Appendix A: Finding Help
IN THIS APPENDIX
Getting SolidWorks Help
Accessing information on SolidWorks websites
Benefiting from user groups
Getting support from online forums
Using non-commercial websites
SolidWorks software has been around for more than 17 years now. In that time, the resources available to users seeking help have increased dramatically. These resources take many forms, from personal websites with information from individual experience to commercial online magazines or forums with advanced interfaces. In this appendix, I have assembled some of the more worthy sources of quality information.
My goal with this book is not to endorse any commercial sites or services, but some of the listed resources are commercial in nature and may feature advertisements, logins, or paid subscriptions.
SolidWorks Help
The SolidWorks Help file contains some information you need to research how functions work. There are topics for which searchability is poor or that don't appear under expected names, but this is the exception rather than the norm. More commonly, you may find that some features are poorly documented or not documented at all. For example, when you look up the significance of the Engage Belt option in the Belt/Chain sketch function described in Chapter 3, SolidWorks Help says, “Engage belt. Clear to disengage the belt mechanism,” which may not be the help you're looking for.
However, some functions, such as sheet metal bend allowances and the referenced documents search ...
