Javelin / TriMech Author
Jim Peltier, CSWE
For a long time, I’ve liked 3D Sketching, but I’ve always missed one important function: Mirror. I love using Mirror in a 2D Sketch, and the function is as old as SOLIDWORKS in a 2D Sketch. But how about a 3D Sketch Mirror? My friends,…
The process for reinstalling SOLIDWORKS properly can be quite involved, requiring the removal of prerequisite components, registry keys, folder locations, etc. The procedure for reinstalling DriveWorks is comparatively simple, but requires more planning than does SOLIDWORKS. Let’s take a closer look at what is involved….
Setting up a SOLIDWORKS Variable Pattern
By Jim Peltier, CSWE on September 28, 2017
There are a lot of great demos out there of what the SOLIDWORKS Variable Pattern (introduced in SOLIDWORKS 2015) can do, but not very many that show how to do it. In this video, I will show you how to create a Variable Pattern with…
DriveWorks vs Pack and Go for copying and renaming SOLIDWORKS files
By Jim Peltier, CSWE on September 7, 2017
As a longtime user of SOLIDWORKS, I’m a big fan of Pack and Go. It allows me to easily reuse designs, easily rename new files, change folder locations, update references, and even create zip files to quickly collect all the referenced documents of an assembly….
Do your sub-assemblies need to know where the other sub-assemblies are? Do they need to know where they fit in to the greater plan? Well, there is a process by which you can know these things without the need to open your top-level assembly every…
The SOLIDWORKS Vent Feature is not just for Sheet Metal
By Jim Peltier, CSWE on June 5, 2017
An interesting feature in the Sheet Metal tab is the SOLIDWORKS Vent feature. Using the Vent feature, you can create a cutout, along with ribs, spars, and a filled-in boundary with just a very simple sketch. To accomplish the same thing using a Cut-Extrude would require…
Dimensioning in Style (with SOLIDWORKS Dimension Styles)
By Jim Peltier, CSWE on June 2, 2017
Often times, SOLIDWORKS Dimension Styles are passed without notice because it is quite easy to get the job done without using them. However, they can be used for dimensions that have very common notes attached to them. For instance, when I used to design automated…
SOLIDWORKS No Solve Move vs Detach Segment on Drag [VIDEO]
By Jim Peltier, CSWE on May 25, 2017
I’ve occasionally run into the issue where a user sketches a closed shape, such as a rectangle, only to find that when they drag an edge of the rectangle that the rectangle falls apart The top line appears to detach itself from the rest of…
How to easily Identify Revised Dimensions in SOLIDWORKS [VIDEO]
By Jim Peltier, CSWE on May 22, 2017
Learn how to easily track revised SOLIDWORKS dimensions by enabling an option that highlights dimensions on a drawing that have changed since it was last saved. Have you ever been in a situation where a change has been made to one of your models (especially…
Switching from Standalone SOLIDWORKS Licenses to a SOLIDWORKS Network License
By Jim Peltier, CSWE on March 15, 2017
So you’ve made (or are considering) the decision to use a SOLIDWORKS Network License. There are many great reasons to switch to a network license setup: Perhaps you have engineers/designers/drafters who do not use SOLIDWORKS 100% of the time. Maybe they spend some time building…
Inserting a 3D Cross-Break in SOLIDWORKS
By Jim Peltier, CSWE on February 23, 2017
A question we sometimes get in the SOLIDWORKS Sheet Metal course is how to insert a 3D cross-break. The functionality seems to be there in the SOLIDWORKS Cross-Break command on the Sheet Metal toolbar, but upon inspection, the cross break it inserts is merely cosmetic….
The Syntax of a SOLIDWORKS “IF” Statement in an Equation
By Jim Peltier, CSWE on February 21, 2017
Hypothetical scenario: you have a design for a container wherein you have a length, width, and height. The length and width can be anything, but the height is driven indirectly by the length. If the length is greater than a certain value, then the height…
One of my favorite toolbars is the SOLIDWORKS Task Pane. In case you don’t know it by name, I’m referring to the tabs on the right side of your screen. There’s a Home tab that has a couple of useful tools, such as easy access…
SOLIDWORKS 2017 Breadcrumb Enhancements
By Jim Peltier, CSWE on November 3, 2016
People who know me know I like symmetry. I like symmetry in architecture, in design, and especially in SOLIDWORKS. As far back as I’ve been using SOLIDWORKS (since 2001), I’ve kept my designs symmetrical whenever possible. As such, I liked to use the Front, Top,…
How to Combine SOLIDWORKS Hole Callouts – Part 2
By Jim Peltier, CSWE on October 12, 2016
As I discussed in part one of this blog, there are two ways to combine SOLIDWORKS Hole Callouts. Our customer was happy with the first method for combining callouts by changing the text positions of the callouts, then overlapping the callouts. But here I’ll show…