SolidWork 2013 - Different Menus And ToolBar

MENU BAR AND SolidWorks MENUS

In SolidWorks, the display area of the screen has been increased by grouping the tools that have similar functions or purposes. The tools that are in the Standard toolbar are also available in the Menu Bar. This toolbar is available above the drawing area. When you move the cursor on the SolidWorks logo at the top left corner of the display area, the SolidWorks menus will be displayed as cascading menu. You can also fix them by choosing the push-pin button.

CommandManager

You can invoke a tool in SolidWorks from four locations, CommandManager, SolidWorks menus on top of the screen, toolbar, and shortcut menu. The CommandManagers are docked above the drawing area. While working with CommandManager, you will realize that invoking a tool from the CommandManager is the most convenient method to invoke a tool. Different types of

CommandManagers are used for different design environments. These CommandManagers are discussed below.

Part Mode CommandManagers

A number of CommandManagers can be invoked in the Part mode. The CommandManagers that are extensively used during the designing process in this environment are described next.

Sketch CommandManager

This CommandManager is used to enter and exit the 2D and 3D sketching environments. The tools available in this CommandManager are used to draw sketches for features. This CommandManager is also used to add relations and smart dimensions to the sketched entities.

Features CommandManager

This is one of the most important CommandManagers provided in the Part mode. Once the sketch has been drawn, you need to convert the sketch into a feature by using the modelling tools. This CommandManager provides all modeling tools that are used for feature-based solid modeling.

DimXpert CommandManager

This CommandManager is used to add dimensions and tolerances to the features of a part.

Sheet Metal CommandManager

This CommandManager provides you the tools that are used to create the sheet metal parts. 

Mold Tools CommandManager

The tools in this CommandManager are used to design a mold and to extract its core and cavity. 

Evaluate CommandManager

This CommandManager is used to measure the distance between two entities, add equations in the design, calculate the mass properties of a solid model, and so on.

Surfaces CommandManager

This CommandManager is used to create complicated surface features. These surface features can be converted into solid features. 

Direct Editing CommandManager

This CommandManager consists of tools that are used for editing a feature.

Data Migration CommandManager

This CommandManager consist of tools that are used to work with the models created in other packages or in different environments.

Assembly Mode CommandManagers

The CommandManagers in the Assembly mode are used to assemble the components, create an explode line sketch, and simulate the assembly. The CommandManagers in the Assembly mode are discussed next.

Assembly CommandManager

This CommandManager is used to insert a component and apply various types of mates to the assembly. Mates are the constraints that can be applied to components to restrict their degrees of freedom. You can also move and rotate a component in the assembly, change the hidden and suppression states of the assembly and individual components, edit the component of an assembly, and so on. 

Layout CommandManager

The tools in this CommandManager are used to create and edit blocks.

Drawing Mode CommandManagers

A number of CommandManagers can be invoked in the Drawing mode. The CommandManagers that are extensively used during the designing process in this mode are discussed next.

View Layout CommandManager

This CommandManager is used to generate the drawing views of an existing model or an assembly. The views that can be generated using this CommandManager are model view, three standard views, projected view, section view, aligned section view, detail view, crop view, relative view, auxiliary view, and so on. 

Annotation CommandManager

The Annotation CommandManager is used to generate the model items and to add notes, balloons, geometric tolerance, surface fi nish symbols, and so on to the drawing views. 

Customized CommandManager

If you work on a particular set of tools often, you can create a customized CommandManager to cater to your needs.

 To do so, right-click on a tab in the CommandManager; a shortcut menu will be displayed. Choose the Customize CommandManager option from the shortcut menu; the Customize dialog box will be displayed. Also, a new tab will be added to the CommandManager. Click on this tab; a fl yout will be displayed with Empty Tab as the first option and followed by the list of toolbars. Choose the Empty Tab option; another tab named New Tab will be added to the CommandManager. Rename the new tab. Next, choose the Commands tab from the Customize dialog box. Select a command from the Categories list box; the tools of the corresponding command will be displayed in the Buttons area. Select a tool, press and hold the left mouse button, and drag the tool to the customized CommandManager; the tool will be added to the customized CommandManager. Choose OK from the Customize dialog box.

To add all tools of a toolbar to the new CommandManager, invoke the Customize dialog box and click on the new tab; a fl yout will be displayed with Empty Tab as the fi rst option followed by the list of toolbars. Choose a toolbar from the fl yout; all tools in the toolbar will be added to the New Tab and its name will be changed to that of the toolbar.

To delete a customized CommandManager, invoke the Customize dialog box as discussed earlier. Next, choose the CommandManager tab to be deleted and right-click; a shortcut menu will be displayed. Choose the Delete option from the shortcut menu; the CommandManager will be deleted.

TOOLBAR

In SolidWorks, you can choose most of the tools from the CommandManager or from the SolidWorks menus. However, if you hide the CommandManager to increase the drawing area, you can use the toolbars to invoke a tool. To display a toolbar, right-click on a CommandManager; the list of toolbars available in SolidWorks will be displayed. Select the required toolbar.

Pop-up Toolbar

If you select a feature or an entity and do not move the mouse; a pop-up toolbar

will be displayed.  

Remember that this toolbar will disappear, if you move the cursor away from the selected feature or entity.

You can switch off the display of the pop-up toolbar.

To do so, invoke the Customize dialog box. In the Context toolbar Settings area in the Toolbars tab, the Show on selection check box will be selected by default. It means that the display of the pop-up toolbar is on, by default. To turn off the display of the pop-up toolbar, clear this check box and choose the OK button.

View (Heads-Up) Toolbar

In SolidWorks, some of the display tools have been grouped together and displayed in the drawing area in a toolbar. This toolbar is known as View (Heads-Up) toolbar.

Customizing the CommandManagers and Toolbars

In SolidWorks, all buttons are not displayed by default in toolbars or CommandManagers. You need to customize and add buttons to them according to your need and specifi cations.

Follow the procedure given below to customize the CommandManagers and toolbars:

1. Choose Tools > Customize from the SolidWorks menus to display the Customize dialog box. Alternatively, right-click on a CommandManager and choose the Customize option, which is at the end of the toolbars list, to display the Customize dialog box.

2. Choose the Commands tab from the Customize dialog box.

3. Select a name of the toolbar from the Categories area of the Customize dialog box; the tools available in the toolbars will be displayed in the Buttons area.

4. Click on a button in the Buttons area; the description of the selected button will be displayed in the Description area.

5. Press and hold the left mouse button on a button in the Buttons area of the Customize dialog box.

6. Drag the mouse to a CommandManager or a toolbar and then release the left mouse button to place the button on that CommandManager or toolbar. Next, choose OK.

To remove a tool from the CommandManager or toolbar, invoke the Customize dialog box and drag the tool that you need to remove from the CommandManager to the graphics area.

Shortcut Bar

On pressing the "S" key on the keyboard, some of the tools that can be used in the current mode will be displayed near the cursor. This is called as shortcut bar. To customize the tools in the shortcut bar, right-click on it, and choose the Customize option.