Welcome to SolidWorks

Solidworks is a powerful 3D computer-aided design (CAD) application that functions with manufacturing and engineering at its base. Using 2d sketches you can create detailed 3d models with the preciseness for manufacturing. It's the tool of choice for industrial designers and engineers to create everything from fully functional boats to intricate jewlery.

SolidWorks is unique for industrial designers because it combines precise parametric modeling with manufacturing-focused tools, allowing products to be designed with real-world production methods in mind. It also enables seamless collaboration with engineers by providing detailed assemblies, technical drawings, and design validation throughout the product development process.

The Solidworks Interface

The SolidWorks interface is divided into several areas that work together to create and edit 3D models.

1. Command Manager

Located at the top of the screen the command manager is where the main modeling tools can be found. These modeling tools are organized by task.

• Features: Create / edit 3D forms.
• Sketch: Create 2D drawings that can be used to edit 3D forms. You must create a sketch to make any form.
• Evaluate: Where you can test the structual integrity of your form.
• Assembly: Where you can create one file that has multiple parts that can interact with eachother.

2. Feature Timeline

The feature timeline is located on the left hand side. This is where parametric modeling can be best utilized.

Parametric modeling allows you to edit past edits / features as your design evolves. You can move back in your timeline to go back to older versions of your model.

To edit the features in the timeline you must right click then do edit feature.

Warning! if you make an edit to a feature that has other dependent features after you might get a lot of errors when you make this change. This can be because Solidworks can not reassign lines, points, or faces. You may need to manually reassign these features.

3. Navigating

The graphics area is where you can view your sketches and 3D modeling.
It loads in with the 'Top', 'Right', 'Front' planes that can be used for the base of all your modeling.

To navigate this space located in the top right is a cute that you can click. It will rotate your space to where you click on this cube.

Click the Space Bar opens the view orientation cube where you can click to navigate to top, side, and isometric views.

To naviate freely in the space (You need a mouse):

• Scroll Wheel: Allows you to zoom in & out where yuor curser is placed.
• Pressing Scroll Wheel: Allows you to rotate around your model.
• Scroll Wheel + CTRL: Allows you to pan around your model.

Note *
You can change these settings to be navigating commands from another modeling software in the settings tab.

4. Basic Modeling

1. You must start with a sketch. You can right click on the plane or face you want to sketch on. This can be edited later in the timeline.
2. You cna create a sketch but it must be closed in order to extrude it to make a volume. You can know it is closed because it is filled with a blue color.
3. Exit the sketch and navigate to the features tab to extrude or revolove to create a solid form.
4. To edit the form you can use the tools in the 'basic modeling' tab.

Key features:

• Refrence Plane: Using existing faces or planes you can create another plane that can be sketched on.
• Fillet: Rounds the edges.
• Cut: Removes from the volume.
• Mirror: Can be used to mirror solid bodies or features.
• Sweep: Can use a path to have a shape follow it create a tube like volume.
• Shell: Can be used to hollow out a solid body.

5. Basic Surface Modeling

Surface modeling in SolidWorks is a method of creating 3D geometry using thin, flexible surfaces instead of solid volumes. It allows designers to build complex, freeform shapes with smooth transitions and precise curvature, making it ideal for products with organic or aesthetic forms such as consumer electronics, automotive components, medical devices, and ergonomic products.

What is a Surface?
Unlike solid modeling, where every feature has thickness and forms a complete volume, surface modeling creates individual surfaces that can be trimmed, extended, blended, and knit together. Once the surfaces fully enclose a shape, they can be converted into a solid body for manufacturing.

Key Features:

• Boundary Surface: Creates from multiple profile curves and guide curves.
• Lofted Surface: Creates a smooth transition between multiple profile sketches.
• Filled Surface: Creates from edges of an enclosed boundary to fill the opening with a smooth surface.
• Sweep Surface: Creates a pipe like form from one path with a closed profile that follows the path.

*These all create 3D forms with 0 thickness so they need to be turned into a solid form for manufacturing.

6. Surface → Solid Body

Unlike solid modeling, where every feature has thickness and forms a complete volume, surface modeling creates individual surfaces that can be trimmed, extended, blended, and knit together. Once the surfaces fully enclose a shape, they can be converted into a solid body for manufacturing.

Key Features:

• Trim Surface: Select intersecting surfaces and choose the portions to keep or remove.
• Extend Surface: Fill a gap by selecting a surface edge and specifying the distance or type of extension.
• Knit Surface: Create one continous surface or solid body by selecting multiple adjacent surfaces to merge them.
• Thicken Surface: Adds thickness to one surface by selecting the surface and the thickness desired.

*For a successful solid body work in this order: Create the surfaces, trim excess, make sure they are all connected on every edge and knitt together the surfaces.

7. Assembly

An assembly in SolidWorks is a workspace where multiple individual parts are brought together and connected using mates to create a complete product. Assemblies allow designers to test how components fit, move, and function together before manufacturing.