The only continuous, step-by-step tutorial for SolidWorks
SolidWorks is a 3D CAD manufacturing software package that has been used to design everything from aerospace robotics to bicycles. This book teaches beginners to use SolidWorks through a step-by-step tutorial, letting you build, document, and present a project while you learn.
Tools and functionality are explained in the context of professional, real-world tasks and workflows. You will learn the essential functions and gain the skills to use the software at once.
SolidWorks is a popular design software for manufacturing, and this book introduces it in the context of actually creating an object
Begins with an overview of SolidWorks conventions and the interface
Explains how to create models and drawings, create a revolved part and subassembly, and model parts within a subassembly
Explores modification capabilities and drawing and Bill of Materials templates
Moves on to top-level assembly models and drawings, Toolbox components and the Design Library, mates, export and printing capabilities, and creating renderings
Includes a glossary, a foreword from the SolidWorks product manager, and downloadable tutorial files
SolidWorks 2010: No Experience Required quickly turns beginners into confident users of SolidWorks.
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SolidWorks 2010: No Experience Required is the perfect hands-on, step-by-step introduction to this very popular 3D CAD software. Through a continuous, easy-to-follow tutorial, you'll learn SolidWorks by planning and developing a desk lamp, from modeling to drawing to creating the Bill of Materials. Follow the tutorial sequentially or jump in at any chapter by downloading the drawing files from www.sybex.com/go/solidworks2010ner. Either way, you'll get a thorough grounding in SolidWorks and see real progress as you quickly master tasks and create a final, presentation-worthy rendering of your design.
Create your first part, the lamp base, and use Instant3D to improve productivity
Add dimensions, tolerances, and a detailed view—and produce your first drawing
See how to create a revolved part with threading as you make the lamp's shaft
Model a plastic washer and learn how to create an assembly from a part
Examine Bills of Materials (BOMs), build one, and add item balloons
Design a lampshade, add components from the Design Library, and create an exploded view
Put it all together and produce a top-level assembly drawing
Apply materials and environment and create a stunning rendering
Create 2D drawings that tell the whole story
Make stunning photo-realistic renderings of your designs
Build excellent real-world assemblies
About the Author
Alex R. Ruiz is a Certified SolidWorks Professional and engineering manager for a leading medical device manufacturer. He designs new products and trains and supports over 100 SolidWorks users. Alex has close ties to the SolidWorks development team and is very well known in the SolidWorks community as "the SolidWorks geek," which is the name of his blog (www.TheSWGeek.com).
Gabi Jack is a Certified SolidWorks Professional and mechanical engineer who maintains a popular blog about solid modeling, design, and engineering (www.GabiJack.com).
Alex R. Ruiz has worked in mechanical engineering for over 13 years. Starting his career as a drafter, Alex has moved up through the ranks due in part to his extensive knowledge of 3D modeling, ASME standards, engineering, design for manufacturability, and related technologies. He is an engineering manager for a leading medical device manufacturer in Southern California. There he continues to design new and innovative products as well as serve as a mentor to new engineers, designers and drafters. In his role as engineering manager, Alex trains and supports over 100 engineers on SolidWorks and PDMWorks usage.
Outside of his professional career as an engineering manager, Alex has worked hard in recent years to develop a strong standing in the SolidWorks Community. Since first learning SolidWorks in 2001, he has become a Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA) and Certified SolidWorks Professional (CSWP). He has also developed key contacts throughout the CAD community including bloggers from various CAD packages and SolidWorks Employees. Due to his standing in the blogger community he has been contacted by various departments within SolidWorks on his opinions and wishes for the future of the Software. SolidWorks has also invited him to cover the SolidWorks World 2009 as press.
Alex has a passion to help other users in the SolidWorks community worldwide and to do this he has created the websites The SolidWorks Geek (www.theswgeek.com) and SolidWorks Geeks (www.swgeeks.com). On average, The SolidWorks Geek blog receive around 3000 unique visitors per month and SolidWorks Geeks receives close to 800 a month. As a writer for The SolidWorks Geek, Alex is able to provide valuable SolidWorks and ASME tips and tricks to thousands of users in 93 countries worldwide. Due to the growing popularity of this website, Alex is known as one of the top experts in the field. A goal of his is to serve the SolidWorks community on a larger scale. Alex can be reached at blog@theswgeek.com.
I purchased this book to learn SolidWorks. I'm 55 years old and was downsized nine months ago as a Mechanical Engineer. I have 30+ years of experience in technical documentation and manufacturing. There are a lot of books on the market; and the title and price (cheapest) caught my eye. I'm very disappointed with this book. Amazon states, "The only continuous, step-by-step tutorial for SolidWorks". There are tutorials in the book; but they are few and short and far from being step by step. Skipping five to six steps in a tutorial is not step by step and sometimes more. I'm learning more from the SolidWorks help files and tutorials than from this text.
The dimensioning and 2D drawing section is appalling for anyone who wants to learn SolidWorks and apply the ASME Y14 standard. The author presents dimensioning incorrectly, improper usage of leader line gaps, incorrect hole dimensioning schemes, incorrect arrow placement, and it goes on and on. I'm also surprise that the text did not include any models for the new use. This would have been very helpful. Then I realized that the book is written by a blogger. One star is all it gets.
In the normal course of writing about SolidWorks topics, I was provided a copy of this book to review. This short version of my review is being added to Amazon.com to provide a bit of balance to the rating for this book. This book takes a detailed approach to teaching SolidWorks to new users. Though the book is structured as a tutorial, it is also a reliable reference guide to fundamental aspects of SolidWorks.
For experienced 3D CAD users, much of SolidWorks user interface and functionality is intuitive, but that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be covered in a book designed for new users. This book takes a detailed approach to learning SolidWorks. It is so detailed that even some experienced users may learn something by browsing its pages. In doing so, this book gives the reader context for each topic. For example, the FeatureManager (one of the primary user interface areas) is frequently discussed in the context of its use within each particular area. This helps the reader gain real understanding of its value as they perform certain tasks.
As book addresses each topic, it thoroughly covers every detail of the choices presented to the reader. This gives the reader a clear understanding as to why they choose one option over the other within the tutorial tasks. This adds significant value to this book as an actual reference guide. The reader learns more than just how to go through a simple step-by-step process for one exercise. They learn how to use SolidWorks for any design project.
However, sometimes the detail may be too much in the context of a tutorial. For example, chapter 1 teaches the reader about the SolidWorks user interface, but it also provides information on how to customize that interface. Perhaps a chapter on editing the user interface might be better at some later point in the book (or even in another book)?
Even still, this book is a great source to learn SolidWorks for new users. Academia might find this book very useful in their 3D CAD courses. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have this book available in any company that often hires people that may not be completely familiar with SolidWorks.
This book is NOT for advanced or expert SolidWorks users. CAD managers should not buy this book thinking they will learn something new. It is an education tool for new users, and a reference guide for others.
I've been using SolidWorks since 2005, but my company has not kept up on subscription and I'm new to the 2010 version. First; SolidWorks 2010 is a major improvement over the older version. Huge improvements across the board in the user interface, toolbars, drawings, manufacturing capabilities, assemblies, features, material library, help and it just goes on.
I was looking for a SolidWorks 2010 book and saw this one written by Gabi Jack - blogger who I respect very much. I obtained a lot of tips from her blog on Solid modeling over the years. The book starts off very slowly; and frankly never really gets there. As an example: On page 89 - you create your first sketch. On page 146 - you finally finish your first simple part (base for the lamp).
In 500 pages of text - you create a single lamp assembly; which looks very similar to the one that SolidWorks Corporation used in their older tutorials.
The book does not provide a CD/DVD of examples, templates or before-and-after files of the models in the book. This would be helpful to any user.
To obtain access to needed and additional files or models, you need to download them - which can be an issue if your company has internet download blocks. Example: On page 151 - download the install FDC Size B drawing template. This is not good!
The book is way too slow for the beginner; and is fairly useless to a present SolidWorks user - especially if you visit Gabi's blog along with others and attend any local SolidWorks user group meeting. A very weak book in general.
PS - Per the 3 posted comments to my review which occurred within 10 minutes of each other - Gabi you rock, but this is the way I feel about the book. Too slow is just too slow for anyone. For the general public, which is not part of the blogging community, what does this say about comments in general?
