Introduction

SolidWorks is an immense topic, especially if you are new to the software. There is a lot to know and a lot to write about. While I have made every effort to be complete in this book, I'm sure there are some niche topics that have gone untreated. In this edition, I rely more on video introductions for each chapter to demonstrate some of the basic concepts.

Who Should Read This Book

This book is primarily meant as an encyclopedic desk reference for SolidWorks Standard users who want a more thorough understanding of the software and process than can be found in other available documentation. As such, it is not necessarily intended to be a guide for beginners, although it has elements of that. Nor is it necessarily intended as a classroom guide, but it could be used for that as well. This book will take you into areas of technical application where training classes don't go—and into best practices you won't find anywhere else.

What You Will Learn

To keep the size of the book down, I have tried to avoid topics found only in SolidWorks Professional or Premium, although some discussion of these topics was unavoidable at times.

While the book does point out limitations, bugs, and conceptual errors in the software, in every case this is meant to give the reader a more thorough understanding of the software and how it is applied in the context of everyday design or engineering practice. I believe that you don't know how much you can do until you find the boundary—so I frequently push past the limits of the software.

The overall goal of this book is not to fill your head with facts, but to help you think like the software, so that you can use the tool as an intuitive extension of your own process. As your modeling projects get more complex, you will need to have more troubleshooting and workaround skills available to you. Along with best practice recommendations, these are the most compelling reasons to study this book.

This is not a book about machine design, nor industrial design, nor even engineering. This is a book about how to use SolidWorks as a CAD design documentation tool. There is some assumption that you are familiar with general design and engineering practice and terminology.

Thank you for your interest.

What You Need

Make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements listed on the SolidWorks website. If your computer doesn't match up to these requirements, you may have a problem using the contents of the download site.

You need to be somewhat familiar with engineering principles (a first-year college engineering curriculum would certainly suffice) and have some experience with engineering documentation practices. Spatial reasoning skills are very helpful to visualize some 3D concepts, and a basic understanding of logic or programming will help you understand the typical workings of a history-based modeler.

WINDOWS VERSIONS

These requirements apply to Windows 7 and Windows 10:

• Intel and AMD processors, single, dual, or quad cores
• 1 GB RAM minimum (2 GB recommended)
• Virtual memory twice the amount of RAM (recommended)
• A certified OpenGL workstation graphics card and driver (Check the SolidWorks website for details: www.solidworks.com.)
• A mouse or other pointing device
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 minimum (IE 7 recommended)
• A CD drive minimum (DVD drive recommended)

For more details about the system requirements for SolidWorks 2018 and a list of certified graphics cards and drivers, visit www.solidworks.com.

SOLIDWORKS VERSIONS

Files created in SolidWorks 2018 are not compatible with older versions of SolidWorks. So, if you have a version of SolidWorks older than 2018, you will have difficulty reading most of the accompanying downloaded files. You may find some files that came from older versions in the downloaded data, but this will happen only where the files have not been updated for new versions. If you have any questions, you should contact your SolidWorks reseller. The author of this book does not have the ability to save 2018 files to previous versions.

This book was written using the SolidWorks 2018 version software, and while some of it may be applicable to previous versions, some of it may not be due to annual changes that happen in the course of software development.

TROUBLESHOOTING

If you have difficulty installing or using any of the material from the download data, try the following solutions:

• Turn off any antivirus software that you may have running. Installers sometimes mimic virus activity and can make your computer incorrectly believe that it is being infected by a virus. (Be sure to turn the antivirus software back on later.)
• Close all running programs. The more programs you're running, the less memory is available to other programs. Installers also typically update files and programs; if you keep other programs running, installation may not work properly.
• See the ReadMe file. Refer to the ReadMe file located at the root of the download website for the latest product information at the time of publication.

If you are having trouble viewing the downloaded videos, please install the TechSmith video codec.

The Mastering Series

The Mastering series from Sybex provides outstanding instruction for readers with intermediate and advanced skills, in the form of top-notch training and development for those already working in their field, and clear, serious education for those aspiring to become pros. Every Mastering book features the following:

• The Sybex “by professionals for professionals” commitment. Mastering authors are themselves practitioners, with plenty of credentials in their areas of specialty.
• A practical perspective for a reader who already knows the basics—someone who needs solutions, not a primer.
• Skill-based instruction, with chapters organized around real tasks rather than abstract concepts or subjects.
• Self-review tests with “The Bottom Line” problems and questions, so you can be certain you're equipped to do the job right.

What Is Covered in This Book

You will find enough information here that the book can grow with your SolidWorks needs. I wrote the tutorials for most of the chapters with newer users in mind, because for them, it is most helpful to see how things are done in SolidWorks step by step. The longer narrative examples give more in-depth information about features and functions, as well as the results of various settings and options.

This book includes many details that come from practical usage and is focused on the needs of professional users, not on student learners. My preference is to teach concepts rather than button pushes, because if you understand what is going on, you can find the button pushes for yourself.

This book is divided into five parts. You will find that some topics are visited multiple times, such as sketching, mates, templates, and so on. When a topic is visited more than once, it is because there are many aspects to that topic. One such example is sketching, which includes simple sketches, sketch relations, sketch editing, troubleshooting, 3D sketches, shared sketches, and more. Sketch information is found in at least 10 different chapters. It cannot be consolidated because shared sketches are an advanced technique, while simple sketching is not.

Part I: Introducing SolidWorks Basics

This part explores the basic concepts and terminology used in SolidWorks. You need to read this section if you are new to the software and especially if you are new to 3D modeling or parametric history-based design.

Part II: Building Intelligence into Your Parts

This part takes a deeper look at creating parametric relations to automate changes.

Part III: Working with Assemblies

This part examines the tools available to users within SolidWorks assemblies. Assemblies enable you to put parts together in different ways. You can create motion and animations, check for interference and clearance, and look at the data in many different ways.

Part IV: Creating Drawings

This part goes through the tools and techniques for creating drawings from your SolidWorks parts and assemblies. Drawings are the industry-standard way of communicating designs, inspection requirements, and manufacturing processes. Part IV examines several types of advanced techniques, such as surface modeling and multibody modeling. This is information you won't find in other SolidWorks books, explained here by someone who uses the functionality daily.

Part V: Using Advanced and Specialized Techniques

Specialized functionality, such as sheet metal and plastics, requires detailed information. Part V includes these topics because they are key to unlocking all the power available in SolidWorks. Part V examines several types of advanced techniques, such as surface modeling and multibody modeling. This part also contains information you won't find in other SolidWorks books, explained here by someone who uses the functionality daily.

Appendixes

The appendixes in this book contain information that was not appropriate for the main body of the text, such as...