SOLIDWORKS: Tips & Tricks

Learn new tips for working faster and more efficiently in SOLIDWORKS.

Introduction

• Welcome

Tips and Tricks

• Switching sketch planes
• Using Pack and Go to rename files
• Quick switching between lines and arcs
• Cutting and pasting custom properties
• Custom property links
• Plane mates
• Create a face fillet using hold lines
• Use construction geometry to simplify sketches
• Convert and offset entities
• Dissolve sketch text tool
• Create a flat pattern
• Use the Curve Driven Pattern tool
• Use the Combine command
• Working with the Split command
• Use the Fill Pattern command
• Looking at solid sweeps
• Looking at interference detection
• Checking out virtual sharps
• Using and dimensioning arcs and curves
• Looking at the path length dimension
• Customizing the Command Manager
• Looking at normal cuts
• Creating a fishmouth with two connection points
• Understanding mouse gestures
• Renaming files
• Creating build materials from SOLIDWORKS Explorer
• Checking out Treehouse
• Exporting out of Treehouse
• Pipe coping with surface flatten
• Mouse gesture tips
• SOLIDWORKS Explorer: Renaming files
• SOLIDWORKS Bill of Materials (BOM)
• Treehouse
• Selection set
• Exclude from BOM
• Wrap feature
• Split line tricks
• Creating "custom" custom property names
• Link to thickness
• FeatureManager search
• Selection tricks
• Using the Tab key to hide and show
• Selection option rotation using the A key
• Enter key for Repeat Last Command
• Power trim tricks
• Recover the popup bar
• Quick reference planes
• Command search
• Drag and drop from search
• Export to DXF/DWG 1:1
• Breadcrumb tricks
• Freehand sketching in Sketch Ink
• Auto Sketch Entities for Sketch Ink
• Sketch Ink Ruler
• Sketch Ink Protractor
• Touch with Sketch Ink
• Freehand markup
• Bounding Box in assemblies
• eDrawings webpage creation
• Treehouse custom properties
• Defeature Silhouette
• Exploded View improvements
• External References for SOLIDWORKS 2019
• Save an assembly as a part
• Interference detection for multibody parts
• 3D textures
• SOLIDWORKS open times
• Arc length
• Reference length
• Zoom to fit tricks
• Create a plane on the end of line
• Trim tool enhancements
• Weldment corners
• Smart patterns
• Sensors
• Shell only one section
• Square spring
• Using equal curvature
• Fun with magnetic mates
• Direct editing: Delete Hole
• Direct editing: Move Face tricks
• Sketching: Disable auto relations
• Using the reload command
• Tricks for saving parts for 3D printing
• Using the Biad to sketch
• Fun with intersections
• Previous Selection
• Select Other
• Change a face from solid to transparent
• Using files from other software packages
• Select Tangency
• Selection Filters: F5 and F6
• Save SOLIDWORKS settings
• Flat Tree View
• Collapse a tree
• Folders in the tree
• Custom views
• Custom views in drawings
• Rotate about an entity
• Normal To
• Zoom to Selection
• Rotate about the scene floor
• Reference triad
• Quickly add sketch relationships
• Lasso Selection
• Zoom to Selection
• Save As with References
• Viewing a part in wireframe
• Close sketch to model
• SketchXpert
• Invert Selection
• Single command per pick
• Derived Sketch
• Pierce vs. coincident
• Reset Dragging
• Feature Freeze
• Importing a mesh body
• Converting to a mesh body
• Opening ScanTo3D mesh files
• Mesh Prep Wizard
• ScanTo3D and Curve Wizard
• Decimate Mesh Body
• Segment Imported Mesh Body tool
• ScanTo3D: Mesh Edit
• Surface From Mesh tool
• ScanTo3D: Surface Wizard
• Using MeshLab
• Simplifying a huge mesh in MeshLab
• 3D textures
• Creating multiple planes at once
• Using surface intersections for complex modeling
• Add hardware to assemblies
• Sketch-driven component patterns
• View multiple drawing sheets at the same time
• Auto-add item quantity to balloons
• Create leaders to point to multiple items
• Move a view from one sheet to the next
• Fix a description that's too long
• Mate parts with Lock Rotation
• Search for options within SOLIDWORKS
• Display objects inside assemblies in different ways
• Specify grain direction
• Create and use reference blocks
• Geometry without in-context references
• Create reference lines for sketches
• Path link dimension
• Use a block as a reference for a part
• Reformat a bill of materials list
• Export a bill of materials list
• Create a reference block in an assembly
• Use properties of drawing notes
• Work with boundary surfaces
• Use boundary surface control points
• How to use the Check tool