SolidWorks® 2010 Bible

Introduction

Welcome to SolidWorks 2010 Bible. This book has been written as a desk reference for beginning and intermediate SolidWorks users. SolidWorks is such an immense software program that trying to cover all its functions is an extremely ambitious undertaking, which has resulted me leaving a few out. Because of the scope of the topic, I have limited the book to covering the basic SolidWorks package with Office, Office professional, or Office Premium add-ins, although I have devoted half of a chapter to toolbox.

About This Book

You will find enough information here that the book can grow with your SolidWorks needs. I have written tutorials for most of the chapters with newer users in mind, because for them, it is most helpful to see how things are done in SolidWorks step by step. The longer narrative examples give more in-depth information about features and functions, as well as the results of various settings and options.

This book includes many details that come from practical usage, and is focused on the needs of professional users, not on student learners. My approach is to teach concepts rather than button pushes.

How This Book Is Organized

This book is divided into eight parts.

Part I: SolidWorks Basics

This part explores basic concepts and terminology used in SolidWorks. You need to read this section if you are new to the software and especially if you are new to 3D modeling or parametric history-based design.

Part II: Building Intelligence into Your Parts

This part takes a ...