Customer Reviews

A Commands Guide Tutorial for SolidWorks 2007

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

New to Solidworks, I purchased the latest release of the "Professional" package in October 2006. I took a 12 Sat. course at a local community college to get a feel for the features and learn how to use this very powerful 3-D CAD software. The Planchard's have compiled an extremely detailed list of SW commands. The manual includes a CD disc containing many practical exercises that thoroughly illustrate the command application and its menu picks. The text is very clear and easy to understand - even for the novice, but the content is even useful for the experienced user. A "must-have" for any serious SW user's library.

I'm a Mechanical Engineer with over 17 years of design and layout experience using various CAD systems; AutoCAD, Pro Engineer, and SolidWorks. By far, SolidWorks has been the easiest 3D modeling software to learn and apply. I've been on a quest to locate a good reference book. I use the SolidWorks Help, and Tutorials, but having a hard copy on hand to quickly reference various commands, options, and features is great. The index is great to locate items and cross reference various tools from the sketch and feature toolbars.

I purchased the Commands Guide Tutorial for SolidWorks 2007 by Planchard and Planchard. They are known for their project based, step-by-step approach books and have written SolidWorks books since 1999. This is their first Commands Guide Reference book. It's a winner. All key PropertyManagers are addressed in detail with associated model files to quickly apply and address 2D and 3D sketch tools, sketch entities, features, standard and advance mates, drawings, sheetmetal, design library, COSMOSXpress, and more. The Sheetmetal section is well detailed.

The downside of most reference books is that they have very few examples to apply what you referenced. Not this book. There are over 200 individual model files, "initial without the solution and final, with the solution" incorporated into the book's CD to work with and best of all, to experiment with. For me, this is how you learn about the features and options of a software package. The only downside of this book, is that it does not address advance surfacing and Macros. If you are looking for a great SW reference book to use and to learn about the various options, this is the book for you.

Informative and easy to follow. Still, there are some fields which could be better covered.

This is a great SolidWorks Reference book. The text is clear and very easy to follow. Illustrations are provided for key PropertyManagers with standard and advance options addressed. Over 200 embedded tutorials are supplied on an enclosed CD which provides sample problems in each section and category. The CD provides the before and after models. The tutorials are great if you just want to address and explore the options in a quick and efficient manner. If you are just learning SolidWorks, I would recommend the Planchard's Engineering Design with SolidWorks book first. The Commands Guide is a must reference book to have at your desk when using SolidWorks.

I have purchased many books from these authors over the past three years, and I personally have nothing but praise for their publications. They normal write an in-depth step-by-step project base book for the new SolidWorks user. This is their first Reference book for the user who is looking to do something that they have not done before. The book incorporates a parts CD which contains over 200 simple and complex models and tutorials with their solutions.

The first chapter is a getting started chapter for the beginner, but I would strongly recommend that a new user purchase either their SW Engineering Design Book or their SW Tutorial book and use their Multi-media CD.

The Commands Guide book is well organized with a series of chapters in a logical manner with headings that actually make sense. WOW! Under each chapter heading there are additional sub headings that further identify common functions and tasks.

The book is designed to use "at-a-glance" for solving specific problems. From addressing 2D and 3D Sketching, Standard and Advance Mates, Sheet Metal manufacturing, External References in assembly modeling, complex drawing views, annotations, PhotoWorks, and more, SolidWorks powerful features and tools are all detailed in depth with one exception. There is nothing on surface modeling. I hope they will add this in their next rev.

The book is comprehensive, "except for surface modeling" and most important to me, it is easy to find items, use, and to understand.

I purchased this reference book a few weeks ago. This is the second book that I purchased for these authors. I've been using SolidWorks for approximately three months. Before SolidWorks, I was using Pro/E for three long and dreadful years.

The book is a gem. It is a great reference book targeted towards the beginner to intermediate user. It provides a wealth of information on sketching; 2D and 3D, standard and advance features, drawings, assemblies, and more.

After each feature or tool, the author provides an illustration of the PropertyManager, and a tutorial to practice what you learned. The enclosed CD provides the initial and final models for all of the tutorials. This is a great book for anyone that is looking to learn, explore, and try new features and options.

This was one of the first SolidWorks books that I purchased about 1.5 years ago to learn 3D modeling coming from a 2D environment; namely AutoCAD. It was also recommend by my local SW VAR due to its short tutorial style and the depth and breath of the coverage and knowledge of the authors. This is a great book to learn 2007 commands and procedures for the new user.
I just purchase this book for a colleague who is using 2007. I saw the long-winded reviewer, who thinks he is a literary genius, and I had to say, read the book. It will teach you SolidWorks. I can hardly wait for your literary updates.

Hmmm. When I bought this book, I thought it would have been more extensive and give more examples even though it's a relatively big book already. It's similar to the SW Help that comes with the software, but in a handy book form for reference. Still, there is no substitute for the tutorial books that Solidworks produces ( if you can find them on ebay or elsewhere ) or afford to take a SW class.

I ordered this book because I was recently promoted to a new position that requires the use of SolidWorks 2007. I chose this title from the bewildering array of similar titles by the same authors because it seemed to offer complete coverage of the application.

I must warn you that I have not worked all the way through the book yet, having just received it a few days ago. I have worked through the first chapter, which includes 3 or 4 tutorials. The tutorials seem fine, and I am sure that I will learn a great deal while using this text.

However, I have to say, this book appears to have been edited by a chimpanzee with a highlighter. There are spelling errors, grammatical errors, errors in the tutorials, incomplete sentences, run-on sentences and more. And I say again - I'm only through the first chapter. Nearly all of the errors I mention above appear in the front matter - before you even get to the meat of the text.

I will continue to work through the book, and I will come back here and update this review when I am finished, but I am a technical writer by profession and I am literally offended by the quality of this text. It's hard to believe that a book that's been through as many editions as this one has still has this many typographical errors in it. The information might be correct and complete, and I may very well learn what I need to know by slogging through it, but it sure isn't going to be a pleasant experience, based on my experience so far.