Solid Thoughts

Rolling it out.

2009-10-30T11:43:00.004-06:00

We have been doing the rollouts for SolidWorks 2010. There are some great new features.

I will post a series of nice enhancements for this coming version.

Rolling it out.

2009-10-30T11:43:00.001-06:00

Check your Graphics Card!

2009-10-14T08:42:00.003-06:00

Because SolidWorks relies heavily on a solid graphics card to produce all those great looking visuals of your 3D part, you can crash often if your card is not running at it's best. The best thing to check for your card is to install the recommended driver.

Go to http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.html

Then type in the Card that you have in your machine. If you don't know....

In Windows - Start Menu - Programs - Accessories - System information

Once you find your card and find it in SolidWorks it will tell you if it is a recommended card or not.

Now download the driver it recommends.

Smart Mates

2009-10-02T10:58:00.007-06:00

To use an automate mode hold the alt key and drag one component near another.

See video for example.

Copying a component in assembly

2009-10-02T10:57:00.003-06:00

To quickly copy a component in the assembly hold control and drag the part and a copy will be made.

You can rotate just one component

2009-10-02T10:56:00.001-06:00

Rotating only one component in an assembly is possible by choosing the rotate component command on the assembly toolbar or holding your right mouse button down on the component and moving it.

Deleting External References

2009-10-02T09:22:00.004-06:00

Dealing with External References

2009-10-02T09:19:00.002-06:00

When creating a component within an assembly it can become quite tricky. This is refered to what is called top down modeling and we devote a good deal of time to it in our advance training course.

It can be very useful but dangerous when you dont know what you are doing.

I will post a video that explains how to remove these external references once you have added them.

Simulation Tips- Quick and Painless

2009-09-21T11:07:00.001-06:00

Simply double clicking on your Color Plot will get you into chart options.

Also, double clicking on the deformation scale will get you into edit definition to make changes.

Getting the mate in place -

2009-09-18T11:24:00.004-06:00

Do you ever need to get your assembly positioned correctly but dont want to keep the mate. If you keep the mate it might lock the assembly down which can be undesirable.

Use the option in the mate dialog, "use for position only". It will put in place but not save the mate.

Need a break...?

2009-09-17T09:54:00.003-06:00

I was turned onto this website called "people of Walmart." I have laughed myself right out of my chair and into oblivion. It is definitely PG-13 or worse so please be advised but some of the captions are excellent.

Google people of Walmart to find the site.

Print the list of shortcuts

2009-09-16T08:40:00.002-06:00

If you like having a printed sheet with all the shortcuts it easy to do.

Tools - Customize - Keyboard

You can also assign new ones and change existing as needed.

Alt + Tab - Windows Trick

2009-09-15T10:04:00.003-06:00

Do you keep a couple applications open. Do you need jump from a pdf with dimensions back into SolidWorks?

Do you need to jump from Solitaire to SolidWorks?

ALT + TAB makes life easier.

Welcome Back-

2009-09-14T11:02:00.002-06:00

Well, I have taken some time off in the recent weeks not only from work but also from posting. I am back and since school is starting, I figure it is a great time to get back to posting everyday. It was terrific summer full of biking and getting outside.

If you have a second be sure to check out the archive of posts for any tips that are already there and might be helpful in your daily work.

If you would like to discuss any topics or ask questions, shoot me an email at :
tbeck@goengineer.com

Showing some more shortcuts

2009-08-14T14:37:00.002-06:00

Mouse traps

2009-08-13T09:13:00.004-06:00

I have been asked what type of mouse do i like to use. Some users love the power mouse and the space pilot(an addtional 3D input device - http://www.3dconnexion.com/3dmouse/spacepilot.php ) - i talk more about that later. I have to travel often with my laptop so i try to keep it simple. I use and love the basic optical mouse from Microsoft.

On the left button I like to program the left button for the "S" key and the right I program for "enter". This enables me to do 90% of my sketching with my right hand.

Adding a dynamic note

2009-08-10T16:58:00.002-06:00

New Tips Starting August

2009-07-31T14:12:00.001-06:00

Sorry for taking a break from posting.

I have been traveling like a crazy person. I will have some new tips for August.

How to create an Automatic Meter!

2009-07-13T15:37:00.002-06:00

Lets say you would like to have a measurement like weight or length on your part update as you go but continue to let you know. This can be done with a sensor or a note. Lets look at the note method.

First.

Lets add material to our part and find the mass.

-Right click on Material in the Design Tree and choose Edit Material.

Now Find Tools- Mass Properties to find the mass.

Tomorrow we will discuss how to add the note.

Quick Measure

2009-07-09T09:21:00.005-06:00

Most people know about the measure tool, this is a great tool but for quick distance measurements nothing beats the selection method. Simply Click to different edges or faces and in the bottom right corner you will find the distances!

Great additional Tips!

2009-07-08T09:46:00.001-06:00

Check out some of Phil's Tips on his website. Phil presents at SolidWorks World regularly and does a great job.

http://www.triaxialdesign.com/

A sketch that does what its told!

2009-07-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Derived Sketch.

Quick sketching lines and arcs

2009-07-06T09:53:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone. Hope all had a nice 4th of July weekend.

Will show Animation Solution later this week!

2009-06-30T10:09:00.000-06:00

But for now... how to move, rotate, scale the whole sketch.

Will show the animation Solution Later this Week!

2009-06-30T10:05:00.001-06:00

But for now how about some more tips...

Question- How would you create this Animation?

2009-06-24T11:18:00.003-06:00

Simulation Tip- Restraining Tip

2009-06-24T09:00:00.000-06:00

Simulation Tip- Meshing Alternative

2009-06-23T15:28:00.002-06:00

Simulation Tip- Basics of Meshing- Beams

2009-06-22T13:53:00.002-06:00

Sketch Xpert Tool

2009-06-18T12:35:00.000-06:00

Copy Sketch

2009-06-17T12:58:00.000-06:00

Copying Sketches- Remember there is audio with the videos.

Check Tool

2009-06-16T12:49:00.000-06:00

Sketching Week!- Similar to Shark Week

2009-06-15T11:30:00.004-06:00

A sketching tip for each day this week. They will be simple but might save you some serious time.

Surfacing Tutorial

2009-06-12T09:32:00.001-06:00

Hopefully everyone is familiar with all the tutorials, or at least know that there are free training tutorials under the help menu in SolidWorks. You dont need internet access but you do need SolidWorks.

Try the Surfaces tutorial and 3d sketching out. Even if you dont use either typically it can broaden your skills and might introduce you to a topic that you should use.

SolidWorks - Help - SolidWorks Tutorials
All SolidWorks Tutorials Set 2

Teaching

2009-06-05T11:42:00.001-06:00

I have been lost in my teaching schedule. I will post some tips next week.

Have a great weekend.

Multi Tip Friday

2009-05-29T08:41:00.004-06:00

Lets cover several tips today.

Dynamic Mirror and quick mirror tip.

Finding More Weldment Profiles

2009-05-27T08:58:00.003-06:00

By Default SolidWorks gives you six standard profiles for weldments.

They also offer a lot more you just have to download them. Check out the video to see how.

Weldment Drawing Tip

2009-05-21T12:56:00.004-06:00

Video for dealing with the drawing. More to follow.

Structural Members, Home Projects, Tubing

2009-05-20T08:24:00.003-06:00

Check out the Weldments Video.

3D Sketching

2009-05-19T08:53:00.003-06:00

Quick how to video on 3d sketching.

Monday Morning Quiz

2009-05-18T08:55:00.002-06:00

How do you create two solids with different depths from one sketch like the picture above?

Check out the Video for the Answer.

Finding your center

2009-05-15T16:35:00.004-06:00

Check out this video (with Audio) for a mate tip.

One Clean Face

2009-05-14T16:17:00.001-06:00

Check out the Video (with Audio) to see a tip that comes in handy for modeling both in solids and surfaces.

Conversions

2009-05-12T10:36:00.001-06:00

For converting units i have found this handy little calculator to be a lifesaver for SolidWorks and Simulation.

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/convert.html

Check out your processes

2009-05-08T11:47:00.002-06:00

Occasionally i have been known to install other things besides SolidWorks, like itunes.

Well, eventually when you start up machine you have all these processes clamoring to do their thing. I like to eliminate this on the start up, freeing my resources for what i want.

Start-Run- type in msconfig

-choose start up tab
-uncheck any thing that you do not want starting with the machine everytime like google toolbars,itunes, or adobe.

It also helps to run a google search on the names if you are questioning their validity.

Clean it Up!

2009-05-07T09:57:00.002-06:00

Do a Disk Defragment and Disk Cleanup weekly (some do it every day).

Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools

1) Disk Cleanup
2)Disk Defragment

You can even schedule these to run automatically with the scheduled tasks found in the system tools.

Graphics

2009-05-06T13:01:00.002-06:00

Running SolidWorks can be a tough thing to do for some machines. Now, i have loaded up SolidWorks on my comadore 64 and done some sweet extrudes- you can load and run SolidWorks on the meagerest of machines but that doesnt mean you will like it. You will crash all the time and loose valuable work time which leads to a return on investment decision to make.

The first and important topic for our discussion is the graphics card. This is crucial! It can make or break your sanity.

Go to http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.html to find your card and check if it is still suitable to run your version of SolidWorks. Then find the drive listed with your card and download it. Installing this driver can make a substantial difference in the performance of your card.

To find what card you own currently you can use the SolidWorks RX to list it for you.

Go to Programs - SolidWorks - SolidWorks Tools - SolidWorks RX

COMPUTER PERFORMANCE

2009-05-05T16:28:00.002-06:00

Getting the most out of your Settings!

Over the next few days I am going to give some hints on maximizing your computers performance in dealing with SolidWorks.

Creating Drawings that Automatically Create Views

2009-04-29T16:12:00.006-06:00

Start a Drawing.
Under Insert - Drawing View - Predefined

Place a view where you want it on the sheet. Be sure to pick the properties on the left. You can assign what type of view, its scale and if how you would like it displayed (like Hidden lines removed).

Place all the different views that you are sure to want.

Save this Drawing as a drawing template. This will allow it to be used everytime you start a new drawing.

Try it out. It can save a good deal of time.

Task Scheduling Drawings

2009-04-28T16:56:00.002-06:00

You can update Drawings as well as create them if you build a predefined view.

More on predefined views tomorrow.

2009-04-28T16:20:00.002-06:00

Task Scheduling

This tool is terrific for using with Simulation. All you need to do is prepare the study that you have in mind and let the task scheduler run it during hours that you will be away from the computer freeing you up to work on other things.

You can run multiples as well. Start one study at 7:01pm then the next file at 10:00 pm.

It will run all the studies in each file.

Task Sheduler

2009-04-24T14:00:00.005-06:00

If you find that you dont have enough time during the day to print, run simulation studies, create edrawings, update files and other tasks. You can let the Task scheduler do it for you.
I will post more on Monday to talk about how it works.

Quck View Assemblies and Drawings

2009-04-24T13:22:00.008-06:00

When opening substantial drawings or assemblies you will be given the chance to smell one of the most prolific odors. You will be ushered into the mighty garden of frustration!

Enjoy!

Well, if you ever would like to skip this step and just open the drawing or assembly for viewing purposes, just use quickview.

Comparing Drawings

2009-04-22T09:43:00.001-06:00

Have you ever needed a quick check to compare a newer version of a drawing versus the old.

Tools-Draw Compare

This handy and simple tool will quickly show any added or missing content.

Creating Planes- Shortcut

2009-04-21T09:04:00.007-06:00

A great shortcut for creating new planes is to select the edge of an existing plane and control + select that plane. Drag where ever you would like the plane or select a point that it can automatically move to.

What are all the Shortcuts?

2009-04-20T09:37:00.003-06:00

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a list of all the existing shortcuts that i could print out and put next to my desk? Well....

Tools- Customize- Keyboard Tab - Only show commands with shortcuts checkbox

Print is also an option.

Meshing Tip- Big Assembly Approach

2009-04-17T09:35:00.004-06:00

Quick Video with Audio.

Meshing 101 - Aspect Ratios

2009-04-15T15:29:00.003-06:00

Lets do some Simulation tips!

Today is a video covering the basics of aspect ratio and why it is important for meshing quality and good results.

Random Patterns

2009-04-10T13:23:00.004-06:00

I like asking my advanced classes if they can think of a fast way to place a cut feature in a bunch of random spots. Usually they throw out a bunch of copying ideas that still feel like too much work.
This is a perfect example of a sketch driven pattern found in your pattern options.

Shown is the plate with hole i want to put in a bunch of random spots.

Start a sketch and put sketch points where you want the new holes.

Find Sketch Driven Pattern.

Choose the sketch with the points as your reference and choose the feature to pattern. It will put the holes accordingly. If you want to change any simply edit the sketch and change where the points are located or delete them entirely.

Animations?

2009-04-09T14:22:00.001-06:00

Ever wanted to learn how to make basic animations or complex ones?

Well, Mike Spens and I made this video a while ago and it is a great place to get started.

Check it out....

http://67.214.236.236/gomedia/webtips/rockstar_animations/rockstar_animations.html

Another Dimension

2009-04-08T14:12:00.004-06:00

Lets talk about some of the less obvious but still useful dimensions.

I have attached 3 minute video with Audio...

Please let me know if Audio is not ideal for you or your work environment.

Focus Loads on a Face

2009-04-06T16:27:00.013-06:00

Our First Simulation tip! Today lets discuss how to focus loads on a face. If you know this one already, stick around for the secret ninja tip at the end.
We would like to load the table above with specific area loadings in simulation. So we go into SolidWorks and sketch the basic areas like so...

Sketch the area then choose -
Insert-Curve-Split Line

Choose the Sketch area and the proposed face but this leads us to the problem of doing all our areas in one sketh. You cant! So what to do?

If we instead choose-
Insert - Features - Wrap- Choose scribe option which will create all the seperate areas from one sketch.

Splitting the face does not cut it but allows selection. Do remember that if you choose all areas like the 5 above then you choose in the force dialog whether the load is distributed or per item.

If YOU WANT TO MAKE THE CUT

2009-04-03T15:34:00.012-06:00

Cutting in SolidWorks is not difficult but something that most users do extremely often. So, it would make sense to know how to do it a couple different ways and how to do it quickly.

Rectangle Method
Line
Plane

Check out the short video to see how.

Mouse Short Cuts

2009-03-31T15:55:00.003-06:00

A few easy short cuts that can be accessed by your mouse are worth posting so here are some.

Middle Mouse Button Pressed + movement of mouse = Rotation

This will rotate the part or Assembly about it's center of mass. *Tip if you middle mouse click on a point or line the part will rotate about this selection.

Control + Middle Mouse Button Pressed = PAN

Shift + Middle Mouse Button Pressed = Zoom

Right Click Hold + Selecting a Part in an assembly = Rotate Specific Component

Rolling Scroll Wheel = Zoom in and out (The zoom direction can be reversed in Options - View)

Remember that pressing the arrow keys will turn your part in 15 degree increments (this is adjustable in Tools - Options - View). *Tip - Shift + Arrow turns by 90 degree increments.

The Mighty S Key

2009-03-19T15:42:00.008-06:00

In 2008 we gained the ability to have a shortcut toolbar next to the cursor at the strike of a button, more specifically the s button. Just strike the s key while in a sketch and you will get this handy customizable toolbar; if you are outside the sketch you have the ability to extrude and do other features.

To customize just right click on the toolbar while it is up and drag anything you might want or even resize it.

For simulation you can add shortcuts as well, such as restrains or forces. Anything that you do often can be a good candidate for the shortcut bar.