Solidworks Drawing Views and Associativity

This is a brief overview of Solidworks drawing views and the associativity between parts, assemblies and their drawings.

How to submit an Enhancement Request for SolidWorks

This is a video that demonstrates how to submit an enhancement request for SolidWorks.

Creating CAM with Wrap

Creating Custom Decals

This video shows you how to use custom Decals in SolidWorks 2012. 

Perspective in 3DVIA Composer

This video explains how perspective works in 3DVIA Composer. Depending on whether you zoom in and out with the mouse wheel, or by dragging while holding down the left and right mouse buttons, Composer will either change the Field Of View (FOV) or move the camera position respectively.

SolidWorks Feature Statistics

This video shows how to use SolidWorks Feature Statistics to evaluate how long each feature takes to rebuild so you can make an informed decision about which features need to be modified or suppressed in order to decrease rebuild time.


This file used in this video was supplied by Xped

How to install Multiple SolidWorks versions on one Computer

In this short demonstration by Perry from Solidtec, you will see how to install another version of SolidWorks alongside an already existing version. 

The method used will help keep the file references between the two versions apart. 
Please feel free to comment below.

How to determine the Volume of a Shell Feature in SolidWorks

Demo video that demonstrates how to determine the volume of a shell feature in Solidworks.

How to Activate and Transfer a SolidWorks Stand-alone license

This video explains how to activate and transfer a SolidWorks stand-alone license over the internet.

Creating a SolidWorks Customer Portal account to access free Certification Exams

This video shows you how to create a SolidWorks Customer Portal account, and how to then access vouchers for free SolidWorks Certifications, such as the Certified SolidWorks Professional exam (CSWP). The vouchers are available for anyone with a valid license of SolidWorks (single-use only).

Please note the voucher codes in this video have been obscured.

Sign up for a SolidWorks Customer Portal account for:

1. Software updates
2. SolidWorks Forums
3. SolidWorks Knowledge Base

Below are links for:

SolidWorks Certification information

SolidWorks Certification Center

How to Modify SolidWorks Hole Callouts

This video shows you how to modify the Hole Callout formats when adding callouts to holes in your drawing documents.

For a list of all Hole Callout variables, refer to the Help file.

How to model a Spiral Staircase

How to use SolidWorks RX

SolidWorks RX is a diagnostic utility that you can use to record a video of an issue you may be having in SolidWorks. Apart from capturing a video of the cause of the problem, RX also captures information regarding your system including SolidWorks and Windows log files that can help determine the cause of a problem.

1. Save all open SolidWorks documents and close SolidWorks
2. Start Menu >> All Programs >> SolidWorks 20XX >> SolidWorks Tools >> SolidWorks RX
3. Problem Capture >> Record video
4. Show all steps to recreate the problem
5. Once finished, close SolidWorks (if it does not crash)
6. In SolidWorks RX >> Describe the problem (minimal detail is fine)
7. Add any relevant files with the Add Files button
8. Package Files
9. Email the ZIP file to your support engineer

If you cannot reproduce your error on demand – i.e. SolidWorks is crashing often, but randomly, start RX directly after SolidWorks has crashed (do NOT start SolidWorks up again). You can then skip steps 3 - 5 and when you package the files, RX will capture the last Journal file which should explain the cause of the crash.

Be aware that the Problem Capture page looks a bit different from version to version, but the process is generally the same.

Total cost of cutlists

Solidworks Mass Properties And Solid Body's

When designing with the intent to determine the mass of your part be careful when your part has solid body's...this can sometimes cause undersirable results...

Printing Drawings in colour using CutePDF

Colour can be used to good effect in drawings to increase clarity - for example by differentiating between dimension lines, model lines and annotations. Under Document Properties, you can assign new annotations to different layers, and assign colours per layer.

However, when it comes time to print, sometimes it’s difficult to get those colours to come through in the printout. Here’s how to do it with CutePDF Writer, a program which emulates a printer in Windows, but creates a PDF file rather than a physical print out.

Firstly, download and install CutePDF Writer: http://www.cutepdf.com/

From your SolidWorks drawing:

1. File >> Page Setup >> set Drawing Colour to Color/Gray Scale >> OK
2. File >> Print... >> select CutePDF Writer as the printer >> Properties >> Advanced (bottom right on the Paper/Quality tab)
3. Graphic >> Image Color Management >> click on ICM Method >> select “ICM handled by Host System” >> OK >> OK
4. Set your other print options and then print. You will be prompted to save the drawing as a PDF file on your computer.

If you are having trouble physically printing a drawing in colour, try printing it to PDF as above then printing the PDF. Alternatively, when printing, select your printer >> Properties, and locate the option that tells the printer to allow SolidWorks to handle the colour. Since each printer driver is different, you may need to refer to your printer manual or the manufacturers website to find the correct option.

Documenting Part Configurations in a Drawing

This video shows you one way to document a number of different part configurations on the same drawing, using Custom Properties to capture the dimensions that change across the configurations, and a BOM in a drawing to display those dimensions.

Using Disc Cloning to minimise computer down-time

If you’re setting up a new computer for SolidWorks, here are some recommendations that may save a lot of hassle in future if you experience any problems. Disc cloning tools create “snapshots” that you can use to revert to at the first sign of trouble. Wikipedia maintains a list of disc cloning software:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disk_cloning_software

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_disk_cloning_software

If you already have your computer set up, and it’s running nicely, you can also make use of disc cloning software to create a restore point for your system.

Firstly, create a Windows partition using disc partitioning software. This partition should contain Windows and Program files only.

All data (SolidWorks files, documents, music, videos, etc.) should be saved to a separate partition. This ensures that if Windows or any programs become corrupt, you can format the Windows partition without affecting your data.

With a fresh install of Windows 7 requiring upwards of 6Gb, plus space for installation of programs (SolidWorks can require up to approx. 7Gb) and the inevitable Windows growth (my current C:\Windows directory is a tad over 20Gb), you should make sure the partition is a minimum of around 40Gb. Thankfully, HDD space is cheap these days.

After the disc is partitioned, install Windows. Once done, create a series of disc “images” using the disc cloning software:

• A fresh Windows install (with latest updates applied, basic drivers, etc.). No user settings or extra software installed.

• All of the above, plus applying user settings, network settings, software (Office, Outlook, etc.). No SolidWorks.

• Above, plus SolidWorks, but with no SolidWorks user settings applied.

You can then set up SolidWorks as you wish and save the settings using the SolidWorks Copy Settings Wizard. These settings should be redone from scratch for each major release (i.e. when upgrading from SW2010 to SW2011) to ensure your SolidWorks registry does not become corrupted.

While heavily compressed, these image files will still be quite large. I would suggest keeping the clean SolidWorks image on your machine for quick access, but also copying all of the images to an external HDD and keeping it off-site for safety.

It is OK to uninstall and upgrade SolidWorks normally, rather than reverting back to the previous image. The idea of the images is to provide various levels of a "clean slate" should there be any particularly stubborn or unresolvable computer issues.

MAKE SURE YOU TRANSFER YOUR SOLIDWORKS LICENSE OFF YOUR MACHINE BEFORE REVERTING TO AN EARLIER IMAGE

It is still a good idea to “rebuild” your machine from the first, clean Windows image on a semi-regular basis, to ensure a continued smooth operation of Windows and SolidWorks. After each rebuild, make sure you create new images of your Windows partition as per the above steps.

Backing up SolidWorks data

How much is your SolidWorks data worth to your business? Chances are it has a significant worth, and this is why backing up that data to insure against loss is so important. Let’s begin by looking at SolidWorks backup options.

Tools >> Options >> System Preferences tab >> Backup/Recover


You can see a screenshot of my suggested backup options above.

Auto-recover

I have this turned off for a number of reasons:

• It gives you a false sense of safety, and means you are less likely to save often
• In the past, it has caused “Failed to save” errors
• It only recovers data if SolidWorks crashes a certain way – not if it freezes, etc.
• The auto-recover data often cannot be opened directly if SolidWorks crashes and does not provide the recover option
• It can save files at inopportune times (in parts with long rebuild times)

Be aware that SolidWorks is working to address these issues, so this recommendation may change in future.

Backup

This feature saves a copy of your files to the specified location every time you save your files (File >> Save or CTRL+S).

Each save will create a new version of the file, up to the number specified – e.g. if number of copies is 5, after saving a file 5 times, the first backup is overwritten. This provides a series of rolling revisions, and means that if you accidentally save a file but then wish to undo some changes, you can recover the previous version (you may need to sort out some file reference issues in doing so).

Change your backup directory to something you can remember and access easily (i.e. not the default directory). If your normal SolidWorks data is saved locally, consider setting the backup directory on a network file server, or vice versa. If you don’t have this option, set the backup directory to save to a different HDD to your normal data drive, in case one drive fails.

I would recommend setting the number of backups to between 3 and 5. You can also clear out files older than a certain time period - I’d suggest between 7 and 30 days. In both cases, the values you choose will be a trade off between the ability to revert back to older files, and HDD space limitations.

Save Notification

The Save Notification option provides a notification in the bottom right corner of SolidWorks after either a time period or a certain number of changes. I prefer the changes option as I often leave SolidWorks open while working on other things. Make sure you get into the habit of saving when you see the notification pop up!

Backing up your data

Once these options are set, you need to consider your data backup plan. Rather than ask how often you should backup, ask yourself (or your boss) how much data they are willing to lose. If you backup once a week, in a worst-case scenario you may have to redo a week’s worth of work.

If you save files to a file server, and the server is maintained by IT staff, the data should already be backed up. You should check how often this happens, and occasionally verify the backed up files are OK – there are endless IT horror stories of “bulletproof” backup plans that failed because, for example, a certain piece of hardware had failed 6 months ago and nobody realised.

If you maintain your own file server, or only save data on your local machine, make sure you have a schedule for regular backups – most backup software can automate this. You can find a comparison of backup software here.

Ideally you should then keep a copy of the latest backup on-site for easy access, plus off-site copies of previous backups, should your office go up in smoke, or your laptop get stolen, etc. In this regard, online backup services can take the hassle out of remembering to take backup media (DVD’s, tapes or HDD’s) home with you every night.

Pierce VS. Coincident sketch relations

This video illustrates the difference between the Coincident and Pierce sketch relations in SolidWorks.