Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the staff at Wiley for their dedication in editing the text of these books. It can be a difficult job making sure that a technical subject is treated properly. I'd also like to thank Charles Culp, the technical editor, for taking the time out of his schedule to make sure the material is accurate. Thanks also to Kim and Zoey, who help with the details in life allowing me to do this kind of work.
Introduction
SolidWorks is a huge, sprawling topic. There is a lot for you, the reader, to know, and for me to write about. As a result, with the 2011 edition, I have taken this book from a single volume of an immense scope to two individual volumes, each still fairly large, one covering parts and part drawings, and the other covering assemblies and assembly drawings. There is some overlap between these topics, but I have tried to divide the material evenly and in a way, that makes the most sense for the reader. Depending on your needs, you will probably find both volumes to be very useful references.
This book is primarily meant as an encyclopedic desk reference for SolidWorks Standard users who want a more thorough understanding of the software and process than can be found in other available documentation. As such, it is not necessarily intended to be a guide for beginners, although it has elements that beginners would find useful. Nor is it necessarily intended as a classroom guide, but I have seen people use it for that as ...
