SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD Software

SOLIDWORKS Composer is a powerful content creation tool that enables users to repurpose 3D CAD data to create high-quality graphical assets, including technical illustrations, animations, and interactive 3D content. It is designed to simplify technical communication processes and improve the clarity of product documentation. Below are key features and benefits:

• Key features
  • Quickly generate 2D and 3D content such as exploded views, photorealistic images, vector graphics, and interactive animations directly from CAD data.
  • Produce interactive manuals with clickable parts lists, assembly hierarchies, and step-by-step instructions for enhanced user engagement.
  • Export multiple views or animations in formats like SVG, HTML, PDF, or raster images (e.g., PNG, JPG).
  • Operates as standalone software without requiring a CAD license, freeing up CAD resources for design work.
  • Automatically syncs with CAD data to reflect design changes in real time, ensuring documentation stays accurate throughout the product lifecycle.
• Benefits
  • Start creating documentation early in the design process and update it easily as designs evolve. This reduces reliance on physical prototypes and minimizes rework costs.
  • Clear visuals such as exploded views, animations, and interactive 3D models help convey complex product details effectively to customers, stakeholders, or manufacturing teams.
  • Interactive documents allow end-users to navigate product structures intuitively, improving comprehension for tasks like assembly or maintenance.
  • Useful for marketing materials, training guides, service manuals, and sales tools by leveraging existing CAD data without additional modeling effort.
  • SOLIDWORKS Composer is ideal for manufacturers, technical writers, marketers, trainers, and customer support teams who need to create professional documentation or communicate complex product information effectively.
  • By integrating SOLIDWORKS Composer into your workflow, you can streamline technical documentation processes while enhancing the quality and interactivity of your deliverables.

Working remotely with SOLIDWORKS can be highly effective if you use the right tools and configurations. Here are some key recommendations for optimizing your remote desktop experience:

1. Choose the right remote desktop tool
   • Microsoft Remote Desktop (RDP): A reliable option for local network access, though it may force SOLIDWORKS to run in software OpenGL mode, limiting GPU acceleration.
   • Parsec: Offers low input lag and high responsiveness, making it ideal for CAD applications. It supports GPU acceleration and provides a smooth experience for graphics-intensive tasks.
   • Splashtop: Known for high frame rates (up to 60fps) and low latency, Splashtop is optimized for CAD software and supports multi-monitor setups.
     TeamViewer or Supremo Control: Suitable for general remote access but may not perform as well as Parsec or Splashtop for demanding CAD tasks.
2. Optimize your remote setup
   • Internet connection: Ensure a stable and fast internet connection. A wired Ethernet connection is recommended over Wi-Fi to reduce latency.
   • Graphics settings: Disable unnecessary visual effects in Windows (e.g., Aero theme) to improve performance.
   • Minimize SOLIDWORKS toolbars and hide the task pane to reduce resource usage.
   • Local storage: Copy large files locally to your remote machine rather than accessing them directly over the network to avoid delays during file operations.
3. Licensing options
   • Standalone licenses:
     • Deactivate the license on your office computer and reactivate it on your home PC.
     • Alternatively, enable online licensing (if available) to seamlessly switch between devices without manual activation.
   • Network licenses (SNL):
     • Borrow a license from the SolidNetWork license manager for up to 30 days if you need offline access.
     • Use a VPN to connect to your company’s license server if borrowing is not an option.
4. Use VPNs and PDM efficiently
   • For accessing SOLIDWORKS PDM vaults, set up a VPN connection to your company network. Ensure proper mapping of network drives and open necessary firewall ports (e.g., 25734 and 25735).
   • Consider using PDM’s “work offline” mode when working on files locally to improve performance during remote sessions.
5. Additional tips
   • Schedule large file transfers or operations during breaks to minimize disruptions.
   • Keep communication open with your team to avoid duplicating efforts while working remotely.

SOLIDWORKS Electrical manages data through the following key features:

• Electrical project: Serves as the central repository for all electrical design data, including schematics, panel layouts, and reports.
• Electrical components library: Provides a centralized database of electrical components, including their properties and 3D models.
• Data management: Allows you to version control, check-in/check-out, and collaborate on electrical design data using SOLIDWORKS PDM.
• Automated documentation: Generates comprehensive electrical documentation, such as wiring diagrams, bills of materials, and panel layouts, directly from the design data.

This integrated approach to data management helps maintain consistency, traceability, and efficiency throughout the electrical design process.

The main mechanical mates used in SOLIDWORKS are:

• Coincident: Aligns two faces, edges, or vertices.
• Concentric: Aligns the central axes of two cylindrical or circular faces.
• Distance: Maintains a specific distance between two faces, edges, or vertices.
• Parallel: Aligns two faces or edges to be parallel.
• Perpendicular: Aligns two faces or edges to be perpendicular.
• Tangent: Aligns a face to be tangent to a curved surface.

These mates help you position and constrain components within an assembly, ensuring the desired relationships and functionality.

To perform interference detection in SOLIDWORKS:

• In the SOLIDWORKS assembly, go to the ‘evaluate’ tab and select ‘interference detection’.
• Choose the components you want to check for interference, or select ‘all components’ to scan the entire assembly.
• Configure the detection settings, such as the clearance tolerance and the type of interference to detect (e.g., physical, geometric).
• Click ‘run’ to initiate the interference detection process.
• SOLIDWORKS will highlight any detected interferences, allowing you to address them and ensure the assembly is free of conflicts.

The Hole-wizard feature in SOLIDWORKS simplifies the process of creating holes in your parts and assemblies. Here’s how to use it:

• In the SOLIDWORKS part or assembly, select the ‘Hole-wizard’ tool from the features toolbar.
• Choose the type of hole you want to create, such as a standard, countersunk, or threaded hole.
• Specify the hole parameters, such as size, depth, and location.
• The Hole-wizard will automatically create the hole in the selected part or assembly, saving you time and ensuring consistency.

To set parts to be colored and opaque when editing in SOLIDWORKS:

• In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click on the part you want to edit.
• Select ‘appearance’ and choose the desired color and transparency settings.
• Alternatively, you can use the ‘appearances’ toolbar to quickly apply pre-defined color and transparency settings to the selected part.
• These settings will be maintained while you edit the part, ensuring visibility and clarity during the design process.

To link variables in SOLIDWORKS PDM (Product Data Management) to newly created drawings:

• In the SOLIDWORKS PDM administration tool, define the variables you want to use in your drawings.
• In your SOLIDWORKS drawing, insert the desired variables using the ‘variable’ feature.
• Ensure the variable names match the ones defined in the SOLIDWORKS PDM administration tool.
• When a new drawing is created, the variables will automatically be populated with the corresponding data from the SOLIDWORKS PDM system.

The ‘Pack and Go’ feature in SOLIDWORKS allows you to create a self-contained package of your design data, including parts, assemblies, and drawings, for easy sharing and collaboration. Here’s how to use it:

• In the SOLIDWORKS window, go to file > Pack and Go.
• Select the files you want to include in the package, such as parts, assemblies, and drawings.
• Choose the destination folder for the package and configure any additional options, such as file compression and password protection.
• Click ‘create package’ to generate the self-contained file, which can then be shared with others.

Sheet formats and drawing templates in SOLIDWORKS serve different purposes:

• Sheet formats define the layout and appearance of individual drawing sheets, including the title block, border, and annotations.
• Drawing templates, on the other hand, provide a starting point for new drawings, including the sheet format, views, annotations, and other pre-configured settings.

While sheet formats can be applied to individual drawing sheets, drawing templates allow you to create new drawings with a consistent layout and settings.

To install SOLIDWORKS, follow these steps:

• Ensure your computer meets the minimum system requirements, including the operating system, processor, RAM, and graphics card.
• Download the SOLIDWORKS installation files from the Dassault Systèmes website or your reseller.
• Run the installation wizard and select the components you want to install, such as the core SOLIDWORKS software, add-ons, and language packs.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
• Once installed, activate your SOLIDWORKS license using the provided activation code.