- Approach to Modeling Overview
2D CAD systems and the SOLIDWORKS application have fundamentally different approaches. In 2D CAD systems, you design in a 2D environment. In SOLIDWORKS, you design in a 3D environment, and you create 2D drawings based on the 3D model. The first three lessons of the SOLIDWORKS Tutorials cover basic part, assembly, and drawing concepts.
- Types of Models
- Sketching Versus Drawing
In SOLIDWORKS, drawings are the 2D documents that you create from 3D part or assembly models. The tools that are considered drawing tools in 2D CAD software are sketching tools in the SOLIDWORKS software.
- Feature-based Models
Just as an assembly consists of individual parts, a SOLIDWORKS part consists of individual features.
- Types of Files
In SOLIDWORKS, you can open any number of part, assembly, or drawing documents at the same time:
- Glass Box Visualization
In 2D CAD systems, you think of projecting the views of a 3D model onto the sides of a glass box to visualize the 2D drawings. If you have a 2D model, or are designing in 2D, think in the opposite direction. Visualize the 2D drawings folded up onto the sides of the glass box and projected into a 3D model.
- Templates
SOLIDWORKS provides templates for parts, assemblies, and a variety of drawing styles. You can create custom templates by opening existing templates (or any document file), setting options and inserting items (title blocks, base parts, and so on), then saving the documents as templates.
- Parametric Dimensions
In SOLIDWORKS, dimensions drive the model geometry; changing dimensions changes the shape of the model. You can relate dimensions to each other in equations.
- Design Intent
Design intent is how your model behaves when dimensions are modified.
- Configurations
Configurations in SOLIDWORKS allow you to create multiple variations of a part or assembly model within a single document. Configurations are a convenient way to develop and manage families of models with different dimensions, components, or other parameters.
- Exploded Views
In SOLIDWORKS, you can configure assemblies into exploded views, and you can include explode lines.