There is a feature in SolidWorks that is not particularly advertised but which is quite convenient when you don’t know what to do with certain components inside an assembly. It is the ability to make any component inside a parent assembly virtual.
Category Archives: Tips & Tricks
Components Modification
To make a modification to a component, the most logical way is to add some features directly in it and make a drawing to describe the modifications. A note can be displayed to identify the source component. But in the Bill Of Materials, the unaltered component never appears which leads to a high risk of forgetting to acquire it in the first place.
Shared Configuration Files Locations
In a multi-user environment, it is a good practice to share the templates, the sheet formats, the Weldment Profiles, etc… into a network drive. This way, all the users have the same configuration and if something is modified, the change will be immediatly available to everyone. Having things homogeneous improves quality, readability, things are easier to find.
SolidWorks Settings
Sometimes, for unknown reason, you start your SolidWorks and all your preferences are gone, maybe an update went wrong or your SolidWorks crashed badly. Or maybe you just want to share your preferences with someone else to save that person the hassle to set all the links to the templates and other configuration files.
Shared Material Database
When you open a part created by someone else using a custom material that is not in the default library, there is no easy way to copy that material to save it in your own Material Database to edit it or reuse it. I have been told that this enhancement request has been made a while ago but it is still pending…
The only workaround I found is to use a Shared Material Database. It is actually a good practice to have the whole team using the same database for standardization and consistency reasons anyway.
