SolidWorks 2011 Assemblies Bible - Matt Lombard [140]
FIGURE 16.17
Setting the depth of the Broken-Out Section View
Editing the view
At this point the view is finished. Now you may choose to edit the view in some way, such as by changing the sketch, the depth, the section scope, and so on. Figure 16.18 shows how the Broken-Out Section View is positioned in the Drawing FeatureManager. It is listed as a modification to an existing drawing view. The Broken-Out Section RMB menu is also shown. Selecting Edit Definition displays the PropertyManager, shown in Figure 16.17. Selecting Edit Sketch enables you to change the section spline shape. Selecting Properties displays the dialog box shown to the right in Figure 16.18. This contains options for the underlying original view as well as the Broken-Out Section modification to the original view. Only the Section Scope tab is added by the Broken-Out Section View. The rest of the options are for normal view properties.
FIGURE 16.18
Editing the Broken-Out Section View
Using Color in Assembly Drawing Views
One of the newer functions in SolidWorks assembly drawings is that you can apply the same color to the wireframe display on the drawing as you have applied to the individual parts in the assembly window. Colors on drawings help distinguish one part from another, where the alternative is to look at a screenful of black lines.
On the other hand, sometimes light colors that show up well when the part is shaded on the screen do not look good when used in a wireframe line width on a white sheet. Also, with the use of part “appearances” where some people are using more realistic material displays for parts, part colors can be a range of gray to reflect surfaces such as aluminum or steel. Still, if you want to set your parts up with more abstract contrasting colors, it does help you to distinguish one part from another in the assembly model and on the drawing. Appearances, even realistic or reflective appearances, can have colors assigned to them, so you get a shiny, red steel part. The realism is far less important than the ability to tell one part from another, so the abstraction of colors that don't look realistic at all is often very helpful.
To make assembly drawings use part color, you make the first setting in the assembly document properties, shown as the setting with the cursor next to it in Figure 16.19, Tools⇒Options⇒Document Properties⇒Detailing⇒Use model color for HLR/HLV in drawings. You need to specify this document property setting in the drawing. (HLR stands for hidden lines removed, while HLV stands for hidden lines visible.)
FIGURE 16.19
The Use model color for HLR/HLV in drawings option
This is worth repeating: Even though this setting exists in both the assembly and the drawing, and even though there is a setting in parts that says to use the same color for shaded and wireframe, the only setting that matters in terms of getting color onto the drawing is Use model color setting in the drawing document properties.
Setting Up Drawings of Large Assemblies
There are several tactics you can use to try to minimize the overhead of working with large data sets in SolidWorks drawings. You have several options when working to improve the performance of large assembly drawings. Some of these options should be employed at the level of the assembly, and some you will only use in the assembly.
Using detached drawings
Detached drawings do not have the 3D document files loaded in memory; they just let you work with the geometry as-is in the drawing. They can be beneficial in two situations: first, to speed up large assembly drawings and second, when you have the drawing but don't have the part and assembly files. You must set up a detached drawing before deciding to open the drawing