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‘solidworks basics’

How to Create 3D Non-Planar Sweeps in SolidWorks

11 May, 2011 by Josh Mings in CAD
3D Human CAD Models

Sweeps. That’s what we love. The stringy morsels of 3D modeling that makes a part all the more difficult (and interesting) to create. Sweeping a profile along a path couldn’t be easier in SolidWorks. A profile, a path, bend it to your will with a few guide curves – perfection achieved. But what if you need to sweep a profile along a non-planar edge? What if the profile needs to be centered or offset from the edge? There’s a very simple way to do it that can bring a lot more detail to that plastic part or profile design.

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How to Egg Sack SolidWorks Part Configurations Like a Parasitic Alien

06 Oct, 2009 by Josh Mings in CAD

It’s a well-know fact that parasitic aliens love highly optimized part files in SolidWorks. It makes their job of attacking your nerve bundles to gain control over your salivary glands much, much easier.

And like parasitic aliens, configurations give you control over the parts that show up in your lovely ‘nerve bundles’ of SolidWorks Assemblies. So, we’re gonna show you how to plop that egg sack of configuration control into your workflow.

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8 Fiery Guidelines to Ignite Feature-based Modeling in SolidWorks

26 May, 2009 by Josh Mings in CAD

Cover your hair. We are firing up the burners on the Feature furnace of SolidWorks about to drop some gas-drenched geometry into the flames.

There’s a slew of Features that thrive on 3D geometry alone, but I’m not gonna say, “You, go learn about Features!” eight times. Post like that are useless and annoying. This is to show you that modeling in SolidWorks isn’t all sketches. We’ll look at eight guideline and the reasons why they’re gonna make your 3D sizzle.
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10 Key Components for Success Using SolidWorks: REVAMPED

24 Feb, 2009 by Josh Mings in CAD

swx-success-revampedAfter really thinking about this post, getting some feedback and losing a slap fight with an angry camel trader, I’ve decided to totally revamp the former SolidWorks Success post and put them in all together.

It lacks the detail I originally determined I wanted to put into the points, but the angst about not having the list all together was more than I and some others could bear. Fear not, it’s all here, in one short post, ready to be devoured.

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Part 1: Top 10 Things to Know for Success Using SolidWorks

04 Feb, 2009 by Josh Mings in CAD

top-ten-solidworks-thingsDo you wish you had just a sprinkle of magic CAD dust to make you a 3D modeling force to be reckoned with? I’d say, this article is it… but it doesn’t smell as nice and there’s a bit of an aftertaste.

Nonetheless, barring the aptitude you have for engineering and design and your eye-jabbing hand coordination, these ten ‘attributes’ are the absolute most crucial items to get down in order to have a successful boost to any career that requires using SolidWorks.

We’ll knock them out a couple at a time 1) to give me time to write them and 2) so they don’t rot to quickly before you consume them. So let me ask you, what is your skill level?
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