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SOLIDWORKS FOR MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING
Beginner and Intermediate level

By

Laith Jaafer Habeeb

Mustafa Ahmed

Ahmed Sadeq
 Acknowledgement

The authors thank Dassault Systems staff on their wonderful software package
and we hope that it spread widely around the world. Solidworks in general is a
mechanical CAD software package that enables controlling various design
parameters of parts and apply them to the assemblies. In addition, Solidworks
provide excellent assembly tools that covers a wide range of complex mechanical
assemblies’ mate methods (standard and advanced techniques). Also package
includes motion and loads simulation on drawing parts or assemblies under
several load types such as mechanical and thermal cases called Solidworks
motion and Solidworks simulation.
 Contents

Chapter one: General description

1-1 Solidworks main screen 2

1-2 Menu and quick access bars 3
1-3 Solidworks contents tree 3
1-4 Heads-up view toolbar 5
1-5 Feature manager design tree 6
1-6 Command manager toolbar 6

Chapter two: Two dimensional sketch

2-1 Sketch relations 11

2-2 Sketch offset 13
2-3 Sketch mirror and dynamic mirror 13
2-4 Sketch pattern 14
2-5 Copy entities 14
2-6 Scale entities 15
2-7 Stretch entities 15
2-8 Split entities 16
2-9 Rotate entities 16
2-10 Extend entities 17
2-11 Sketch fillet/chamfer 17
2-12 Sketch trim 18
2-13 Sketch dimensioning 18
2-14 Rapid sketch 20
Chapter three: Three dimensional parts drawing

3-1 Reference geometry 21

3-2 Extrude boss 23
3-3 Revolve boss 24
3-4 Sweep boss 25
3-5 Loft boss 26

Chapter four: Modifying 3D parts

4-1 Extrude cut 28

4-2 Revolve cut 28
4-3 swept cut 29
4-4 loft cut 30
4-5 Instant 3D 30
4-6 3D mirror 30
4-7 3D pattern 31
4-8 Shell 32
4-9 Rib 33
4-10 Flex 33
4-11 Dome 34
4-12 Applying hatch area to half-sectioned parts 35
4-13 Boolean operations 36
4-14 Hole wizard 37
Chapter five: Drawing sheets

5-1 Drawing sheet displaying 40

5-2 Creating sectional views 40
5-3 Drawing sheet dimensioning 42

Chapter six: Making assemblies

6-1 Assembly methods 44

6-2 Mates types 45
6-2-1 Standard mates 46
6-2-2 Advanced mates 47
6-2-3 Mechanical mates 50
6-3 Copy mate 55
6-4 Assembly exploding 56
6-5 Assembly/part rendering 57

Chapter seven: Advanced solidworks tips

7-1 Three dimensional sketch 58

7-2 Helix/spiral parts 60
7-3 Belt driven pulleys 61
7-4 Utilizing curve tool for sweep command 63
7-5 Advanced swept-cut tip 66
Chapter eight: selective problems

8-1 Two dimensional sketches 69

8-2 Simplified 3D parts 74
8-3 Intermediate 3D parts 78
8-4 Assemblies 88

References 149
 Chapter one: General description

Solidworks 15 is a three-dimensional mechanical design software that

contains several characteristics such as single parts isometric drawing as well
as part standard views and sections on drawing sheet.

Solidworks is a parametric functional program that enables controlling

various design parameters of parts and apply them to the assemblies.
Regardless of the complexity of the item being created, the creation process
is easy and follows the same basic steps. First a sketch is created that is turned
into a base feature. The base feature is then further refined by adding features
that add or remove material from the base feature.

In addition, Solidworks provide excellent assembly tools that covers a wide

range of complex mechanical assemblies’ mate methods (standard and
advanced techniques).

Further advantage of the software, a huge design library provide various

standard designed mechanical parts such as gears, bearings, screws,
washers……, etc., in both ANSI (SI and British unit system) and
miscellanies international standards. The design library contains also various
materials data sheet that contribute in mechanical design parameters analysis

In addition, the software package includes motion and loads simulation on

drawing parts or assemblies under several load types such as mechanical and
thermal cases called Solidworks motion and Solidworks simulation.


1-1 SOLIDWORKS MAIN SCREEN

When starting solidworks, the software gives three drawing choices:

1- Part drawing.
2- Assembly drawing
3- Two dimensional Drawing sheet

When selecting assembly drawing a pre-designed parts should be provided

to begin the assembly as well as specifying drawing sheet option that provide
the main standard views and sections of designed parts and assemblies.

Solidworks part drawing main screen contains several icons and toolbars that
facilitates obtaining desired shapes that includes:
1- Menu bar
2- Solidworks contents
3- Heads-up view toolbar
4- Feature manager design tree
5- Command manager bar Design library
6- Quick access toolbar.


1.2 Menu and Quick Access Bars

Contains the basic solidworks file creating and opening existing files, also
controls the drawings sketch specifications such as lines font, dimensions
style, ……etc., and views the necessary toolbars for drawing completion.

1.3 Solidworks Contents Tree

On the right side of the drawing screen contents tree provides the design
library and the designed parts toolbox. The design library provide
miscellaneous pre-designed parts conducted by several techniques such as
sheet metal forming, molding, routing and so.


The toolbox provides mechanical standard parts such as gears, bearings,
screws, nuts …etc. to enable toolbox contents through Menu bar +Tools +
add ins + Toolbox browser.

Solidworks help icon provides multiple training tutorials for beginners


1.4 Heads-Up View Toolbar

This toolbar located at the top of sketch drawing area used to specify
sketch view characteristics includes:

1- Zoom to fit: enlarge or shrink the sketch according to its dimensions to

fit with screen
2- Zoom to area: enlarge part of the sketch
3- Previous view: return to the last view
4- Sectional view: make temporary isometric sectional view through on of
the sketch main planes which is default location at the middle.
5- View orientation: rotating and zooming the sketch at several directions:
1. Front and rear views.
2. Top and bottom views.
3. Right and left views.
4. Isometric, diametric and trimetric views.
In addition, the view orientation icon divides sketch screen horizontally
or vertically up to four divisions and showing separate view for the
sketch.

6- Appearance: specify material, color and brightness of the part (all or

selective faces)
7- Appearance: specify sketch screen background.
8- Hide /show items: controls the visibility of the assistant sketch items such
as temporary axes, origin point, and sketch relations……. etc.
9- Display style: controls the display style of the sketch shaded or
wireframe.
10- Dynamic annotation view: the annotations will appear only in the
sketch orientation view.


1.5 Feature Manager Design Tree

Located at the left side of the drawing area organizes and describe the
outline of the sketch drawing and modelling steps sequentially.
This tree contains the name of the part/or assembly + the material
specification library (for the hole part only) through right mouse click +
material + edit material.
Also the tree contains the three main drawing planes (front, top and right side
planes) that could be viewed or hided through RMC on plane + hide or show
and also the planes names could be changed through F2 + change name

When applying multi sketching orders, the rollback ruler included in the in
design tree used to return to latest sketch order to the previous one.

1.6 Command Manager Toolbar

Below the menu bar contains the main two and three dimensional sketch
commands, the most important are:

1- The sketch icon: performing the basic two dimensional part sketch.
2- Features icon: converting two dimensional sketch into real three
dimensional part.


3- Surfaces icon: making parts through surface sketching.
4- Sheet metal icon: formation of sheet metal bodies
5- Weldments icon: making parts through welding processes
6- Rendering tools: generating images from part decree
7- Simulation: perform loads and stresses effect simulation on designed
parts.

The above illustrated commands could be showed or hided from command

manager bar through RMC + select (ok)
To generate new command icon RMC + on command manager icon +
customize command manager (CM) + a new empty tab will be showed on
CM + click on commands preferences and drag into new empty tab.

To show solidworks toolbars go to Tools + customize

The command tab within the customize bar can be used to add or remove
icons from toolbars


 Chapter two: Two dimensional sketch

The sketch command contains miscellaneous figures, to load more RMC

(CM) + customize + command icon + drag and drop sketch figure on sketch
toolbar.

The parts basic sketch can be performed through specifying the desired main
sketch plane through RMC (on plane) + normal to + edit sketch.

The solidworks parametric property enables to start and finish the sketch
then applying dimensions to it, while drawing the sketch figure will be
showed in blue color that means it is not full defined in dimensions and its
location from origin point. After applying dimensions through smart
dimension tab in sketch toolbar the sketch figure will be in black color. Now
the sketch is fully defined and ready to be converted into real 3-dim. Part.
The rebuild icon included in menu bar would be useful to fully define the
sketch as well as its main function to complete building whole part.

To specify the sketch dimensions’ units by menu bar options, go to

documents properties + units


2.1 Sketch Relations
One of the most useful tools is defining sketch figures relations such as
the coincident, parallel, tangent…. etc., through click on figure then press
and hold Z- key in keyboard + click on second figure, a property menu will
be appeared on left provide options for the required relation. Also the sketch
relations could be deleted through display/delete relation icon on sketch
toolbar.


To view the sketch relations and temporary axes go to hide/show items tab
in the head-up view toolbar
And click on view temporary axes and sketch relations icons.


2.2 Sketch Offset

The offset tool in solidworks provide multiple option for figures offset
which are:
5. Make base construction: original figure will be dashed.
6. Select chain: selecting sequenced figures.
7. Reverse and Bi-direction: outer or inner offset direction or both of
them.

2.3 Sketch Mirror and Dynamic Mirror

This tool depends on specify mirror line, the difference is the dynamic
mirror operates wile sketch figures instantly.


2.4 Sketch Pattern

Making repetitive sequence for the two dimensional sketch segments

either linear or circular pattern. For the linear the number of pattern numbers
plus the pattern distance in horizontal and/or vertical direction. While
circular requires a selected point (either arbitrary or coincident at a sketch)
for the pattern as well as the pattern degree and the number of times.

2.5 Copy Entities

The copy technique in solidworks implemented in two ways; either
specifying sketch start copy point and end point coordinates in addition to
the copy direction or identifying the displacement in two directions.
The same criteria are adopted for the move entities.


2.6 Scale Entities

This facility enables to enlarge or reduce the sketch segments by a specified

scale with the ability to pattern the scaled sketches up to a specified point.

2.7 Stretch Entities

Performing elongation to a sketch segment starting from specified point

through a limited distance. In any direction. This property should be
performed after fully defining sketch segments.


2.8 Split Entities

Making divisions to any sketch segment by assigning arbitrary points at the

sketch.

2.9 Rotate Entities

Making sketch rotation around a specified point through a limited angle

(positive or negative).


2.10 Extend Entities

Included within trim entities sub-menu this tool makes an extension to a

sketch along a specified direction until it intersects with the nearest one.

2.11 Sketch Fillet/Chamfer

The very common sketch modifies tools that widely used in CAD software.
Fillet can be applied through specifying the intersection point of two line
segments and the fillet radius.
Chamfer can be performed through either setting both chamfer distance and
radius or two chamfer distances (equally or not).

2.12 Sketch Trim

The trim tool used to cut the pluses in drawings, there are five trim methods
in solidworks:
1- Power trim: the most common used trim method through mouse
clicking and dragging at any segment to trim automatically.
2- Corner trim: specifying two segments then cutting the pulses to
perform a sharp corner.
3- Trim inside: cutting segment falls between two other selected ones.
4- Trim outside: similar to trim inside but the pulsed segment is outside
the desired ones.
5- Trim to closest: cutting any segment part to the closet one.

2.13 Sketch Dimensioning

The solidworks dimensioning tool follows a tracking system to prevent

dimensions repeating even they are included indirectly in drawing. Basically
there are four dimensioning methods:


1- Smart dimension: the solidworks will detect automatically the type of
dimension required.

2- Vertical /horizontal dimension.

3- Ordinate dimension: putting dimensions sequentially starting from
origin point horizontally, vertically or inclined.
4- Path length dimension: specifying a path consisted from several sketch
segments to specify its total length (as a chain). This path length could
be changed through double click on its dimension and changing it.

Since Solidworks is a parametric software, it will not allow to make

repetitive dimensions as shown giving an over-defined error.


2.14 Rapid Sketch
Allows sketch plane to be change dynamically.


 Chapter three: Three dimensional parts drawing

The 3-dimensional drawing can be performed through sketching a 2D or

3D sketch on one or more selected planes and apply one or more of the
features command processes to obtain the desired design. The most
common features commands are:

3.1 Reference Geometry

This tool assists in creating arbitrary planes and axes associated with
some features commands.

1- Planes: creating planes can be done through selecting single or

multiple references (either main planes, lines or vertices) and
applying relations with them such as:
8. Perpendicular to a plane or line
9. Parallel to a plane or a surface
10.Coincident at a line or vertex
11.Distance from a plane or a surface.
12.Angle inclination from line or plane.
13.Mid-plane selecting two parallel planes to create on plane
between them.
14.Plane tangent to arc.


2- Axes: an axis line could be created through several methods such as:
15.Two planes intersection
16.Converting lines edges to axes.
17.Making axis passing through two vertices, a line and vertex…….
etc.
18.Making axis through a point and a face plane (normal to it)


3.2 Extrude Boss:

This is the main feature command to convert the 2D sketch into 3D part
through the following steps:
1- Identifying the extrude start from sketch
plane/surface/face/plane/vertex or offset distance from sketch plane
in opposite directions.
2- Giving the extrude end directions 1 &2 through either:
19.Blind (specified distance).
20.Up to vertex
21.Up to surface
22.Offset from surface
23.Up to body
24.Mid plane (the sketch will be extruded equally in both linear
directions)
3- Specifying the extrude direction (by lines or axes).
4- For the drafted extrude specifying the draft angle(inward or outward)
5- Specifying the extruded contours (closed regions sketch).
6- For hollow parts the thin-feature tool used to specify the required
thickness and direction.


To modify the extrude RMC the extrude command from the design tree and
select edit feature

the same method is used to modify the sketch.

After applying extrude to a sketch, the convert entities tool in sketch

command bar converts the extruded facer into a sketch, thus additional
feature command could be performed.

3.3 Revolve Boss:

The revolve feature command is to round the sketch around a steady line
(both forming a closed contour) by several ways:

1- Blind (through a specified angle).

2- Up to vertex.
3- Up to surface.
4- Thin feature by adding or subtracting thickness from sketch profile in
one direction or two.
5- Mid plane by identifying and viewing a selected plane and adjusting
the revolve turn angle.


3.4 Sweep Boss:

The sweep is an extrude process of a sketched profile on a plane through

a constant path (a line or an arc…etc.) selected at another plane. Where the
path should be intersected with the profile and normal to it. Sweep has
several options to perform multitasking such as:

1- Orientation/twist type: selecting either following path, keep normal

constant (for constant curved profile) or twisted profile along path.
2- Guide curves: drawing a curve specify profile change at the end.
3- Start/end tangency for the profile with respect to the path.


3.5 Loft Boss

The loft is extruding two sketches (at least) each located on different
plane controlled or not via guide curve. When completing the sketches, same
adjacent point located at each sketch should be selected to perform the loft
or the entire sketches profiles.




 Chapter four: Modifying 3D parts

4.1 Extrude Cut

This command can be performed only to 3D parts through specifying:

1- Drawing sketch to be extruded cut.

2- Specifying extrude cut start and end (same as extrude boss).

4.2 Revolve Cut

The revolve cut is similar to the revolve boss tool by making rounded cut
of a sketch around a constant line with all the options available in the revolve
boss.


4.3 Swept Cut

Making an extrude cutting of a sketch as a profile inside a 3D part through

a specified path, there are two swept cut methods:

1- Profile sweep as mentioned above.

2- Solid sweep: this type is performed through sketching a second
extruded or revolved cylindrical part through a selected tangent path
that intersects the first sketched part.


4.4 Loft Cut

Same as loft boss features except it is performed on a 3D part, sketches

planes should lie through the solid material.

4.5 Instant 3D

An important tool that enables to make instant changes to any extrude

process.

4.6 3D Mirror

The 3-dimensional mirror could be applied to either, featured sketches,

bodies or surfaces through a visible selected plane.


4.7 3D Pattern

There are four types of 3-dimensional pattern including featured sketches,

bodies or faces:

1- Linear pattern: longitudinal direction of pattern by identifying pattern

paths and the pattern times. Noticing that inclined parts cannot make
linear pattern to them.


 2- Circular pattern: selecting a circular pattern reference (as an edge) +
no. of pattern times in addition to the desired patterned feature, part or
face.

The instances to skip tool is used to eliminate pattern sequence times by

clicking at the desired patterned part that will be deleted separately.

3- Curve driven pattern: a sketched curve will be the path of featured

sketch pattern
4- Fill pattern: making linear or circular arrays of sketched features on a
specified part surface such as a cylinder and the selecting the pattern
path direction.

4.8 Shell

Serves to convert the solid bodies to hollow with thickness identified

(such as a bottle). The thickness could be variable for each face. Through
multi-thickness faces icon.


4.9 Rib

The rib tool serves to separate cavities in solid bodies with rectangular
separator as well as adds thin-wall support to a solid body by sketching
separator line and defining rib thickness value and direction as well as
extrusion direction.

4.10 Flex

Making flexes to 3D parts and surfaces through either:

1- Twisting the part along its length by adjusting the twisting angle.


 2- Bending the part from one or both ends with variable bend diameter
with the ability to trim the bended region by a selected distance.
3- Tapering the part into a specified direction with selected tapering ratio.
4- Stretching (elongation) the part.

4.11 Dome

Creating circular dome through selecting circular surface or polygon and

adjusting dome height.


4.12 Applying Hatch Area to Half-Sectioned Parts

The hatch fill area annotation tab is dragged

into the sketch command bar and applied to the
extruded cut area shown after applying converted
entity to the boundary edges. The entire edges are
then selected for the hatch filling area.


4.13 Boolean Operations

1- Combine

Combine one or more sketched 3D drawings through either adding,

subtracting or commonly shared region between the sketched drawings.

2- Join

Join bodies from one or more parts into one part in the context of an
assembly.


3- Intersect

Selecting two or more 3D surface, planes or solids (not merged) to

create intersected volumes by selecting the regions to be excluded
(emitted).

4.14 Hole Wizard

This wizard applies different types of threaded holes by selecting their

positions on the selected surface and identifying their size and depth. To

show their cosmetic thread go to document options + detailing and

clicking on show cosmetic thread.

To make threaded part such as a screw, from menu bar go to insert +

annotations + cosmetic thread and select cylinder edge plus specifying
threaded distance, and thread size.


 Chapter five: Drawing sheets

The drawing sheet file opening option in solidworks start provides

detailed standard views plus 3D isometric view for the pre-designed
parts/assemblies.

It is possible to create part drawing sheet from the solidworks part

drawing main screen through menu bar + file + create drawing from
part/assembly.

The drawing sheet dimensions are specified according to the standard

ANSI standards with sheet format displaying option. A view palette will
be displayed right side the drawing screen displaying several views for
the part that could be clicked and dragged on the screen.


5.1 Drawing Sheet Displaying

The part views displaying style are varying from wire frame (with or
without hidden lines visible) or shaded (with or without edges) with the
ability to change the displaying scale by different custom scales.

5.2 Creating Sectional Views

Another facility can be performed is making real viewed sections along

the standard view through selecting a straight or winded section plane
path in the view layout and dragging the required sectional view outside
the normal view box.


The view layout also provides miscellaneous views facilities such as:

1- Auxiliary view layout for projecting inclined surfaces

2- Detailed view (for small sketched regions)
3- Break view to add break lines to the selected view
4- Crop view to cut a portion of the view and display it only.
5- Broken-out section drawing a spline to make a partial section view.

The half-section view can be performed through selecting half-section

icon from section view tool and selecting half cutting lines directional
options to specify half section layout.


5.3 Drawing Sheet Dimensioning

In solidworks there are two kinds of dimensions, driving (black) and

driven (grey), the driving could be changed.

For part drawing sheet auto-dimensioning go to annotations + model

item + source (entire model) + import items into all views.


To transfer or copy dimension from view to another through clicking the
shift or ctrl icon continuously left mouse button on the dimension.

The driven dimensions could be set using the smart dimension tool.


 Chapter six: Making Assemblies

6.1 Assembly Methods

The assembly of several parts can be optimized by two major methods:

1- The bottom-up assembly method: inserting pre-designed parts

(sketched or available in solidworks toolbox) and applying mate
system among them.

2- The top-down assembly method: in this methods the parts are

sketched inside the assembly file by clicking the new part sketch icon
within the insert component bar and assigning a plane to the sketch,
thus a non-replaceable mate relation will be created between the new
part and the plane normal to it called in-place mate.


First sketched part dragged to the assembly will be fixed by default, to
change right click on part and select float.

6.2 Mates’ Types

The mate command positions two parts relative to each other.

Solidworks 15 contains three major mates’ categories:

1- Standard mates.
2- Advanced mates.
3- Mechanical mates.


6.2.1 Standard Mates

A- Coincident mate: making parts edges, vertices, axes or faces

coincident.
B- Concentric mate: making circular or cylindrical parts has
shared centers.

To apply the above mates to two parts, press the Alt key in keyboard
then click on the desired parts edges, the concentric and the coincident
mates will be created automatically.

C- Tangent mate: circular parts will be tangential

D- Parallel mate: could be applied to rotated parts faces to be
parallel with planes
E- Perpendicular mate: the parts faces will be perpendicular to
each other.


 F- Distance standard mate: part face will be distanced from other
part face or a plane a specified distance.
G- Angle standard mate: makes parts faces mates with a
specified angle in positive or negative value.

6.2.2 Advanced Mates

These kind of mates require initially a pre-configured standard

mate (concentric or coincident). Most important kind of these are:

A- Width mate: centers a tab within the width of a grooved faces,

planar or non-planer parallel faces or drafted faces. The selection
should be made as width selection faces (for one part) and tab
selection (for the other part).

B- Advanced distance mate: an indicated range of movement

(maximum and minimum values) in two directions of a part surface
(float) with respect to the fixed part surface, the two surfaces
should be parallel.


C- Advanced angle mate: making rotational movement for one-part
surface with respect to other (not intersected) through a dedicated
turn angle range (+ve or –ve).

D- Path mate: the moving part will transfer along a specified path on
the fixed part by assigning a vertex on moving part edges.


Note: the path should not intersect a circular or cylindrical face or
surface.

6.2.3 Mechanical Mates

Mechanical mates are used to create mechanisms in an assembly.

Their types are:

A- Gear mate:

Two parts are forced to rotate relative to one another about selected
axes. Valid selections for the axis of rotation (or the pitch circle) this
include cylindrical and conical faces, axes, and linear edges. It is
necessary to make standard mate initially prior to the gear mate.


B- Hinge mate:

Limits the movement between two hinged parts to one rotational

degree of freedom. It has the same effect as adding a concentric mate
plus a coincident mate through two concentric + two coincident
surfaces from each part respectively.


C- Cam mate:

This type of mate makes a cylinder, plane, or point mate

coincidently or tangentially to a series of tangent extruded faces,
such as a cam. You can make the profile of the cam from lines, arcs,
and splines, as long as they are tangent and form a closed loop.


D- Rack/pinion mate:

This mate applies linear translation of one part (the rack) with
circular rotation in another part (the pinion). The mated parts do not
need to have gear teeth.

E- Screw mate:

Constrains two parts to be concentric, and also adds a pitch

relationship between the rotation of one part and the translation of the
other. Translation of one component along the axis causes rotation of
the other component according to the pitch relationship.


F- Universal joint mate:

The rotation of one part about its axis is driven by the rotation of
another part about its axis.


G- Slot mate:

This mate is applied between the slot cavity and the moving body
(for equally slot dimensions) as well as the slot and slot cavity side
faces are parallel or concentric mated, after that selecting one side face
for each part for the slot made.

Four options for this mate relative movement are:

1- Free: making slot body moves freely along slot cavity part.
2- Center in slot: the floating part stay fixed at a specified slot
position but rotates around itself.
3- Distance along slot: moving along a specified distance.
4- Percent along slot: moving with percentage rate of the slot length.

6.3 Copy Mate

If the assembly is composed from several parts some of them

are repeated. The mate would have made between two parts and


copied with its mates by right click + copy with mate then the applied
mates will be displayed with selecting the faces of the parts with the
option to repeat the mates.

6.4 Assembly Exploding

Making disassembly to the parts by dragging each part

separately along on of the standard axes in the draw bench.
To re-assemble the parts, from feature manager design tree right click
on assembly file + collapse.


6.5 Assembly/Part Rendering:

The rendering makes a complete image to the part or assembly

through activating the photo view tool from the command manager
and selecting the rendering tool + edit scene icon and specifying
rendering start point coordinates and apply final rendering command.

 Chapter seven: Advanced solidworks tips

7.1 Three Dimensional Sketch

3D sketch could be useful for obtaining 3D swept shapes by

drawing sketch path in the main coordinate systems XY-YZ-ZX
planes.

To start the 3D sketch path start from the Iso- view and draw 3d
sketch along the XY front plane, to change the plane press the TAB
key in the keyboard and continue the sketch.

Specifying the 3D sketch dimensions is done by applying the smart

dimension tool directly to the sketch segments. Applying relations can
be performed through the CTRL key (same as 2D sketch) method.
Fillets can have obtained by sketch only (not feature fillet).


To draw the 3D sketch profile, specify a drawing plane coincident to
path vertex and normal to the path line then draw the sketch then apply
the sweep.


7.2 Helix/Spiral Parts

The helical parts can be obtained through applying the curve

feature (helix and spiral) application on a pre-sketched circle by
specifying the spiral type definition methods; height and revolution,
pitch and revolution……etc., as well as the spiral helix parameters
values and direction then applying the helix/spiral. The helix cross-
section profile should be identified by applying the planes reference
geometry and coincident to the helix curve and start vertex.


The sweep command is also the governing feature for the helical
shaped parts.

7.3 Belt Driven Pulleys

The moving belt driven pulleys tip is

performed through making first a
complete standard mates (concentric
and coincident) for the base plus the
attached pulleys.


The belt feature is applied through clicking Assembly features +
belt/chain icon within the Assembly command tab.

The driven pulleys belt grooved faces is then selected sequentially

with clicking on create belt part icon. The belt alignment path can be
arbitrarily changed by mouse clicking.

To sketch the belt profile, a geometry plane is added normal to belt

path and coincident at one of path vertices. Then the belt profile is
sketched and the sweep command is performed.


7.4 Utilizing Curve Tool for Sweep Command

The features curve tool provides a fully defined path for the propeller
blade shown.

First the propeller body is extruded with 20 degree draft angle, then a
front view-parallel plane with offset 15 mm is created.


The body extruded face is then converted into sketch at the selected plane and
the blade is sketched. The curve path is sketchedby defining its start and end
points


Then the sweep-twisted type command is applied to the blade and
circullard patterned


7.5 Advanced Swept-Cut Tip

In order to obtain a swept cut holes normal to

solid extended solid body feature and aligned
centrally. First a tangential geometry plane to
the part curved surface is generated, the
outbound cylinders are extruded.


Next the path sketching is performed at second plane coincident to
the circles centers and perindicular to extruded cylinder face.

The path is sketched as shown

The hole is now swepted cut along the path and mirrored around the
front plane


 Chapter eight: selective problems

8-1 Two Dimensional Sketches










8-2 Simplified 3D Parts








8-3 Intermediate 3D Parts













8-4 Assemblies



 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 























































 References

1. CAD lectures, Mechanical Engineering Department, UOT, IRQ.

2. Engineering Design and Graphics with SolidWorks by James D.
Bethune, 2009

Solidworks by Dr. Ashvin Dhunput and Prof. Ahmed Kovacevic.

4. SOLIDWORKS TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL, by Solid

solution Ireland.
5. 3D sketching made easier, by Jason Pancoast.
6. Solidworks advanced level tutorials-part II advanced techniques,
by Paul Tran.
7. Beginners guide to solidworks- level II, by Alejandro Reyes.