Loft creates a feature by making transitions between profiles. A loft can be a base, boss, cut, or surface. By specifying constraints and connection parameters, the desired result can be achieved. Create basic loft feature between two profiles. Refine the shape with a centerline curve, end constraints, and connection points. Select loft profiles and connection points correctly.
Add materials to parts for calculations of mass properties, for use with SOLIDWORKS Simulation, and to modify the appearance of the part. Define the material for a part. Add a custom material to a part. Use configurations to assign different materials to a part.
Use standard mates to constrain the degrees of freedom of components relative to other components or reference geometry such as planes or axes. Learn about standard mate types such as coincident, concentric, and more. Understand how selected entities such as faces, edges, vertices, planes, or axes determines the available mate types.
Create a pattern of one or more features or bodies in one or two circular directions. The circular direction is based on a cylindrical or conical face, a circular or linear edge, centerline or axis. Spacing of instances can be controlled in different ways. Create circular patterns of existing features. Vary spacing and range.
Create ellipses and slots as entities in a sketch. Learn about the variety of tools you can use to create ellipses and slots. Understand when you might choose the different ellipse and slot tools based on points in the center or along the perimeter of the ellipse or slot.
Use extruded, revolved, and swept surfaces to create geometry. Trim, extend, knit, and thicken the surfaces to finish the thin-walled model. Extrude a sketch to create a surface. Revolve a sketch about an axis to create a surface. Trim a surface using a sketch or another surface as the trim tool. Sweep an open profile along a path to create a surface. Combine multiple surfaces into a single body using knit surfaces. Thicken a surface body to create a solid body.
Use Volume features to recognize geometry that does not match any other feature type. The volume feature can be replaced with a standard SOLIDWORKS feature. Recognize volume features. Recognize boss and cut revolve features. Use the Up To Face option with cut extrudes. Replace volume features with standard cut features. Edit the mapped features.
Create a sheet metal part of constant wall thickness using sheet metal features. Explore the fundamentals of creating sheet metal parts using the flange method. Create a base flange in a sheet metal part. Understand the use of gauge tables and sheet metal options. Flatten a sheet metal part.
Control the conversion of imported part geometry into a SOLIDWORKS feature-based parametric model by converting specific features interactively. Interactively convert feature types. Convert features types that cannot be used with automated methods. Recognize multiple similar features at the same time. Re-recognize geometry and change it to a different type. Add patterns from the list of recognized features.
Discover FloXpress to perform a first pass fluid flow analysis on a model using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Understand some of the assumptions when using FloXpress. Explore the interface of FloXpress. Walk through
Use a boundary surface to fill in gaps between other surfaces. Understand some of the similarities between boundary surfaces, lofts, and filled surfaces. Delete some undesirable geometry from a surface model and fill the gap with a boundary surface.
Use several direct editing techniques for working with imported geometry using surfacing tools. Explore the Delete Face tool, the Delete Hole command, and the Untrim Surface tool. Use the Delete Face tool to remove an unwanted imported geometry feature. Use Delete Hole and Untrim Surface to remove an unwanted imported geometry feature. Convert a surface body into a solid body using the Thicken command.
Hollow out solid bodies using the Shell feature. Apply different wall thicknesses to selected faces. Select multiple faces to be removed in the shelling operation. Understand how the shelling operation affects filleted and rounded edges.
Use the Freeform feature to create organic features by adjusting the outward and inward shape of a face. Modify faces using control curves and control points to create curvilinear designs. Use the Freeform feature to create a shape with an organic feel. Create control curves and control points. Deform a face using control curves, control points, and the triad. Edit a sketch to make the freeform grid follow the shape of the face to be deformed.
A structural member profile is a cross-section of a beam, tube, channel, or other structural member type. Sweeping this profile along segments of a layout sketch creates the structural member\'s geometry. There are full collections of profiles and sizes available for download, and it is also possible to create customized profiles. Learn how to access the additional content for standard structural member profile sizes. Create a custom weldment profile by saving a sketch as a Library Feature Part. Use the Structural Member command to create a structural member from a structural member profile. Use the Locate Profile option to choose a sketch point for aligning a structural member.
Locate and diagnose problems in geometry imported from other CAD software. Then, use surface tools to repair the damaged geometry. Diagnose problems in a model with verification on rebuild, import diagnostics, and check entity. Heal faulty faces using the import diagnostics tool. Delete faulty faces and use various surface tools to re-create the geometry. Display curvature and check the minimum radius of curvature. Delete and replace fillets to create smoother blends. Extend, trim, and knit surfaces.
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.
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.
Diagnose and repair issues with sketches including extraneous geometry, dangling dimensions, and dangling relations. Diagnose problems in a part. Repair sketch geometry problems. Repair dangling relations and dimensions. Use the What\'s Wrong dialog. Edit the plane used by a sketch.
