SOLIDWORKS provides dimensioning, tolerancing, and annotating for both 2D drawings and 3D models:

• For 2D drawings, you can fully detail drawing views to quickly and easily document your designs by using tools that automate the creation, placement, and arrangement of dimensions in 2D. SOLIDWORKS also provides tools to automate the creation of intelligent geometric tolerances.
• Dimension, tolerance, and annotate directly in your 3D models, which can then be displayed automatically in the appropriate drawing views in your 2D drawings.
• Choose to go “drawing-less”—simply display dimensions, tolerances, and annotations in the 3D model only, and skip the creation of 2D drawings altogether. If you are looking for a complete “drawing-less” or MBD (Model Based Definition) solution for SOLIDWORKS please see SOLIDWORKS MBD

SOLIDWORKS dimensioning, tolerancing, and annotation capabilities include:

• Support for Drafting Standards: ANSI, ISO, DIN, JIS, BSI, GOST, GB
• Manual and automated dimensioning and tolerancing, including geometric tolerancing
• Automated geometric dimensioning and tolerancing per ASME Y14.5/Y14.41 and ISO 1101/16792
• Standard or geometric tolerancing types are supported
• Meet ASME Y14.41 and ISO 16792 3D dimensioning and tolerancing standards
• Add dimensions during modeling and/or during drawing creation
• Use baseline, reference, ordinate, and other dimension types
• Fully control the appearance of dimensions and dimension lines
• Automatically compare drawings to identify differences
• Hole callouts—clearly identify all hole types shown on the drawing
• Symbols for datums, datum features, weld beads, weld caterpillars, dowel pin, surface finishes, etc.
• Tables for bill of materials (BOM), holes, cut lists, welds, sheet metal bends, revisions, punches, electrical information, and many more
• End treatment callouts for weldments and structural designs
• Dimensioning during 3D modeling and/or during drawing creation

The functions for drawing detailing include:

• Automatically arrange and align annotations
• Reuse existing 2D blocks or create your own blocks
• Display or hide threads on drawings
• Auto-ballooning to call out components – including balloons, stacked balloons, etc.
• Control display of center mark, center line, lines, fill, and blocks
• Fully control the appearance of dimensions and dimension lines

With SOLIDWORKS, simply drag and drop your 3D model into a drawing to create views—or drag and drop predefined drawing views from a palette. Drawing views are always current with the 3D model. All drawing views reflect design changes automatically, eliminating the chance of having out of date or incorrect information.

SOLIDWORKS drawing view creation and update provides:

• Automatic drawing view creation as required—projected, section, detailed, alternate position views, etc.
• All drawing views automatically update when the 3D model is modified
• Drag and drop predefined drawing views from a template or click to create projected views
• Optional first or third angle projection view orientation
• Views are aligned and stay aligned, as they are moved on the drawing sheet
• Views can be shaded, shown with or without hidden lines, or shown in wireframe
• Automatic scaling

Complex mold designs change constantly during part development. Constant import, export, and repair of data, as designers move models between part and mold design, can consume valuable design time and introduce errors and inaccuracies due to data translation. As a result, mold designers typically wait until the part design is “frozen” before they start tooling.

SOLIDWORKS provides an advantage with design and validation of parts and tooling in one system. Designers can validate that parts can be molded successfully, including checking for draft, thickness, and undercuts to ensure the correct geometry for molding. Additionally, designers can use SOLIDWORKS Plastics to simulate mold filling and determine the best gate locations, whether the part will fill correctly, where weld lines might form, and possible sink locations.

Key SOLIDWORKS mold design capabilities include:

• Complete plastic part and advanced surfacing design tools
• Geometry Import, Repair, and Healing tools
• Draft Analysis, Undercut Analysis, and Thickness Analysis tools
• Parting line tools
• Parting surface tools
• Automated “fill surface” capability for easy shutoff surface creation
• Core and cavity splitting tools
• SOLIDWORKS 3D mold bases available on-line and directly from major mold suppliers
• SOLIDWORKS configurations to create customizable configurations of molds and mold components
• Compare Part tools to visually see in 3D what geometry was added or removed when design changes occur
• Mold filling simulation
• Production quality mold drawing creation tools
• Seamless integrations with several industry leading CAM products allowing NC tool paths to automatically update with part design and tooling changes