solidworks noob questions

[Sbarner]

Hey gang,

 

I got Solidworks 2007 installed on my computer recently. I've been working through the tutorials but have encountered some problems/questions along the way and I was wondering if you Solidworks Guru's could help out. Here we go:

 

1. When I start a new part, and select the Top plane, my gnomon shows a XZ orientation rather than an XY orientation. In other words, rather than having the axes point to X+, Y+ like the top view in Mastercam, the axes point to X+, Z-, or what I would consider the front view. I've found that I can change the orientation by going to View->Modify->Orientation and switching it there, but I was curious if this could be done permanently, so that when I start a new drawing in the top plane, I get X+, Y+ for my gnomon.

 

2. When working through the tutorial on "3D sketching with planes", I was told to use smart dimension to change the length of some lines. However, when I used smart dimension, no modify box came up. It just told me what the dimension was. What did I do wrong here so that I could not modify the dimension? Also, I couldn't even override the dimension if I double clicked on it. It just opened the dimension properties.

 

Finally,

 

3. I made a sketch of a centerline and a point to reference where a hole was going to be with the hole wizard. After the hole was made, I wanted to delete the center line, as it had served it's purpose. When I selected the centerline, it also selected the point, and when I tried to delete it, it messed up my hole wizard. My question is can you break apart entities in a sketch so that you can delete one thing without having to delete the whole sketch? Is that in relations?

 

Thanks for any help I can get. Right now I'm going .

 

Cheers.

[E3CADCAM]

1. I usually always orient parts to front plane, which equals top plane in MC.

 

2. Double clicking a dimension will bring up the modify box.

 

3. While in sketch, use the icon that looks like a pair of glasses, it will show you all relations; delete the one that is coincident with the c/l.

[Guest]

1. You can open the part template, File >> Open, change to template type, open the part template, make ALL of your desire changes. Every time you start a new file your template will load all of your settings.

 

2. Double Click on it

 

3. Don't bother creating sketches ahead of time. You can do all of your necessary sketching and locating while you are in the Hole Wizard function.

No you can not delete associated geometry, Solidworks is Parametric all of your geometry can be modified and it will update your solid.

 

IMO, forget the Mastercam bad habits, Mastercam is an "adequate" but seriously lacking modeler.

[Sbarner]

Hey guys,

 

Thanks for the responses. I did what you said about the part template, John, and it worked PERFECT. So, this one's for you... . As far as the other two questions, I solved it right after. I had exited the function completely. Once I started editing the features again, I was able to do both things I wanted.

 

quote:

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IMO, forget the Mastercam bad habits

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I will do my best, but it will be hard. I'm sure I'll be doing this a few times.

 

Thanks again guys.

[MotorCityMinion]

Time for a new sub forum here.

[ATG]

I would agree.....

[Sbarner]

+1 to both of you. I think that would help immensely.

[JNO]

quote:

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Time for a new sub forum here.

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I think JP suggested that not too long ago. That is one thing I don't like about SW. I can't just go to the forum and do a search for the problem I am having.

[Guest]

quote:

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I think JP suggested that not too long ago

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Yup, twice I think.

[Thermoform Guy]

I would be all for a new sub forum.

I use SolidWorks 09 everyday and

I am always looking for new ways to

improve.

[wlwag]

I like the idea of a sub forum also.

[Jack Neelands™]

Maybe we can get the ppl at javelin to cough up for a cyber caffe in here and then we can start a new sub SW forum

[Joe788]

Since the topic of sub-forums is up......has anybody ever thought about a sub-forum for "Machining Related but-not-Mastercam specific" forum, for questions like this one about Solidworks, or questions/opinions on specific machines, tools, companies, etc.

 

Seems like those types of topics don't really belong in the Mastercam section, but they tend to get lost in the political topics of the "Off-Topic" section.