Articles & Tech Tips

Articles, Tech tips, Tutorials, and advice for 3D software and 3D printing

What’s New in SOLIDWORKS Inspection 2023

creating inspection documents

SOLIDWORKS Inspection is a great tool for anyone who needs to create inspection documents. Both SOLIDWORKS Inspection Standard and Professional give you two options for how you want to work. In this article, we will take a look at what is new in SOLIDWORKS Inspection 2023. First, an add-in version allows SOLIDWORKS users to create…

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Using Guide Curves for Sweeps in SOLIDWORKS

Guide Curves

SOLIDWORKS is a powerful 3D modeling software that allows users to create detailed parts and assemblies. One of the features that makes SOLIDWORKS so versatile is the ability to use guide curves when creating sweeps. In this blog post, we will walk through the steps for using guide curves for sweeps in SOLIDWORKS. Step 1:…

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SOLIDWORKS Default File Locations

solidworks default file locations

In your home, do you have a chair or a spot that only you sit in and when others sit there you seem out of place, and possibly struggle for a second with what you should do? What about a parking spot at work, do you always park in the same spot? This is kind…

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5 Quick Tips for SOLIDWORKS Part Template Creation

cookie cutter template

Templates are the beginning to our design phase and are the equivalent to a cookie cutter. We want to start off on the correct foot every time, which will lead to increased efficiency and synergy throughout multiple SOLIDWORKS users. Here is where we establish our units (mm, in…), properties, settings, visual qualities and much more. SOLIDWORKS does…

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Can You 3D Model in DraftSight?

Boolean Modeling

Dassault Systèmes offers a full range of 3D CAD solutions to match every user’s needs. SOLIDWORKS, CATIA V5 & V6, the 3DEXPERIENCE xApps, and DraftSight are all powerful 3D modeling tools. Yes, that’s right, DraftSight is in that list. Many CAD users aren’t aware DraftSight is a 3D modeler too, not just a 2D drafting tool. So, let’s take a…

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How to define Wipeout Frame for 2D Footprint in SOLIDWORKS Electrical Layout

Wipeout Frame for 2D Footprint in SOLIDWORKS Electrical

When a 2D Footprint symbol is created in SOLIDWORKS Electrical Layout, the software automatically adds a ‘Wipeout Frame’ based on the extends of the footprint you’re working on. Firstly, to view frames of a symbol, simply go to the Panel Layout drawing window by selecting “Show wipeout frames” in the grid setting tab (See image…

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Sheet Metal Corner Treatment

Sheet Metal corner treatment

I learned a while back (the hard way I might add), that when it comes to sheet metal and manufacturing, to have the corners as closed/close as possible. This is necessary because it will reduce the amount of welding and fill needed. If time is money, then I wasted a lot of both when I…

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Customizing Your Vault’s Columns for a More Personalized View

completed PDM column personalization

PDM is a powerful tool that can make your team even more efficient with the right customizations made to your vault. Customizations like personalizing what columns are included in the file explorer of your vault can make navigating the vault easier. While the preview tool is great, it can still be time-consuming to use it…

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How to Make a Lithophane with SOLIDWORKS 2023

lithophane of a dog

In the past, I have used websites to generate lithophane files for 3D printing. A lithophane is an object that when light passes through it, an image is created because of the objects varying thickness. I just recently became aware of SOLIDWORKS’ ability to make these lithophanes out of nearly whatever shape you can imagine….

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SOLIDWORKS 3D Interconnect and Importing Tips

Import settings

Are you changing from another CAD program to SOLIDWORKS? Are you frequently importing STEP files from clients? For many SOLIDWORKS users, working with imported geometry and non-native file types is part of every workflow. In this blog, I want to discuss some of the ways to handle importing geometry like 3D Interconnect, and some best…

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