Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals

Solidworks 2006
Fundamentals
Infrastructure
Sketch
Solid Features
Surfaces
Assembly Design
2D Drawing
Design Table & Equation
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Version 1- May07 Written by Dickson Sham
Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals General
User Interface File Name
Menu bar (all
commands)

Feature Manager (to

switch the layout of
toolbars)

Toolbars
Folder for surfaces (commonly-used
(3 hidden inside) Geometry area/ commands only)
Working area
Folder for solids
(one visible inside)

Lights on model

Dimmed features
(hidden)

Specification
Tree (all Global coordinate (never
features stored be changed)
in historical
order) A- 2
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals General

Type of Documents
The common documents are:
A) A part document (. sldprt) , which contains
information how the model is built

B) An assembly document (.sldasm), which

contains the relative positions of components

A
C) A drawing document (.slddrw), which can be a
part drawing or an assembly drawing

C
B

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals General
Display Settings
To improve the 3D surface accuracy:
•Select “Tools->Options...” on the menu bar,
then open the tab page Document
Properties
•Then Select “Image Quality”
•Increase the value for HLR/HLV resolution

To change the background color of the geometry area:

•Select “Tools->Options...” on the menu bar, then open
the tab page System Options
•Then Select “Colors”
•Change the colors of “Viewpoint Background” , “Top
Gradient Color” & “Bottom Gradient Color”
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals General

Change the view with the mouse

A. Rotating enables you to rotate
the model around a point. Click
and hold the middle mouse button, Middle button
then drag the mouse.

B. Panning enables you to move the

model on a plane parallel to the
screen. Press and hold “Ctrl” key,
then click and hold the middle
mouse button, then drag the
mouse.

C. Zooming enables you to increase

or decrease the size of the model.
Press and hold “Shift” key, then
click and hold the middle button,
then drag the mouse up or down.

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Sketch
Create a Sketch
Build a Sketch:-
1. Click “Sketch” Icon

2. Select a plane or a planar face

3. Draw a profile (with lines, curves and/or

centerlines)

4. Add geometrical constraints (relations)

5. Add dimensional constraints & modify the
values

6. Click “Exit Sketch” icon

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Sketch

Toolbars in sketch
Project external
curves/sketches/edges
onto the active sketch

Get the intersection

curve between
“external curves/
sketches/edges/faces”
and the active sketch
plane

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Sketch
Construction Geometry
Construction geometry is created within a
sketch to aid in profile creation. Only
standard geometry will be used for
creating solids or surfaces (Fig.1)

Construction geometry is shown in

dashed format. To convert an element
into a construction element, select it and
activate the option” for construction”.

You can also toggle any construction

elements from construction to standard
by deselecting the option.

Construction geometry

Fig.1

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Sketch

Constraining the sketch

• Dimensional Constraints • Geometrical Constraints

(click the icon, then select the element(s)) (multi-select the two elements by
pressing “CTRL” key and click the icon)

• Perpendicularity
• Length
• Horizontal/Vertical
• Distance
• Concidence
• Angle
• Tangency
• Radius/Diameter
• Symmetry (multi-select the elements on the
both side and then select the centerline)
Remark: To discontinue the command, click
the icon again.

You can also create constraints with other

sketches and 3D elements out of the sketch

To show or hide all geometrical constraints on the

screen, select “View / Sketch Relations”
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Sketch

Color and Diagnostic

1. Blue: Under-constrained
2. Black: Fixed/Fully constrained Case1
3. Red: Over-constrained

Case2
Only case 1 & 2 are allowable. For Size dimensions
case 3, you must fix the error and location
before quitting the sketch mode, dimensions
otherwise a warning message will have been fully
pop-out and you cannot continue defined
until the error is fixed.

Case3
One dimension
is redundant

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Sketch

View Orientation
• By default, the screen is parallel to the
sketch support.

• To making constraints between the sketch

geometry and the 3D element, you may
need to rotate the model into a 3D view.

• To return the default orientation, press

“space” key on the keyboard to activate the
menu of orientation, and then select “Normal
to” (the viewpoint normal to the sketch plane)

We can create a distance

constraint between the circle
centre and the solid edge

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Solids

Solid Modeling
Feature-Based Solid Modeling

Sketch Extrude

Hole

Fillet

If deleting Hole, If deleting Fillet, If deleting Extrude,

Parent and Children Relation we get: we get: we get:

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Solids

Limit Type
Types of limit are :
C B
A
E
A E
B
C
D surface
E
F
G
H

A plane
surface Solid (body)

F G H

A- 13 Extrude in both directions

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Solids
Extrude
A. Extruded Boss/Base (material added
by extruding a sketch)
B. Extruded Cut (material removed by
extruding a sketch)

A B
By default, extrusion start from the
sketch; but it can also start from the
offset direction from the sketch

Define the depth by different modes, e.g.

dimension, up to next, through all, up to surface

You can define the extrusion direction by

selecting a datum plane, a line, a planar
surface, and a straight solid edge.

Extrude in opposite direction

Define wall thickness (optional)

Define the region for

A- 14 “Crossed “ profile
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Solids
Revolve
A. Revolved Boss/Base (material
added by rotating a sketch)
B. Revolved Cut (material removed by
rotating a sketch)

A B

Centerline

LINE

You can change the mode

to Two-Direction or Mid-
plane

You need to draw another straight line along

the centerline so that the profile is closed

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Solids
Sweep
A. Swept Boss/Base (material added by
sweeping a profile along a path)
B. Cut-Sweep (material removed by
sweeping a profile along a path)

A B
Profile Control
- Follow Path
keeping the angle value
between the sketch plane
used for the profile and the
tangent of the path

- Keep Normal Constant

Path
Sweeping the profile while
the profile’s normal is
Profile
unchanged

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Solids
Loft
A. Lofted Boss/ Base (material added by
sweeping one or more planar section curves
along one or more guide curves
B. Cut- Loft (material removed in the same way)
A B
You can drag to
change the
closing point
Section 1 (blue point)

Make the loft

tangent to the Section 2
connecting faces on
start/ finish ends

- You can use an

additional guide
curve to control
sweeping path
If sections do not have
the same number of
vertices, “ratio coupling”
Section 3 will be used by default

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Solids
Hole
A. Simple Hole (circular material removed from the
existing solid);
B. Hole Wizard
Several types of holes are available: Simple,
Tapered, Counterbored, Countersinked, Pipetap)

Click here to define the

position of the hole

Recall the dimensions

for standard screws

Define the depth of the hole You can add “Dimensional”

relations between the hole
A- 18 center and the solid edges
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Solids

Fillets
Fillet (creating a curved face of a constant or variable radius
that is tangent to, and that joins, two faces.)

Click to select Constant Variable Face to

the edge
All round
Radius Radius face

The tangent
edges are also
highlighted by
the system,
Tangent Propagation: a fillet is according to
applied to the selected edge and all “Tangent
edges tangent to the selected edge Propagation”
Without With
Setback Setback

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Solids
Chamfer
Chamfer (removing & adding a flat section from a selected
edge to create a beveled surface between the two
original faces common to that edge.)

Length1
Angle

For Vertex

Two Dimensioning
Modes for Edges
Length2
Length1

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Solids

Draft
Draft (adding or removing material depending on the
draft angle and the pulling direction)

Remark: Neutral plane always Neutral Plane

keeps unchanged after a draft Pulling direction
is created
Top face as
neutral plane

Case 1

Case 2

Side faces to draft

Bottom face as
neutral plane A- 21
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Solids
Other Features
Shell (empty a solid while keeping a given thickness on its sides)

Face to remove Wall thickness

Rib (create a wall by extending an open profile up to limiting faces)

Accepted

A line with two ends, which are not The rib always touches the solid faces, not matter
touching solid faces
Accepted A- 22 how the faces are changed / moved.

Version 1- May07 Written by Dickson Sham

Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Reference Geometry

Reference Geometry
Select “insert / Reference Geometry”, then select

Reference

Select a line and a point

Offset the reference plane

up to a point
Offset by value /
Rotate by value

Select a curve and a point

Select a surface and a point

Obtain the axis of a

cylindrical surface
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Curves
3D Sketch
3D Sketch (Draw a sketch in 3D space; you don’t need to
create a plane before creating a 3D sketch)

Build a 3D Sketch:-
•Click “3D Sketch” Icon

•Draw a profile (with lines, curves and/or axis)

(Remark: if you switch the viewpoint to Front View, the
sketch plane will be “Front Plane”; similar for other
viewpoints)
(Remark: 3D sketch can be a non-planar curve)

•Add geometrical constraints (relations)

•Add dimensional constraints & modify the values

•Click “3D Sketch” icon again to exit

This is a 3D sketch

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Curves

Projected Curve
Sketch onto Face(s) (project a sketch onto a face. The
projection can only be along the normal of the sketch)

Along the normal Limitations:

of the sketch
(1) Only planar sketches can be projected
(2) You cannot select other projection
direction than the normal of the sketch

You can project it onto a face

of a surface or a solid

Sketch onto Sketch (create a curve resulting from the

A 3D resultant
intersection of the extrusion of two curves. )
Curve

The two extruded

surfaces will not
be created after
this command

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Curves
Helix Curve
Insert / Curve / “Helix/Spiral”

Pitch

3 ways to define a helix:

1) Pitch and revolution

2) Height and revolution

Height
Draw a circle on a 3) Pitch and Height
sketch
With Taper (optional)

Spiral Curve
Define Pitch and
Revolution

Draw a circle on a
sketch

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Curves
Composite Curve
Insert / Curve / “Composite”

Simply select the broken curves /edges and click ok

to join them as one.

(A composite curve is then created, representing

this group of curves/edges)

Curve through reference points

Cannot define Control
the direction of point
tangency Create a 3D Spline by defining the control points
Control
point
Limitation: Cannot define the direction of tangency
at a control point.
Control
point Control If you need to control the direction, use “3D sketch”
point

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Surfaces

Extrude
Extrude (create a surface by extruding a profile along a given direction)

If the profile is planar,

the direction will be
its normal by default.
But you can change
it to other direction.

Revolve
Revolve (create a surface by revolving a
planar profile about an axis)

Remark: The axis must be a straight line

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Surfaces

Sweep
Sweep (create a surface by sweeping out a profile along a
path)

Profile
Options
•Profile Orientation
•Additional Guide Curves
•Start /End Tangency
Path

Loft
Loft (create a surface by sweeping two or more section
curves along an automatically computed or user-defined
spine. The surface can be made to respect one or more
guide curves. )

Options
•Additional Guide Curves
•Start /End Tangency
•Centerline
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Surfaces

Offset
Offset (create a surface, or a set of surfaces, by offsetting
an existing surface, or a set of surfaces)

Remark: if Offset value = 0, you

can duplicate the selected
surface

Fill
Fill (create a surface to fill the opening among a number of
boundary segments)

We can specify the desired continuity type

between any selected support surfaces and
the fill surface (Point or Tangent continuous)

The four points must

be tangent-continuous
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Surfaces

Trim Surface
Standard Trim (split a surface by means of a trim tool. The
trim tool can be a surface or a sketch)

Trim Tool ( always keeps unchanged)

Result by
“Standard Trim”
Original Piece to keep

Mutual Trim (trim two or more surfaces)

Trim by a sketch

Result by
“Trim”
Pieces to keep

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Surfaces
Untrim - Surface
UNtrim (patch surface holes and external edges by extending an Surface untrim, select the
existing surface along its natural boundaries) face. Under Options,
select All edges. All
Surface untrim, select
edges are extended to
both left edges and the
their natural boundaries.
inner edge. Under
Options, select Connect
endpoints.

OR

Knit - Surface
Knit (join surfaces as one element)

REMARK: If the resultant

surface hasn’t any open
ends, the enclosed
volume can be
The two original
A- surfaces
32 transformed into a solid
are hidden; a “Knit”
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Surfaces

Surface- Fillets
Same
Fillet (creating a curved face of a constant or variable radius as Solid
that is tangent to, and that joins, two surfaces.)

Constant Variable Face to All round

Radius Radius face

Tangent Propagation: a fillet is applied

to the selected edge and all edges
tangent to the selected edge

Without With
Setback Setback

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Surfaces

Extend (Surface only)

Extend the whole Surface / the surface from an edge

Click the face

The extrapolated
surface is joined
with the original
surface as one Extend by Curvature Trend

Click the edge

Extend Surface along the

tangential direction

This will be a
A- 34 straight edge
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Surfaces
Draft Analysis
Draft Analysis
(analyze the draft angle on a surface/ a group of
surfaces)

STEPS:
1. Select “Tools / Draft Analysis” on the menu bar
2. Select a Direction as “Direction of Pull”
3. Enter a value as A (Angle), e.g 3 deg
4. Click “Calculate” icon

If the big surface has no undercut, it should either all

Green or all Red.
Green: draft > 3deg
Yellow: -3deg< draft <3deg Parting
Red: draft < -3 deg surface/plane

Positive draft

Negative draft
Direction of Pull

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Solids + Surfaces

Cut Solid (with Surface)

Cut with Surface (split a solid with a plane or surface )

Thicken Surface
Thick Surface (add material to a surface in two opposite
directions or in one direction)

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals
Transformation
(Solid/ Surface)
Pattern /Mirror

Features to Pattern
- Select “Hole1” & “Fillet1” on
the tree

Bodies to Pattern
Faces to Pattern - Select the solid body
- Select all faces of the hole

Instance to skip
- Select the bad instance to
skip
A- 37 3 instances
skipped
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals
Transformation
(Solid/ Surface)

Translate, Rotate, Mirror, Scale

Select Insert/Features/ “Move/Copy”, then select
“Translate” or “Rotate”

These commands are

also valid for surfaces
Rotate
Translate

Select Insert/Features/
“Pattern/Mirror”, then select “Mirror” Select Insert/Features/ “Scale”

Mirror Uniform Scale X-Y-Z Individual

A- 38 Scale

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Solids + Surfaces
Face - Replace
Face - Replace (a Boolean operation combining a surface with
a body. This capability adds or removes material by modifying
the surface of the solid.)

The solid face is

Add a surface
on top replaced; Material
Original Solid is added inside
the cover surface

Face - Move
Face – Move (offset, translate, and rotate faces and features directly on solid or surface models. )

Offset Translate Rotate

Original Boss
The radius of the The radius of the
curved face increases curved face remains
A- 39 the same.
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Assembly
Assembly Design
An assembly stores a collection of components (parts or sub assemblies).
The file extension is .sldasm.

Main Assembly

Part

Sub-assembly

Parts belonging to
“Sub-assembly”

Constraints among the parts of

sub-assembly

Constraints between the part

(base) and the sub-assembly

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Assembly
Create a New Assembly
Create a New Assembly by:
- Select File /New / Assembly

Insert existing components

Click “Insert Component” icon
Select the file of the component
Then press “Enter” key to complete (the component will be
“fixed” at the assembly origin)
Or
Click on an empty space in the geometry area (the
component will be placed at that location but it is
still free-to-move)

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Assembly
Move components
Upper Assembly is
activated Component being moved

Remark:
(1)You can only move the components of
the active assembly
(2) To activate an assembly, right-click on
The base is deactivated it and then select “Edit Assembly”

Instant Simulation
Their axes are
coincided

Drag the bucket

by mouse

The base is fixed

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Assembly

Constraints between components

Click the icon “Mate” to define the
constraints between two components

To align the axis onto another axis,

select the corresponding circular
faces and then use “concentric”
mate
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Assembly
Interference check
Click “Interference Detection” icon
Click “Calculate” icon

Check the result on the list

Press “Esc” key on the keyboard to exit

Interference result

The overlapped portion

is highlighted

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals 2D Drawing
Part /Assembly Drawings
We can create a 2D drawing from a part It is unidirectional arrow; 3D can
change 2D, but not vice versa
or an assembly. They have the parent-
and-child relationship; 3D model is the
parent and the drawing is his child. If the
3D model is changed, the drawing will be
changed automatically.

The file extension of Solidworks drawings

is *.slddrw, no matter it is a part drawing
or an assembly drawing.

Same as the assembly file, the drawing

file cannot be opened properly if the
system cannot locate the part/assembly
file.

Wherever when we open the drawing file,

the system will try to locate the parent
part/assembly file to update all the views.

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals 2D Drawing
Create Views
To create a 2D drawing:-
•Select “File/New…” on the menu
•Click “Drawing” and then OK
•Select a template, e.g. A-4 Landscape
•Click “Browse”, the select a part /assembly file

•Then Select “Single View” or “Multiple Views” (Single view – create

views one by one and we can see the preview; Multiple Views – create
many views at one time by highlighting the view icons below)
•If you want to scale down the view to fit it onto the paper, you can use
“Custom size”. But generally, we prefer using a bigger paper to making
the model views smaller.

To change the properties of the 2D drawing:-

•Right-click on the paper and then select “Properties”
•We can now change the paper size and also change the projection
method. (By default, First Angle projection is used. First Angle
projection is commonly used in China, but Third angle projection is
used in United states and Taiwan.)
•(Remark: After the projection method is changed, all existing views will
be updated correspondingly)

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals 2D Drawing
Create Views
To remove all tangent edges on a view: To add or remove curves on a view:
-Right-Click on the view (For dependent curves, projected from 3D)
-Select Tangent Edge/ Tangent Edges Removed -We can only hide the curve that we don’t want to see. We
cannot delete it.
-To hide the curve, right-click on the view and then select
“Hide edge” then select the curve

(For independent curves, created on the view)

- Simply select and delete it.

To show hidden edges on a view: To create a section view:

•Single Click on the view -Double-click the parent view
•Select “Hidden Lines Visible” -Select “ insert/ Drawing View / Section” on the menu bar
on the pop-up window on the left -Pick two points to define the mirror line

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals 2D Drawing
Dimensioning
To Create Dimensions on a view:-
•Click “Smart Dimension” icon
•Select an entity / entities to dimension
•Remark: Type of dimension (distance, length, angle, diameter) is
automatically selected
•To add a tolerance, select the dimension and then change the type of
tolerance, e.g. LIMIT or Symmetric

LIMIT Symmetric

•To add a text before or after the dimension, type in the text before or after
<DIM>

To change the dimension properties of the sheet:-

•Select “Tools /Options” on the menu bar
•Select “Document Properties”
•Select “Detailing / Dimensions”
•Change the arrow style to “closed filled”
•Select “Precision…” to increase/decrease the number of decimal
places
•Select “Detailing /Arrows” to change the arrow size
•Select “Detailing / Annotation Fonts/ Dimension” to change the dimension
font size A- 48
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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals 2D Drawing
Editing Title Block
To edit Title Block:-
-Double-click “Sheet Format 1’ on the tree
(All the views will become invisible, and you can now
select, add or delete any lines on the title block)
-After editing, double-click “Sheet Format1” again to exit

To add a text onto Title Block:-

•Double-click “Sheet Format 1’ on the tree to activate
•Click “Note” icon
•Type in the text
•(You can change the text properties by the toolbar
“Formatting”)
•Click ok to complete
•Drag the text to the desired position
•Double-click “Sheet Format 1” on the tree again to exit

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Solidworks 2006 Fundamentals Parameters
Equations and Design Tables
To Define an Equation to control parameter(s):-
(Use a simple box as an example)
• Height (30) = Length(80) - Width (50)
• Define “Length” and “Width” as the driving parameters,
“Height” as the driven parameter.
• Select “Tools /Equations” on the menu bar
• Click “Add..”
• Double-click the feature to show all related parameters
• Select the driven parameter
• Type ‘’=“
• Select a driving parameter, then type “-”
• Select the other driving parameter, then click ok
• (The equation is added. Now the parameter “Height” is driven
by “Length” and “Width”

To Create a Design Table to control parameter(s):-

• Select “Insert/ Design Table” on the menu bar
• Select “Blank” as source; Select “Block model edits that would
update the design table”; Deselect the below three options
• Click ok to create
• Double-Click on the feature “Extrude1” to show all related
parameters
• Double-Click the parameters to add them into the design table
• Add anther rows of values for these parameters
• Click on empty space to complete
• Select a configuration under “Configuration Manager”
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