What is Solidworks?

The basic idea of SolidWorks 2008 is to help engineers design great products. With 3DLib plug-in, hundreds of thousands of model libraries can be directly called, and the design can be completed more conveniently and quickly. It is embodied in the following aspects:

1. Enhance the customer experience:

Improve the stereoscopic display effect. SolidWorks 2008 provides the technology of quickly previewing 3D lightweight models, which further improves the display speed of large-scale assembly models. At the same time, it supports the true 3D display effect on the design interface, which achieves the display effect of the previous dedicated 3D rendering software. Easily edit large assemblies. It is very convenient to select some parts from large assembly for display, editing and motion simulation.

Enhanced SWIFT technology. On the basis of sketch experts, matching experts and feature experts published in SolidWorks 2007, corner experts (automatically generating reasonable rounded corners in complex topological structures), tolerance experts (reasonably distributing tolerances) and large-scale assembly experts (checking whether large-scale assembly is correct) are introduced to help customers produce parts and assembly structures more conveniently. Minimize customers' repeated operations and let users pay more attention to the design itself during use.

2. Help customers design better products:

CosmosXpress was added in the early version of SolidWorks, so that engineers can experience the effect of simulation analysis in the design process. SolidWorks2008 will provide Cosmos MotionXpress (motion simulation analysis), Cosmos FloXpress and DFMXpress (manufacturability analysis) and other modules, so that engineers can better verify the design.

In order to cooperate with engineers to develop 3D models quickly, we can directly call the 3DLib plug-in model library.

In addition, SolidWorks also established SolidWorks Laboratory, which is specialized in cutting-edge research and development. On Labs.solidworks.com's website, four products are provided for readers' experience and feedback.

1)cosmos express Now. This is a network-based simulation and analysis software.

2) Drawing now. This is a web-based drawing and file collaboration software. Designers have control over drawing files, and others can browse and print them online, but they cannot modify them.

3) zoom in. This software can package all kinds of models generated by 3D software, and then make multimedia presentations of products with sound effects.

4) Drawing Navigator. This software provides an advanced search engine, which can search DWG files according to their attributes and geometric features, and can convert drawing files between any Autocad versions.

PDMWorks Enterprise supports multi-site design collaboration, and SolidWorks drawings can be stored in multiple mirror servers to ensure the safety of drawings and documents. This software is a perfect product based on PDM system of Swedish Conisio company acquired by SolidWorks in May 2006. In SolidWorks2008, the product will support the Chinese version.

In addition, Chris also introduced that the online exchange website of 2D drawings and 3D models of parts provided by SolidWorks now supports Chinese.

The largest version of SolidWorks to date includes 250 new functions in the market-leading 3D mechanical design software.

SolidWorks, a well-known supplier of 3D CAD software development, released a new version of 3D mechanical design software that leads the market today. The software has enhanced more than 250 new functions according to user requirements, and its performance is 15 times faster than that of the same medium-sized software. SolidWorks2005 releases the creativity of designers and engineers by greatly improving the large-scale assembly process and automating hundreds of complex tasks, enabling them to design better, more attractive and more popular products in the market, and the time required is only a fraction of that of similar software.

For example, powerful drawing automation enhancements enable designers to create product-level engineering drawings from large components at an unprecedented speed. The new optical drawing tool enables users to create assembly drawings without loading each part into memory. Simply drag and drop a component into the drawing, and the user can generate a 2D drawing with 10,000 components in about10 seconds. Many systems cannot create such a large assembly view. SolidWorks 2005 also enables design engineers to generate a single bill of materials for multiple projects with numerous parts, huge quantity and complex configuration for the first time, which is the key link to speed up design to production. Other important new drawing automation includes automatic numbering, hole summary table and revision tracking table. Save time, improve productivity, make products look better, have better performance and be more popular in the market. No other software can match the performance of SolidWorks. SolidWorks generates engineering drawing annotations 10 times faster than competitor 2D products-which is also an important reason to attract 2D software users to migrate to 3D software.

SolidWorks three-dimensional mechanical design system

-High-quality, easy-to-learn and easy-to-use 3D CAD system.

Powerful function, easy to learn and use, and technological innovation are the three characteristics of SolidWorks, which makes SolidWorks a leading mainstream 3D CAD solution. SolidWorks can provide different design schemes, reduce errors in the design process and improve product quality. SolidWorks not only provides such powerful functions, but also is easy to operate, easy to learn and use, which is suitable for every engineer and designer.

If you are familiar with Microsoft's Windows system, you can basically design with SolidWorks. SolidWorks' unique drag-and-drop function enables you to complete large-scale assembly design in a relatively short time. SolidWorks Explorer is a CAD file manager similar to Windows Explorer, which can be used to manage CAD files conveniently. With SolidWorks, you can finish more work in a relatively short time and put high-quality products on the market faster.

SolidWorks is the simplest and most convenient design process among the three-dimensional CAD solutions currently available in the market. As Daratech, a famous American consulting company, commented: "SolidWorks is the most famous brand and the leader of the rapid market growth among 3D CAD software based on Windows platform."

With unparalleled design functions and easy-to-learn and easy-to-use operations (including Windows-style drag-and-drop, click/click, cut/paste), using SolidWorks, the whole product design can be edited 100%, and the part design, assembly design and engineering drawing are all related.

"Full Dynamic" User Interface

Only SolidWorks provides a complete set of dynamic interface and mouse drag control. The "full dynamic" user interface reduces the design steps and redundant dialog boxes, thus avoiding the disorder of the interface.

A brand-new property manager is used to effectively manage the whole design process and steps. The property manager contains all the design data and parameters, which is convenient to operate and intuitive in interface.

Using SolidWorks resource manager, CAD files can be managed conveniently. SolidWorks Explorer is the only CAD file manager similar to Windows Explorer.

Feature template provides a good environment for standard parts and standard features. Users can call standard parts and features directly from the feature template and share them with colleagues.

The AutoCAD simulator provided by SolidWorks enables AutoCAD users to keep their original drawing habits and make a smooth transition from two-dimensional design to three-dimensional solid design.

structure management

Configuration management is a very unique part of SolidWorks software architecture, which involves part design, assembly design and engineering drawing. Configuration management enables you to derive different parts or components by transforming and combining different parameters in CAD documents.

combine/join forces (with sb)

SolidWorks provides advanced tools that enable you to work collaboratively through the Internet.

CAD files can be easily shared through eDrawings. EDrawings is a special file, which is extremely compressed and can be sent by mail, and can be decompressed and browsed by itself.

Show vivid physical models through 3D hosting websites. Three-dimensional hosting website is a service provided by SolidWorks. You can quickly view the product structure anytime, anywhere.

SolidWorks supports Web directories, which makes it convenient for you to store design data in folders on the Internet, just like storing them in local hard disks.

With the help of 3D conference, we can work together in real time through the Internet. 3D Meeting is a collaborative working environment developed based on Microsoft NetMeeting technology and specially provided for SolidWorks designers.

Assembly design

In SolidWorks, when generating new parts, you can directly reference other parts and keep this reference relationship. In the assembly environment, it is convenient to design and modify parts. For large-scale assembly with more than10,000 parts, the performance of SolidWorks has been greatly improved.

SolidWorks can dynamically view all the motions of the assembly, and can dynamically check the interference and clearance of moving parts.

Automatic repetitive design of intelligent parts technology. Intelligent parts technology is a brand-new technology, which is used to install a standard bolt into the screw hole and assemble the gasket and nut in the correct order.

Mirror component is a major breakthrough in SolidWorks technology. Mirror parts can generate new parts based on existing parts (including parts that have derived or associated relationships with other parts).

SolidWorks adopts catching fit intelligent assembly technology, which accelerates the overall assembly speed of the assembly. Intelligent assembly technology can automatically capture and define the assembly relationship.

schedule drawing

SolidWorks provides tools to generate complete and detailed engineering drawings approved by the workshop. Engineering drawings are all related. When you modify a drawing, 3D models, views, and components are automatically updated.

Automatically generate drawings from 3D models, including views, dimensions and annotations.

Enhanced detail operation and section view, including generating section view, layer support of components, familiar 2D sketch function, and detailed property manager.

Using RapidDraft technology, engineering drawings can be separated from 3D parts and assemblies, and operated independently, thus speeding up the operation of engineering drawings, but still maintaining complete association with 3D parts and assemblies.

Alternate display view can conveniently display different positions of components, so as to understand the sequence of motion. The alternative position display view is a unique engineering drawing function, which is specially designed for components with kinematic relations.

Part modeling

SolidWorks provides unparalleled feature-based solid modeling function. Product design is realized by stretching, rotating, thin-walled features, advanced shell extraction, feature array and punching.

Through the dynamic modification of features and sketches, the drag-and-drop real-time design modification is realized.

The 3D sketch function generates 3D sketch paths for scanning and lofting, or paths for pipes, cables, lines and pipelines.

Surface modeling

Complex surfaces are generated by controllable tangent operations, such as scanning, lofting, filling and dragging with control lines. You can operate surfaces intuitively, such as trimming, extending, chamfering, sewing, etc.

Sheet metal design

SolidWorks provides first-class and completely relevant sheet metal design capabilities. Various types of flanges, plates and other features can be directly used, and sheet metal operations such as orthogonal cutting, angular machining and edge cutting become very easy.

Customization

The API of SolidWorks provides users with free, open and fully functional development tools.

Development tools include Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Visual C++ and other development programs that support OLE.

Help file

SolidWork is equipped with a powerful Chinese help file system based on HTML. Including hypertext links, animation teaching, online tutorials, design wizards and terminology.

data conversion

SolidWork provides input/output format converters for almost all CAD software on the market today.

IGES·IPT(Autodesk inventor)

Step DWG

DXF satellite cargo forecast information system

VRML CGR(Catia graphics)

STL HCG (highly compressed)

Parasolid graph

Professional/engineer point of view

Unigraphics RealityWave

PAR (solid edge) TIFF

VDA-JPG

Mechanical desktop

Operating environment requirements of SolidWorks

The operation of SolidWorks software requires the following hardware configuration:

Windows vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Microsoft nt, Windows ME, Windows 98 and Windows 95.

Pentium or Alpha processors

64M or higher memory

mouse

CD-ROM drive

Microsoft Office 2000 or 97

Internet explorer or later.

PhotoWorks advanced rendering

-Advanced rendering software fully integrated with SolidWorks.

Effectively display the conceptual design, reduce the production cost of the prototype, and quickly put the product into the market. PhotoWorks provides you with easy-to-use and the highest quality rendering function. Through seamless integration with SolidWorks, a three-dimensional mechanical design software standard, PhotoWorks helps you to easily make pictures with real textures and visual effects and publish them to customers.

Anyone familiar with Microsoft Windows can use PhotoWorks to render SolidWorks parts and components into beautiful pictures very quickly. PhotoWorks is undoubtedly the leader in the field of advanced rendering.

Dynamic and realistic pictures are used for product release or demonstration.

Since it is more convenient to communicate design ideas with high-quality pictures, why use old views to express them? Anyone familiar with Microsoft Windows can use PhotoWorks to render SolidWorks parts and components into high-quality pictures very quickly.

High quality visual effect

Using the menus and commands in the PhotoWorks toolbar, you can easily make high-quality 3D model pictures. PhotoWorks software includes a huge material library and texture library, and users can customize lighting, shadows, background, scenery and other options. Select appropriate material properties for SolidWorks parts and assemblies, preview before rendering, set lighting and background options, and then generate a series of high-quality picture files for future communication.

Reduce the production cost of samples and shorten the time to market.

You don't need to invest a lot of money to make solid models and samples. Photographic works can let you see the appearance of the product. Thereby shortening the approval period. Before the product is put into production, the market effect can be tested, which reduces the time to put it on the market.

Rendering control

Through interactive rendering, SolidWorks models with additional materials can be quickly rendered.

Preview the rendered texture map and ideal landscape settings.

Select as needed to set the transparency of reflected light and materials.

Adaptive anti-distortion technology is adopted to reduce the "sawtooth" of silhouette, thus improving the image quality.

wood tissue

Provide definition textures of metals, wood, stones, plastics and other types of materials from a huge material library.

Custom or modifiable material properties, including surface color, reflectivity, transparency, roughness and texture mapping.

You can add materials for an entire part, a single feature, and a single surface, allowing multiple assignments for the same part.

You can save time by setting the default material for a part or assembly.

You can easily access the current function.

Reduce rendering time by previewing materials, landscapes and lights.

Using the displacement characteristics of materials, it presents irregular and jagged patterns.

chartlet

Using maps, you can make beautiful labels or illustrations for your products or packaging.

The size, location and transparency of each map can be set separately.

You can overlay multiple maps of SolidWorks parts, features, and surfaces.

geometry

Fully support SolidWorks model, including sectional view and exploded view.

Lights and shadows

Easily control shadows, including through transparent surfaces.

Save the lighting and shadow settings of the model.

Use atomized light to produce real light.

Background and scenery

Create professional photo type backgrounds to enhance the visual effects of parts and assemblies.

The location of the landscape can be previewed, redefined and repositioned.

Allow predefined scenes to include lighting, background and scenery.

You can define monochrome background, gradient color background, gradient cloud background and picture background.

Background can be imported from standard picture formats (JPEG, TARGA, TIFF, BMP).

Graphic output

Output to window: output graphics to SolidWorks window, or preview rendering model interactively and efficiently.

Output to file: output rendered graphics to user-defined graphics file formats, including 24-bit PostScript, JPEG, TARGA, TIFF or BMP formats.

Output to printer: You can print rendered graphics directly from SolidWorks window, and at the same time, you can change the proportion of graphics to cover the whole printing area while ensuring the aspect ratio.

FeatureWorks feature recognition

-Feature recognition software fully integrated with SolidWorks.

FeatureWorks is the first feature recognition software designed for CAD users. Sharing the three-dimensional model with other CAD systems and making full use of the original design data will make the transition to SolidWorks system faster, which is the benefit brought by feature recognition software FeatureWorks.

FeatureWorks is fully integrated with SolidWorks. When introducing three-dimensional models of other CAD software, FeatureWorks can regenerate new models and introduce new design ideas. FeatureWorks intelligently processes static conversion files, obtains useful information, and reduces the time spent rebuilding models.

FeatureWorks is most suitable for identifying rectangular, conical and cylindrical parts and sheet metal parts.

FeatureWorks provides brand-new flexible functions, including interactive operation and automatic feature recognition at any time and in any order. FeatureWorks provides the ability to re-identify and combine multiple features in the new feature tree. The new function also includes the ability to identify draft features and rib features.

Rebuilding the model is time-consuming and laborious.

The standard data converter enables people to share the geometric information of different CAD systems, but the converted model is sometimes successful and sometimes unsuccessful, and usually needs manual reconstruction. People often need to introduce new design intent or increase the information lost in the conversion process. FeatureWorks software allows you to quickly and conveniently add new design intent to the transformed data model.

The first feature recognition software designed for users

FeatureWorks is fully integrated with SolidWorks, which is the first feature recognition software designed for users. FeatureWorks can identify the features of the geometric model converted by the standard data converter, add information to the geometric model, and form features in SolidWorks feature manager.

You can easily modify the size and position of holes, cuts, fillets, chamfers and extrusions.

Once the feature recognition is completed, you can use SolidWorks command to modify the design as needed. For example, you can simply change the determined hole diameter from 3 cm to 5 cm. The functions identified by FeatureWorks are completely editable, completely relevant and parameterized, and you can add new functions at any time. FeatureWorks endows the previous design data with new value, which enables different CAD users to share the 3D design model more conveniently and quickly.

Maintain design ideas and improve product quality.

FeatureWorks can not only flexibly modify the transformed data, but also maintain or modify new design ideas. For example, holes used to be "blind holes" or "through holes", which may be lost in the conversion process and need to be redefined. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the original design idea during the conversion process to ensure the product quality.

Use feature recognition to save time.

FeatureWorks can capture all the data from the geometric model converted by the standard converter, and then carry out feature recognition. Standard data formats include STEP, IGES, SAT(ACIS), VDAFS and Parasolid. FeatureWorks is most suitable for identifying general machining contours and sheet metal features, including:

Stretch feature, whose outline consists of straight line, circle or arc;

Cylindrical or conical rotating features;

All hole features, including simple holes, threaded holes and stepped holes;

Rib and drafting characteristics;

Equal radius fillet;

Other features, such as chamfers or fillets.

Automatic and interactive modes.

FeatureWorks provides automatic and interactive function identification methods. Automatic mode does not require manual intervention. In general, if the feature cannot be automatically recognized, an interactive dialog box will pop up. Through simple interaction and clicking on the face of a hole or boss, feature recognition can be realized by controlling or specifying the design intent. The model indicator shows the contour changes before and after feature recognition. The interactive recognition mode and the automatic recognition mode can be used alternately.

Simple installation, easy to learn and use, fully integrated with SolidWorks.

Solidworks has been acquired by French company dassault systemes as the main brand in the low-end market.

The main competitors are SolidEdge of UGS, Cimatron of Israel, inventor of AutoDesk, etc.