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Summary

SolidWorks provides a vast amount of plastics functionality. The more you use these features, the more power you will find in them. They will become second nature after you have used them for a while. The power and flexibility is amazing when you think of the incredible range of parts that you can make and evaluate with these features. Automated functions are not the answer to all problems, however. You need to be well versed in workaround techniques for more complex situations.

Part VI: Appendixes

In This Part

Appendix A

Finding Help

Appendix B

What's on the DVD

Appendix A: Finding Help

In This Appendix

Getting SolidWorks Help

Accessing information on SolidWorks Web sites

Accessing graphics cards and drivers

Benefiting from user groups

Getting support from online forums

Using non-commercial Web sites

SolidWorks software has been around for more than 15 years now. In that time, the resources available to users seeking help have increased dramatically. These resources take many forms, from personal Web sites with information from individual experience to commercial online magazines or forums with advanced interfaces. In this appendix, I have assembled some of the more worthy sources of quality information.

It is not the goal of this book to endorse any commercial sites or services, but some of the listed resources are commercial in nature, and may feature advertisements, logins, or paid subscriptions.

SolidWorks Help

The SolidWorks Help file contains some information you need to research how functions work. There are topics for which searchability is poor, or that do not appear under expected names, but this is the exception rather than the norm. It is more common to find that some features are poorly documented or not documented at all. For example, when you look up the significance of the Engage Belt option in the Belt/Chain sketch function described in Chapter 3, SolidWorks Help says, “Engage belt. Clear to disengage the belt mechanism,” which may not be the help you are looking for.

However, some functions, such as sheet metal bend allowances and the referenced documents search routine, are extraordinarily well documented. Isolated topics are surprisingly thorough and extremely helpful.

SolidWorks Help is available in traditional Help files on the computer, as well as Web-based help. SolidWorks Web Help was created because it is easier for SolidWorks to keep it up to date. You can access the Web Help by turning on the Use SolidWorks Web Help option in the Help menu in SolidWorks or at http://help.solidworks.com.

SolidWorks Web Help

The SolidWorks Web Help was new in SolidWorks 2010. Web Help was introduced to help SolidWorks keep the Help files updated without having to send out help updates in the service packs. It also enables the use of other search tools and links to online data sources to make finding help that much easier.

You can access SolidWorks Web Help through the Help⇒SolidWorks Help menu selection as usual, but you need to make sure that the Use SolidWorks Web Help option also in the Help menu is activated. The following three sections only pertain to the traditional (non-Web) Help.

Contents

SolidWorks terminology has been a sticking point at times in the writing of this book because terms are either unclear or overlap. Still, it is difficult for two people to talk about the software if they are not using the same terminology. The Glossary, found at the bottom of the Help Contents list, is one of the most useful and yet most underused portions of the Help files. Often when a new user asks me a question, it can be impossible to discern what the user is talking about because he is not familiar with the SolidWorks terminology, is substituting AutoCAD or Inventor terminology, or is assuming all modeling terminology is universal. As dull as it may be, this Glossary should be required reading for all new users. Simply understanding the language