SolidWorks 2011 Parts Bible - Matt Lombard [323]
Index
Starting in SolidWorks 2010, SolidWorks removed the Index from the regular Help, and of course, it does not exist in the Web Help either. An index is difficult to create, and this difficulty was the reason SolidWorks gave for not including it in the new version.
Search
The Search function is for when you are not exactly sure of what you are looking for. For example, you know there is a feature that has a funny name that uses stripes to analyze curvature across edges, but you cannot remember its name. Begin your search with the words stripes and curvature. If you use curvature, the Search function returns about 60 possibilities. The term you are looking for is Zebra Stripes, but you may not find it by scanning such a long list. If you search using the word stripe, Zebra Stripes appears at the top of the list. So a good search strategy might be to try multiple terms.
The biggest complaint you may have about the Search function in Help is that it will sometimes return too many options, and the connection between the word you searched on and the topic title shown in the list is not immediately clear. Still, too much information is better than not enough.
Many users overlook the three options at the bottom of the Search window: Search Previous Results, Match Similar Words, and Search Titles Only. All three are useful in narrowing your search. With the new Web Help, Search is improved, and includes a section that allows you to further narrow the search results that works like guided search. Guided search provides a list of results, but also provides an index-like set of topics (in the upper right-hand corner) that you can use to narrow the search further.
Additionally, most of the Help linked to from the search results has a link to search the Knowledge Base on a related phrase. This search of the Knowledge Base (KB) may or may not include any results. I have seen several links from the Help to the KB that were empty.
SolidWorks Web Site
Most of the valuable information on the SolidWorks Web site (www.solidworks.com) is behind the subscription login, but some free information is also available. It may be worthwhile to explore the SolidWorks site a bit, because it includes a large amount of information ranging from graphics cards evaluations to training files.
Graphics Cards Link
The link to this area of the SolidWorks Web site is www.solidworks.com/sw/videocardtesting.html, and appears on the SolidWorks Web site main page behind the Support⇒System Requirements link. SolidWorks has tested the range of most popular graphics cards and drivers for compatibility with various versions of SolidWorks and has rated them at various levels based on the following criteria:
Passed all tests
Passed with limitations
Card has significant stability or repaint problems
Uses the graphics card display settings for SolidWorks
Multi-head hardware accelerated
Supports RealView
Provides 64-bit native support
Supports 3D-Stereo effects
Customer Portal
The SolidWorks Customer Portal is full of useful information. It requires a login, and you can find it at https://customercenter.solidworks.com. Portions of the portal, such as the Forums, are available to anyone with or without subscription. Other areas, such as the service pack downloads, are only available to subscription customers.
SolidWorks Forums
The SolidWorks Forums have areas of wide interest for most users. These include about 40 different topic areas, each with a constant flow of information. SolidWorks employees sometimes answer questions, and knowledgeable users often give good answers and invaluable perspectives on not just modeling and CAD admin topics but also general mechanical engineering or materials sourcing.
You can read the forums without an account but need an account to post messages. Accounts can be granted to anyone even if you are not