What are your most impressive tricks of Solidworks

[Glenn_Schroeder]

This is where SolidWorks shines to me compared to other CAD tools. It’s the native way it used to work, you always preselected geometry then commands, later they added the post selection. Preselection is not as intuitive for new users but the workflow is faster.

Mirror sketch is a great example, one centerline plus geometry, window select, mirror sketch button, done. I tried the same in Inventor and nothing comes close.

Thank you. I use that feature extensively, but never knew you could select all the entities like that. I’ll be using this workflow in the future.

If you ever get down to my part of the country I’ll buy you a beer . . . or six. Maybe even supper (what some people call dinner, but I grew up with dinner being the noon meal).

[jcapriotti]

Thank you. I use that feature extensively, but never knew you could select all the entities like that. I’ll be using this workflow in the future.

If you ever get down to my part of the country I’ll buy you a beer . . . or six. Maybe even supper (what some people call dinner, but I grew up with dinner being the noon meal).

Just remember, you can only have one centerline, otherwise it will bring up the GUI to do the selections. With one it always skips the GUI and performs the mirror.

I’m from Mississippi so yeah, supper and dinner were the same according to my Grandma.

[CarrieIves]

@mike_miller

This is where SolidWorks shines to me compared to other CAD tools. It’s the native way it used to work, you always preselected geometry then commands, later they added the post selection. Preselection is not as intuitive for new users but the workflow is faster.

Mirror sketch is a great example, one centerline plus geometry, window select, mirror sketch button, done. I tried the same in Inventor and nothing comes close.

For the mirror in a sketch that is shown, if you are mirroring everything, you can use ctrl-a to select all. Then hit the mirror button. I put mirror on my S key because I was regularly selecting everything and mirroring.

[ellundo]

My most impressive trick was once going an entire day without a crash.
Wish I could remember how I did it.

[DennisD]

My most impressive trick was once going an entire day without a crash.
Wish I could remember how I did it.

[Glenn_Schroeder]

@Frederick_Law

For the mirror in a sketch that is shown, if you are mirroring everything, you can use ctrl-a to select all. Then hit the mirror button. I put mirror on my S key because I was regularly selecting everything and mirroring.

I have it as a Mouse Gesture.

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[Lapuo]

Using format painter!
i discovered this few days ago - great help for copying dimension tolerances
(yes i know i can use styles , or pre-select and choose tolerance)
But for me this tool is most productive

[Roasted_By_John]

@mike_miller

My most impressive trick was once going an entire day without a crash.
Wish I could remember how I did it.

You forgot to use the computer??

All issues with any program is “User Input” (get it?)

[mike_miller]

@Tom_G

Don’t worry about it. You’re not the first, and it won’t be the last time. Just wait til I start spewing heresy on fully defined sketches

M’kay I’ll bite.

This why underdefined sketches can be bad. Note that there is no real way to fix it without reloading the file from disk.

[Lucas]

Not hotkeys or hidden functionality, but some tools that feels good when I use them:

Display/Delete Relations of sketch tool. Wish I knew how to use this from the very beginning, always comes in handy when there is sketch conflict, especially because some external relation gets in uninvited.

Delete Face. When you are doing some unusual geometry but the solid just keeps going through, makes a nice repair.

Also, the workflow with just one hand. I mapped S and Esc in the two additional buttons of my mouse + Mouse gestures + RBM for OK. feelsgood.jpg

[Omur_Tokman]

@matt

Select nearly anything, then hit CTRL A and it automatically filters for the type of thing that you selected and selects everything.

Want to select all edges of a part file? Select an edge, and hit CTRL A.

Want to select all faces of a part? Select a face and hit CTRL A.

Want to select all notes (and balloons) in a drawing file (in that specific sheet)? Select a note and hit CTRL A

etc…

dpihlaja I love you Pal,
CtrlA how have I not thought of these until now.
Many shortcuts here are fine for me, but your shortcuts have been great for me.
Thank you very much for this information.

[JimSculley]

Display/Delete Relations of sketch tool. Wish I knew how to use this from the very beginning, always comes in handy when there is sketch conflict, especially because some external relation gets in uninvited.

Protip: You can double-click any relation to access the Display/Delete Relations tool.

[zwei]

@Austin_Schukar

Using format painter!
i discovered this few days ago - great help for copying dimension tolerances
(yes i know i can use styles , or pre-select and choose tolerance)
But for me this tool is most productive

This! Never knew format painter work for tolerance…
Tried it today and work really great

[Lucas]

Protip: You can double-click any relation to access the Display/Delete Relations tool.

Good to know, thanks!

[David_Matula]

when you have 3 parts that are mated together, then mated 6 to 16 other places in an assembly. Form new sub assembly, in the assembly, after mating the 3 new parts together. Them mate them to the firs place they go. Then copy with mates. When all done dissolve the sub assembly created.
Why this, cause cant use the sub assembly and dissolve it like i would like. Who says pdm and windchill are great?

[DanPihlaja]

when you have 3 parts that are mated together, then mated 6 to 16 other places in an assembly. Form new sub assembly, in the assembly, after mating the 3 new parts together. Them mate them to the firs place they go. Then copy with mates. When all done dissolve the sub assembly created.
Why this, cause cant use the sub assembly and dissolve it like i would like. Who says pdm and windchill are great?

I have no idea what you just said…maybe some pictures?

[David_Matula]

I have no idea what you just said…maybe some pictures?

It would be like creating a bolt stack assembly that you would not be able to keep as an assembly, because of the file management system that your using. So instead of mating all the parts one at a time, you mate the parts together, and make a sub assembly in the main assembly. Then use copy with mates to mate that assembly to all the other places it goes. To insure that the programs that create the bom in the other programs work right I have to dissolve the assemblies after they have been mated.
One could attempt to pattern the assembly, but due to possible changes in parts, and trying to figure out what pattern someone created in a part in the assembly used to make the holes, it is just easier to use the copy with mates, and then if the part changes down the road, hopefully all the mates stick.

[matt]

It would be like creating a bolt stack assembly that you would not be able to keep as an assembly, because of the file management system that your using. So instead of mating all the parts one at a time, you mate the parts together, and make a sub assembly in the main assembly. Then use copy with mates to mate that assembly to all the other places it goes. To insure that the programs that create the bom in the other programs work right I have to dissolve the assemblies after they have been mated.
One could attempt to pattern the assembly, but due to possible changes in parts, and trying to figure out what pattern someone created in a part in the assembly used to make the holes, it is just easier to use the copy with mates, and then if the part changes down the road, hopefully all the mates stick.

Maybe I’m missing something, but can’t you just use the Copy With Mates, but select multiple parts to copy?

[berg_lauritz]

David Matula, you do know about the Promote function, don’t you?

If you have a common subassembly for parts (i.e. you ALWAYS put the together some fasteners with a specific bracket/purchased part), but you don’t want to show it on a BOM, you can promote this assembly and it will always dissolve on your BOM and in the drawing.

This also works with virtual assemblies.
Screenshot 2021-08-04 113900.png
Screenshot 2021-08-04 114100.png

[DennisD]

@David Matula, you do know about the Promote function, don’t you?

If you have a common subassembly for parts (i.e. you ALWAYS put the together some fasteners with a specific bracket/purchased part), but you don’t want to show it on a BOM, you can promote this assembly and it will always dissolve on your BOM and in the drawing.

This also works with virtual assemblies.

Screenshot 2021-08-04 113900.png
Screenshot 2021-08-04 114100.png

Great tip!!
I’ve been using SWX since 1995 and never knew that (but then I mostly do R&D and don’t do too many drawings anymore).