Have you ever seen these messages before when launching SolidWorks?
Not to worry! This only means that the Hole Wizard/Toolbox functionality has failed to find an important database file, SWBrowser.mdb. The fix is simple. Open your SolidWorks options under Tools > Options and select “Hole Wizard/Toolbox” from the System Options tab.
As older computers become outdated and need to be replaced, or upgraded, a fairly common question we get from IT departments is how to move the SolidWorks network license to a new server with the least amount of disruption to users possible.
The steps below detail how to move an activation based, meaning SolidWorks 2010 or newer, SolidNetWork License service to a new computer.
A new feature added in SolidWorks 2012 is the SolidWorks Part Reviewer Add-In. This new tool can be used to review, step-by-step, the features used to create the geometry of a part.
Many SolidWorks users are aware that an effective way to learn how to create advanced geometry is to dissect and analyze models created by others. Previously this could be done by use of the Rollback Bar, however the new Part Reviewer Add-In automates the process.
New in SolidWorks 2012 is the feature Span Displays. This new feature allows SolidWorks to intelligently span across dual monitors.
Clicking the “Span Displays” button on the SolidWorks Title Bar, or going to Window > Span Displays, will automatically position and resize the SolidWorks window to take best advantage of your screen’s real estate.
The CommandManager was first introduced in SolidWorks several years ago as basically just a “super toolbar”. However it has been enhanced over time and now allows for a fully customizable ribbon interface that adjusts automatically depending on the environment you are working in.
So how can you take advantage of the CommandManager, customizing it to match your work flow?
The BOM Description column picks up the Description property from your models. But if you are finding that modifying the property is not updating the BOM, there is a good chance you have other Descriptions that are overriding the value. Here is the hierarchy of the Description column. These options allow you to have different descriptions for each configuration. Read More »
In SolidWorks 2012, the Toolbox has been restructured to improve performance and to be more accommodating for customizations. All of the component information is now stored in the individual part files rather than in one large Microsoft Access database file. You can now add folders, rename files and modify fasteners directly within the default standards.
Because of these changes, the manual update procedure from previous versions has been modified for network-based toolboxes. If you are using a standalone toolbox (ie you are using the default C:\SolidWorks Data folder), upgrading your SolidWorks program to 2012 will automatically upgrade the toolbox.
However for those with a shared toolbox on a server, here is our preferred method for upgrading the toolbox to the 2012 version. Read More »
If you’ve seen that little yellow tag icon in the right side of your status bar, you can use this to help filter through your FeatureManager Design Tree. Clicking the icon will open up the Tags dialog box. When you select a feature in a part or a component in an assembly, you can type in a tag. Entering this tag into the filter will quickly show you these items.
Add tags
In general, a standard rebuild with the toolbar button or a complete rebuild by pressing CTRL-Q will update the model with the changes you’ve made. But you may want to add an extra step if you’re working with complex models or surfaces.
By default, rebuilds check every new or changed feature against only adjacent faces and edges. This allows for a faster rebuild times and will locate issues in the majority of models.
When you are working with complex models and surfaces, it’s a good idea to do a thorough error-check every once and a while to ensure all features are error-free. There is a setting under Tools > Options > System Options tab > Performance.
Enabling “Verification on Rebuild” will force the model to check new or changed features against all faces and edges of the model. This will decrease performance, so you should disable this option after the complete rebuild. Any errors should be corrected as soon as they are found to ensure future features will not be adversely affected. If this check is not performed, typically any problems in the geometry will not show up until the model is exported to another format for use by another CAD or CAM application.
If you’re constantly adding the same annotations to your drawings, save some time and add them to the Design Library. This gives you quick access to drag and drop them on your drawings. In the Design Library tab, click the upper left button “Add to Library”. Add Notes, Surface Finish symbols, Weld Symbols, and Blocks.
If you have a custom symbol, create the geometry with sketch entities and notes. Combine these into a block and save the block into the Library. Read More »
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