This lesson contains exercises so you can improve your proficiency with Assemblies before taking the Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate (CSWA) exam.
Use the Property Tab Builder stand-alone utility to build a customized user interface, or ‘tab’, and add file properties. Create Custom or Configuration Properties. Choose from seven different types of controls. Take data from external sources such as text or Excel files.
Use design tables to quickly create many configurations that change the suppression states of components, mates, and assembly features. Also, you can use design tables to configure the dimensions of mates and assembly features. Understand the options when creating a design table. Use data validation to restrict values entered in the design table. Set configuration properties to control new mates and components. Change the configuration of components in the assembly design table.
Use the Physical Dynamics options when moving components to allow realistic interaction between assembly components. Physical dynamics identifies collisions between faces and allows components to push one another when they come into contact. Understand options within the Move Component command. Use the Physical Dynamics option to simulate interaction between components being moved. Understand the limitations of using Physical Dynamics versus a Motion Study. Learn how to troubleshoot issues when using the physical dynamics option.
Exploded views can be created in assemblies to assist in detailing and visualizing components. Learn how to create an exploded view in an assembly. Use the options within the Exploded View command to explode single and multiple components. Understand the options for exploding sub-assemblies. Automate spacing for multiple components in a chain explode step. Learn how to animate explode steps.
Identify interfering components and adjust mates to repair the assembly for the Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional sample exam. Find the center of mass of an assembly relative to a coordinate system. Insert and mate a new component. Use the Interference Detection tool to identify interferences between components.
Create and insert a subassembly into the assembly for the Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional sample exam. Download, insert, and mate components in a subassembly. Change the subassembly from rigid to flexible to move components.
Create assemblies by adding and orienting existing parts in an assembly. Add mates to connect the components. Create a new assembly from a part. Introduce the assembly FeatureManager design tree. Insert components into the assembly. Move and rotate components. Add mates between components.
Use the Interference Detection tool to identify any overlap between parts in an assembly. Clearance between parts can also be detected using the Clearance Verification tool. Use the Interference Detection tool to identify interferences between assembly components. Explore the options available within the Interference Detection tool. Use the Clearance Verification tool to identify clearances between assembly components. Explore the options available with the Clearance Verification tool.
Use the ConfigurationManager to add configurations to an assembly and show two versions of its components. Also, explore the advanced options of configuration properties. Use the ConfigurationManager to add configurations to an assembly. Use the advanced options of the configuration properties to control new components and mates. Create two versions of the assembly to represent different available components.
Explore the various methods for moving and rotating components, including dragging, using the triad, and setting the options in the PropertyManager. Explore the options for detecting collisions between components. Calculate the minimum clearance distance between components. Move and rotate a component by dragging, using the triad, or using the options in the PropertyManager. Identify the clearance between options when moving components. Detect collisions between moving components and other components.
Use bill of materials (BOM) tables to call out the components of an assembly. Bill of materials can be modified in many ways and new table templates can be generated to save customizations. Tabulated bill of materials can list information about multiple configurations within the same table. Create a bill of materials for an assembly. Modify a bill of materials table to add and reorder column. Save a bill of materials as a template. Create a tabulated bill of materials.
Model parts in the context of an assembly, using references to other components to complete the design. The design intent for new parts (sizes of features, placement of components in the assembly, etc.) comes from other components in the assembly. Build a virtual part in the context of an assembly by employing Top-Down assembly modeling techniques. Create features in the assembly context by referencing geometry in mating parts. Understand InPlace mates and external references. Identify external references in the FeatureManager design tree.
Mirror Component creates opposite-hand, but otherwise identical, versions of parts or subassembies. Specify which components are mirrored and which are purely copied (i.e. fasteners, which should not be mirrored). The geometry of a mirrored component changes to create a truly mirrored version, known as an \"opposite-hand\" version. Mirror components about an assembly plane. Create mirrored versions of parts in an assembly. Create opposite-hand versions of parts.
Create a spring using a sweep feature defined in the context of an assembly. Then, animate the spring by adding a linear motor in MotionManager. Create an animation. Model a spring using an in-context sweep. Add a linear motor to stretch and compress the spring. Understand the impact of rebuild errors on animations.
Take advantage of selected global and local settings, techniques, and tips that can lead to faster assemblies. Examine helpful settings in System Options and Document Properties. Understand how to work with large assembly FeatureManager design trees. Learn a few tips to speed up view manipulations.
This is an introduction to some of the assembly techniques that can further reduce the time required to open and edit your large assembly. Learn the advantages of using assembly techniques. Examine some details about each technique. Understand how the testing tool Assembly Visualization can help you find components that need to be simplified.
Compare opening an assembly using each of the three assembly modes: Resolved, Lightweight, and Large Design Review. Discover the differences between each mode. Examine the best use for each mode and how to use them. Understand the options when switching between modes.
Understand the characteristics of a large assembly, how SOLIDWORKS opens an assembly, and what can cause it to slow down. Also, a quick look at some possible solutions. Explore what makes a large assembly. Learn the sequence of steps SOLIDWORKS uses to open an assembly. Discover some common large assembly slowdowns.
Add additional components to the assembly for the Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional sample exam. Download and insert components into the assembly. Add mates to position the components. Move the components using Collision Detection. Measure the angle between two edges.
Replace one component with another in an assembly. Replace selected instances of a component in an assembly with a new part. Optionally, re-attach mates to simplify the insertion of the replacement component.
Create references between parts in the assembly using external references. Understand the difference between in-context and out-of-context external references. Lock, unlock, and break external references to stop the propagation of design changes.
Insert features in an assembly that exist only in the assembly and not the individual part files. Add a Hole Wizard assembly feature. Create an assembly feature cut to act as a section view. Modify the feature scope to determine which parts are affected by the assembly feature.
Select components according to their position relative to assembly envelopes and hide, suppress, or delete the selected components. Utilize assembly envelopes as reference components that are ignored by bills of materials and mass property calculations. Convert components to assembly envelopes. Select components based on their position relative to an assembly envelope. Hide or show components selected using an assembly envelope.