Solidworks 2021 Reference Guide

Written for people who are new to SOLIDWORKS or have some experience with it, this guide serves as a reference for the 2021 release. The software is too extensive for any one volume to cover every function, so the author has gathered a broad selection of its tools, features and methods into a single resource.

The material ranges from system and document settings to the program's managers (FeatureManager, PropertyManager, ConfigurationManager and RenderManager), along with 2D and 3D sketching, sketch entities, 3D feature tools, motion studies, sheet metal work, SOLIDWORKS Simulation, PhotoView 360, Pack and Go, 3D PDFs, intelligent modeling methods and 3D printing terminology. An opening chapter introduces the concepts and vocabulary used throughout. Newcomers are advised to read it closely and complete Lessons 1 to 3 of the SOLIDWORKS Tutorials, while readers familiar with an earlier release may skim it or go directly to the section they need. Each chapter offers detailed PropertyManager coverage plus short, self-contained tutorials that show how specific features work.

The book is built around practice. It includes more than 260 models, their solutions and supporting files. Readers learn to create, modify and edit sketches and solid features, and to reuse features, parts and assemblies through symmetry, patterns, copied components, design tables and configurations. It is meant to accompany the online tutorials and help included with SOLIDWORKS 2021, illustrating how different design scenarios and step-by-step procedures come together to produce effective results.

The tutorials draw on the author's own industry experience as well as the knowledge of engineers, department managers, professors, vendors and manufacturers. He works with SOLIDWORKS every day, and his responsibilities extend well beyond creating 3D models.