FUNDAMENTALS OF PART MODELING

Learning Objectives
 User Interface and Command Manager
 System Options Points, Lines, Circles & Arcs
 Part Document Template and Document Properties
 Reference Planes and Orthographic Projection
 Create, Modify and Rename Dimensions
 Convert Entities Sketch Tool

User Interface Overview

The following illustrations identify the main elements of the SOLIDWORKS user interface:

1 Menu Bar 6 Selection Breadcrumbs

2 Toolbars 7 FeatureManager Design Tree Filter
3 CommandManager 8 FeatureManager Design Tree
4 ConfigurationManager 9 Status Bar
5 PropertyManager
1 Heads-up View Toolbar 4 Task Pane
2 SOLIDWORKS Search 5 Graphics Area
3 Help flyout menu

CommandManager
The CommandManager is a context-sensitive toolbar that dynamically updates based on the
toolbar you want to access. By default, it has toolbars embedded in it based on the document
type.
When you click a tab below the CommandManager, it updates to show that toolbar. For
example, if you click the Sketches tab, the Sketch toolbar appears.

Use the CommandManager to access toolbar buttons in a central location and to save space for
the graphics area.
To toggle the descriptions and size of the buttons, right-click in the CommandManager and
select or clear Use Large Buttons with Text. This option is also available in Tools > Customize,
on the Toolbars tab.
Sketch Snaps

Each Sketch Snap allows you to automatically snap to selected entities as you sketch. By
default, all Sketch Snaps except Grid are enabled. You can control all Sketch Snaps through
snap options.
Access Sketch Snaps through the Quick Snaps toolbar, the Quick Snaps flyout on the
Sketch toolbar, or the shortcut menu.
Use Sketch Snaps with sketch entities, model edges in parts, assemblies, and drawings.
On sketches with multiple entities, only the current sketch entity displays snaps.
Sketch Snaps Tool Description
End points and Snaps to the end of the following sketch entities: lines, polygons,
sketch points rectangles, parallelograms, fillets, arcs, parabolas, partial ellipses, splines,
points, chamfers, and centerlines. Snaps to the center of arcs.
Center Points Snaps to the center of the following sketch entities: circles, arcs, fillets,
parabolas, and partial ellipses.
Midpoints Snaps to the midpoints of lines, polygons, rectangles, parallelograms,
fillets, arcs, parabolas, partial ellipses, splines, points, chamfers, and
centerlines.
Quadrant Points Snaps to the quadrants of circles, arcs, fillets, parabolas, ellipses, and
partial ellipses.
Intersections Snaps to the intersections of entities that meet or entities that intersect.
Nearest Supports all entities. Clear Nearest Snap, to enable all snaps. Your pointer
does not need to be in the immediate vicinity of another sketch entity to
show inference or snap to that point. Select Nearest Snap, and snaps are
enabled only when the pointer is in the vicinity of the snap point.
Tangent Snaps to tangents on circles, arcs, fillets, parabolas, ellipses, partial
ellipses, and splines.
Perpendicular Snaps a line to another line.
Parallel Creates a parallel entity to lines.
Horizontal/vertical Snaps a line vertically to an existing horizontal sketch line, and
lines horizontally to an existing vertical sketch line.
Horizontal/vertical Snaps a line vertically or horizontally to an existing sketch point.
to points
Length Snaps lines to the increments that are set by the grid, without requiring
display of the grid.
To enable Length Snaps, press and hold Shift while sketching.
Sketch Snaps Tool Description
Grid Snaps sketch entities to the grid’s vertical and horizontal divisions. This is
the only sketch snap that is not active by default.
 If Grid Snap is cleared, it never snaps to grid.
 If Grid Snap is selected:
 Only snaps to grid if Snap only when grid is displayed is selected.
 Always snaps to grid (even if the grid is not displayed) if Snap
only when grid is displayed is cleared.
Angle Snaps to angles. To set the degrees, click Tools > Options > System
Options > Sketch, select Relations/Snaps, and set a value for Snap angle.
 Part Document Template and Document Properties
 Document Templates
Templates are part, drawing, and assembly documents that include user-defined parameters
and are the basis for new documents.
You can maintain many different document templates. For example, you can create:

 A document template using millimeters and another template using inches

 A document template using ANSI and another template using ISO dimensioning
standard

 A template for detached drawings

You can organize and access your document templates by placing them on different tabs in the
Advanced display of the New SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box.
Templates can include settings for such Document Properties as:

 grid spacing

 extension line and break line gap

 balloon bent leader length

 text scale and text display size

 material density

Contents
1. Creating a Template
You can create your own templates to use as the basis for new part, drawing, and assembly
documents
In your template, you can customize document properties such as units of measure and
dimensioning standards. You can include items such as sketches, notes, and features in the
graphics area.
To create a template:
2. Units and Dimension Standard
You can specify the default templates to use for creating new part, drawing, and assembly
documents.
The dialog box appears the first time you open a template. Select from the following lists:
Units:

 IPS (inch, pound, second)

 MMGS (millimeter, gram, second)

 CGS (centimeter, gram, second)

 MKS (meter, kilogram, second)

 Dimension standard: ANSI, ISO, DIN, JIS, BSI, GOST, GB.

In the application, you can change these settings for individual documents and for your
document templates.

 Unit system for individual documents, go to Tools > Options > Document
Properties > Units.

 Dimension standard for individual documents, go to Tools > Options > Document
Properties > Detailing.
3. Default Templates Options
You can specify the default templates to use for creating new part, drawing, and assembly
documents.
The default templates are used when you create new documents from one of the following
dialog boxes:

 New SOLIDWORKS Document (Novice page)

 Welcome
The default templates are also used during operations where the SOLIDWORKS
application creates a new document without prompting you for a template, such as:

 Creating a derived part

 Creating a mirrored part

 Importing a file from another application

 Opening a SOLIDWORKS future version file

 Splitting a part and saving the bodies as parts

To prepare a document template for use as a default, create the template, add it to a
template tab, and specify the template location.

Click Reset to restore factory defaults for all system options or only for options on
this page.
4. Creating Additional Template Tabs
You can create additional tabs to organize custom templates that you create. The tabs
appear on the Advanced page of the New SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box.
When you open a new SOLIDWORKS document, you select a template for that document
in the New SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box. System templates are available, but you
can add tabs for your own templates. Each tab corresponds to a Windows folder.
With custom tabs, you can manage the placement, access, and organization of your
templates:
  Create folders on any drive, including hard drives, floppy drives, or network drives.

 Share the contents of network folders, or restrict access to folders.

 Arrange folder contents to reflect your work environment.

 Document Properties
 Reference Planes and Orthographic Projection
 Reference Planes

You can create planes in part or assembly documents. You can use planes to sketch,
to create a section view of a model, for a neutral plane in a draft feature, and so on.

 Orthographic Projection

Figure 4-27
1. Start a new drawing by clicking the New tool.
2. Click the Drawing icon on the New SolidWorks Document box.
3. Click OK.
The Sheet Format/Size box will appear. See Figure 4-28. Accept the A (ANSI)
Landscape format.

Figure 4-28
4. Click OK.
A drawing template will appear. See Figure 4-29. The template includes a title block,
a release block, a tolerance block, and two other blocks. The template format can be
customized, but in this example the default template will be used. The title block will
be explained in the next section

Figure 4-29
5. Click the Objects tool.
6. Select the object option.
See Figure 4-30.

Figure 4-30

The Document Properties dialog box will appear. See Figure 4-31.

Figure 4-31

7. Click OK.
Figure 4-32 also shows a dimensioned isometric drawing of the L-bracket. The bracket
was drawn in Section 3-3. If you have not previously drawn the bracket, do so now and
save it as L-bracket.
8. Click the View Layout tab.
9. Click the Standard 3 View tool located on the View Layout panel.
See Figure 4-33. The Standard 3 View PropertyManager will appear on the left side of
the screen.

Figure 4-33
10. Click the Browse. . . box.
The Open box will appear. See Figure 4-34.

Figure 4-34

11. Select the L-BRACKET file. A rectangle will appear on the screen representing the
views.
12. Select the L-bracket, and click Open.
Three orthographic views will appear on the screen. They include no hidden lines. The
hidden lines must be added. See Figure 4-35.

Figure 4-35
 Figure 4-35a

Figure 4-35b
13. Click the top orthographic view and select the Hidden Lines Visible tool in the
Display Style box of the Drawing View PropertyManager.
The hidden lines will appear in the top view.
14. Click the right-side view, then click the Hidden Lines Visible tool to add hidden
lines to the right-side view.
Notice in the top and right-side views that there are no centerlines for the hole.
Centerlines are added using the Centerline option found on the Annotation tab. See
Figure 4-36. The circular view of the hole will automatically generate a set of
perpendicular centerlines.
 Figure 4-36

Note the difference between center marks and centerline tools.

15. Click the arrow on the right side of the Annotation panel and select the Centerline
option.
16. Click each of the two parallel lines in the top and side views that define the hole.
The centerlines will appear. See Figure 4-37.

Figure 4-37
Figure 4-38 shows the orthographic views of another object. The dimensions for the
object are given in Figure P4-23. Note the hidden lines in the side view that represent
the Ø30 hole. The right vertical line is continuously straight, whereas the left vertical
line has a step. Why?

Figure 4-38

To move ortographic view

Figure 4-39 shows the orthographic views of the L-bracket generated for Figure 4-37.
The views can be moved closer together or farther apart.

Figure 4-39
1. Move the cursor into the area of the top view.
A red boundary line will appear.
2. Click and hold one of the boundary lines.
3. Drag the view to a new location.

To Create Other Views

The Standard 3 View tool will generate front, top, and right-side orthographic views of an
object. These views are considered the standard three views. Other orthographic views and
isometric views can be generated.
1. Click the Projected View tool
The Projected View tool is one of the View Layout tools.
2. Click the front view and move the cursor to the left of the front view, creating a new
orthographic view.
In this example a left-side view was created. Add hidden lines and centerlines as needed.
3. Click the left view in its new location
4. Press the <Esc> key or click the green OK check mark.
See Figure 4-40.

Figure 4-40
5. Use the Centerline tool to add a centerline to the hole in the left-side view
6. Click the Projected View tool and click the front view again
7. Move the cursor to the right and upward
An isometric view will appear
8. Click the isometric view in its new location.
9. Press the <Esc> key or click the green OK check mark.
 Creating Angular Dimensions Between Two Lines

1. In an open sketch, click Smart Dimension (Dimensions/Relations toolbar) or.Tools

> Dimensions > Smart.
2. Click one line.
3. Click the second line.
4. Move the pointer to show the angular dimension preview.
5. Set the value in the Modify box and click .
6. Click to place the dimension.

To specify configurations affected by a change in dimensions

1. Select the Dimension View in the Equations dialog box.
2. Edit the Value/Equations field for the dimension.

If the dimension applies to more than one configuration, a configuration icon appears
in the row.

3. From the flyout menu, select from the following choices:

 This Configuration
 All Configurations
 Specify Configurations

4. Click OK to close the dialog box

Using Convert Entities

To convert an entity:

1. In an open sketch, click a model edge, loop, face, curve, external sketch contour, set of
edges, or set of curves.

You can also click an entity after clicking the Convert Entities tool.

Examples:
 Select a face to convert the edges of the face.

Select a face, then press Ctrl and select an edge of a loop. The software selects only the
loop.

Select contiguous faces to get an entire outline of the faces. The line segments correspond
to each face.

2. Click Convert Entities (Sketch toolbar) or Tools > Sketch Tools > Convert Entities.

The following relations are created:

On Created between the new sketch curve and the entity, which causes the curve
Edge to update if the entity changes.
Fixed Created internally on the endpoints of the sketch entity so the sketch remains
in a "fully defined" state. This internal relation is not displayed when you
use Display/Delete Relations. Remove the Fixed relation by dragging the
endpoints.

If you are creating a component or feature in the context of an assembly and Do not create
references external to the model is selected in Tools > Options > External References ,
then the sketch relations described above are not created. See Controlling Creation of
External References.
 3. In the PropertyManager, click Select chain to convert all contiguous sketch entities.

You can convert an entity's internal loops or entities of a model face automatically with
the Select all inner loops option of the Convert Entities tool.

4. Click

Convert Entities PropertyManager

To open the Convert Entities PropertyManager:

1. In an open sketch, click a model edge, loop, face, curve, external sketch contour, set of
edges, or set of curves.
2. Click Convert Entities (Sketch toolbar) or Tools > Sketch Tools > Convert Entities.

Entities to Convert

Select Faces, Edges, or Sketch Click a model edge, loop, face, curve, external sketch
Entities to Convert contour, set of edges, or set of curves.

Select chain Converts all contiguous sketch entities.