SolidWorks® 2007 Bible

Chapter 18. Working with Library Features

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Using library features

• Creating library features

• Tutorial: Working with library features

Library features are features that you create once and re-use many times. They are intended to be parametrically flexible to fit into many types of geometry, but they can also be of a fixed size and shape. All of the information that you have learned in previous chapters about designing for change, and design intent, will be used here, and you will also learn how to create, use, and store library features in this chapter.

Using Library Features

Library features reside in the Design Library, which is located in the Task pane to the right of the graphics window.

Tip

You can actually detach the Task pane from its docking location and move it wherever you want, leave it undocked, or even dock it to the left side of the screen.

If you are a long-time SolidWorks user, then you may still know the Design Library as the Feature palette. Another change to the old library features and palette features is that they have been combined, thus removing some of the limitations of the old palette features.

You can use library features for snap rings, grooves for o-rings, custom holes (you can even customize a Hole Wizard hole and put it in the library), mounting bosses for plastics, mounting hole patterns, electrical connector holes, and so on.

One very useful aspect of library features is that they can be driven by configurations and design tables. Once the feature ...