SolidWorks Tutorial For Beginners

Hi every one, this tutorial here written for newbies. I mean someone who just setup SolidWorks. Okay first you need to set up SolidWorks then open it. You will see a page picture on the top of the screen called “New”. Click “New” on the standard tool bar. The New SolidWorks Document dialog box will appear. In this dialog box click first one called “PART” than click “okay”. A new part window will appear. 

Okay , you are doing well. Click Extruded Boss/Base on the Features toolbar. And you will see The Front, Top, and Right planes appear in the graphics area in the centre. Okay, you can move the pointer over the Top plane to highlight it, to select you need to click to on the plane. Good, you will see the display changes so that the Top plane is facing you. A sketch should open on the Top plane if not try again all over.

Good ,now we want tot draw a circle so click Circle on the Sketch tool bar right up corner. And you will see the Circle Property Manager will open in the left pane. Okay you need to move the pointer over the origin and we will see the pointer changes. That is tricky, you are creating a relation between origin and centre of the circle. Just click on the origin to place the centre point there. Now you are creating the circle by moving  the mouse. You need to click to finish the cirle , and then you can add some properties on it.

Okay if you manage to create a circle now you need to add a dimension to the circle. there is a button called Smart Dimension on the Sketch tool bar right hand sight up to corner. Click on it. then select the circle. Have you notice the preview of the diameter dimension?You need to move the pointer to where you want the dimension and click to add the dimension. Well you are doing good. Now you can add dimension , you see in the Modify box place to type your dimension , type 130, then click okay and click anywhere in the graphics area.

So we need a 3D object but we have a 2D one. So we need to extrude the 2D sketch to create the 3D cylinder, don't we? You can do this by exiting from sketch. Before you exit from a sketch be sure you are done with all dimension , that will help you when your object become complex. Okay you will see settings for the extrusion will appear in the left panel. In the Property Manager, under Direction 1 you can select Blind in End Condition that means that you need to enter the dimension.  in this example you can set Depth (D1) to 9 mm. Have you notice the preview of the extrusion, haven't you? Now click okay to finish it. Good now you have the very first feature is done. you will find Boss-Extrude1 in the left panel under the Fature Manager Design tree.

We are going to make a ring boss so we first need a sketch for it. Go and click the Extruded Boss/Base on the Features tool bar. We want it on the part so select the top face of the part. To see more clear what we are doing go to views tool bar and click Top view. We need a circle Click Circle on the Sketch toolbar. Then move the pointer over the origin you will see the pointer changes. Because you started both at the origin, the ring boss will be concentric with the base cylinder. You know how to create a circle , click on centre then move the pointer to how big you want then click it, that simple it is. Now go to sketch tool bar and click Smart Dimension. Select the circle and place the dimension where you want then a modify box will appear type how big you want, in this example we type 77.09 ( don't ask why), then click okay to finish it.

Cool , if you are still with me you are doing very well. Let say the existing circle will represent the outside so now we need inside, for this we will use Offset tool. You will find it on the Sketch toolbar. Now we want to set distance between circles. For this you need to set offset distance under  the Property Manager.Let say to 5 mm. You should reverse to offset the circle to the inside otherwise it is going to be outer circle, then sure we need to select first circle , then click okay , its done.

Well done, you have completed the sketch, you need to extrude the sketch to make the ring boss. It is so simple just exit the sketch, yes that is it. if you want to see more 3d you just choose one of the 3d view on the views tool bar. Okay now we need to set the depth, for that go to property manager find Direction 1 and set the depth as you like , I like 12 ( don't ask why). Click okay cool.

I hope it is a start for you guys. If i have a time i am going to write more..

you can find more here SolidWorks Tutorial 

Thank you for reading. Feel free to comment ...