moron alert : newbee solidworks questions

[bootstrap]

I used to design lots of mechanical devices 15~30 years ago, but have been consumed by electronics and software design for the past 15 years. Now I've got to design about 50 mechanical parts for two devices and apparently ruler, paper, and pencil no longer suffice. People with CNC machines want CAD output files. Gee, I wonder why? At least that much is obvious to me!

So here I am trying to learn solidworks while I design my parts. Nifty software, but it sure looks like a steep if not vertical learning curve... so I hope you guys and gals here will take pity on me and answer some massively stupid questions! Today I start with a few "day one" questions.

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#1: I've got several linear ball bearings in the design and I found and downloaded some CAD files for these parts from the internet. It took me for-freaking-ever to figure out I had to run some oddball macro command on the .swb files to convert them to .swlprt format. Fortunately some of the parts were available in .swlprt format already.

However, now that I've got these parts in a directory on my computer, I can't seem to figure out how to get them into the parts collections... or even what section of the parts collections they belong in. I see 39 gazillion nuts, bolts and all kinds of other goober parts including regular bearings in their parts collections, but no linear bearings. I don't know whether I should be trying to shove these parts in some existing section (somehow I doubt it), or where. I assume these shouldn't be in any collection of my own parts, since these are standard off the shelf parts.

So where should these newly loaded parts go, and how do I get them there?

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#2: I always design with my axis of symmetry along the Z-axis. I have kept this policy on everything from optical design software I wrote, to 3D game engines I wrote, to... well... everything I've written that happens in 3D. Unfortunately, pretty much all these linear bearings as well as some of the other parts I've looked adopted either the X-axis or Y-axis as their axis of symmetry.

2A: So, surely a software app as clever as solidworks must contain a feature somewhere to let me simply swap the axes on a loaded part... right? Please say "of course", then tell me where to find that option. I assume once I exchange the X-axis or Y-axis with the Z-axis I can save the parts and henceforth they'll load with the Z-axis as the axis of symmetry. Right?

2B: The other problem is, I want that 3-axis gizmo in the lower-left corner of the working area to be rotated 90-degrees around the X-axis, so the Y-axis is pointing away and to the right slightly, and the Z-axis is pointing straight up in the air. Surely lots of other people want Z-axis == zenith, right? Everyone knows that makes sense, right? No? Well, either way, how can I tell solidworks to always "start up my way". Or if that's not possible, at least tell me how I can change it each time I start up the software.

NOTE: At least solidworks has a right-handed coordinate system! If it didn't, I'd be asking how to switch that too!

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#3: Obviously I haven't gotten this far yet, but when I do, how do I tell solidworks that the linear bearings are free to slide along the ground hardened shafts once I put those parts together in an "assembly"? I'm guessing most parts stay put when they're assembled into an assembly, right?

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Okay, those are my first stupid questions. Many more will surely follow soon if I'm not chased outta here for being overly stupid and lame.

[keebler303]

#1 I can't really help you, I have only downloaded the native solidworks files to use in my assemblies. It sounds like you are downloading a database of parts or something? I think you can create a new folder in your "toolbox" to keep all of your custom parts. I have never ventured into this so I can't give you any pointers.

#2A You can either rotate your part within the workspace or you can create a new coordinate system and save it with respect to that coordinate system. I agree with your conventions but I have adapted to Solidworks because I like the "front plane" to be like you are looking at a sheet of paper. To get this, you have to have the front plane lie in the x-z plane. The top view lies in the x-y plane.

#2B I think a new coordinate system may be what you want here. You can do lots of customization of this nature. I think its tools>options or tools>customize.

I would encourage you to not worry about what the axes are called and just stick with front, top and right as your three reference planes. It will save you a lot of trouble when you start collaborating with others who are still using the default coordinate system and it really has no effect on how you create your models.

#3 Each mate type constrains the parts in a different way. You have 6 degrees of freedom for each part. 3 rotation, 3 translation. If you mate 2 planes to be coincident or some distance apart, you will fix 3 degrees of freedom. A second coincident mate perpendicular to the first will fix the last rotational degree of freedom and 1 more translational degree of freedom so now you have one degree of freedom left which will allow your block to slide along your rail.

I really cannot stress enough how useful it is to follow through all of the tutorials that come with Solidworks. They hold your hand the whole way and will surely answer many of your questions.

Good Luck
Matt

[rmarchjr]

bootstrap,

Matt is right - suffer through those tutorials.

I thought the same thing when I bought it. 2 weeks and you'll be doing cool stuff, 2 months and you will never use another program. except maybe for building design (2d).

I had the same questions. I am self taught i.e. get a few of the guides it helps alot. Command Guide Totorial for SW2010 was good, the others are too.
I use the following solutions:

#1. SW has 2 basic structures - i.e. file types
sldprt - use only for simple parts which you can use to build assemblies-(RULE OF THUMB) If I can't machine it as drawn its too complex to be a part SO build and asembly instead.
sldasm - assemblies are made from your or other people's parts

Design Intent - you should read a bunch about it now, it will save you tons of time later when you realize that changes are harder or easy depending on wheather your parts & assm. are consistantly built.

Start an assemby
INSERT=> Part
Choose from dir
make sure you checkmark LAUNCH MOVE DIAlogue
You can then move or rotate.
You can always do that again later
To put parts together you will create "MATES"- surfaces that will "magneticly join themselve togther or apart or move or whatever you can think of. All of what MATT said.


#2 You need to create your own "template" so SW loads the defaults you like. i.e. AXIS', Views, anything

open a new file
change anything you want so it looks & acts the way you want.
Units, precision, markers, fonts, everything
NO DRAWING
Then save that files as "prtdot" - part template
"asmdot" - assemby template
"drwgot??" somethin like above for blueprints

It really hard to know what you want until you have played with each for a few hours.

I think you'll really be happy if you do the tutorial in the Help menu.

Good Luck, you will be blown away in a month or two.