Learning the Basics - VTAstrobotics/Documentation GitHub Wiki
Contents
Introduction
Where you decide to start is going to be based on your experience level.
- New to CAD or Experience in other CAD softwares
- Already proficient in Solidworks
- Review skills section and prepare for practice part
Note: This is not the time to skip to the end. We will use Solidworks extensively throughout the fall semester. Additionally, we will have a test part the everyone will need to make and get checked before completing the onboarding process. It will test all the skills that should be gained through this onboarding process.
New to Solidworks
If you are like "I have no idea where to start," you should watch (some of) the following videos. These will also help you get CAD/SolidWorks certifications for your resume, which stands out a TON.
- Basic Modeling for Beginners Tutorial with Training Guide
- Basic Modeling for Beginners Pt 2
- SOLIDWORKS Fundamentals: Global Variables
- SolidWorks Certification Exam Guide & Practice Test
- Updated SolidWorks Certification Practice Test
You are of course welcome to try to figure things out yourself, but be warned that SOLIDWORKS' documentation is terrible. Your best bet is to reach out to someone for help instead of getting frustrated by SOLIDWORKS documentation.
The only way to truly get better at solidworks is through practice. Find a tutorial of a part or assembly that looks interesting to you and follow along. These are some of the tutorials that I would recommend.
This whole learning process is up to you, and what you get out of it is up to you. Practice as much as you feel you need to effectively participate on the team. You are not expected to be an expert after this, you will continue to learn throughout the semester.
Skills
At this point you should have the basic tools for modeling in solidworks. This includes:
- Sketch entities - lines, rectangles, circles, arcs, ellipses, centerlines
- Sketch tools - offset, convert, trim
- Sketch relations
- Boss and cut features - extrudes, revolves, sweeps, lofts
- Fillets and chamfers
- Linear, circular, and fill patterns
- Dimensions
- Feature conditions – start and end
- Mass properties
- Materials
- Inserting components
- Standard mates - coincident, parallel, perpendicular, tangent, concentric, distance, angle
- Reference geometry – planes, axis, mate references
If you feel that you don't know any of those skills, make sure you either practice them with an online resource or reach out to a team member before making the practice part.