SolidWorks® 2007 Bible

Chapter 1. Getting Familiar with SolidWorks

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Understanding feature-based Modeling

• Understanding history-based Modeling

• Sketching with parametrics

• Understanding Design Intent

• Editing Design Intent

• Working with associativity

Let's face it; people develop brand loyalty to CAD software programs. It sounds silly, but you know it's true. If you are coming to SolidWorks from another CAD program, you are probably feeling a level of unease that is proportional to the amount of time you spent using the other program. You will get past that, and everything will be fine, I promise. As you will see, SolidWorks does everything as well as, or better than, your old software, and you will never crave your old software after you drink this Kool-Aid.

The biggest hurdle that many users face in learning a new CAD program is letting go of the old one. In some cases, the old software helps you to understand the new one, but in others, the thinking is just too different, and you may need to forget everything you thought you knew about CAD.

Switching to SolidWorks can involve a little of both. For example, if you are coming from Inventor, Solid Edge, or another program in that class, you will find SolidWorks to be very familiar territory, with a similar if not identical design philosophy. SolidWorks also shares a lot of underlying structure with Pro/ENGINEER, and if you are coming from that product, there will be some relearning, but much of your training will be transferable.

If you are coming from ...