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.
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.
Global variables declare a named value that dimensions can be set equal to or that can be used in equations. Equations are mathematical expressions that can define dimension values as well as relate dimensions to each other. Create global variables. Use global variables to set fillet features to be equal radii. Use global variables in equations. Use equations to control dimension values.
Contour selection options allow individual contours to be selected within a sketch. By making use of contour selection techniques, a single sketch can be used to produce multiple features. Use the Contour Select Tool to pre-select contours for a feature. Use the Selected Contours options for a feature to define areas of a sketch to use. Use a single sketch to generate multiple features. Understand the icons displayed when using selected contours and sharing sketches.
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 surfacing techniques to create custom blends where fillets produce undesireable results. Remove unwanted faces from a model using the Delete Face command. Use Face Curves and sketches to create a trimming boundaries. Trim faces to form a clean boundary for the blend. Use the Filled Surface command to create a surface tangent to all adjacent faces. Use Knit Surface to combine the surface bodies in the model. Use Thicken to transform the surfaces into solid geometry.
Create an intersect feature to represent the fluid inside a bottle. Then, use the mass properties tool to determine the volume of the feature you created. Create a configuration to represent the liquid in the bottle. Create a reference plane to represent the fill level of the bottle. Use an intersect feature to model the liquid inside a bottle. Use mass properties to determine the volume of a solid body.
The SOLIDWORKS user interface (UI) can be modified to suit your needs by displaying the tools you use most. You can rearrange the display of toolbars and the CommandManager and add your own keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures. Turn tabs on and off in the CommandManager. Learn how to dock and undock toolbars and panes. Add commands to toolbars. Add keyboard shortcuts. Customize mouse gestures.
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.
