Solidworks Project: Learning the Ropes - Entry #5 - Lesson 1 - Parts

Lesson 1 - Parts - V. 3

This entry is a continuation of the basic theory conveyed in Entry #1, where a 3D model of a pressure plate was created. As stated in Entry #1, the theory being tested in this blog series is based upon the internal tutorial program embedded within Solidworks, which is rumored to be all that is needed to reach intermediate to advanced level understanding of the software, with additional sources only needed for specialized uses or integration with other programs such as Blender for 3D printing. This series will document the progress of a first year engineering student with no prior experience with computer aided engineering design to weigh the theory based on outcomes.

The process demonstrated followed the tutorials presented through the software itself, with no external assistance from other instructional sources.

Entry #5 picks up where Entry #4 left off, continuing to work through the tutorial within SolidWorks entitled “Lesson 1 - Parts.” This tutorial opens with an overview that signposts what should be expected from this lesson once each section is complete:

Setting up a new part document
Creating the base feature
Adding a boss feature
Creating a cut feature
Adding fillets
Adding a shell feature
Editing features
Completed Part

Entry #5 begins the step of Shelling the Part. In Fig. 1, it shows that we are building directly from the last step of Lesson 1 where the new part document was setup and the base figure was created, a boss feature was added, a cut feature was added, and the whole part at that point had fillets added. Entry #5 will cover adding a shell feature, editing features, and completing the part. Once again, SolidWorks is providing a file for those who may not have saved their file from the previous steps.

This section begins with the single most awkward task in this tutorial series so far: rotating the view of the part. Playing with this feature for a few minutes may improve proficiency, though perfectionists should be wary of expecting the rotation to come out as they envision. Fans of the game QWOP may find this step humorous in the same manner.

The rotation doesn’t have to be perfect, and only requires that the back of the part be revealed enough to select the back face of the part.

The tutorial takes a moment to allow the user to explore the Section View feature, which is rather interesting. Once in Trimetric View, selecting Section View results in propertymanager options of which plane the user would like to select. The tutorial instructs the Top Plane to be selected, and the view switches to a flat plane with a double arch and an arrow pointing upwards. The arrow is referred to as the “handle,” and dragging the handle upward reveals more of the part the farther the handle is dragged upward. This step does not seem to actually have any place in the tutorial other than to demonstrate the feature for users to gain familiarity with functions that may prove to be useful in the future. This step completes this section, and indicates a save point.

The next section is Editing Features. As usual, SolidWorks provides a pre-generated part for those who did not save their user-generated part from the prior steps. Fig. 6. Shows the starting point of this section of the tutorial.
Figs 7 & 8 show the before and after of modifying the depth of this part from 30 to 50. Now a more robust looking part, Figs. 9-11 show the next modifications, which start with removing the fillets from the face of the part, and increasing the radius of the fillets of the corners of the part, producing a much more rounded looking part.

The face fillets must be recreated, this time with a new dynamic with the Shell feature already added to the part. This starts with re-ordering the features (layers, for users familiar with Photoshop type programs), simply dragging the “rollback bar” from below the Shell1 feature, to above the Shell1 feature. Once that is complete, the front face of the base is modified to produce a smaller radius for the part. The completion of this step cues a save point.

The final step in Lesson 1 is Adding a Realistic Appearance. Step one presents another tutorial discrepancy in accessing the Shaded view. Skipping this step had no noticeable effect upon the end result. The next step is to add RealView Graphics to the View toolbar where it can be used to assign material options to the part. While engaging in this step, users may want to take a look at the other tools available to be added to the toolbar rather than simply selecting RealView Graphics and being done with it, as there are myriad other tools which may be handy to know about for future use. Once RealView Graphics are added to the toolbar and able to be utilized, the tutorial instructs selecting Chrome Stainless Steel, as pictured in Fig. 13. The results are interesting and worth playing around with different materials in order to see how the other options compare. In Fig. 14, 15, and 16, Carbon Fiber, Wood, and Copper material options can be seen, respectively. Each of these materials have multiple options for fine tuning the exact type of carbon fiber, wood, and copper, to get as close to the desired end result of the part as possible.

This concludes the Lesson 1 tutorial.

In conclusion, the Lesson 1 tutorial offered a very easy to follow process of creating a generic part. This upholds the theory that the internal tutorials allow for proficiency in the program, despite the few hiccups encountered. These hiccups pale in comparison to the standard method of purchasing a new book for each update to a program, presenting a superior method of learning the program regardless of what version a new user begins with. Furthermore, this particular section subtly encouraged more exploration of the program’s tools and functions.

Fig. 1. Shelling the Part: what the model should look like at the start.