The Ultimate Guide to SOLIDWORKS Training - Essentials

One of the most commonly asked questions we receive here at Alignex is what to expect when taking a SOLIDWORKS training course.

A quick Google search can provide you with a high level description of what the course covers, but nothing that truly shows people what to expect when they walk into an Alignex office for their first day of training. 

Well today we put an end to this madness! Beginning with SOLIDWORKS Essentials, we are creating a whole slew of comprehensive guides to help outline exactly what you will learn at each SOLIDWORKS course you take here at Alignex. 

SOLIDWORKS Training - Essentials

SOLIDWORKS Essentials is the primary course for your introduction to the SOLIDWORKS software line. The goal of this course is to teach you how to use the SOLIDWORKS mechanical design automation software to build parametric models of parts and assemblies and how to make simple drawings of those parts and assemblies.

The SOLIDWORKS software is such a robust and feature rich application that it is impractical to cover every minute detail and aspect of the software and still have the course be a reasonable length.

Therefore, the focus of this course is on the fundamental skills and concepts central to the successful use of the SOLIDWORKS software.

Over the course of the 4 day training class, you will experience a step-by-step, hands-on walk through of the main features available in the SOLIDWORKS software line. As well as best practices and even a handy tip or two from one of our expert instructors

COURSE BREAKDOWN

Prerequisites

Students attending this course are expected to have the following:

• Mechanical design experience.
• Experience with the Windows operating system.
• Completed the online tutorials that are integrated in the SOLIDWORKS software. You can access the online tutorial by clicking Help, Online Tutorial. 
  
  

Course Design Philosophy

This course is designed around a process or task-based approach to training. A process-based training course emphasizes the processes and procedures you follow to complete a particular task. By utilizing case studies to illustrate these processes, you learn the necessary commands, options and menus in the context of completing a task. 

Laboratory Exercises

Laboratory exercises give you the opportunity to apply and practice the material covered during the lecture/demonstration portion of the course. They are designed to represent typical design and modeling situations while being modest enough to be completed during class time. You should note that many students work at different paces. Therefore, we have included more lab exercises than you reasonably expect to complete during the course. This ensures that even the fastest student will not run out of work. 

So What Will You Learn?

Lesson 1: SOLIDWORKS Basics and User Interface
Lesson 2: Introduction to Sketching
Lesson 3: Basic Part Modeling
Lesson 4: Symmetry and Draft
Lesson 5: Patterning
Lesson 6: Revolved Features
Lesson 7: Shelling and Ribs
Lesson 8: Editing: Repairs
Lesson 9: Editing: Design Changes
Lesson 10: Configurations
Lesson 11: Using Drawings
Lesson 12: Bottom-Up Assembly Modeling
Lesson 13: Using Assemblies

Lesson Breakdown 

Lesson 1: SOLIDWORKS Basics and User Interface

This lesson will teach you how to: 

• Describe the key characteristics of a feature-based, parametric solid modeler.
• Distinguish between sketched and applied features.
• Identify the principal components of the SOLIDWORKS user interface.
• Explain how different dimensioning methodologies convey different design intents.

Lesson 2: Introduction to Sketching

This lesson will teach you how to:

• Create a new part.
• Insert a new sketch.
• Add sketch geometry.
• Establish sketch relations between pieces of geometry.
• Understand the state of the sketch.
• Extrude the sketch into a solid.

Lesson 3: Basic Part Modeling

This lesson will teach you how to:

• Choose the best profile for sketching.
• Choose the proper sketch plane.
• Extrude a sketch as a cut.
• Create Hole Wizard Holes.
• Insert fillets on a solid.
• Use the editing tools Edit Sketch, Edit Feature and Rollback.
• Make a basic drawing of a part.
• Make a change to a dimension.
• Demonstrate the associativity between the model and its drawings.

Lesson 4: Symmetry and Draft

This lesson will teach you how to:

• Use the view display and modification commands.
• Edit the definition and parameters of a feature and regenerate the model.
• Use Up to Next and Mid Plane end conditions to capture design intent.
• Use symmetry in the sketch. 

Lesson 5: Patterning

This lesson will teach you how to:

• Create a linear pattern.
• Add a circular pattern.
• Use geometry patterns properly.
• Create and use the reference geometry types axes and planes. 
• Create a mirror pattern.
• Use the pattern seed only option with a linear pattern.
• Add a sketch driven pattern.
• Automate the process of fully defining a sketch.

Lesson 6: Revolved Features

This lesson will teach you how to:

• Create revolved features.
• Apply special dimensioning techniques to sketches for revolved features.
• Use the multibody solid technique.
• Create a sweep feature.
• Calculate the physical properties of a part.
• Perform rudimentary, first pass stress analysis. 

Lesson 7: Shelling and Ribs

This lesson will teach you how to:

• Apply draft to model faces.
• Perform shelling operations to hollow out a part.
• Use the rib tool.
• Create thin features.

Lesson 8: Editing: Repairs

This lesson will teach you how to: 

• Diagnose various problems in a part.
• Repair sketch geometry problems.
• Use the rollback bar.
• Repair dangling relations and dimensions. 
• Use the FeatureXpert to repair filleting problems. 

Lesson 9: Editing: Design Changes

This lesson will teach you how to:

• Understand how modeling techniques influence the ability to modify a part.
• Utilize all the available tools to edit and make changes to a part.
• Use Sketch Contours to define the shape of a feature.

Lesson 10: Configurations

This lesson will teach you how to: 

• Use configurations to represent different versions of a part within a single SOLIDWORKS file.
• Suppress and unsuppress features.
• Change dimension values by configuration.
• Suppress features by configuration.
• Understand the ramification of making changes to parts that have configurations.
• Use the design library to insert features into a part.
  
  

Lesson 11: Using Drawings

This lesson will teach you how to:

• Create several types of drawing views.
• Modify drawing views by scale and tangent edges.
• Add annotations to a drawing.

Lesson 12: Bottom-Up Assembly Modeling

This lesson will teach you how to: 

• Create a new assembly.
• Insert components into an assembly using all available techniques.
• Add mating relationships between components.
• Utilize the assembly-specific aspects of the FeatureManager design. tree to manipulate and manage the assembly.
• Use part configurations in an assembly.

Lesson 13: Using Assemblies

This lesson will teach you how to:

• Perform mass properties calculations.
• Create an exploded view of an assembly.
• Add explode lines.
• Generate a bill of materials for an assembly.
• Copy a bill of materials to a drawing.

What to Expect When You Take SOLIDWORKS Training - Essentials

Phew, that is a lot of material! There is no doubt that once you are done with the 4 day SOLIDWORKS Essentials training course you will be ready to start expanding your skills throughout the SOLIDWORKS product line. I think Obi-Wan summed it up best:

But don't take my word for it, have a look at some of the feedback we've received from past students who have completed the course:

"The instructor is very knowledgeable about the course content. He was more than capable of answering any questions, helping and solving anyone's problems. Great job!"

"The course was very helpful. It was clear and easy to follow along." 

"Awesome Class! Just what I needed! Thank you!"

"The best instructor. Extremely Knowledgeable and knows how to gauge the class level of grasp and adjust accordingly."

Conclusion

So there you have it. If you are interested in reserving a seat for the next SOLIDWORKS Essentials Course offered at Alignex, check out our training calendar for dates and locations. For any questions, feel free to reach out to our Training Coordinator Lisa by phone at (952) 288-2627 or by email at training@alignex.com 

Make sure to subscribe to the Alignex Blog to avoid missing out on future training class guides, as well as other tech tips and news from the world of SOLIDWORKS.