SolidWork 2013 - Measuring Distance Using Measure Tool

MEASURING DISTANCES

SolidWorks allows you to measure the distance of the entities and also view the section properties.

Measuring Distances

Toolbar: Tools > Measure

Menu: Tools > Measure

The measure tools is used to measure perimeter, angle, radius, and distance between lines, points, surfaces, and planes in sketches, 3D models, assemblies, or drawings.

To use the measure tools, you have to invoke the Measure dialog box by choosing Tools > Measure from the menu bar or by choosing the Measure button from the Tools toolbar. When you choose the Measure button, the Measure dialog box is displayed. The name of the document in which you are working is displayed at the top of the Measure dialog box. The current cursor is replaced by the measure cursor.

Using the measure cursor select the entity or entities to measure. The various options in the Measure dialog box are:

SolidWork 2013 - Dimensioning Sketch And Some Advance Technnic

DIMENSIONING THE SKETCH

Toolbar: Sketch > Dimension

Menu: Tools > Dimension

After drawing the sketches and adding the relations, dimensioning is the most important step in creating a design. As mentioned earlier, SolidWorks is a parametric software. The parametric nature of SolidWorks ensures that irrespective of the original size, the selected entity is driven by the dimension value that you specify. Therefore, when you apply and modify a dimension on an entity, it is forced to change its size in accordance with the specified dimension value. The type of dimension that will be applied depends on the type of entity selected.

Linear Dimensioning

Linear dimensions are defined as the dimensions that define the shortest distance between two points. You can apply the linear dimension directly to a line, two points, or two objects.

Aligned Dimensioning

Aligned dimensions are used to dimension lines that are at an angle with respect to the X axis and the Y axis. This type of dimensioning measures the actual distance of the inclined lines.

SolidWork 2013 - Adding Geometric Relation To Sketch

ADDING GEOMETRIC RELATIONS TO THE SKETCH

The geometric relations are the logical operations that are performed to add a relationship (such as tangent or perpendicular) between the sketched entities, planes, axes, edges, or vertices. The relations applied to the sketched entities are used to capture the design intent. The geometric relations constrain the degree of freedom of the sketched entities. There are two methods to apply the relations to the sketch. These two methods are

1. Add Relations PropertyManager

2. Automatic Relations

Adding Relations Using the Add Relations PropertyManager

Toolbar: Sketch Relations > Add Relation

Menu: Tools > Relations > Add

The Add Relations PropertyManager is widely used to apply relation to the sketch in the sketcher environment of SolidWorks.

The Add Relations PropertyManager is invoked using the Add Relation button from the Sketch Relations toolbar. The Add Relations PropertyManager is displayed on the left of the drawing area as soon as you choose the Add Relation button. You can also invoke the Add Relations PropertyManager by right-clicking in the drawing area and choosing the Add Relation option from the shortcut menu.

SolidWork 2013 - Creating Patterns

CREATING PATTERNS

Sometimes, while creating a base feature, you may need to place the sketched entities in a particular arrangement such as along linear edges or around a circle. The tools that are used to create the linear and circular patterns of the sketched entities are discussed below.

Creating Linear Sketch Patterns

CommandManager: Sketch > Linear Sketch Pattern

SolidWorks menus: Tools > Sketch Tools > Linear Pattern

Toolbar: Sketch > Linear Sketch Pattern

In SolidWorks, the linear pattern of the sketched entities is created using the Linear Sketch Pattern tool.

To create the linear pattern, select the sketched entities from the drawing area. Then, choose the Linear Sketch Pattern button from the Sketch CommandManager; the Linear Pattern PropertyManager will be displayed.

Also, the preview of the linear pattern will be displayed in the drawing area. Note that if you have not selected the sketched entities to be patterned before invoking this tool, you will have to select them one by one using the linear pattern cursor. The names of the selected entities are displayed in the Entities to Pattern rollout.

The options in this PropertyManager are discussed below.

SolidWork 2013 - Modifying Tool - How To Move, Rotate, Copy, Past, Scale And Split

Moving Sketched Entities

CommandManager: Sketch > Move Entities

SolidWorks menus: Tools > Sketch Tools > Move

Toolbar: Sketch > Move Entities

The Move Entities tool in the Sketch CommandManager is used to move an entity from one location to other.

To move an entity, invoke this tool from the Sketch CommandManager or select the entities, right-click, and then choose the Move Entities option from the shortcut menu. Remember that this tool will be available only when at least one sketched entity is drawn. When you invoke this tool, the Move PropertyManager will be displayed and you will be prompted to select the sketched items or the annotations to be moved. The options in this PropertyManager are discussed next.

SolidWork 2013 - Modifying Tools - How to Mirror And Use Of Dynamic Mirror Tool

Mirroring Sketched Entities

CommandManager: Sketch > Mirror Entities

SolidWorks menus: Tools > Sketch Tools > Mirror

Toolbar: Sketch > Mirror Entities

The Mirror Entities tool is used to create the mirror image of the selected entities. The entities are mirrored about a centerline. When you create the mirrored entity, SolidWorks applies the symmetric relation between the sketched entities. If you change the entity, its mirror image will also change.

To mirror existing entities, choose the Mirror Entities button from the Sketch CommandManager; the Mirror PropertyManager will be displayed. Also, you are prompted to select the entities to be mirrored. Select the entities from the drawing area; the name of the selected entities will be displayed in the Entities to mirror selection box. After selecting all entities to be mirrored, click once in the Mirror about selection box in the Mirror PropertyManager.The Mirror about selection box will be activated automatically and you will be prompted to select a line or a linear model edge to mirror about. Select a line or a centerline from the drawing area as the mirror line; the preview of the mirrored entities will be displayed. You need to make sure that the Copy check box is selected in the Mirror PropertyManager. If you clear this Copy check box, the parent selected entities will be removed and only the mirror image will be retained when you mirror the sketched entities.

Choose the OK button from the Mirror PropertyManager.

Mirroring While Sketching (Dynamic Mirror Entities)

CommandManager: Sketch > Dynamic Mirror Entities (Customize to add)

SolidWorks menus: Tools > Sketch Tools > Dynamic Mirror

Toolbar: Sketch > Dynamic Mirror Entities (Customize to add)

SolidWork 2013 - Modifying Tool - How to Fillet, Chamfer And Offset

Filleting Sketched Entities

CommandManager: Sketch > Sketch Fillet

SolidWorks menus: Tools > Sketch Tools > Fillet

Toolbar: Sketch > Sketch Fillet

A fillet creates a tangent arc at the intersection of two sketched entities.You can apply a fillet to two nonparallel lines, two arcs, two splines, an arc and a line, a spline and a line, or a spline and an arc. A fillet between two arcs, or between an arc and a line depends on the compatibility of the geometry to be extended or filleted along the given radius.

You can first choose the Sketch Fillet tool from the Sketch CommandManager, and then select the entities to be filleted or select the vertex formed at the intersection of the two entities to be filleted. Alternatively, you can hold the CTRL key and select the two entities to be filleted and then invoke this tool.

When you invoke the Sketch Fillet tool, the Sketch Fillet PropertyManager will be displayed. Next, select the entities; the preview of the fillet with default radius will be displayed. You can drag the fillet preview to resize it to the required radius or set the radius in the Fillet Radius spinner and press ENTER; a fillet will be created and the Sketch Fillet PropertyManager will be displayed even after applying a fillet. This enables you to create multiple fillets in a sketch. If you create multiple fillets of different radii, then all fillets need to be dimensioned individually. To do so, select the Dimension each fillet check box. But if you need to create multiple fillets of same dimension, then it is recommended that this check box should be cleared. If the Keep constrained corners check box is selected, the dimension and geometric relations applied to the sketch will not be deleted. If you clear the Keep constrained corners check box, you will be prompted to delete the relations applied to the corners of the sketched entities to be filleted. Choose the OK button to exit the Sketch Fillet PropertyManager.

SolidWork 2013 - Modifying Tools - How To Trim And Extend

Trimming Sketched Entities

CommandManager: Sketch > Trim Entities

SolidWorks menus: Tools > Sketch Tools > Trim

Toolbar: Sketch > Trim Entities

The Trim Entities tool is used to trim the unwanted entities in a sketch. You can use this tool to trim a line, arc, ellipse, parabola, circle, spline, or centerline intersecting another line, arc, ellipse, parabola, circle, spline, or centerline. You can also extend the sketched entities using the Trim Entities tool.

To trim an entity, choose the Trim Entities button from the Sketch CommandManager; the Trim PropertyManager will be displayed.

The options in this PropertyManager to trim the sketched entities are discussed below.

SolidWork 2013 - Drawing Display Tools And Its ShortCut Key

DRAWING DISPLAY TOOLS

The drawing display tools are one of the most important tools provided in any of the solid modeling software. These tools allow you to modify the display of a drawing by zooming or panning it. In SolidWorks, some of these tools are displayed in the drawing area in the

View (Heads-Up) toolbar.

Zoom to Fit

View (Heads-Up): Zoom to Fit

SolidWorks menus: View > Modify > Zoom to Fit

You can find this tool in the View (Head-up) toolbar. Choose the Zoom to Fit tool to increase or decrease the drawing display area so that all the sketched entities or dimensions are fitted inside the current view. You can also press the “F key” to invoke this tool. Alternatively, double-click the middle mouse button in the drawing area to invoke this tool.

Zoom to Area

View (Heads-Up): Zoom to Area

SolidWorks menus: View > Modify > Zoom to Area

You can find this tool in View (Head-up) toolbar. The Zoom to Area tool is used to magnify a specified area so that the part of the drawing inside the magnified area can be viewed in the current window. The area is defined inside a window that is created by dragging the cursor. When you choose this button, the cursor is replaced by a magnifying glass cursor. Press and hold the left mouse button and drag the cursor to specify the opposite corners of the window. The area enclosed inside the window will be magnified.

SolidWork 2013 - Sketching Lesson