SolidWorks 2011 Assemblies Bible - Matt Lombard [141]
Note
A detached drawing is convenient when you want to send someone a SolidWorks drawing, but you don't need (or want) to give them access to the actual 3D model data. However, you first have to save it as a detached drawing.
To create a detached drawing, choose File⇒Save As, and from the Save As Type drop-down list (shown in Figure 16.20), select Detached Drawing.
FIGURE 16.20
Saving a drawing as a detached drawing
You cannot perform some drawing operations with detached drawings. These operations include the following:
• Crop views
• Break views
• Section views
• Alternate position or relative views
• Insert model items
Detached drawings also cannot be lightweight.
Just like other operations in SolidWorks drawings, when the view needs to be updated, the view is shown as hatched.
When you need to load the model to update changes, or do one of the operations that require the part data to be present, right-click inside a view and select Load Model from the menu. When SolidWorks determines that you need to load the model, the software may prompt you to do this.
You can only add certain types of views of parts — not the assembly (aux, projected, section, broken-out section), annotations, and reference dimensions to a detached drawing. So there is a certain amount of work you can actually do with this option.
If you save a drawing as detached, load the model, and then save the drawing and close it, the next time you open it up, it will be detached. In other words, once you save a drawing as detached, it remains detached until you save it as a regular drawing. To do this, just choose File⇒Save As, and in the File of Type drop-down list, select Drawing.
Working with lightweight drawings
Lightweight drawings have some similarities to lightweight assemblies. With lightweight drawings, SolidWorks only loads as much model data as it needs. If SolidWorks needs more data, it will load it. This helps assemblies and drawings to open more quickly, but some functions may be slower later on.
Caution
You cannot mix the benefits of lightweight drawings with the benefits of detached drawings.
Using lightweight settings in the drawing works just like using lightweight settings in the assembly. Right-click in a view and select Set Resolved to Lightweight, as shown in Figure 16.21. You can revert to the other setting by choosing Set Lightweight to Resolved from the drop-down list.
FIGURE 16.21
Using lightweight settings with assembly drawings
Using SpeedPak with drawings
SpeedPak is a derived configuration type that uses selected geometry to simplify the display and amount of data SolidWorks needs to load a complex assembly, with the goal of speeding up loading and work in general. If you want to use a SpeedPak in a drawing, the SpeedPak must include edges that you want to dimension to. Anything that is part of the ghost data will be shown in gray. To use an existing SpeedPak for an assembly, right-click a view, and select Properties. In the Configuration information, use the named configuration option to select the derived configuration of the SpeedPak.
Cross-Reference
Chapter 8 provides more information on SpeedPak.
Using draft quality views
Draft quality views are another way to speed up large assembly drawings. Figure 16.22 shows the difference between a draft quality view on the left and a high-quality view on the right. Each view starts as a draft quality view; however, when you change the draft to high quality, the setting is no longer available. You can find the Draft and High quality view settings in the view PropertyManager (just select a view, and the PropertyManager appears on the left), in the Display Style panel. This enables you to change