When creating an exploded view in SolidWorks it is simple to move your parts in the local coordinate system along X, Y, and Z. What if you want to move a part in a different direction? In order to accomplish... Continue reading

At my previous employer we went through a very minor title block change on our SolidWorks drawings. I spent close to a month on the task opening each file and modifying it. I now know a much faster and hands... Continue reading

Any SolidWorks user will tell you that they have found or created errors in a part file. What they may not know is the best way to go about fixing them. There are two errors possible in SolidWorks, an error... Continue reading

Every so often I get a support call because a SolidWorks user is experiencing a loss of functionality. This behavior is mostly attributed to being in a mode that doesn't support those functions. For example a feature that was released... Continue reading

A brand new feature for SolidWorks 2013 is the option to rotate your model about a scene floor. This will lock the Y axis of your model vertically and keep your part file from flipping over. To access this feature... Continue reading

A brand new feature for SolidWorks 2013 is the ability to create a design study that changes the material of the part file. This will allow you run multiple simulation studies on the same part with different materials. The process... Continue reading

When creating a circular patterns in SolidWorks there is a limitation that the resulting pattern of extrusions and filets cannot overlap on to itself. However there is a trick we can use to get around this. Instead of patterning the... Continue reading

When working with parts in an assembly you are limited to extruded cuts and revolved cuts through multiple pieces. If you would like to create a more advanced assembly cut (Cut Sweep, Cut Loft) we need to get creative. One... Continue reading

One of the more advanced SolidWorks modeling techniques is using equations to drive sketch dimensions. For example you can create a linear hole pattern that derives the spacing and number of holes from the overall length. Let's assume we want... Continue reading

Configurations and display states are very powerful tools to control how your SolidWorks assemblies look. It is important to understand the differences of what you can control with each of them. Configurations control assembly feature, part, and sub assembly suppression.... Continue reading

When creating SolidWorks drawings you may find you want to use a parametric value, such as a dimension or an instance count, in a note field. The advantage to using a parametric value in a note is if that values... Continue reading

Placing a decal on a sheet metal part is similar to any type of part file. The steps are as follows. Drag a stock decal from the Appearance task pane to a face. To do this click on the beach... Continue reading