Page 142 - Mastering SolidWorks

Chapter 4

Creating Simple Parts

and Drawings

Good modeling practice is based on robust design intent. This just means that you should try to
build parts that can adapt easily to changes. This section of the book begins with things you need
to know in order to make good models—models that react predictably in drawings and that
update properly with changes. A robust design intent will make downstream operations easier.
Creating simple parts will help you understand the techniques used in more complex
modeling projects. Learning on simple tools and then expanding your skills will help you
understand best-practice issues, which will make you a better contributor to a team environment.

IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL LEARN TO:

◆ Establish design intent
◆ Build a simple part
◆ Create a simple assembly tutorial

◆ Make a simple drawing tutorial

Discovering Design Intent

By knowing the right information about the part’s function before you start modeling or design-
ing, you can create a model that will be easier to edit, easier to properly place into an assembly,
easier to detail in drawings, and easier for other SolidWorks users to understand when someone
else has to work on your models. Design intent is a statement of how the part functions, the major
features of the part, and how the model reacts to modeling changes.
It may help if you try to put the design intent into words to help you focus on what is
important in the design. An example of a statement of design intent is “This part is symmetric
about two planes, is used to support a 1.00 inch (diametral pitch) diameter shaft with a constant
downward load of 150 pounds using a bronze bushing, and is bolted to a plate below it.” This
does not give you enough information to design the part, but it does give you information about
two surfaces that are important (a hole for the bushing and the bottom that touches the mounting
plate), as well as some general size and load requirements.

Mastering SolidWorks, First Edition. Matt Lombard.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.