Learning the SOLIDWORKS xDesign Cloud-Based Interface

Like the other browser-based modeling tools available through the SOLIDWORKS xDesign bundle, the xDesign app enables users to design and collaborate with their team anywhere and anytime. Whether you have been modeling for years or are new to 3D CAD environments, xDesign provides intuitive tools to help your designs come to life. This is part one of our six-part series to walk you through the fundamentals of using xDesign to create parts, assemblies, and drawings using the powerful cloud-based interface.

Navigating the xDesign Cloud-based Interface

xDesign is a powerful browser-based CAD tool from Dassault Systèmes that leverages a single modeling environment. If you are unfamiliar with it, a single modeling environment is an amalgam of multi-body part modeling and top-down design. The general idea is that there are no constraints on whether you are working in a part or an assembly because you have access to both sets of tools simultaneously. Whether you are brand new to CAD or you are coming from a different program, one of the first things you’ll want to do in xDesign is familiarize yourself with the user interface.

xDesign cloud-based interface

Back to the Basics

Let’s start with what we see when we first launch xDesign. On the left-hand side, instead of seeing the traditional SOLIDWORKS Feature Manager, we have the 3DEXPERIENCE Design Manager. In the Design Manager, we can expand and collapse parts, features, and subassemblies just as you would in SOLIDWORKS. Additionally, we have a scroll slider instead of a rollback bar to improve navigation when rolling back in the tree.

On the top right of the graphics area, we have an interactive triad where you can click on any axis to align perpendicularly to it. Similarly, you can click on faces to align with them and once aligned, you get spin options for 90° rotations. To the left side of the triad, there are tools to expand that allow you to manipulate translucency, activate the view cube, a reframe option (similar to SOLIDWORKS’ Zoom to Fit), and the standard trimetric view. You can change the image embedded inside the triad to view the default chair, a camera, or turn it off altogether. This menu can be pinned and docked to the top, right, bottom, or left sides. Below the triad is quick access to the measurement or unit system.

Using the xDesign triad to change view or dimensions

Refining Your Working Environment

In the graphics area, pressing the “V” key quickly accesses the visual options for planes, axes, points, sketch constraints, and visible sketches. At the bottom, we have the Action Bar that can be locked and made constantly available by double-clicking it. Right-clicking on a tab allows you to hide or display command names, reset the action bars to their default configuration, or unlock them to drag specific action bars out of the bottom pane. You can dock them to the top, right, or back to the bottom, allowing reordering.

Useful keyboard shortcuts to access common commands

Through the Tabs sub-menu, you can control which tabs of the Action Bar are visible. If some Action Bar tabs are not commonly used but still needed, you can break them out to dock them together in their own subset on either the top or left side. You can unpin them to collapse out of view if needed. Inside the standard tab of the Action Bar, there is a Gear icon. Some icons on the action bars have expandable selections via an arrow in the bottom right corner. Here, you can modify the shortcut ring (defaulting to the right mouse button as a drag option), zoom direction with the mouse, and other commonly used features.

Accessing xDesign Common Preferences

For advanced graphical settings, go to the View tab and select View Modes. With this command you can control shaded or wireframe views, edges, and how they are rendered in the graphics area. You can also designate the background ambiance. Additionally, in the graphics area you can utilize the shortcut window by pressing the “S” key. Depending on whether you’re working on a sketch or a feature, you’ll have access to intuitive key commands relevant to your current work. For example, in assemblies you’ll get options for sketches, planes, patterning, and commonly used features. In sketches, you’ll get more specific tools relevant to that context.

Using Touch and Mouse Controls in xDesign

Finally, let’s look at our options to customize how we navigate the interface. If you want to modify the default mouse control configuration, click on your user icon in the top right and go to Preferences. Inside of the Display and Navigation directory, you can control mouse options and background color options. One of the major benefits of xDesign having a cloud-based interface is the compatibility with touch-enabled devices. Touch controls can be turned on by going to the View tab of the Action Bar. Here we can enable Touch Mode which gives us an additional bar on the right-hand side for easier navigation with a stylus or your fingers.

xDesign with Touch Mode enabled

xDesign is a powerful browser-based CAD system that will help you get your designs to market. Like most tools, the most important starting point is learning how to navigate and customize your user interface. We hope this guide has provided you with the foundational knowledge and inspiration to explore further and innovate within the versatile world of 3DEXPERIENCE. Be sure to tune in for part two of our SOLIDWORKS xDesign Beginner Guide to learn how to build foundational 2D sketches for your future modeling journey.

To learn about other powerful uses for the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, read our other articles here.