interactive What s New Help Experie
11. View Toolbar c a otat B r Bwa a T l Fiet Uneer g Reference Extruded Revolved Lofted Boss Base ed TDR tonted cut Panon Draft B Dome ptt Pi soundaycut M shet QA Meroe RAV BS F O R O ap aad Task Pane X Front Plane Icons X Top Plane X Right Plane L Origin TQ Gtrudet E CBORE for 8 Socket Head Cap Screw Graphics Area FeatureManager Design Tree Status Bar FIGURE 1 1 SolidWorks 2010 user interface Heads up View Toolbar At the top of the graphics area is the Heads up View toolbar This transparent toolbar is always available at the top of your graphics area giving you quick and easy access to the tools necessary to manipulate your views Icons that display a small downward pointing arrow provide you with more tools in a flyout as shown in Figure 1 2 AAS VBND o eL O p ege E Ae SFERaS3 FIGURE 1 2 Flyout menu showing additional tools As you become more comfortable in SolidWorks you may discover that the tools available on the Heads up View toolbar may not be what you use most often The Navigate the SolidWorks Interface view tools shown by default are not the only tools that are available for the toolbar To customize the Heads up View toolbar do the following 1 Right click any of the buttons shown in the Heads up View toolbar and select Customize from near the bottom of the menu 2 Select the Commands tab at the top of the Customize windo
12. http sybex com go Sol idWorks 2010 no experience required or www swner com Once downloaded you can open the part by selecting Open from the menu bar then browse to the folder that contains the part Click Open in the window and the part will be displayed in the graphics area the extra buttons can be programmed for particular functions in SolidWorks N OT E Ifyou are using a mouse that has more than two buttons normally Consult the manufacturer s documentation on how to use the mouse Select with the Mouse When not being used to select menu items buttons and commands the left mouse button is often used to select items in the FeatureManager design tree entities in a sketch features and faces on a model models in an assembly and items in a drawing In parts drawings and assemblies you need to be in the Select mode in order to be able to select any items Many times you ll find that you need to select multiple objects on screen in a sketch model drawing or assembly with the mouse you can window around the multiple entities that you want to select We have found in the past that there are a large number of people who do not realize that the direction in which you drag the window affects the selection of objects Individual Entities To select individual entities do the following 1 If you are not in the Select mode click the Select button in the Standard toolbar BrG amp ieBtaetRaG iss Selects sk
13. name suggests the status bar will give you information about the actions you are per forming in SolidWorks The status bar can be turned off in the View menu but we strongly recommend leaving it on since it can prove to be extremely useful while you work Here are some examples of the information that you can find in the status bar gt As you hover over a tool the status bar will often provide you with a better description than what the tooltips will normally provide see Figure 1 4 When you become familiar with the icons for the various tools in SolidWorks you will require this information less often FIGURE 1 4 Additional tool information displayed in the status bar gt Selecting on an edge point or any combination of these will display basic measurements for quick reference as shown in Figure 1 5 This should not replace the Measure tool but it can be extremely helpful when you are just looking for a quick idea of the distance between two edges FIGURE 1 5 Quick way to show measurements in the status bar gt As you work in a sketch the coordinates for your mouse pointer loca tion will be displayed as well as the status of your sketch The sketch status will be displayed as Fully Defined Over Defined Under Defined Navigate the SolidWorks Interface No Solution Found or Invalid Solution Found We will be covering what each of these means later when we start working sketches 73 26in Task Pane On
14. section 5 Select acommand in the Buttons section of the Customize window with the left mouse button 6 While still holding the left mouse button drag the command onto the shortcut bar When the mouse pointer changes to include a green plus sign release the left mouse button see Figure 1 28 30 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks FIGURE 1 28 Selecting commands to add to a shortcut bar 7 Click OK in the Customize window to exit the customize mode There is still more you can do to customize the shortcut bar For one you can reorder the buttons on the bar Here s how 1 In the graphics area while in one of the four environments that use shortcut bars press S on your keyboard 2 Right click anywhere inside the shortcut bar and select Customize 3 Select a button in the shortcut bar with your left mouse button While holding the left mouse button drag the selected button to its desired location Release the left mouse button 4 Click OK in the Customize window to exit the customize mode As the number of buttons on your shortcut bar grows you may reach the point where you want to resize the bar You can also do that while you are in the customize mode 1 In the graphics area while in one of the four environments that use shortcut bars press S on your keyboard 2 Right click anywhere inside the shortcut bar and select Customize 3 Move your mouse pointer over one of the four edges of
15. the right side of the graphics area is the task pane The task pane is a set of win dows that provides a number of resources in one location Normally the task pane is hidden and the tab icons are the only thing visible in the graphics area This is probably the best option since real estate in your graphics area is very valuable However if you prefer to have the task pane always open you can do the following 1 Click any of the task pane tab icons Ax SolidWorks Resources Click to display this task pane tab 2 On the top right of the task pane click the pushpin icon to pin open the task pane see Figure 1 6 3 The graphics will adjust to make room for the task pane and it will remain open even as you click elsewhere in SolidWorks 4 To set the task pane to autohide once again click the pushpin icon EN ls x SolidWorks Resources Getting Started L New Document L Open s Document DS tutorials FP wats New sl E General Information lt Community FIGURE 1 6 Pinning the task pane open and hiding it again 10 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks In addition to be being docked on the right side of the graphics area the task pane can also be floated This is especially useful if you are working with dual monitors We often find it is helpful to float the task pane onto a second monitor and pin it open To float your task pane do the follow
16. to left This is the cross selection window see Figure 1 33 The color inside of the box is green and the boundary line is dashed Everything that falls within this box and crosses the dashed line will be selected FIGURE 1 33 Cross selection using the mouse 3 While still holding the left mouse button drag the mouse from left to right This is the box selection window see Figure 1 34 You can see how the two selection types differ in their visual cues The box selection window appears blue inside the box and the boundary line is no longer dashed For an entity to be selected it must be fully inside the box FIGURE 1 34 Box selection using the mouse 42 x Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks Use the Right Mouse Button Up to this point we have been using the right mouse button to select toolbars and customize the CommandManageyr but those are not the only tricks it knows The right mouse button in most Windows programs is used to access commands quickly and easily and SolidWorks takes it a step further The mouse button can be used in two completely different ways to select the commands you will most likely need in any situation You ll take a look at both here Shortcut Menus In an earlier section we mentioned that the context toolbar can be hidden when viewing a shortcut menu A shortcut menu is different from a shortcut bar as you may remember a shortcut bar is activated by pressin
17. will occur in your part document environment Machine Design The Machine Design Overview Machine Design Tutorials and SolidWorks SimulationXpress links will be displayed on the SolidWorks Resources tab of the task pane Sheet Metal and Weldments tabs will be added to the CommandManager The Molds menu item will be hidden in the Insert menu Draft Analysis Undercut Detection and Deviation Analysis will also be hidden in the Tools menu Mold Design The Mold Design Overview Mold Design Tutorials and Import File links will be displayed on the SolidWorks Resource tab of the task pane Surfaces and Molds tabs will be added to the CommandManager The Weldments menu item will be hidden in the Insert menu Consumer Product Design A Consumer Product Tutorials link will be displayed on the SolidWorks Resources tab of the task pane The Surfaces tab will be added to the CommandManager The Weldments menu item will be hidden in the Insert menu The Undercut Detection menu item will be hidden in the Tools menu Navigate the SolidWorks Interface a part file by selecting Tools gt Customize and select the Options tab In the S N OTE You can adjust your workflow customization at any time while in Work flow Customization section select or deselect the appropriate options For the sake of the project being demonstrated in this book in the Welcome To SolidWorks window select the following 1 In the Help Customization section select Do Not Show
18. Backspace on your keyboard or the new shortcut can be in addition to the existing sepa rated with a comma If no shortcut is assigned select the field and move on to the next step 7 Press the key or key combination that will be the new shortcut for the selected command If the shortcut is to contain any key other than a letter or number press the actual key rather than type the name of the key For example since we are assigning the key F5 to the rebuild press the function key F5 36 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks ore 9 Toolbars Commands I Menus Keyboard Options Category All Commands z Print ust Copy tist E only snow commands with shortcuts assigr Reset to Defaults Search for rebuild Remove Shortcut Description Rebuilds the part assembly or drawing FIGURE 1 30 Assigning a Keyboard Shortcut to a Command 8 Ifthe shortcut being assigned is already being used by another com mand SolidWorks will prompt you with a message box asking if you wish to reassign the shortcut to the new command If you are sure that you wish to change the shortcut select Yes otherwise select No 9 Once the shortcut has been assigned click OK to close the customize window Print Keyboard Shortcuts With over 40 keyboard shortcuts and any additions you have made you may find it incredibly difficult to remember all the combinations Luckily S
19. Bar Alt Spin Right Spins the model right in relation to the viewing plane Alt Spin Left Spins the model left in relation to the viewing plane Enter Repeat Last Repeats the last command used Ctrl B Rebuild Rebuilds new or changed fea tures in the model Ctrl Q Forced Rebuild Rebuilds all features in the model Ctrl R Redraw Redraws the screen Add and Change Shortcut Keys The keyboard shortcuts shown in the last section are a mere fraction of those that are available in SolidWorks out of the box However as you begin to use shortcut keys you may discover that the shortcuts available do not fully suit your needs Almost all of the commands in SolidWorks can be assigned to a shortcut the only limit is how many shortcuts you can remember As you begin to assign shortcuts to the various commands you may be tempted to go over board but in my opinion it is best to start out slow by assigning only a few new shortcuts or changing only a couple of default shortcuts At the time you are creating shortcuts you may think that it would be very helpful to assign a short cut to every command but in my experience unless you consciously think about using the shortcuts every time you use SolidWorks the shortcuts you thought would be a great idea will quickly be forgotten We personally do not use very Use the Keyboard 35 many shortcut keys other the ones listed in Table 1 2 but We have made a few modifications of our own In the
20. CommandManageyr if floating or select the docked CommandManager 2 Drag the CommandManager over to one of the three available dock ing icons as shown in Figure 1 21 FIGURE 1 21 Docking the CommandManager to one side of the SolidWorks window 3 With the mouse pointer over the docking icon release the left mouse button The CommandManager will now be docked on the side of the window selected Hide Text in the CommandManager When you begin to become familiar with the graphical icons of the tool buttons you will no longer need the assistance of the text shown in the CommandManager Hiding the text on the CommandManager will give you more space in your SolidWorks window for working in the graphics area To hide the text on the CommandManager do the following 1 Right click any spot on the CommandManager CommandManager Entities Use Large Buttons with Text Sketch A i P 2D to 3D ee Align Annotation 2 In the menu deselect the Use Large Buttons With Text option 3 The CommandManager will change to the smaller less intrusive version base piate RDPRT g 7 Sok Works Search 2 O ri Z 0 0 0 0 9 ON 0O N BA 0 7Ai i t 5 E Features sketch Evaluate Oimxpart Use the CommandManager Customize the CommandManager The CommandManager by default has most of the toolbars and tools that you would require for your daily usage of SolidWorks If you select the wor
21. Me Any Dynamic Help Help customization am a new user Show Quick Tips to help me get started am new to this version of Solidworks Show me Interactive What s New help Do not show me any dynamic help 2 In the Work flow Customization section select Consumer Product Design Machine Design and Mold Design Work flow customization You can customize default visibility of toolbars and menus by your area of expertise Select any all or none of the following categories J Consumer product design V Machine design nip design 3 Click OK Navigate the SolidWorks Interface Before using SolidWorks you should become familiar with the layout of the user interface Each of the three document types in SolidWorks parts assem blies and drawings has the same basic interface with a few minor differences To start we will examine the common elements of the three document types Figure 1 1 shows the SolidWorks interface when you have a part model open Graphics Area The place where all the action takes place in SolidWorks is the graphics area Here you will be modeling your parts putting together your assemblies and creating your drawings You will be exploring this area in a lot more detail in Chapter 2 Learning the Basics when we cover the three document types in more detail Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks CommandManager Menu Bar Heads up
22. Palette tab View Palette base plate SLDPRT 7 C 2 x g Options I F meor Annotations Current Isometric FIGURE 1 12 View Palette tab of task pane Appearances Scenes The Appearances Scenes tab contains appearances that you can add to your models without actually adding the physical properties of the selected material to your part as shown in Figure 1 13 By dragging from the Appearances tab you can drop the material likeness onto your models to give them the look of metal plastic glass and other material types In Scenes you can also change the environment in your models with different backgrounds and lighting schemes We will be covering appearances and scenes in later chapters Custom Properties The Custom Properties tab shown in Figure 1 14 provides you with a quick way to input custom properties for the active document Before the Custom Properties tab can be used to update the properties for your documents the property page must be built usually by an administrator We will be covering custom properties for parts assemblies and drawings in later chapters Navigate the SolidWorks Interface L Chrome L Aluminum L Bronze La Brass ay 4 Magnesium bd Default Appearance color Drag and drop appearances onto the model or FeatureManager tree Use ALT drag to immediately edt Pre select to apply to multiple items as once brushed steel
23. a See Figure 1 20 Use the CommandManager 2E Trim Entities FIGUR Z as G swept Boss Base B g m B snept cut Q we r amp wr vw Extruded evolved 8 Lofted Boss Base Extruded Hole Revolved o Lofted Cut eet rte AS Draft 9 Dome peferene Cine Boss Base 80ss 8i D ConvertEntities 7 Offset Entities A for Entities jase Cut wizard Cut E Boundary Boss Base M she QY miror Boundary Cut E 1 20 Floating and docking the CommandManager T I P_ Double clicking the CommandManager when it is docked will make it float Double clicking the CommandManager when it is floating will return it to its last docked position 2 Ifyou release the mouse button while the CommandManager is in the middle of the SolidWorks window it will float where placed This can be extremely useful if you prefer to have the CommandManager close to your working area 3 If you click the Auto Collapse button on the upper left corner of the CommandManageyr the buttons will disappear when it loses focus A small box with the title will be the only thing showing 4 To show the buttons available in the CommandManager once again simply move the mouse pointer over the title of the CommandManager once again 19 20 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks If you prefer you can also dock the CommandManager on one side of the SolidWorks window by following these steps 1 Select the title bar of the
24. ars at your disposal we Use the CommandManager will be showing you a technique that virtually eliminates the need for toolbars in SolidWorks by using the CommandManager shortcut bars mouse gestures menus and in context toolbars SAMEL K base plate Default lt lt Default gt _Display Stat Z Sensors S Annotations E Lights Cameras and Scene 6061 T6 SS amp amp Front Plane Q Top Plane XQ Right Plane i Origin i Strudel Ee Sketchl F CBORE for 8 Socket Head Cap Screwl in TEN FIGURE 1 17 FeatureManager design tree Surfaces a SAECILPSBLSI PU ASSAY V FIGURE 1 18 A SolidWorks toolbar Use the CommandManager The CommandManager was introduced in SolidWorks 2004 to mixed reviews Since then the CommandManager has evolved into the powerful tool you see today The CommandManager plays a central role in the creation of SolidWorks documents by dynamically updating the tools based on the toolbar you are access ing Depending on the document type you are editing the tabs shown below 18 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks the CommandManager will display the toolbars that are related For example when you are working in a part document the CommandManager will display the Features Sketch Evaluate and DimXpert tabs by default However when you are working in a drawing the CommandManager will display only the View Layout Annotation Sketch and Evalu
25. ate tabs Using the CommandManager couldn t be any easier Instead of hunting down a particular toolbar simply click the tab that corresponds to the set of tools you require and click the desired tool In some cases the CommandManager will attempt to eliminate the number of clicks required by activating the tab that corresponds with the environment you are working in Access the CommandManager If you find yourself sitting at an installation of SolidWorks that has the CommandManager turned off don t try to fumble your way through turn it back on You can turn the CommandManager on using one of the following two techniques gt Right click the menu bar and select CommandManager from the very top of the menu as shown in Figure 1 19 CommandManager aP 2Dto3D B Align FA Annotation SB Assembly FIGURE 1 19 Accessing CommandManager from the menu bar gt Hover or click the SolidWorks logo on the left side of the menu bar to make the Tools menu visible then select Tools gt Customize gt Enable CommandManager Float and Dock the CommandManager Prior to SolidWorks 2009 the CommandManager wasn t able to be moved from below the menu bar but now it can be floated or even docked on a different side of the SolidWorks window Here s how 1 With the mouse select the CommandManager with the left mouse button where no tool is present and drag the CommandManager from its original location down to the graphics are
26. e of keystrokes you may find your productivity increased At the end of the day we are all looking for ways to improve our overall productivity right Here is an example of one of our favorite usages of the accelerator keys 1 Press the Alt key on your keyboard The menu bar will be displayed at the top of your SolidWorks screen but with a minor difference One letter in each of the menu headers will be underlined 2 The underlined letter corresponds with the key you must press to expand the menu list To expand the File menu press F on your key board as shown in Figure 1 31 3 Notice that the menu items also have letters that are underlined For example the menu item Properties has the 7 underlined If you press i the Properties window will open since this is the only menu item that has an 7 underlined 4 If there are multiple menu items that share the same letter underlined such as Reload and Find References which both have the r underlined 38 Chapter 1 e Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks pressing the letter multiple times will cycle through the menu items When the desired menu item is highlighted press Enter to initiate the command Open Ctrl O EF Close Ctre W FA Make Drawing from Part 3B Make Assembly from Part fi Save Ctrles Save As G Seve all Reload Eind References Page Setup A Print Preview i Print Ctri P 3D Printing Pack and Go
27. en the tool can be added the mouse pointer will change to include a green plus sign BrG8QEeReENaa avagsgs v 8 Features we 1 ee 6 Release the left mouse button and the tool will be added to the CommandManager RBrGsIeBeNCRea 2RBGCaM lt v H Features Sheet Metal Weldments Mold Tools Qata Migration Direct Editing ee a E r A Split Creates multiple bodies from a single body You can create the bodies in the existing part or in separate parts Y i base plate Default lt lt Default gt _Display Stat 1 0 Sensors A Annotations Removing tools from the CommandManager is even easier Here s how 1 While still in the customize mode select the tool in the CommandManager you want to remove with the left mouse button Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks 2 Drag it off the toolbar When the mouse pointer changes to include a red X release the left mouse button and the tool will be removed BReGiautnenaa w Features Sketch Cuck Snaps My Tools Suracel Use and Customize the Menus In SolidWorks 2008 the user interface was improved with the addition of a ribbon style menu bar The ribbon style menu helps free up more space on your screen for other functions by automatically hiding when not in use In the menus you will be able to find nearly every tool available for each document type in SolidWorks in one of the follow
28. etch entities edges vertices components and so on 40 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks 2 Move the mouse pointer over an item in a sketch model assembly or drawing 3 Press the left mouse button and release The item will be selected as shown in Figure 1 32 FIGURE 1 32 Selecting a sketch entity 4 Ifyou select a second item the first item will no longer be selected 5 If you need to select multiple items press and hold the Ctrl key while selecting the items Clicking a selected item while still holding the Ctrl key will remove the item from the selection set items in the document and release the originally selected items I lt 9 TIP You can use the Invert Selection tool to select all the other similar Box and Cross Selection Two types of selection windows can be used in SolidWorks to select multiple entities box and cross selection Both of these selection types will select every thing that is completely inside the window but the cross selection type will also select everything that crosses the box boundary line It will help you in your usage of SolidWorks if you become familiar with the two selection types and begin to recognize the visual cues Open any model and play around with the two selection types as follows Use the Mouse 41 1 Click anywhere in the graphics area with the left mouse button 2 Hold the left mouse button down while you drag from right
29. following example we will show you how to create a new shortcut The following is one of the first shortcut assignments we perform on every installation of SolidWorks we use and this is purely a personal preference If you are familiar with web applications such as Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer you are probably familiar with the F5 key In many Windows Applications this is used to refresh the application with any updated information we have found that many times we want to press F5 while in SolidWorks to rebuild the model we are cur rently working on instead of using Ctrl B or Ctrl Q To assign a shortcut to an existing SolidWorks command do the following 1 Right click in the SolidWorks window border or on the CommandManager 2 Select Customize from near the bottom of the menu 3 Select the Keyboard tab in the Customize window 4 Type the name of the command that you wish to assign a shortcut to in the Search For field For this example Rebuild is added to this field All the commands shown in the window will be filtered out except for the commands that match what is typed in the Search For field See Figure 1 30 5 Click on the row that corresponds to the command that you wish to assign a shortcut to In the description section of the window an explanation of the command tool will be provided 6 If the command already has a shortcut assigned to it the currently assigned shortcut can be removed by pressing
30. g S on your keyboard while you are working in a sketch part assembly or drawing A shortcut menu is activated by the right mouse button when the mouse pointer is over an item in the graphics area or FeatureManager design tree The shortcut menus give you quick access to some of the most commonly used tools and commands and are broken up into groups of related menu items that are shown with section headings that define the group To use a shortcut menu do the following 1 Inasketch part assembly or drawing right click an item in the graphics area or the FeatureManager design tree will display selection methods view commands and recent commands in 9 T I P_ Selecting the blank area of the graphics area of a part or assembly the shortcut menu 2 To show the entire menu click the chevron at the bottom of the menu and it will be expanded to its full length 3 Select a menu item with the left mouse button see Figure 1 35 As with most menus in SolidWorks it is possible to customize the shortcut menus to hide or show menu items as follows 1 Inasketch part assembly or drawing right click an item in the graphics area or in the FeatureManager design tree 2 Select Customize Menu 3 Click an empty box next to the menu item you want to be shown The empty box will be updated to include a check mark see Figure 1 36 Use the Mouse 10 Rea aoe Zoom Pan Rotate Recent Commands Line Corne
31. ing 1 Click any task pane tab icon to open the task pane 2 Drag the title bar away from the right side of the graphics area 3 Release the left mouse button 4 To redock the task pane click and hold the title bar of the task pane with the left mouse button and drag the task pane back to the right side of the screen The task pane will snap back into place when the correct position is reached Now we ll take you through all the parts of the task pane return it to its previously floated position and double clicking the title bar 9 T I P Double clicking the title bar of the task pane when it is docked will while the task pane is floating will return it to its docked position SolidWorks Resources The SolidWorks Resources tab of the task pane gives you quick access to com mon tasks such as creating a new document opening an existing document and using online tutorials Additionally users can get to the SolidWorks customer portal user forums workflow specific tutorials manufacturers websites and even view the Tip of the Day Often the SolidWorks Resources tab is overlooked by users which is a shame because it gives you access to a wealth of information in one place Figure 1 7 shows the entire SolidWorks Resources tab Design Library The Design Library tab usually points to a location on the local PC that is used to store common reusable items such as parts assemblies and sketches Documents that are located in
32. ing plane The mouse pointer will change to show that you are in pan mode the scroll wheel to pan since the view of a drawing cannot be rotated 4 TIP Ina drawing the Ctrl key does not need to be held while holding Are You Experienced 47 Are You Experienced Now You Can Recognize the elements of the SolidWorks user interface Use and customize the CommandManager v Use the ribbon style menu bar v Use and customize toolbars including shortcut bars WY Save time by utilizing keyboard shortcuts YW Select and manipulate views using the mouse
33. ing six menus File Edit View Tools Window and Help To view the menus in SolidWorks do the following 1 Move your mouse pointer over or click the SolidWorks logo on the left side of the menu bar 2 To hide the menus once again move the mouse away from the menu bar If you prefer to have the menu bar available at all times you can pin it open by doing the following 1 Click or mouse over the SolidWorks logo on the left side of the menu bar 2 When the menu list is visible click the pushpin icon on the far right of the menu The menu will remain open at all times Fie Eat view insert Tools Window Hep SN 3 To hide the menu click the pushpin again As with most areas of SolidWorks the menus are completely customizable to match your needs Items listed on the main menus can be hidden or shown for each document type If you hide a menu item in one document type such as a drawing it will still be available in another document type as long as it is nor mally visible in that document type To customize a menu follow these steps 1 Click or mouse over the SolidWorks logo on the left side of the menu bar Hover over the menu that you intend to customize 2 Select Customize Menu at the very bottom of the menu Check boxes appear next to each menu item Use Toolbars 27 3 Clear the check box next to items to hide them Select the check box next to an item to show it in the menu as shown in Figure 1 26
34. kflow options that apply to how you intend on using SolidWorks additional toolbars will be available to you However as you begin using SolidWorks and start explor ing more tools you may discover that there are toolbars or tools that you tend to use more often and therefore you ll want to add them to the CommandManager Add Tabs to the CommandManager The first and quickest modification you can make to the CommandManager is adding tabs Say for instance you find yourself using more surfacing tools and you think it would be great to have these tools available in the CommandManager Here is what you do 1 Right click any of the tabs in the CommandManager and you will see all the currently available tabs that can be added as shown in Figure 1 22 The items shown that have a check mark are currently in the CommandManager and you can add the items without a check mark JNO 870 9 0N 0202 Sketch nee Features Y Sketch Surfaces te Default lt lt f Sheet Metal ors Weldments ptations Mold Tools pr u Data Migration F Teg Direct Editing M Evaluate Plane t Plane i DinXpert Le Use Large Buttons with Text del Customize CommandManager etch FIGURE 1 22 Adding tabs to the CommandManager 2 To add an item to the CommandManager click an item in the list that does not have a check mark The item will now have a check mark and be added to the CommandManager 3 To remove an item from the Comma
35. nced SolidWorks users will find this option helpful when they are working Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks in a new version of SolidWorks When this option is selected a question mark icon will be displayed on new menu items and new and changed PropertyManagers and will link to the corresponding sections of the What s New manual The topics in the What s New manual will then provide more information about the new or updated functionality since the previous release Do Not Show Me Any Dynamic Help For more experienced users this option will not provide you with any pop ups or links to the What s New manual while working in SolidWorks N OTE As you become more familiar with working in SolidWorks S you may decide to disable the Quick Tips You can disable them by select ing Help gt Quick Tips or by clicking the question mark icon in the sta tus bar After becoming familiar with the updates made to the new release of SolidWorks you can disable the display of the link by selecting Help gt Interactive What s New The Workflow Customization section of the Welcome To SolidWorks window allows you to hide and display tools links and menus items based on your usage of SolidWorks You can select one two all or none of the following categories gt Machine Design gt Mold Design gt Consumer Product Design When you select an option in the Workflow Customization section of the win dow the following changes
36. ndManager click an item with a check mark The check mark will disappear and the tab will be removed from the CommandManager 21 22 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks Add Existing Toolbars to the CommandManager There may be instances where you want to add a tab that is not listed in the right click menu No worries you can add any toolbar that is available in SolidWorks to the CommandManager Here s how 1 Right click any of the tabs on the CommandManager 2 Select Customize CommandManager from the menu 3 To the right of the tabs displayed in the CommandManager click the New Tab button plate SLDPRT SolidWorks Search jaa e a DJA wto f orecteaing Jeane e S s a gt amp Pann 4 Select an available toolbar listed in the menu The new tab will be added to the CommandManager as shown in Figure 1 23 Quick Snaps SolidWorks O S A gt R 8E baephtesort QvSaidiverks Search ie i O SOXKAA STM EH A Features Skaten Surtaces J Shooters wolanents Wola Toots Data Migration Oroa Eanna evaluate OMA Quick snaps TL _ _ Ath at mm AA eo FIGURE 1 23 A new tab added to the CommandManager The new tab will be available only in the document type you are currently editing For instance if you added a new tab while in a part document the new tab will not be shown while editing a drawing or assembly It is possible to make the new tab available in the o
37. ng gt Right click in the menu bar or on the CommandManager A toolbar menu appears Select a toolbar listed in the menu to show it deselect the check box next to the toolbars you want to hide 28 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks gt Mouse over or click the SolidWorks logo on the right side of the menu bar The File Edit View Insert Tools Window and Help menus are now visible Select Tools gt Customize gt Toolbars and click in the checkbox next to the names of the toolbars you wish to show clear the checkbox next to the toolbars you wish to hide Rather than going through the long process of hiding visible toolbars you can quickly and easily close floating tool bars by following these steps 1 Ifthe toolbar is docked double click the toolbar to return it to its last floating position 5 0 O BA Wie et SS ERRENTEN Oey St QGec amp ReEARG N Atan a uA feich My Tools Surfaces Evaluate Dimxpent Office Produds 2 To close a floating toolbar click the red X in the top right corner of the toolbar Align gt TEL lt 1 B Z 097 dob oo 8 TES Un a Rd ot Access the Shortcut Bar We have mentioned a few times already how the shortcut bar nearly eliminates the need for menu items and toolbars In SolidWorks 2008 the shortcut bar was introduced and it has quickly become a favorite of many SolidWorks users including us Each environment in SolidWork
38. ntext sensitive toolbar as shown in Figure 1 16 Context sensitive means that the toolbar will update based on the toolbar you want to utilize and will be also updated based on the active document type We will be discussing the CommandManager in more detail in the upcoming Use the CommandManager section os G swept Boss Base iT g ro B snept cut Q 3i r Bwe xy y Extruded Revelved LoftedBoss Base Extruded Hole Revolved f toftedcur Miet Linear OR orat dome Reference Curves Boss Base Boss Base Pinaya Cut Wizard Cut a ete e m Shel 4 ina Features Skaich Evaluate Dimiper FIGURE 1 16 CommandManager FeatureManager Design Tree To the left of the graphics area you will find the FeatureManager design tree shown in Figure 1 17 The FeatureManager acts as a time machine of sorts by providing you with an outline view of the history of the construction of a part or assembly You can use it to view the various sheets and views in a drawing We will be spending some time on the FeatureManager design tree in later chapters Toolbars Just like in all Windows based programs toolbars contain most of the tools avail able in SolidWorks Each toolbar is named for the functions of the tools that are contained such as surfacing mates sketch tools and so on Figure 1 18 shows an example toolbar Toolbars can be floated anywhere within the SolidWorks border or docked to the sides Even though there are many toolb
39. olidWorks makes it easy for you to print out a list of shortcut keys that you can reference later The following will print out the entire list of commands in SolidWorks along with any shortcuts that have been assigned 1 Right click in the SolidWorks window border or on the CommandManager 2 Select Customize from near the bottom of the menu 3 Select the Keyboard tab in the Customize window Use the Keyboard 37 4 Click the Print List button in the upper left area of the customize window Toolbars Commands I Menus Keyboard Options Category All Commands X Copy List E only show commands with shortcuts assigr Reset to Defaults Search for Remove Shortcut 5 Select your printer and press OK The entire command list will be sent to your printer A T I P_ Instead of printing the entire command list press the Copy List but ton to copy to the clipboard You can then paste the list into a text editor or spreadsheet program that you can edit Use Accelerator Keys Accelerator keys provide the user with another way to initiate commands in SolidWorks without the need to use the mouse Nearly every menu item and dialog box can be accessed with the use of accelerator keys by pressing Alt on your key board and the letter that corresponds to the command Unlike keyboard shortcuts accelerator keys cannot be customized However as you become comfortable with the sequenc
40. on to using the CommandManager Menus and Toolbars many SolidWorks users take advantage of the keyboard shortcuts available in SolidWorks Keyboard shortcuts are great to quickly access your most commonly used tools and can be a real time saver After learning the most common keyboard shortcuts and creating your own you will be well on your way to becoming a SolidWorks master Use Default Shortcuts Out of the box SolidWorks comes with over 40 pre programmed shortcut keys that in most cases will be more than enough for your daily SolidWorks usage Shortcut keys can be either single keys or a combination of keys that are pressed simultane ously Rather than go over every keyboard shortcut that is available we want to just introduce you to the most used shortcuts that will give you a good start The following are keyboard shortcuts that are standard among most Windows based applications and can prove to be very handy in your arsenal Shortcuts that begin with Ctrl are activated by holding down the Ctrl key on your key board and pressing the letter or number that follows The same goes for short cuts that involve the Shift key or Ctrl Shift TABLE 1 1 Standard Windows OS Keyboard Shortcuts Shortcut Command Description Ctrl N New Creates a new document Ctrl 0 Open Opens an existing document Ctrl W Close Closes the active document Ctrl S Save Saves the current document Ctrl P Print Prints the current document Ctrl Z Undo Undoes the la
41. r Rectangle Straight Slot Centerpoint sion Slot 3 Point Arc Slot Centerpoint Arc Slot Circle Centerpoint Arc Tangent Are 3 Point Arc Centerline Spline Trim Entities More Dimensions 2 dIVONDOOOZ oT FIGURE 1 35 Shortcut menu available with right mouse button To hide a menu item select the box with the check mark and it will become an empty box Contour Select Tool Zoom Pan Rotate gt Recent Commands o Sketch Entities Line Comer Rectangle Straight Slot Centerpoint Straight Slot 3 Point Arc Slot A Centerpoint Arc Slot Circle 3 Centerpoint Arc Tangent Arc 3 Point Arc Centerline Spline Trim Entities More Dimensions gt Relations o Add Relation Display Delete Relations Eully Define Sketch Reletions Snaps Options qol Make Path HH EHS S SS EHH H2 DIVOXBZOOTY HHH Rek A dt Display Grid FIGURE 1 36 Customizing a shortcut menu Once you are finished making adjustments to your shortcut menu click outside the menu to exit it or press Enter 43 44 The right mouse button can also be used in assemblies to move and rotate components see Chapter 7 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks Customize then select Reset To Default in the Menu Customization section N OTE To restore all your menus to the system defaults select Tools gt of the Options tab Mouse Gestures A
42. s has its own version of the shortcut bar Each one has a layout that presents you with the most commonly used tools in the environment you are working in near your current mouse pointer posi tion Unlike the other toolbars available in SolidWorks the shortcut bar is not activated by using the procedures described in the previous section To show the shortcut bar press S on your keyboard while working in a part sketch drawing or assembly Make sure that you do not have anything selected when you press S These are the four versions of the shortcut bar for each environment Part shortcut bar Re a x i Assembly shortcut bar Kiis 9 P Use Toolbars 29 Drawing shortcut bar Sketch shortcut bar Customizing a Shortcut Bar To fully free yourself of using bars you may find it necessary to customize your shortcut bars to add the tools you will need most often You can customize each of the four shortcut bars using the same process 1 In the graphics area while in one of the four environments that use shortcut bars press S on your keyboard The shortcut bar appears 2 Right click anywhere inside the shortcut bar and select Customize see Figure 1 27 FIGURE 1 27 Customizing a shortcut bar 3 To add a tool to the shortcut bar ensure that the Commands tab is activated in the Customize window 4 Select the category that contains the desired tool set Tool sets appear as icons in the Buttons
43. s if the CommandManager Shortcut Bars Context Toolbars and accelerator keys didn t make selecting commands quick and easy enough SolidWorks 2010 introduces another way to design faster Mouse Gestures are a quick and easy way to select commands without needing to select anything on the keyboard or even without moving the mouse away from what you are doing At first you may not think about using mouse gestures but after getting used to them you will never want to give them up Just like with the Shortcut Bars Mouse Gestures can be used in all four environments Parts Drawings Assemblies and Sketches Mouse Gestures use what are called guides to give you access to eight different commands that are selected by merely moving your mouse Give it a try and see how easy it is to select a command with Mouse Gestures 1 While still editing the example sketch from the last sections press and hold the right mouse button 2 While still holding the right mouse button slowly move the mouse in any direction A wheel or guide will be displayed with eight different commands See Figure 1 37 As you move in one of eight directions while remaining within the inner circle of the guide a different com mand will be selected 2 O B N 2 n o FIGURE 1 37 Commands to select with Mouse Gestures 3 To select a command move the mouse pointer to the highlighted command on the guide The guide will disappear and the command will become active
44. st action Continued Use the Keyboard 33 TABLE 1 1 Standard Windows OS Keyboard Shortcuts Continued Shortcut Command Description Ctrl Y Redo Redoes the last undo or repeats the last action Ctrl X Cut Cuts selection to the system clipboard Ctrl C Copy Copies selection to the system clipboard Ctrl V Paste Copies selection from the sys tem clipboard into the active document Ctrl Tab Browse Open Documents Switches between open docu ments in SolidWorks Alt Tab Switch Applications Switches between open applica tions in Windows In addition to the shortcut keys that are available in all Windows based applica tions SolidWorks has a large set of shortcuts that are used Table 1 2 lists some of the most commonly used keyboard shortcuts available TABLE 1 2 Commonly Used Keyboard Shortcuts in SolidWorks Shortcut Command Description R Recent Documents Allows you to quickly browse the most recent documents opened in SolidWorks F Zoom To Fit Zooms to fit the view of the model or drawing Shift Z Zoom In Zooms in by one step Z Zoom Out Zooms out by one step L Line Initiates the line tool for sketching Continued 34 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks TABLE 1 2 Commonly Used Keyboard Shortcuts in SolidWorks Continued Shortcut Command Description G Magnifying Glass Displays a magnifying glass for viewing details in the document S Shortcut Bar Initiates the Shortcut
45. surface of a 46 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks model You will need to download the part named Base Plate SLDPRT from the companion site before doing the following steps 1 Press and hold down the wheel Using the Open button in the menu bar open the model for the base plate Select a face of the model by pressing and releasing the scroll wheel with the mouse pointer on the face The mouse pointer will change to show that the rotate view is limited Move the mouse around while still holding the wheel to rotate the view in relation to the face To zoom in and out using the scroll wheel in a part assembly or drawing do the following 1 In a part assembly or drawing spin the wheel forward to zoom out in relation to the position of your mouse pointer Spin the wheel back to zoom in around your mouse pointer Move the mouse pointer outside the graphics area For example move the mouse pointer to the menu bar Spin the wheel forward and back to zoom in and out around the cen ter of the graphics area In addition to rotating the view and zooming in and out the scroll wheel can also be used to pan in a part assembly or drawing To pan using the scroll wheel in a part or assembly do the following 1 2 3 In a part or assembly press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard Press and hold the scroll wheel Move your mouse around to pan the view in relation to the view
46. t to be hidden in the File Explorer tab 5 Click OK to accept your changes Search Searches that are performed in the Search Assistant in the menu bar are dis played on the Search tab Searches performed in SolidWorks are faster than most search engines because the searching is done on indexed files and SolidWorks does not have to go digging through your PC to find a file When SolidWorks was installed the Windows Desktop Search was also installed to create the index of your files This index should have been created after installation if not it will be created the first time you do a search From within SolidWorks you can quickly search for files by a full text search advanced search keywords or retrieval of all types of documents One of the most common searches you will perform will probably be a keyword search To perform a keyword search do the following 1 Click in the SolidWorks search tool on the menu bar QT Jo A m Navigate the SolidWorks Interface 2 Type the text or keywords for your search criteria Q press ee 3 Press Enter All the files that match your search criteria will be displayed in the Search tab of the task pane as demonstrated in Figure 1 10 If the search returns more files than what can be displayed on one screen of the Search tab you can navigate through the results Document Type SolidWorks Assembly Document 1 a E2 dorks Drawing
47. the Design Library can easily be added to the active document by dragging and dropping Figure 1 8 shows the Design Library tab of the task pane with the menu options collapsed Navigate the SolidWorks Interface FIGURE 1 7 SolidWorks Resources tab of task pane Design Library Ez aao A fil Design Library Bd Toolbox a 30 ContentCentral SD SolidWorks Content FIGURE 1 8 Design Library tab of task pane File Explorer The File Explorer tab gives you access to your files on your local PC and network just like Windows Explorer as shown in Figure 1 9 12 Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks File Explorer BE J Openin okeWors i LG base plate SLDPRT M E Desktop alex pc FIGURE 1 9 File Explorer tab of task pane You can adjust the folders shown in the File Explorer on the System Options tab as described in the following steps 1 Click the Options button in the menu bar Kisoriaworks y SJA base plate ae gt 3 668 B 6p G swept Boss Base i 3 Swept cut a E a J j Extruded Revolved 3 Lofted Boss Base Extruded Hole Revolved o b il Boss Base Boss Base Cut Wizard Cut Options i Boundary Boss Base Changes options settings for SolidWorks 2 On the Systems Options tab select File Explorer 3 Select the folders you want to be displayed in the File Explorer tab 4 Deselect the folders that you wan
48. the bar The mouse pointer will change to a dual direction arrow Use Toolbars 31 4 Press and hold the left mouse button and drag to resize the toolbar MR At ig 5 Click OK in the Customize window to exit the customize mode Access the Context Toolbars In addition to the shortcut bar the context toolbars provide you with quick access to the most frequently used commands while in a part assembly or sketch When you select items in the graphics area or in the FeatureManager design tree a con text toolbar will be displayed above the mouse pointer Select the command in the toolbar to continue see Figure 1 29 Ega SR suppress D7 FIGURE 1 29 Using a context toolbar Although we do not recommend it you can turn off the context menu in SolidWorks Here s how 1 While ina part assembly or drawing click or hover over the SolidWorks logo on the menu bar Select Tools gt Customize 2 On the Toolbars tab there two options for the Context Toolbars in the Context Toolbar Settings section Context toolbar settings F Show on selection F Show in shortcut ment Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks 3 Deselecting the Show On Selection option hides the Context Toolbar when you select an item with the left mouse button 4 Deselecting the Show On Shortcut Menu option hides the Context Toolbar when you select an item with the right mouse button Use the Keyboard In additi
49. ther document types while still customizing CommandManager by following these steps 1 Right click the newly created tab Quick Sna s a T k N y T Add Tab Delete Rename Tab Hide Tab Copy Tab to Assemblies Copy Tab to Drawings Use the CommandManager 23 2 Select either Copy Tab To Drawings or Copy Tab To Assemblies N OTE If you are adding a new tab to a drawing or an assembly the S option to copy the newly created tab to parts will also be available 3 Once you are finished making modifications to the CommandManager click OK in the Customize window shown in Figure 1 24 Customize 2 Toolbars Commands I Menus Keyboara I Mouse Gestures I Options Toolbars Options F Enable CommandManag E Large icons E Use large buttons with text F Show tooltips fA 20to30 WW Use large tooltip IS E align E Annotation D Assembly F snow on selection a2 Blocks Context toolbar settings BY curves F Show in shortcut ment IM Ch Dimensions Relations E P Dimxpert BD Display States 5 Sq Drawing I ap Explode Sketch Fastening Feature DA Features M By Formatting B Layer M Ef Layout Toots Line Format B RA Moid Tools EA MotionManager IMS Quick Snaps E 9 Reference Geometry D B screen capture E A7 selection Fitter F sheet Metal z Reset of Jf Cancel Help 4 FIGURE 1 24 Customize window Create a Custom Tab
50. w 3 In the Categories section of the window locate your desired tool set For this example select Standard Views in the Categories section The tools included in the selected category will be displayed in the Buttons section as shown in Figure 1 3 Customize 2 Toolbars Commands Menus Keyboard I Mouse Gestures I Options Categories Buttons Flyout Toolbars Aton GALDRHOSOL Annotation BSmus B Assembly Blocks Curves Dimensions Relations DimXpert Drawing Explode Sketch Fastening Feature Features Layout Tools Line Format Macro Mold Tools Quick Snaps Reference Geometry Screen Capture Selection Filter Sheet Metal Sketch Spline Tools Standard Standard Views Surfaces Table Tools View Weldments Select a category then dick a Dutton to see its description Drag the button to any toolbar Description OK J Cancel Help FIGURE 1 3 Commands tab in the Customize window 4 Drag the desired button in the Customize window to the top of the Heads up View toolbar When the mouse pointer changes to include a green plus drop the button there N OTE The Heads up View toolbar can be hidden in SolidWorks 2010 To hide the toolbar right click any button in the toolbar and deselect View Heads Up in the menu Chapter 1 Becoming Familiar with SolidWorks Status Bar Along the bottom of the SolidWorks interface is the status bar As the
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