SOLIDWORKS enables you to animate your design in order to explain its function and assembly, as well as how it fits with related products. Showing a video is an extremely powerful way to communicate across languages and between technical and nontechnical people.

SOLIDWORKS animation tools include:

• Fast, easy animation creation—software developed for the designer/engineer, and does not require an animator
• Timeline-based animation creation
• Exploded view animation to help explain assembly/disassembly
• SOLIDWORKS motion controls to rotate, slide, and move components as needed
• Video output, frame rate, and other controls
• Save video for viewing by others

3D Content Central Overview

SOLIDWORKS 3D Content Central® contains millions of 2D and 3D models of SOLIDWORKS catalog components used by over 875,000 professionals. This vast collection of manufacturer- and user-supplied SOLIDWORKS models helps reduce design time.

At 3DContentCentral.com you will find:

• 2D and 3D CAD models to drag and drop into SOLIDWORKS designs
• Content supplied by manufacturers and SOLIDWORKS users
• 2D blocks for faster drawing creation
• Libraries of user-developed macros to speed specific tasks
• Collections of Library Features for detailed design tasks
• Ratings of content provided by members of the SOLIDWORKS Community

New products are often variations of existing products, with current designs tweaked or reconfigured to meet a new customer’s need or requirement. At other times, major sections of one or several designs need to be reused in other designs.

SOLIDWORKS search, automation, and configuration tools simplify the reuse of existing design data to create new designs. Designers and engineers can find and configure design data and documentation quickly to create new designs, which reduces product development time so they can put their focus on developing innovative new products rather than manipulating a CAD system.

SOLIDWORKS design reuse and automation tools include:

• CAD Search—Find items quickly in complex designs
• Design automation—Streamline creation of similar parts
• Parts and Assembly Configuration—Generate simple, complex, or similar versions of your design