Who should I contact regarding SolidWorks queries?

Please contact Solid Solutions.  Their  contact details are as follows:

■Telephone (All Queries):           01 2974440
■Email (Support Queries):           support@solidsolutions.ie
■Fax:                                           01 2930271

■ Address:                                  Solid Solutions Ireland,
                                                      Unit 3, 
                                                      Leopardstown Office Park, 
                                                      Sandyford,
                                                      Dublin 18.

When I try to open the drawings stored on a usb key they will not open. The software keeps telling me that the path is not found.

For SolidWorks to open the drawing It is neccessary to have every part of the drawing saved onto the usb key.

I cannot get the orthographic to come up as the correct elevation, end-view etc. even though i have reset the views in the assembly.

Mate the Front Plane of the first part in the Assembly to the Front Plane of the Assembly. Repeat this for the Top and Right Planes. This will correct the Orthographic Views in the Assembly. >> More detailed instructions >>

How are symbols and graphics inserted into Solidworks?

Symbols, pictures, etc can be saved as images and inserted into Solidworks as Decals. A decal can be inserted in photoworks, If you follow this link it will take you to a set of instructions on our web site and in option  5 “ advanced cad modelling” you  will find details on inserting decals in photoworks. >> http://www.t4.ie/dcg_cad_resources.html >>

How do I create and edit templates?

Click on the following links for the information you require. >> Customizing Drawing Templates - Saving Drawing Templates >>

I modelled my parts and created an assembly. The assembly appeared with a grey colour applied i.e. the colours of the parts did not show up in the assembly.  Opening the assembly with PhotoWorks off does not solve the problem.  How do I overcome this?

  • Right-click on the assembly filename at the top of the Feature Manager tree
  • Select the beach ball icon
  • Use the drop-down arrow to see the colour applied to the assembly – in this case, it is grey
  • Click the grey swatch and the colours will open
  • Note that the Remove Appearance is not available
  • Change the appearance from grey to any other colour, say blue
  • We have now painted a blue colour over the grey colour and the whole assembly will turn blue
  • Click OK
  • The assembly is now all blue
  • Right-click on the assembly filename at the top of the Feature Manager tree again
  • Re-open the beach ball again from the top of the Feature Manager tree
  • Click on the blue colour swatch to open the Appearance Property Manager
  • A new option will appear - this time Remove Appearance is available – clear the colour blue and the grey.  Any colours that have been applied to the assembly are now cleared. 
  • The part colours now appear
  • Save and Rebuild

How do I get a suitable font in SolidWorks to suit my students design?

Within Solidworks there is a large selection of fonts to choose from, if you look at the image below you will see some of the variety available. Make sure to uncheck “use document font” .

General

If I create a drawing and one of the views is a 3D view can I add dimensions to it?

The answer is Yes.

  • Select the 3D view and choose Model Items from the Insert Tab
  • Make the following selections:

  • Choose OK

Appropriate dimensions will be added to this view.

  • If you wish to add further dimensions – add them manually using Smart Dimension.

Is it possible to get a list of the licenses  for SolidWorks (the full version) that we have in use in our school?

Send the SolidWorks serial number and your school roll number by e-mail to info@solidsolutions.ie and ask them to check for you.

How can I remove the SolidWorks logo from the drawing sheet that is being printed?

The SolidWorks logo you refer to is used to distinguish the educational version of the software from the professional version.  T4 cannot offer advice on the removal of the logo as it is part of the academic licensing agreement.
Will SolidWorks 2011 files open in SolidWorks 2009?

No, SolidWorks is not backwards compatible.  Once a file has been saved in SolidWorks 2011, it cannot be opened in earlier versions SolidWorks 2006, unless it is exported as a neutral file (e.g.: as a  parasolid). It is worth noting that all the feature data is lost when importing a neutral file.

How do I make cosmetic threads visible in the graphics area?

Click on Tools, Options, Document Properties.

Open the Detailing page.

Select Cosmetic threads and Shaded cosmetic threads

I am seeking information about a feature in SolidWorks called Flex. I found it in one  of the solidworks tutorials, but it doesn't appear on my features menu.

Click on this link for the information you require: Flex Tool