SolidWorks Essentials Course

Lesson 1 • SolidWorks Installation and Setup

Covers system requirements, installation steps, and initial configuration. Establishes a functional workspace before any modelling begins.

Lesson 2 • Customising the Workspace

Demonstrates toolbar customisation, shortcut bars, and display settings. A personalised workspace accelerates productivity in all design phases.

Lesson 3 • Mouse and Keyboard Navigation

Teaches pan, zoom, rotate, and selection techniques using mouse and keyboard shortcuts. Reduces navigation friction throughout all subsequent modelling work.

Lesson 4 • File Management and Templates

Explains creating, saving, and organising part, assembly, and drawing files. Proper file management prevents data loss and supports team collaboration.

Lesson 1 • Sketch Editing and Repair Tools

Covers trim, extend, offset, mirror, and pattern tools for modifying sketch geometry. Efficient editing reduces rework and keeps sketches clean and parametric.

Lesson 2 • Applying Geometric Relations

Teaches automatic and manual geometric relations such as coincident, parallel, and tangent. Relations constrain sketch behaviour and reduce dimensional redundancy.

Lesson 3 • Drawing Basic Sketch Entities

Covers lines, rectangles, circles, arcs, and polygons using sketch tools. These entities form the building blocks of all part geometry.

Lesson 4 • Sketch Environment Basics

Introduces the sketch environment, planes, and sketch activation. Understanding the sketch context is essential before drawing any geometry.

Lesson 1 • Fillet and Chamfer Features

Covers constant-radius fillets, variable fillets, and chamfers applied to edges. These features refine part geometry and reflect real manufacturing constraints.

Lesson 2 • Extrude Boss and Cut Features

Introduces Extrude Boss/Base and Extrude Cut as the primary solid-creation tools. These features convert closed sketches into volumetric geometry.

Lesson 3 • Revolve Features

Teaches creating revolved bosses and cuts around a centreline axis. Revolve features efficiently model cylindrical and axisymmetric geometry.

Lesson 4 • Hole Wizard and Patterns

Introduces the Hole Wizard for standard holes and linear/circular feature patterns. Patterns multiply geometry efficiently while maintaining parametric control.

Lesson 1 • Loft Features

Explains blending multiple profiles with the Loft tool to create transitional shapes. Lofts are essential for aerodynamic, ergonomic, and organic part forms.

Lesson 2 • Draft and Scale Features

Covers applying draft angles to faces and scaling part geometry. Draft is required for moulded parts; scale adjusts geometry for shrinkage or design variants.

Lesson 3 • Reference Geometry Creation

Covers creating reference planes, axes, and points to support complex feature placement. Reference geometry is the scaffolding for advanced feature construction.

Lesson 4 • Design Tables and Configurations

Introduces configurations and Excel-driven design tables for managing part variants. Students create families of parts from a single parametric model.

Lesson 1 • Assembly Environment Overview

Introduces the assembly interface, FeatureManager tree, and component insertion methods. Understanding the assembly context is prerequisite to applying mates.

Lesson 2 • Advanced and Mechanical Mates

Teaches gear, cam, slot, and path mates for simulating mechanical motion. Advanced mates reduce manual constraints and improve assembly realism.

Lesson 3 • Assembly Evaluation and Interference

Covers interference detection, clearance verification, and mass properties in assemblies. These tools validate design integrity before physical prototyping.

Lesson 4 • Standard Mates

Covers coincident, concentric, parallel, perpendicular, and distance mates. Standard mates constrain component degrees of freedom to reflect physical contact.

Lesson 1 • Drawing Environment and Sheet Setup

Introduces the drawing environment, sheet formats, and title block customisation. Proper sheet setup ensures drawings meet organisational and industry standards.

Lesson 2 • Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing

Introduces GD and T symbols, datum references, and feature control frames. GD and T precisely communicates form, orientation, and location requirements.

Lesson 3 • Generating and Arranging Views

Covers standard, projected, auxiliary, and isometric views placed on drawing sheets. Correct view selection communicates part geometry without ambiguity.

Lesson 4 • Notes, BOM, and Balloons

Covers adding notes, surface finish symbols, weld symbols, and assembly BOMs with balloons. Complete annotations make drawings self-sufficient for production.

Lesson 1 • Meshing and Running the Study

Explains mesh generation, mesh control, and running the solver. Mesh quality directly affects result accuracy and computation time.

Lesson 2 • Material Assignment

Covers assigning materials from the SolidWorks library and defining custom properties. Material selection directly controls stress and deformation calculations.

Lesson 3 • Interpreting Simulation Results

Covers stress, displacement, and factor-of-safety plots and result interpretation. Students use results to identify failure risks and guide design improvements.

Lesson 4 • Simulation Study Setup

Introduces the Simulation add-in, study types, and workflow overview. Proper study setup determines the accuracy and relevance of analysis results.

Lesson 1 • Model Performance Optimisation

Explains feature order, suppression, lightweight mode, and SpeedPak for large model performance. Optimised models reduce rebuild time and improve assembly responsiveness.

Lesson 2 • Introduction to Surface Modelling

Introduces surface bodies, the Surfaces toolbar, and the difference between solid and surface modelling. Surface modelling enables complex shapes that solid features cannot produce.

Lesson 3 • Design Validation and Manufacturability

Covers draft analysis, undercut detection, and wall thickness analysis for manufacturing readiness. Validation tools catch design issues before tooling or production begins.

Lesson 4 • Curvature Analysis and Quality

Teaches zebra stripe, curvature comb, and draft analysis tools for surface quality evaluation. Surface quality analysis ensures aesthetic and functional continuity.