SolidWorks is a 3D mechanical CAD (computer-aided design) program that runs on Microsoft Windows and was developed by Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes, S. A. (Vélizy, France). SolidWorks is currently used by over 3/4 million engineers and designers at more than 80,000 companies worldwide.[3]
History
SolidWorks was introduced in 1995 as a low-cost competitor to CAD programs such as Pro/ENGINEER, I-DEAS, Unigraphics, AutoCAD and CATIA. SolidWorks Corporation was founded in 1993 by Jon Hirschtick, who recruited a team of engineers to build a company that developed 3D CAD software, with its headquarters at Concord, Massachusetts, and released its first product, SolidWorks 95, in 1995. In 1997 Dassault Systèmes, best known for its CATIA CAD software, acquired the company and currently owns 100% of its shares. SolidWorks was headed by John McEleney from 2001 to July 2007, and is now headed by Jeff Ray.
Market
Solidworks Corp. has sold over 1 million licenses of Solidworks worldwide.[4] Its user base ranges from individuals to large companies, and covers a very wide cross-section of manufacturing market segments. Commercial sales are made through an indirect channel, which includes dealers and partners throughout the world. Directly competitive products to SolidWorks include Pro/ENGINEER, Solid Edge, and Autodesk Inventor.
The SolidWorks approach
screen shot captured from a SolidWorks top-down design approach.
SolidWorks is a parasolid-based solid modeler, and utilizes a parametric feature-based approach to create models and assemblies.
Parameters refer to constraints whose values determine the shape or geometry of the model or assembly. Parameters can be either numeric parameters, such as line lengths or circle diameters, or geometric parameters, such as tangent, parallel, concentric, horizontal or vertical, etc. Numeric parameters can be associated with each other through the use of relations, which allows them to capture design intent.
Design intent is how the creator of the part wants it to respond to changes and updates. For example, you would want the hole at the top of a beverage can to stay at the top surface, regardless of the height or size of the can. SolidWorks allows you to specify that the hole is a feature on the top surface, and will then honor your design intent no matter what the height you later gave to the can.
Features refer to the building blocks of the part. They are the shapes and operations that construct the part. Shape-based features typically begin with a 2D or 3D sketch of shapes such as bosses, holes, slots, etc. This shape is then extruded or cut to add or remove material from the part. Operation-based features are not sketch-based, and include features such fillets, chamfers, shells, applying draft to the faces of a part, etc.
screen shot captured from a SolidWorks top-down design approach.
Building a model in SolidWorks usually starts with a 2D sketch (although 3D sketches are available for power users). The sketch consists of geometry such as points, lines, arcs, conics (except the hyperbola), and splines. Dimensions are added to the sketch to define the size and location of the geometry. Relations are used to define attributes such as tangency, parallelism, perpendicularity, and concentricity. The parametric nature of SolidWorks means that the dimensions and relations drive the geometry, not the other way around. The dimensions in the sketch can be controlled independently, or by relationships to other parameters inside or outside of the sketch.
SolidWorks pioneered the ability of a user to roll back through the history of the part in order to make changes, add additional features, or change the sequence in which operations are performed.[5] Later feature-based solid modeling software has copied this idea.
In an assembly, the analog to sketch relations are mates. Just as sketch relations define conditions such as tangency, parallelism, and concentricity with respect to sketch geometry, assembly mates define equivalent relations with respect to the individual parts or components, allowing the easy construction of assemblies. SolidWorks also includes additional advanced mating features such as gear and cam follower mates, which allow modeled gear assemblies to accurately reproduce the rotational movement of an actual gear train.
Finally, drawings can be created either from parts or assemblies. Views are automatically generated from the solid model, and notes, dimensions and tolerances can then be easily added to the drawing as needed. The drawing module includes most paper sizes and standards (ANSI, ISO, DIN, GOST, JIS, BSI and GB).
Products
3D Mechanical Design Applications
SolidWorks Standard
SolidWorks Professional
SolidWorks Premium provides a suite of product development tools mechanical design, design verification, data management, and communication tools. SolidWorks Premium includes all of the capabilities of SolidWorks Professional as well as routing and analysis tools, including SolidWorks Routing, SolidWorks Simulation, and SolidWorks Motion.
SolidWorks Education Edition Provides the same design functionality but is configured and packaged for engineering and industrial design students.
Design Validation Tools
SolidWorks Simulation is a design validation tool that shows engineers how their designs will behave as physical objects.
SolidWorks Motion is a virtual prototyping tool that provides motion simulation capabilities to ensure designs function properly.
SolidWorks Flow Simulation is a tool that tests fluid-flow simulation and thermal analysis so designers can conduct tests on virtual prototypes.
SolidWorks Simulation Premium is a design validation tool that caters to designers without engineering background.
Product Data Management Tools
SolidWorks PDM Workgroup is a PDM tool that allows SolidWorks users operating in teams of 10 members or less to work on designs concurrently. With SolidWorks PDM Workgroup, designers can search, revise, and vault CAD data while maintaining an accurate design history.
SolidWorks Enterprise PDM
Design Communication and Collaboration Tools
eDrawings Professional An e-mail-enabled communication tool for reviewing 2D and 3D product design data across the extended product development team. eDrawings generates accurate representations of DWGgateway is a free data translation tool that enables any AutoCAD software user to open and edit any DWG file, regardless of the version of AutoCAD it was made in.
SolidWorks Viewer is a free plug-in for viewing SolidWorks parts, assemblies, and drawings.
CAD Productivity Tools
SolidWorks Toolbox is a library of parts that uses "Smart Part" Technology to automatically select fasteners and assemble them in them in the desired sequence.
SolidWorks Utilities is software that lets designers find differences between two versions of the same part, or locate, modify, and suppress features within a model.
FeatureWorks is feature recognition software that lets designers make changes to static geometric data, increasing the value of translated files. With FeatureWorks, designers can preserve or introduce new design intent when bringing 3D models created in other software into the SolidWorks environment.
Specialty Design Tools
SolidWorks Routing
MoldflowXpress is a mold design validation tool that was built into a solid modeling environment. It enables mold designers to quickly and easily validate whether a plastic injection-molded part can be filled.
SolidWorks MoldBase is a catalog of standard mold base assemblies and components. The package enables designers to generate a completely assembled mold base.
Editions
- SolidWorks Standard
- SolidWorks Professional
- SolidWorks Premium
SolidWorks
The SolidWorks core product includes tools for 3D modeling, assembly, drawing, sheetmetal, weldments, and freeform surfacing. It can import numerous file types from other 2D and 3D CAD programs. It also has an API for custom programming in Visual Basic and C. Also included is an entry level finite element analysis program called SolidWorks SimulationXpress (formerly known as CosmosXpress).
SolidWorks Professional
The SolidWorks Professional bundle includes the SolidWorks core product plus several add-in programs. These include:
- Animator (Create AVI animations of a model in motion)
- Design Checker (Checks notes, dimensions and other settings in drawings to make sure they adhere to company standards)
- eDrawings Professional (Adds markup and measuring capabilities to the free eDrawings viewer)
- FeatureWorks (Adds editable features to "dumb" imported geometry)
- PDM Workgroup (A workgroup level document management program to manage SolidWorks files as well as other file types)
- PhotoWorks (Realistic Photo rendering)
- Task Scheduler (Schedule SolidWorks to bulk print, import/export files, and create eDrawings)
- Toolbox (A collection of common fasteners and hardware, Screws, Nuts, Washers, etc.)
- Utilities (Additional tools for selecting features and comparing features and geometry)
- 3D Instant Website (Publishing an HTML document of SolidWorks documents, uses eDrawings for viewing)
SolidWorks Premium
The SolidWorks Premium bundle includes the SolidWorks core product and Professional add-ins plus the following:
- SolidWorks Simulation (Finite Element Analysis)
- SolidWorks Motion (Motion analysis)
- Routing (Piping, Tubing, plus Wiring and Harness layout)
- ScanTo3D (Utility for converting scanned data into solid models)
- TolAnalyst (GD&T Tolerance analyse tool)
- CircuitWorks (a bi-directional IDF and PADS file interface)
Educational Products
- SolidWorks Student Design Kit
- SolidWorks Education Edition
- SolidWorks Student Edition
SolidWorks Student Design Kit
The SolidWorks Student Design Kit is a limited-term trial version of the SolidWorks Education Edition. It does not include all of the features that the licensed edition does.
SolidWorks Education Edition
The SolidWorks Education Edition is a licensed version of SolidWorks. It is intended to educate students in grade schools, middle schools, high schools, vocational schools, colleges, and universities. It also includes SimulationXpress The Educational Edition is always one year behind the industry edition. When drawings are printed from the Educational Edition, there is a watermark that indicates "SolidWorks Student License - Academic Use Only." The Educational Edition also lacks any technical support from the software manufacturer.
SolidWorks Student Edition
The SolidWorks Student Edition is intended for individual student use outside of the class. It includes all of the same features and limitations as the SolidWorks Education Edition, including a lack of technical support.
Subscription Services
SolidWorks has an initial purchase price with an option to buy a yearly subscription service termed "maintenance". The subscription service entitles you to service packs, new versions, comprehensive hotline support, access to the customer website which contains helpful information, an online knowledge base, enhancement request form, and discussion forums.
Version History
Past Versions
- SolidWorks 95
- SolidWorks 96
- SolidWorks 97
- SolidWorks 97 Plus
- SolidWorks 98
- SolidWorks 98 Plus
- SolidWorks 99
- SolidWorks 2000
- SolidWorks 2001
- SolidWorks 2001 Plus
- SolidWorks 2003
- SolidWorks 2004
- SolidWorks 2005
- SolidWorks 2006 (Native Windows x86-64 version was released from SP4.0 onwards
- SolidWorks 2007 (A Beta version for Vista exists with limited support.)
- SolidWorks 2008: Includes full support for Vista x86. Out in October, 2007. SP3.1 includes native Vista x64 support
- SolidWorks 2009: Released September, 2008. Includes native Vista x86 and x64 support
Current Version:
- SolidWorks 2010: Released October, 2009.
Future Editions:
- SolidWorks 2011: Due out in Late 2010.
SolidWorks allows for the seamless integration of third-party modules. Some of these modules are small and introduce a minor feature, such as generating a special shaped hole, while others are entire Computer Aided Manufacture products in their own right that use SolidWorks as a "convenient" graphical platform.
These products can apply for different levels of partner status with the SolidWorks company, to give the advantage of being promoted through the established SolidWorks sales channels. See Partner Products
System Requirements
The system requirements[6] for SolidWorks depend partially upon which packages[7] or modules are installed in each customer's machine. An oversimplification would be to say that one should have a PC with an Intel Core2 Duo, 1.8GHz, 2GB RAM, 20GB HD, Windows XP SP2 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 SP2. Supported graphics cards can be referenced on the vendor's website.[8]
Computer Aided Manufacture products
Knowledge Based Engineering
Other modules
SolidWorks Flow Simulation
SolidWorks Flow Simulation is a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) product for SolidWorks users. It is embedded inside SolidWorks and can perform fluid flow and heat transfer analysis for all types of fluids (liquids, gases, Non Newtonian fluids, Compressible liquids).
The solver uses Navier-Stokes (NS) equations to compute flow characteristics in both Single Reference Frames (SRF) and Multiple Reference Frames (MRF).
SolidWorks FloXpress
SolidWorks FloXpress is a free, limited-scope version of SolidWorks Flow Simulation now included in every seat of SolidWorks, starting in 2008. It can handle only internal flows with one inlet and one outlet, of either air or water. Only velocity traces are given as results, no heat transfers are calculated. It should be considered an initial validation tool only, for the casual FEA user.
SolidWorks Motion
SolidWorks Motion is a SolidWorks module for multi-body kinematic simulation of mechanisms. It can handle complex component collisions, accept formula for motion laws and supply reaction values to SolidWorks Simulation for further FEA analysis. It is included in the SolidWorks Premium license.
SolidWorks SimulationXpress
SolidWorks SimulationXpress (formerly COSMOSXpress) is a feature designed to perform a limited range of linear static analysis of part geometry. Geometry is limited to a single solid body and the choices for creating boundary conditions are limited (fixed only) which can affect the applicability of the results to the actual problem being solved. Results are limited to graphical representations of either Von Mises stress or displacement distributions. Colors appearing on the surface of the deformed shape of the model describe the amount of stress or displacement at that location. The values corresponding to each color are shown in the legend. SolidWorks SimulationXpress is included in every basic SolidWorks license, and should be considered a first-pass check to see where a design can be improved.
SolidWorks Simulation Premium
SolidWorks Simulation Premium is a module providing a richer set of tools for linear static FEA. SolidWorks Simulation Premium can deal with parts and assemblies using solid, shell and (starting from release 2007) beam elements.
It provides a fully associative environment to perform FEA studies inside SolidWorks, with several features for pre-processing as well as for post-processing and a very rich set of connectors and boundary conditions, like virtual bolts, bearings, spot welding, links and pins.
A tool for designing multiple batch calculations (Design Scenario) is also provided.
SolidWorks Simulation Premium can handle locally non-linear contact and includes a partial support for geometric non-linear analysis (large displacement). It is included in the SolidWorks Premium license.
SolidWorks Simulation Professional and Advanced Professional
SolidWorks Simulation license upgrades including a larger set of solvers.
SolidWorks Simulation Professional:
- Buckling
- Frequency
- Thermal
- Fatigue
- "Drop test"
- Shape optimization
SolidWorks Simulation Advanced Professional:
- all of the above, plus:
- Composite analysis
- Seismic
- Post-dynamics
- Complete non-linear analysis
Indigo Renderer
A third-party photorealistic renderer with a plugin for Solidworks. Produces highly realistic results.
PhotoWorks
PhotoWorks is a raytrace renderer built into SolidWorks, powered by Mental Ray.
Toolbox
SolidWorks Toolbox is a library of predefined fasteners, gears, cams, pins and other accessories, based on information found in Machinery's Handbook. The library is database driven and this database can be modified. Also user defined standard parts can be created and added to the Toolbox for later use in other projects.
SolidWorks Toolbox allows for "drag and drop" insertion of fasteners into assemblies. It also is integrated with SolidWorks "SmartFastener" technology to allow the automatic population of hole features with the appropriate fasteners.
Motion Study (previously called Animator)
SolidWorks Animator has the capability of exploding assemblies and animates the way components explode, join.
It relies on standard SolidWorks kinematics, but can also accept motion simulation results from COSMOSMotion, as well as a thorough manipulation by the user.
It can also produce video output and supports rendered animations using PhotoWorks.
FeatureWorks
This module recognizes different design features (fillets, cut-extrudes, extrudes) on imported models. The underlying methods for the recognition of different features in the dumb solid are mainly identified as Feature Recognition technologies in the CAD/CAM industry.
ScanTo3D
Module to perform Reverse engineering, starting from point-cloud or STL/VRML files, as well as using 3D scanning. Included in SolidWorks Premium, starting from release 2007.
API
SolidWorks also includes an Application Programming Interface (API) for macro and third party development.
File format
SolidWorks files use the Microsoft Structured storage file format. This means that there are various files embedded within each SLDDRW, SLDPRT, SLDASM file, including preview bitmaps and metadata sub-files. Various third-party tools (see Structured storage) can be used to extract these sub-files, although the subfiles in many cases use proprietary binary file formats.
See also
References
