Gain direct access to extensive learning and support resources by joining the growing SOLIDWORKS community, where passion and knowledge of product development and design is shared worldwide. Our community will help you create even more innovative products while you increase your own design productivity.

SOLIDWORKS Community Overview

SOLIDWORKS offers a wide range of learning and development tools that help you get the most from your SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD investment:

• MySolidWorks 
  Your place for all things SOLIDWORKS. Find answers to questions quickly and easily from an extensive library of technical data, webcasts, tech tips, best practices, as well as training and certification materials.
• SOLIDWORKS Help and Tutorials 
  Integrated Help and Tutorials help you start being productive immediately with SOLIDWORKS.
• Worldwide SOLIDWORKS User Community 
  Approaching 2 million users, the SOLIDWORKS community comprises an active, vibrant range of local user groups, blogs, and events.
• User and Manufacturer CAD models at 3DContentCentral.com 
  Access an extensive library of free 2D and 3D CAD models with user-contributed and supplier-certified parts and assemblies, 2D blocks, library features, macros, and more.

Accelerate design, save time and development costs, and boost productivity with 3D solid modeling capabilities in SOLIDWORKS 3D design software. 3D solid modeling is a critical aspect for modern product development and provides the basis for design, simulation, and manufacturing of any part and assembly across a broad range of industries, applications, and products.

3D Solid Modeling Overview

3D solid modeling with SOLIDWORKS speeds the creation of complex parts and large assemblies. Creating 3D solid models of your designs instead of 2D drawings:

• speeds design development and detailing
• improves visualization and communication
• eliminates design interference issues
• checks design functionality and performance (without the need for physical prototypes)
• automatically provides manufacturing with 3D solid models that are required when programming CNC machine tools and rapid prototyping equipment

With SOLIDWORKS automatic drawing updates, you don’t have to worry about modifications. All 2D drawing views are automatically created from, and linked to, the 3D solid model. If the 3D solid model is modified, the 2D drawing views and details automatically update. This automatic associativity means that the solid model is always synchronized with your 2D documentation.

Key SOLIDWORKS 3D solid modeling features enable you to:

• Create 3D solid models of any part and assembly, no matter how large or complex
• Keep all 3D models, 2D drawings, and other design and manufacturing documents synchronized with associativity that automatically tracks and makes updates
• Quickly make variations of your designs by controlling key design parameters
• Directly edit your model by simply clicking and dragging model geometry
• Generate surfacing for any 3D geometry, even complex organic and stylized shapes
• Instantly analyze your 3D model for any solid mass properties and volume (mass, density, volume, moments of inertia, and so forth)

SOLIDWORKS functionality automates design tasks that you do most often (like part and assembly modeling and drawing creation). Modeling and detailing challenges that can often frustrate new users and be tedious and time consuming for experienced designers (like creating or modifying draft, fillets, and rounds on a part, or just cleaning up dimension placement on a drawing) are detected by the software and resolved automatically.

You learn fast with the intuitive SOLIDWORKS user interface that’s easy to use and designed to make you instantly productive. SOLIDWORKS tools can help you quickly transform your product development process:

• In-context menus show you the right command at the right time when you need it
• Toolbar commands are organized by design function for fast access
• Automated Command Search takes you to any command you need instantly

Extensive tutorials and support documentation help you progress at a fast pace

You work fast with the easily customizable SOLIDWORKS user interface so you can work the way you want to, dramatically boosting your productivity. With bidirectional associativity, any changes you make to your 3D model or 2D drawing are automatically replicated. Make a change to one and the other updates as well, keeping all your files current and accurate.

Both full-time and occasional 3D CAD users can customize tools to get their tasks done faster:

• Customize toolbars, in-context menus, hotkeys, and environment settings
• Simply gesture with your mouse for fast command access
• Automatically perform design functions through API and batch processing capabilities