SolidWorks Utilities

SolidWorks Utilities is a set of tools that lets you examine in detail the geometry of a solid model, and make comparisons to other models.

Most tools are located in the Task Pane, which you can pin to keep it available. You must complete Task Pane actions, or close the utility in the Task Pane, to be able to continue.

The following tools are included:

• Compare Documents. Compares the properties of two SolidWorks documents (including two configurations of the same model). You can compare two documents of the same type, or of different types. This utility identifies differences in file properties, document properties, and so on.

• Compare Features. Identifies differences in solid features between two versions of the same part. This utility identifies unique and modified features in both versions of the part.

• Compare Geometry. Identifies geometric differences between two versions of the same part. This utility identifies unique and modified faces in both parts. It also computes the common volume of the two parts (or assemblies) and the volume of material added and material removed.

• Compare BOMs. Compares Bill of Material (BOM) tables from two SolidWorks assembly or drawing documents. The results list missing columns and rows, extra columns and rows, and failed rows.

• Feature Paint. Copies feature parameters (such as depth, size, and so on) from one feature to others that you select.

• Find and Replace Annotations. Finds and replaces text in a variety of annotations for part, assembly, and drawing documents.

• Find/Modify. Lets you find a set of features in a part that satisfy specified parameter conditions, then edit them in a batch mode.

• Geometry Analysis. Identifies geometric entities in a part that could cause a problem in other applications such as finite element modeling or computer aided machining. This utility identifies the following categories of geometric entities: sliver faces, small faces, short edges, knife (sharp) edges and vertices, and discontinuous edges and faces.

• Power Select. Selects all the entities (edges, loops, faces, or features) in a part that meet the criteria that you define. You can specify criteria for edge convexity, edge angle, face color, feature color, feature type, feature name, and surface type.

• Report Manager. Manages reports generated from the Geometry Analysis, Compare Geometry, Compare Features, Compare Documents, Compare BOMs, Symmetry Check, and Thickness Analysis utilities.

• Simplify. Lets you create simplified configurations of a part or assembly to perform analysis.

• Thickness Analysis. Determines thin and thick regions of a part. It also determines the thickness of a part within a specified range of values.

• Symmetry Check. Checks parts for faces that are geometrically symmetric.