Drive a
part
or assembly design using a layout. |
In an assembly, create an assembly layout sketch to
verify
that your components are positioned properly. |
Add parts to an assembly. |
Create a
new assembly from an existing part or assembly, then add components to the
assembly. You can also create a part in the
context of an assembly so you can use the geometry of
other assembly components while designing the part.
The new part is saved
within the assembly file as a virtual component. You
can
save the new part in a separate part file so you can modify it
independently from the assembly.
To learn more about
assemblies, click and complete the Lesson 2: - Assemblies tutorial.
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Manipulate component location,
orientation, and display states. |
Use Move
Component
and Rotate Component
to move assembly
components. See Moving and Rotating Components. Use Display States to specify a separate display mode
(Wireframe, Hidden Lines Removed, etc.) for each component in an
assembly.
|
Control assembly movement and define
the design intent. For example, you can constrain a
shaft to remain concentric to the cylinder in which it moves.
|
Use mate tools to add mate relations that control
the
movement of parts: Standard mates
specify standard mate relations between components, such as
concentric, parallel, perpendicular, and so on.
Gear
mates control the rotation of one component with respect
to another component.
Lock mates maintain the
position and orientation between two components.
Rack
and pinion mates allow linear translation of one
component (the rack) to cause circular rotation in another component
(the pinion), and vice versa.
Limit mates
limit component movement to a specified range.
Width mates center a tab within the width of a groove.
SmartMates automatically add
mates when you drag components into place.
Path
mates constrain a selected point on a component to a
path.
Universal joint mates drive the
rotation of the output shaft of a universal joint by the rotation of
the input shaft about its axis.
Hinge mates
limit the movement between components to one rotational degree of
freedom.
To learn more about mates,
click and complete the Assembly Mates tutorial.
|
Create holes and add fasteners or
components that require other components and features. |
Create
holes for fasteners with Hole
Wizard
, then use Smart Fasteners
to automatically add standard fasteners into the holes.
You can access a
customizable library of standard parts using the SOLIDWORKS Toolbox
Library add-in. Select a standard and the type of part you want to
insert, then drag the component into the assembly. For details, see
Toolbox Help.
Click , and select SOLIDWORKS
Toolbox Library to activate this add-in.
To learn more about
SOLIDWORKS Toolbox, click and complete the Toolbox tutorial.
Create Smart Components that require
the addition of associated components and features such as bolts and
mounting holes. When you insert the Smart Component into an
assembly, you can choose whether or not to insert the associated
components and features.
To learn more about Smart
Components, click and complete the Smart Components tutorial.
|
Build efficient, modular assemblies
using subassemblies. |
See Working with Subassemblies for tips
and links to related topics. |
Create simulations of machine
movement. |
To display machine movement:
- To
verify
how components interact while you
create
an assembly, use the Physical Dynamics option in
Collision Detection. When you drag or rotate a component, it
applies a force to any components it touches, and you view the
motion of assembly components.
- To record and play back a simulation of
movement, use SOLIDWORKS Motion. For details, see Motion Studies Help.
You can
- Create animations of models, such as a rotating
or exploding model with the Assembly Motion level of Motion
Studies.
- Add more physics and realism to your animation
with SOLIDWORKS Motion (available in SOLIDWORKS premium). You
can add Simulation Elements that move components, such as
springs, motors, and gravity, to control and automate motion.
For details, see Motion Studies
Help
To learn more about motion
studies, click and complete the Assembly Motion tutorial.
|
Troubleshoot problems you have when
moving assembly components, such as components that collide. |
Use Interference
detection
to check a file for
components that interfere with each other. A list gives you the names of
the components that interfere and the interference volume. The area of
interference highlights in the graphics area. Use
the Collision
Detection option when you move or rotate components to
detect if multiple components collide.
Use
Clearance
Verification to
verify
the minimum distance between selected components.
If a problem with mates is causing problems with
the assembly motion, use MateXpert to identify mate
problems.
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Maximize performance of large
assemblies. |
Use lightweight components, which loads
only a subset of a model's data in memory. The remaining model data
loads on an as-needed basis. You can also open subassemblies as
lightweight components. Enable Large
Assembly Settings to maximize system
option settings for large assemblies.
Use
SpeedPak
to create a simplified representation of an assembly without losing
references. SpeedPak can significantly improve performance when you
work in large and complex assemblies and related drawings.
Simplify assemblies and vary the assembly design with
component
configurations.
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