tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86200001836180016652023-11-16T02:58:38.775-08:00SWCertGuyTips, Tricks and Advice to SOLIDWORKS CertificationsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-83367278967314672092015-12-02T12:30:00.000-08:002015-12-02T12:30:04.605-08:00CSWA: To Shell or Not To Shell - Attempt #2I attempted to explain when a shell would not work in some instances last time. I need to say thanks to Todd Turner (follow him on twitter at @ttturner68) for starting a discussion with me and giving me an education on the shell feature. He by far knew more about the feature than I did and I learned a lot from him. I've archived that post and am attempting to explain the concept a different way.<br />
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Let me start off attempt #2 with setting the stage a bit. Let's specify that this post is intended for the new user, with a few months of experience using SOLIDWORKS. You can do the below example with a shell feature, but it would take some more advanced features that are not included in the 'what you need to know section' of the CSWA exam. I want to also add that on most of the certification exams, you are led down a path by modeling a part, then modifying it several times. This can put you in a place where if you were told to model a part from scratch, you would do it one way, but given the part as the 2nd modification, there just isn't time to start over, especially if there is another modification coming at you on the next question.<br />
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With that said, let's look at an example that offers us some more challenges.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlc_RlwH_geZ52PuQVQAlQhk4kpaeQ6Ltide7IM8n92lmHDBNjCU4JZ1sAy98zIdxlQY35mUVJc9bzX-UZWxxDDFvXH6kuKKXmeMuO_QNUVeEhVfqrlyptYTubiKk4h45OiQu92eQztkLN/s1600/actual.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlc_RlwH_geZ52PuQVQAlQhk4kpaeQ6Ltide7IM8n92lmHDBNjCU4JZ1sAy98zIdxlQY35mUVJc9bzX-UZWxxDDFvXH6kuKKXmeMuO_QNUVeEhVfqrlyptYTubiKk4h45OiQu92eQztkLN/s400/actual.JPG" width="400" /></a>We are given this part. It has a rounded top with a square post. On the inside of the rounded part, it has a cam type feature. Let's say we need to remove some mass from the top of one of the lobes of the rounded top, so we are asked to create a cut out. This is a situation where we might think about shelling it out. Especially if the next question were to ask us change the thickness of the wall.<br />
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If we use a shell in this instance, the shell will attempt to shell down the post, around the lobe and up the other side of the rounded top. This is not what we want to attempt. In the case above, barring the use of some more advanced techniques, I would advise a simple cut extrude.<br />
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If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below.<br />
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Thanks,<br />
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BryanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-2628187074652987922015-11-09T12:31:00.002-08:002015-11-09T12:31:18.882-08:00CSWA: Global VariablesSOLIDWORKS loves to use variables and equations on their exams. Getting used to them is of the utmost importance in order to quickly change information in your models. This allows them more options in testing answers as they can change the variable dimensions given in the written instructions at will and in any combination.<br />
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If you read through my post from the CSWP exam on Equations, you will see much the same information is covered. The CSWA is a little easier.<br />
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Before starting your exam, I recommend turning on Equations and Sensors. This gives you the option to add each from the design tree and you don't have to go hunting through menus to find them.<br />
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Run through this exercise to practice adding Global Variables and Equations. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665#editor/target=post;postID=4529800246761662765;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=15;src=postname" target="_blank">Global Variables and Equations</a><br />
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Make sure you are comfortable with changing the variables and always remember to rebuild your models.<br />
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BryanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-90034363143113974512015-10-30T06:14:00.000-07:002015-10-30T06:14:05.122-07:00CSWA: Types of ViewsA big part to properly using SOLIDWORKS is knowing what views should be used in certain situations. <br />
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You will find several questions on the CSWA exam that asks you to identify what type of view is being created. I've whipped up a few types below. <br />
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Look them over and see if you can identify them. I've put the answers at the bottom. Make sure you are familiar with all view types before starting the exam.<br />
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A)<br />
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C)<br />
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D)<br />
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E)<br />
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A) Broken Out</div>
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B) Break (Vertical)</div>
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C) Crop</div>
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D) Detail</div>
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E) Section</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-38029392991639062802015-10-28T10:16:00.002-07:002015-10-28T10:16:23.948-07:00Introduction to the CSWAThe Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate exam is geared as the entry level exam to test your SOLIDWORKS knowledge. SOLIDWORKS recommends you have about 3 months of usage under your belt, have gone through all the tutorials and have taken the Essentials class.<br />
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There is a link to a sample exam located <a href="http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/796_ENU_HTML.htm?pid=446">here.</a> Click on the Sample CSWA Exam link to access it.<br />
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The test is limited to 3 hours in length and you have to score a 70% in order to pass. If you happen to need to retake the exam, you will have to wait 30 days between testings.<br />
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You will cover topics such as:<br />
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<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Sketch entities - lines, rectangles, circles, arcs, ellipses, centerlines</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Sketch tools - offset, convert, trim</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Sketch relations</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Boss and cut features - extrudes, revolves, sweeps, lofts</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Fillets and chamfers</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Linear, circular, and fill patterns</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Dimensions</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Feature conditions – start and end</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Mass properties</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Materials</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Inserting components</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Standard mates - coincident, parallel, perpendicular, tangent, concentric, distance, angle</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Reference geometry – planes, axis, mate references</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Drawing views</li>
<li style="color: black; line-height: 17px; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">Annotations</li>
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<span style="line-height: 17px;">Marie Planchard, Director of Education Community recently told me that over 70% of CSWA exams are coming from colleges. They have further developed a special CSWA-Academic Certification that carries a bit more industry clout. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17px;">Michael Puckett, Senior Manager, World Wide Certification Program SOLIDWORKS, goes on to say that while both exams are the same, the CSWA-Academic exam is only given under a proctored environment and is only offered by academic institutions that are part of the CSWP Provider Program. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17px;">Both Marie and Michael confirm that the test is given under rigid guidelines and the provider must meet certain requirements in order to be able to offer the CSWA-Academic. The test taker that passes the CSWA-Academic is given a special certificate with the testing institutions name on it.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17px;">As the college semester in the US is starting to wind down, I want to try and cover a lot of tips and tricks that can help everyone pass the CSWA, either the standard or academic.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17px;">Let me know if you have any questions by posting a reply. Otherwise, I'll try and burn through this exam and explain some of the concepts.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17px;">Thanks,</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17px;">Bryan</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-49216434001969897172015-09-08T13:02:00.005-07:002015-09-08T13:03:12.051-07:00Next Discussion: CSWAWe will start our next topic, the CSWA, in a couple of weeks. <br />
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I'm going to take some time off in order to attend an event in Boston to see what SOLIDWORKS 2016 is going to look like. <br />
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I'll be tweeting and blogging on the new version of our favorite software from the certification point of view. <br />
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If you have any questions, post them here or hit me up at my twitter account SWCertGuy.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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BryanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-61348314633925878992015-09-08T12:48:00.000-07:002015-09-08T12:48:51.683-07:00CSWP, Segment 3: Replace Component<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4yUhxRleqxRe106BsNZmDZ4I8EDotSFtnd_n5VYh11_MnZ0xab1FwlUz7HWgwMJmFR0wI1B4jBVShZ3QBs1YdFs1KWHPPA3Imd0U59SY-_1yKu665sv3LfqwMlrSgz7e6_-MvSE6xZsE/s1600/Replace+Component.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4yUhxRleqxRe106BsNZmDZ4I8EDotSFtnd_n5VYh11_MnZ0xab1FwlUz7HWgwMJmFR0wI1B4jBVShZ3QBs1YdFs1KWHPPA3Imd0U59SY-_1yKu665sv3LfqwMlrSgz7e6_-MvSE6xZsE/s320/Replace+Component.PNG" width="289" /></a>SOLIDWORKS also makes it very easy to replace one component with another. Let's work with the assembly we have used in the last couple of posts <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9ex0r83l9al7s5w/AAAgfD-CmZvwRwxUqClG4CSxa?dl=0" target="_blank">Here</a>. Also download the Updated Cross Member found <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/b8zbwmh4nolewjv/Updated%20Cross%20Member.SLDPRT?dl=0" target="_blank">Here</a>.<br />
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We are going to right click on the Cross Member and select Replace Components. You may need to click on the double down arrow if it is not immediately one of your choices.<br />
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Cross Member is added to the Replace these components window. Next we click Browse and browse to the Updated Cross Member file and select it. One thing we want to select is the Re-attach mates box. This will compare identical features and re-create your mates for you.<br />
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Hit the check mark and you are done.<br />
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I hope this helps you out. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions.<br />
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BryanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-36962547748039765062015-09-03T07:42:00.004-07:002015-09-03T07:42:46.858-07:00CSWP, Segment 3: Interference DetectionWe will take a look at interference detection in this post. Download the assembly files we used in the flexible assemblies post <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9ex0r83l9al7s5w/AAAgfD-CmZvwRwxUqClG4CSxa?dl=0" target="_blank">Here</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xYjRSAuvDeVsfzbLMhIf05q4s0EyzDisJu5ryumn3DKNM2DxdDtzEISR0Cicl2BAZv7eYL1ZestxX6Ucy2ZmmDzwvdVpGaJWTccFSv8-wB1K6hSIS7rDgf3PrENt3dEaR7pS6j1f16Pk/s1600/Interference+Detection.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xYjRSAuvDeVsfzbLMhIf05q4s0EyzDisJu5ryumn3DKNM2DxdDtzEISR0Cicl2BAZv7eYL1ZestxX6Ucy2ZmmDzwvdVpGaJWTccFSv8-wB1K6hSIS7rDgf3PrENt3dEaR7pS6j1f16Pk/s200/Interference+Detection.PNG" width="166" /></a>Interference Detection is a built in feature in SOLIDWORKS. Under the Evaluate Tab, you can find it as the yellow and green parts shown colliding. When we click on it, we open the Interference Detection dialog box. You can calculate the entire model or select components in your assembly. If we click calculate with the entire assembly selected, we are shown that the Spacer and Cylinder Housing have an interference condition.<br />
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As always, if you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section.<br />
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BryanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-54864871912263882372015-08-25T08:18:00.000-07:002015-08-25T08:18:35.537-07:00CSWP, Segment 3: Flexible AssembliesLets talk about flexible assemblies on this one. <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9ex0r83l9al7s5w/AAAgfD-CmZvwRwxUqClG4CSxa?dl=0" target="_blank">Here</a> is a dropbox link to the files I'm discussing in this post. This is the first time I am doing this with an assembly. If there are any problems downloading, please post in the comments section and I'll try and work it out.<div>
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There was a question via twitter on how to put an assembly inside an assembly. After thinking about it, I think the best answer is that you put an assembly inside an assembly the same way you put components inside an assembly. The mates are the same, you just get the added benefits of sub assembly mates that you can update at the sub assembly level. If there are any questions about this, please ask in the comments section and we can discuss it further.</div>
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We are going to move onto flexible assemblies and collision detection. I'll be honest, before the CSWP, I did not know you could make a sub assembly flexible. Crazy right? So, it's a simple matter. If you open up the Segment 3 Assembly file in the folder via the link above you will see a Cylinder Assembly located in the design tree.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9GVT6Uv7KIUt_8FXsbGFxYm5QzQm_CHvC84roENMY5z4Lu9GJkJcBhurtqX-HxLCcF56ptiUp9Jm89CCPECaX4mrAVTStqJm6dOqLuQ8s8svrdtw6-yHbzfB5EK_tAPwk-GYm1bz7Tx-/s1600/Flexible.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9GVT6Uv7KIUt_8FXsbGFxYm5QzQm_CHvC84roENMY5z4Lu9GJkJcBhurtqX-HxLCcF56ptiUp9Jm89CCPECaX4mrAVTStqJm6dOqLuQ8s8svrdtw6-yHbzfB5EK_tAPwk-GYm1bz7Tx-/s400/Flexible.PNG" width="400" /></a>If we right click on the Cylinder Assembly in the design tree, we can select Component Properties and open our Component Properties window. In the bottom right hand of this window, you will see a Solve as area. Change it from Solid to Flexible. Going back through this, I also noticed that SOLIDWORKS loaded this as lightweight in my session. It will need to be resolved before you can select flexible. Doing this will allow the sub assembly to use the mates in the sub assembly to solve for location of the piston inside the cylinder.</div>
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Now if we look again at our main assembly, you can see that we can grab one of the cross members and move it around and it will actuate the cylinder. Granted, you could do the same thing if you put the components into the main assembly individually, but what if you purchased this cylinder and the supplier gave you an assembly model?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVz2S3UXeVqOKwTK7nJ4ZR2Cpoz9nVR0KXGYzrPQ9_RuFY2VcRCshHSAm3quvf6C-UG-KSPWTylUhaXqnGpjSkt5knkJ1Cxjw_CG27_dHUgbTDKQZkp3eosjaiBLCWsJUY6KWj5V1Yt6Q/s1600/Collision.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVz2S3UXeVqOKwTK7nJ4ZR2Cpoz9nVR0KXGYzrPQ9_RuFY2VcRCshHSAm3quvf6C-UG-KSPWTylUhaXqnGpjSkt5knkJ1Cxjw_CG27_dHUgbTDKQZkp3eosjaiBLCWsJUY6KWj5V1Yt6Q/s400/Collision.PNG" width="270" /></a>Next, let's look at collision detection. Say we want to know how far the cross members will actuate when the cylinder is fully retracted. Select the Move Component function from the Assembly tab, in the Move Component window, select Collision Detection, These components, then click on the piston and cylinder. Click Resume Drag and then grab the cross member in the model and drag it. You'll notice when the cylinder is fully extended, the cross members just sweep by each other and flip to the bottom of the assembly, but when you drag it up, it stops. If you have the transparency turned down on the piston and cylinder, you can see that the piston bottoms out in the cylinder and the assembly stops. If we leave it at the stopping point, what is the angle between the two cross members?</div>
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Next time we will look at interference detection. As always, if you have any questions, please ask in the comments section.</div>
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Enjoy,</div>
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Bryan</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-77994633984696801872015-08-18T09:28:00.001-07:002015-08-18T09:28:19.334-07:00CSWP Segment 3: Origins and Coordinate SystemsSegment 3 is about assemblies. It becomes nearly impossible to judge if your assembly is correct based on mass. Therefor we switch to reporting the Center of Mass or Center of Gravity. Because of this, we have to pay very close attention to the polarity of our answers. A negative sign can mean the difference between right and wrong here...<br />
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For example, the question in the box below can be answered without opening SOLIDWORKS.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPqTR3Uswrbm0T8C8s4Pphqhismmf7UNoFxFY28F2LiMwsq_eG0cNpVTLdI3ftUptgyVmSGToHJ_Z8h-nYlpmdkCQZmIgmwi-UysvFEVLjuFGpWToNSYaKdt8jp3bKK8wxLTyvVt0HkHk/s1600/Coordinate+system.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPqTR3Uswrbm0T8C8s4Pphqhismmf7UNoFxFY28F2LiMwsq_eG0cNpVTLdI3ftUptgyVmSGToHJ_Z8h-nYlpmdkCQZmIgmwi-UysvFEVLjuFGpWToNSYaKdt8jp3bKK8wxLTyvVt0HkHk/s320/Coordinate+system.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can see that Z and Y must be positive and X must be negative. If Z is positive, then this eliminates the top two answers. If X must be negative, this eliminates the bottom left answer, leaving us with only one option, the bottom right.</div>
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So, it is important that you create and assemble your models with the origin in mind. If for some reason, you find yourself 3 questions deep and realize your coordinate system is wrong, there is a simple fix. We can use a Reference Coordinate System. Click Insert, Reference Geometry, Coordinate system to open the feature.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtuZF_9WImRvqN8OIaB4d-fXp5wC-23JJYZdGyMn8iGYMvQvNqhLDSysSYpQySCj3eRPGuHQ9p69BNpr503OULQq44R-c7Yfg8XHsRcRHY7ISVU3tEqAnVnW_FRkasX6MmxNSsuizkPN3/s1600/RFC.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtuZF_9WImRvqN8OIaB4d-fXp5wC-23JJYZdGyMn8iGYMvQvNqhLDSysSYpQySCj3eRPGuHQ9p69BNpr503OULQq44R-c7Yfg8XHsRcRHY7ISVU3tEqAnVnW_FRkasX6MmxNSsuizkPN3/s320/RFC.png" width="247" /></a></div>
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Select Edges to make the Reference Coordinate System match the test.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-MUVCVW5My-pooGQ8HPcW1Ajm-SFa16Z43o99SstKVMP9_CqjNZBakEDdVm0aMUMlxOfvtljwvSQdK2Mxc61bzJvNE_hASJexJ1Uj6xJ67pMAXsgmpvATGaOjnYj0W-GlGk2MadVxAA7/s1600/Line+up+RGC.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-MUVCVW5My-pooGQ8HPcW1Ajm-SFa16Z43o99SstKVMP9_CqjNZBakEDdVm0aMUMlxOfvtljwvSQdK2Mxc61bzJvNE_hASJexJ1Uj6xJ67pMAXsgmpvATGaOjnYj0W-GlGk2MadVxAA7/s320/Line+up+RGC.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hit the check box and you have a secondary Reference System. When computing the Center of Mass, make sure you have the new coordinate system selected in the window shown here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDPiL4mzXAUqI7nN4JaCOyiYQn25_qdvLT3fqTjDVj0jB-dGlacu0koIu4Edn97rNL3kPYzOKJhm6USGiUfnDJj-RToEVdOiiL3zR75Tj_5Z0C6zQ75FqW6ypsxnz3AviThQaalAVsjNo/s1600/Mass+Properties+RCS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDPiL4mzXAUqI7nN4JaCOyiYQn25_qdvLT3fqTjDVj0jB-dGlacu0koIu4Edn97rNL3kPYzOKJhm6USGiUfnDJj-RToEVdOiiL3zR75Tj_5Z0C6zQ75FqW6ypsxnz3AviThQaalAVsjNo/s320/Mass+Properties+RCS.png" width="221" /></a></div>
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On the next post, we will talk about how to insert a sub assembly and make it flexible.</div>
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Have Fun,</div>
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Bryan</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-88873525529787777282015-08-12T04:46:00.002-07:002015-08-12T04:46:31.956-07:00QuestionsI'm getting some questions through twitter about specific items. If you have a question, please reply to this post and I'll do my best to answer them.<br />
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BryanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-4920325959639606882015-08-10T08:06:00.001-07:002015-08-10T08:06:35.074-07:00CSWP Segment 2: Design IntentI'm going to finish off Segment 2 on this post. Let's download and open this file: <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/6hh8lp4ep7bt3od/Shells.SLDPRT?dl=0" target="_blank">Shelled Part - Design Intent</a>. It is a model of a wrench for a hex nut. I believe this section of the test explores your ability to understand design intent. There are several questions in this section of the test where you will have to understand how a model is created and to find the best way to update it based on the design intent.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeSUZCIiMfCXW2Qh629anAkfdlG1wLi12tmXYyJJtuGCTqtGvHRdUNeeBlN-S22BWt7H3vNEyYTWubBUbKLkwOenLo_7JxP2pd-F8uFzoB4D5CVboqGrjqctQ_1yFPcaQSkLRwIZGYTB4/s1600/Wall+thicknes.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeSUZCIiMfCXW2Qh629anAkfdlG1wLi12tmXYyJJtuGCTqtGvHRdUNeeBlN-S22BWt7H3vNEyYTWubBUbKLkwOenLo_7JxP2pd-F8uFzoB4D5CVboqGrjqctQ_1yFPcaQSkLRwIZGYTB4/s320/Wall+thicknes.PNG" width="199" /></a>We start off with a question that asks you to change the wall thickness of this part. I want to touch on this briefly. I have a lot of questions in my classes about shells. In the CSWA exam, there is a question that leads the test taker down this path only to be faced with some serious issues when using it.<br />
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If we want to update the wall thickness, we would need to edit the shell feature and change the value from .125 to .250. As easy as that sounds,<br />
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Once the wall thickness is updated, determine the mass of the part.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimggB0Ivii_Kz3tqJNwhmg7bFFUYmpMcXEkVh7gxrmQAtRnI3L49ORkhBcJK5SIyVyIFf96AmCol3stxrjciVSziRH7FZS0rHvoDSQF82pK5APvtE_L-aldtjc5ayBG2hQ3RD3LBcWmWmk/s1600/wt+mass.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimggB0Ivii_Kz3tqJNwhmg7bFFUYmpMcXEkVh7gxrmQAtRnI3L49ORkhBcJK5SIyVyIFf96AmCol3stxrjciVSziRH7FZS0rHvoDSQF82pK5APvtE_L-aldtjc5ayBG2hQ3RD3LBcWmWmk/s1600/wt+mass.png" /></a><br />
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Now, to focus in on the design intent portion. If we take the part we downloaded above, we can see the part and sketch that we start off with looks something like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNHr5dfU3ATrQqN3v8lIFh8slzdl2Wg0GQbEthFrhZZlbkF50VPMXqk0pNYtT50YACaYub5-WZI9E5TT2dax7NNq1uzurVUUUO07Ic6kjSAHahtuHouRMxbXbXZJcPTKCFnNBold-vAQk/s1600/Handle+iso+step+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNHr5dfU3ATrQqN3v8lIFh8slzdl2Wg0GQbEthFrhZZlbkF50VPMXqk0pNYtT50YACaYub5-WZI9E5TT2dax7NNq1uzurVUUUO07Ic6kjSAHahtuHouRMxbXbXZJcPTKCFnNBold-vAQk/s200/Handle+iso+step+1.PNG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgtJ3Eyt0xfmDYNyHgj95u9AOCLZdfwf671RNDs5HSuhHSZ1pQZQBPXtJjwjFAYt9F_j1Ang42s8dGROlX48FTn2OC4Dt8qZZfK8xkQv4hChCUYsXyO67TZZ3wky-LCyqRrohttqLjrTk/s1600/handle+step+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgtJ3Eyt0xfmDYNyHgj95u9AOCLZdfwf671RNDs5HSuhHSZ1pQZQBPXtJjwjFAYt9F_j1Ang42s8dGROlX48FTn2OC4Dt8qZZfK8xkQv4hChCUYsXyO67TZZ3wky-LCyqRrohttqLjrTk/s320/handle+step+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Let's take the above and make a change to the base feature profile so that it looks like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZrVG2qFU9J5G1ozNslC7W0ub04QvlliErujQK8V6tNPx9V69G-dXyZZz6FnJKJkW21zzSGbjy-bWcn4MRPhyQPVhWmfUWfnlwAq7fJbpv-nlCK9wqRuqaxcR1qnOVMWC72fMXk-mCAnt/s1600/Handle+step+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZrVG2qFU9J5G1ozNslC7W0ub04QvlliErujQK8V6tNPx9V69G-dXyZZz6FnJKJkW21zzSGbjy-bWcn4MRPhyQPVhWmfUWfnlwAq7fJbpv-nlCK9wqRuqaxcR1qnOVMWC72fMXk-mCAnt/s320/Handle+step+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can see that once we rebuild, the part looks like something that we would consider a good part, meaning that there is nothing that indicates a problem.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8D0zRHulGHJq-acGwiy-JJfK9wLsC-mwgicRbnyj5caPzytnwd9j2nPWuTy7CeuflmD85Q45ybHZtn-EFVCAVOJOmKDf8eX99x-yXrtLPTG5XRKBkgwyndKbrg_1kAh8C_s8l84DfL8B/s1600/handle+iso+step+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8D0zRHulGHJq-acGwiy-JJfK9wLsC-mwgicRbnyj5caPzytnwd9j2nPWuTy7CeuflmD85Q45ybHZtn-EFVCAVOJOmKDf8eX99x-yXrtLPTG5XRKBkgwyndKbrg_1kAh8C_s8l84DfL8B/s200/handle+iso+step+2.PNG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Let's revert back to the original downloaded state and extrude a cut on the front surface through the entire model.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_ZhVRE_z4cEG86HqRU33Ih6BU7kRnio5Nw4TTczhDT0E89BvTt9MVlN6Vir8HU7B7qGGC23nLfoYRoGn069QuRnlk0JUWwgIRmRjLhh074Eqjn0vUYAPHG4bXqSTv60M_yXFedstJY2z/s1600/Handle+step+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_ZhVRE_z4cEG86HqRU33Ih6BU7kRnio5Nw4TTczhDT0E89BvTt9MVlN6Vir8HU7B7qGGC23nLfoYRoGn069QuRnlk0JUWwgIRmRjLhh074Eqjn0vUYAPHG4bXqSTv60M_yXFedstJY2z/s320/Handle+step+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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When we rebuild the part, we see that we have a problem... That cut extrude broke out on the bottom of the handle.</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0WEsvRGBi-GCplr9N-o4aYvrMeMp6jw5XZGHQ7DlG666ML0_ikUh7vKOaX5pIt6fM7UTNDlwxNDqw7JFAFvsOcJCDvwrAH0p3M-Ot30uPHpywLSBmrs3mqaD1SejZOL0AndjtKCmgCFE/s1600/handle+final+step.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0WEsvRGBi-GCplr9N-o4aYvrMeMp6jw5XZGHQ7DlG666ML0_ikUh7vKOaX5pIt6fM7UTNDlwxNDqw7JFAFvsOcJCDvwrAH0p3M-Ot30uPHpywLSBmrs3mqaD1SejZOL0AndjtKCmgCFE/s320/handle+final+step.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The reason is directly related to the design intent or the way the model was built. We have a base shape, then we immediately move into a shell feature. Now if we cut extrude this feature through all, we see that the shell does not perform like it should. This is due to the shell command offsets from the outer surfaces to create the shell feature. We do in fact want the handle to be tapered on 3 sides, but we do not want the shell to break out of underside of the handle. </div>
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There is a very simple fix to this to follow the original design intent. As you can see in our design tree, our sketch and cut extrude are at the bottom of the tree. So we built our base feature, then shelled out based on that shape.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrc7bYeL5GfQkSQjU4s0WRGNLeTe5M-cxN5o7ElvpwTecGiXpMa38O_EFp_J88Qs4hRjYmjGcwhmPJmYDQfwLKNtVL2wkyKEERnuvVDVQYE1aXXfaNOAQOKvaDptG4l__Ik-C-gZF4Wpj/s1600/tree+before.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrc7bYeL5GfQkSQjU4s0WRGNLeTe5M-cxN5o7ElvpwTecGiXpMa38O_EFp_J88Qs4hRjYmjGcwhmPJmYDQfwLKNtVL2wkyKEERnuvVDVQYE1aXXfaNOAQOKvaDptG4l__Ik-C-gZF4Wpj/s1600/tree+before.PNG" /></a><br />
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The correction is to drag the new feature to a location above the shell. When we do that, we can see that the shell now follows the new surface in addition to the previous surfaces.</div>
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I hope this helps everyone on Segment 2. I've got some special requests for Segment 3. I'll be posting some stuff on that soon.<br />
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Enjoy!!<br />
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BryanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-47467950470531437392015-08-04T11:05:00.000-07:002015-08-04T11:07:09.437-07:00CSWP Segment 2: Design TablesDesign tables can sometimes be confusing. I've seen very simple design tables and I once saw someone use a design table and Excel's Goal Seek function to determine the level of water in a tank of a specific weight and update the model to the correct volume of water. As it relates to the CSWP exam, we need to learn how to create a table and use it to control some basic dimensions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgP2beZ1P0e5s0y-3QtLykrvdqOVQZaZZy8yDv_cEjNr-JDEEuxj3IEo9hJ3BUewXmu9mU7cm0FOFmfm9jSk1CesYCiji6hmGsf0C6flPJWQ_t4jOt8z-yPvrhkzSDoRIYtFjoLaP3Y2p/s1600/insert.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgP2beZ1P0e5s0y-3QtLykrvdqOVQZaZZy8yDv_cEjNr-JDEEuxj3IEo9hJ3BUewXmu9mU7cm0FOFmfm9jSk1CesYCiji6hmGsf0C6flPJWQ_t4jOt8z-yPvrhkzSDoRIYtFjoLaP3Y2p/s400/insert.png" width="211" /></a>Once again, let's start with downloading the <a href="https://app.box.com/s/xb2vp16b6hlqvfjhy2dfkpnh6vs1rkxg" target="_blank">2014 Version File</a> that we have used on the last to blog entries. With the model opened, we can click Insert, Tables, Design Tables (see left) and open the dialog box shown to the right.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcK75vr7pJaK6VIfyIOByQ7xu6-beiQwTT3J7kZmqiHuEge2f2TpW6pWuTviKYZ-qP-pl_r_36npbVtKL6m_4-_MiFLepulk0Ug0bqktW1lOk6IMTaJ3RHlLSbjJwI5w63UrCVbD2EElUx/s1600/drop+down.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcK75vr7pJaK6VIfyIOByQ7xu6-beiQwTT3J7kZmqiHuEge2f2TpW6pWuTviKYZ-qP-pl_r_36npbVtKL6m_4-_MiFLepulk0Ug0bqktW1lOk6IMTaJ3RHlLSbjJwI5w63UrCVbD2EElUx/s400/drop+down.png" width="165" /></a><br />
We are going to select the Auto-create button under Source. This will read our model and find any differences and populate them in the design table. Edit Control dictates whether your model will control your design table or if your design table will control you model. This can be set based on your needs. We will use the first option. The options section tells SOLIDWORKS what to consider a Design Table entry. We will select the first two. Once we have all our selections made, we click the check mark. Your interface will bounce around a bit and you will be presented with an Excel sheet in your Graphics User Interface that contains all the current configurations and it will also review the model and list all dimensions or states that are different. You can see below that the model is populated with the 5 configurations that we have used in the last two posts, it has populated the various lengths of the file and we see there are a sketch and a feature that have different suppression states.<br />
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The design table operates using Excel. Any formulas of features you use in Excel are usable here. We need to make a new configuration, so, let's copy the entire row labeled in Column A as 10" and paste it into the next empty row. If you leave a blank row or column, SOLIDWORKS will recognize this and consider it the end of your design, so make sure there are no blank rows or columns.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzj6lGwiVRbQnhpMxUSRAEyC41iR-sdkk4IEBdzLtDTPPtdAXxs3iZDcStQfiMZ4WCYg6bspBeuDXwSu-L1xWqmjWnuwM-XymU04CioVayHuH2Ig83KOw-sy4QdBuO8IRWLpoHOu2at1Xb/s1600/second+DT.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzj6lGwiVRbQnhpMxUSRAEyC41iR-sdkk4IEBdzLtDTPPtdAXxs3iZDcStQfiMZ4WCYg6bspBeuDXwSu-L1xWqmjWnuwM-XymU04CioVayHuH2Ig83KOw-sy4QdBuO8IRWLpoHOu2at1Xb/s320/second+DT.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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We don't need two configurations named 10", so let's rename Column A and B to 16". We will then go into Column D and change the value to 16. This represents how long the cylinder is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjc87plhHXn_UkhrXL23Wdfdk3JGyxbjzYASdfFPBmxUK0HEc_wnoZEYsx3VhbAG0NbbxuLNTaNw7AilcJbQadZoGWPudmedFBaEy_nPnDuAXWqdVf66k6r11qwwWhdmfNnL7IrRv1-LI/s1600/last+DT.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjc87plhHXn_UkhrXL23Wdfdk3JGyxbjzYASdfFPBmxUK0HEc_wnoZEYsx3VhbAG0NbbxuLNTaNw7AilcJbQadZoGWPudmedFBaEy_nPnDuAXWqdVf66k6r11qwwWhdmfNnL7IrRv1-LI/s320/last+DT.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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In order to exit the Design Table, you just need to click outside the design table in the GUI. Trust me, when working with Design Tables, you will do this on accident multiple times. :-P (see below on how to get back into the Design Table)<br />
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It will do some more bouncing and throw you a dialog box similar to this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayzSwaFaCYZgkdwexxoOFjPpFDb9gjCrhyphenhyphen6n-6DdldFZNDesxGCraIPYQUQC4eOFJGkUHv2t6oCZ-YSKmMT26XTlcNAHj8773Ov33MsWctwTyHHxvfCXM4gh9RnutzZaZX_U2AefGdegc/s1600/DT+Ok.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayzSwaFaCYZgkdwexxoOFjPpFDb9gjCrhyphenhyphen6n-6DdldFZNDesxGCraIPYQUQC4eOFJGkUHv2t6oCZ-YSKmMT26XTlcNAHj8773Ov33MsWctwTyHHxvfCXM4gh9RnutzZaZX_U2AefGdegc/s320/DT+Ok.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27fGWB3aTar0jXAvtK5_HEk8NOIdIyp-tSS3psUxFv-X4TgmLR8f6g3nOrI4t5wFfEbxNH76pK6GGPpO8xDdbd2kk7dZ34LbAAkcDelCCeuhLj36_miDj1iU1SYbnqn-2W4F9ErMI7RNN/s1600/DT+CM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27fGWB3aTar0jXAvtK5_HEk8NOIdIyp-tSS3psUxFv-X4TgmLR8f6g3nOrI4t5wFfEbxNH76pK6GGPpO8xDdbd2kk7dZ34LbAAkcDelCCeuhLj36_miDj1iU1SYbnqn-2W4F9ErMI7RNN/s320/DT+CM.png" width="157" /></a>When you select OK, your configurations manager will give you a new symbol next to your configurations. It is the symbol for Excel which indicates that the configuration is controlled by the design table. To edit the configuration, you have to enter the design table. In order to do this, you need to click the plus sign on the Tables folder, right click the design table and select edit table.<br />
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Quick Check and the question everyone is asking... What's the mass?<br />
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Outside the Exam, Design Tables are a very powerful feature. We use them in my daytime job to control our customer models. The customer fills in some drop down boxes on our website, this gets shoved into the design table and out pops the model the customer needs.<br />
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Enjoy,<br />
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BryanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-51859847140835909062015-08-04T10:10:00.000-07:002015-08-04T10:10:11.671-07:00CSWP Segment 1: Adding Material and Checking MassIn Segment 1, it's all about mass. Every question asks you what the mass of the part is. In order to get the mass, we need to tell SOLIDWORKS what material we are working with.<br />
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Let's back up to the model we created when we were talking about equations. Let's set A=30, B=10 and C will evaluate to 50.</div>
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The first thing we need to do is assign a material to the part.</div>
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Right click your part in the Design Tree</div>
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Select Material, then Edit Material</div>
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Select the material you have been asked to use from the list (1061 alloy in this case).</div>
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Click Apply, then Close.</div>
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Now, let's add a sensor.<br />
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Right click on the sensors folder and select Add Sensor<br />
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Under the Properties tab, select Mass and click the check box.<br />
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Expand the Sensors folder and you will see what the mass of the part is.<br />
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The sensor will update as you modify your part. I recommend using it as a general input to if you are going in the right direction. When it comes time to enter your answer, I highly recommend that you double click on the mass in order to open the Mass Properties window. You can set this to the number of decimals that the test requires answers to be given in. This eliminates one more chance for a mistake by rounding numbers in your head...<br />
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I hope this helps on segment 1. If you have any questions to anything I've posted on segment 1, please post them below.<br />
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Next time, we'll take a look at Segment 2.<br />
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BryanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-78336764302305696242015-08-03T10:01:00.001-07:002015-08-04T10:08:00.151-07:00CSWP Segment 2: Adding ConfigurationsI'm going to break creating configurations up into two sections.<br />
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The first method is the simplest, but offers the least amount of options on the front side. In essence, you can only add a configuration and then name it. After you have done this, then you can modify it. Let's take a look at this method.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDX8PhQIFNtz-wxWMQgcm4BRKiJrct8NjlVBvWqLiA_ZfkXfAAkLk73mYAVgLE-FhaNopEX_Mpjdzw__mu2rhycbjf3_ycuCttbX9k1s2uS4nMIYvixwKuRy1H_cC3yj4QB-oPJJmhZxo/s1600/Add+Configuration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDX8PhQIFNtz-wxWMQgcm4BRKiJrct8NjlVBvWqLiA_ZfkXfAAkLk73mYAVgLE-FhaNopEX_Mpjdzw__mu2rhycbjf3_ycuCttbX9k1s2uS4nMIYvixwKuRy1H_cC3yj4QB-oPJJmhZxo/s320/Add+Configuration.jpg" width="288" /></a>Let's use the same model from my last entry. Open <a href="https://app.box.com/s/xb2vp16b6hlqvfjhy2dfkpnh6vs1rkxg" target="_blank">2014 Version File</a> of the Cylinder. Open the configuration manager, right click on the parent part and select Add Configuration. <br />
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In the pop up window that we are given, enter 12" with lug hole in the configuration name and click the check mark. It's as easy as that. Now that you have a configuration, let's look at what we can do with it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUv8F-_phdYb8MqTTsHL06CHM6j8eBKqsF6IA16n9i730qOZhuTB-oCXmmU7aUPK5So5itGkvjRUSwEqufFUCpDACGqcL7uo92onbA2ubM9nw1ACxt7uzZ5rkEaTfuEiCvX8zxFUrHGvE/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUv8F-_phdYb8MqTTsHL06CHM6j8eBKqsF6IA16n9i730qOZhuTB-oCXmmU7aUPK5So5itGkvjRUSwEqufFUCpDACGqcL7uo92onbA2ubM9nw1ACxt7uzZ5rkEaTfuEiCvX8zxFUrHGvE/s320/Picture1.png" width="164" /></a><br />
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We have our new configuration and it is active, so let's make it distinguishable from the other configurations. We are going to add a lug hole to the cylinder. Sketch a .2500 diameter hole on the mounting lug as shown here and extrude cut it through all.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPyNUPOQ72KKfr3p4522lQStrDf2ATxM-VHXQ1Eganl98ULTUtxOzudxmeefuEy8jxa9qzZRdzSWbOYOfcwAIgMnHWVFDiUQmgR6U6DT_D2-gkEIdhyK0ON9yYpmwCaheT2i9b1ifhgA3/s1600/lug+sketch.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPyNUPOQ72KKfr3p4522lQStrDf2ATxM-VHXQ1Eganl98ULTUtxOzudxmeefuEy8jxa9qzZRdzSWbOYOfcwAIgMnHWVFDiUQmgR6U6DT_D2-gkEIdhyK0ON9yYpmwCaheT2i9b1ifhgA3/s1600/lug+sketch.png" /></a><br />
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Let's take a look at the configure feature function. Right click on the cut extrude feature we just created and select 'Configure Feature'<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Nn1tdLMKJsPkYKqJYxhu8NrSNKO34koCwP43r6fwr8kAvxs7SiBqlX6myJLMytFyogueVrdNlKGS8pqZhCU9c9g4kb9wHuICExVpzZwrThqZ-wCusUgW-lBlVf0x2ykXuOIDunPnM2oE/s1600/configure+feature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Nn1tdLMKJsPkYKqJYxhu8NrSNKO34koCwP43r6fwr8kAvxs7SiBqlX6myJLMytFyogueVrdNlKGS8pqZhCU9c9g4kb9wHuICExVpzZwrThqZ-wCusUgW-lBlVf0x2ykXuOIDunPnM2oE/s320/configure+feature.png" width="289" /></a><br />
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Let's suppress this new feature in the 10", 12" and 14" configurations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPHCUSREgBcDfTqA-fGwgoNEXkTC0Qvx8ifKHIPDgvA_XMXRkcjeDghZd84ou-cs3PoCZjYqaBGhDT_A5JGDATO9tNMXlpkmUDK7hSfOxi3jPojHbb_goPoccIk0t7dTTuGzq8xQN0X2e/s1600/menu.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPHCUSREgBcDfTqA-fGwgoNEXkTC0Qvx8ifKHIPDgvA_XMXRkcjeDghZd84ou-cs3PoCZjYqaBGhDT_A5JGDATO9tNMXlpkmUDK7hSfOxi3jPojHbb_goPoccIk0t7dTTuGzq8xQN0X2e/s1600/menu.png" /></a><br />
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Now, if we switch to the 8" configuration, we see our lug hole, but if we switch to the 14", the lug hole is not turned on. And the question you most love to see, is what is the mass of the 8" configuration?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-3xT4qDp-op8w7pP7dkTahro19z5LvuJY3b9d43yT4pcPakwb-zO-bjxtOiqOrlaq-y-9o8S3vg5KqRx9-IxvmpP33xatvYoCctIS9ZNKvZrfLp1VPk5weSuKsk59SL_azD4ynbKn6i6/s1600/done.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-3xT4qDp-op8w7pP7dkTahro19z5LvuJY3b9d43yT4pcPakwb-zO-bjxtOiqOrlaq-y-9o8S3vg5KqRx9-IxvmpP33xatvYoCctIS9ZNKvZrfLp1VPk5weSuKsk59SL_azD4ynbKn6i6/s320/done.png" width="320" /></a> </div>
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The next entry will be doing the same thing with a Design Table. It gives a little more flexibility on the front side than the 'Add Configuration' method above.<br />
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BryanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-85002167539691663612015-07-24T07:18:00.000-07:002015-08-04T10:08:10.398-07:00CSWP Segment 2 - ConfigurationsThis entry we are going to discuss configurations. Some people deal with configurations all the time, while others have never dealt with them. Segment 2 deals heavily with controlling configurations. We will look at two items that might be of interest on an exam.<br />
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First, let's start with downloading and opening a SOLIDWORKS file. It is a <a href="https://app.box.com/s/xb2vp16b6hlqvfjhy2dfkpnh6vs1rkxg" target="_blank">2014 Version</a> so you will be able to open it in 2014, 2015 or beta 2016.<br />
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The first thing you are going to want to know is how many configurations there are.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhSkPrJfKSwwm-7_SmdlUYXOpS4O3z0jD4LiF-0KLtJ05T4lDKXQUmwMN_40HnNp0OVzuN6JYrblwLzyXrSWHBVikcxD1yPDzSqXpbOF5ykw1sZWeUOIpmqMCtRZ9nDuaYsV2lKS9MGJU/s1600/Configurations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhSkPrJfKSwwm-7_SmdlUYXOpS4O3z0jD4LiF-0KLtJ05T4lDKXQUmwMN_40HnNp0OVzuN6JYrblwLzyXrSWHBVikcxD1yPDzSqXpbOF5ykw1sZWeUOIpmqMCtRZ9nDuaYsV2lKS9MGJU/s200/Configurations.jpg" width="156" /></a>Let's switch to the configurations tree by clicking the configurations tab and counting how many different configurations there are.<br />
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As you can see, there are 4 configurations. The configuration that is active is the 8" configuration. You can tell this because it is not grayed out.<br />
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Let's switch to the 12" configuration by double clicking on it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFEZdFxjP9f10f9r__Ir-2fLhyzLVrgVzWBWO_uAqx5dZUNL5Q9k1RcHg57Dda7UljUofh3GXr-d6UUl4HYTeQXrJPFvJjQWpjU7xBbmGNxhDdV_XOBmn7V_VF9NUv6dRVrkv9KrPgzBP/s1600/Capture+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFEZdFxjP9f10f9r__Ir-2fLhyzLVrgVzWBWO_uAqx5dZUNL5Q9k1RcHg57Dda7UljUofh3GXr-d6UUl4HYTeQXrJPFvJjQWpjU7xBbmGNxhDdV_XOBmn7V_VF9NUv6dRVrkv9KrPgzBP/s200/Capture+1.PNG" width="148" /></a>You can now see that the 12" is now colored and the 8" has been grayed out. The check mark signifies that the configuration has been through a 'resolved or rebuild' function.<br />
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The last question for this post is, what is the mass of the 12" configuration?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoa9NJR6phwaIUFmDzXaA6tokkv6uys-JVDuG9qBbAIJpMa-Vaw5zeZ1NFZkdKQkdJirJxE8qfAi9KYES_5fXnZ5hjyRWrOg57bc8q0M5opnIPmGzAzcSOymAd5eqNN1UH9uXP8l-dxM1e/s1600/mass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoa9NJR6phwaIUFmDzXaA6tokkv6uys-JVDuG9qBbAIJpMa-Vaw5zeZ1NFZkdKQkdJirJxE8qfAi9KYES_5fXnZ5hjyRWrOg57bc8q0M5opnIPmGzAzcSOymAd5eqNN1UH9uXP8l-dxM1e/s320/mass.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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0.1570 pounds is the answer.</div>
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Next time, we will continue on with adding configurations using 'add configuration' and a design table.</div>
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Bryan</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-59848205786125679162015-06-30T10:55:00.001-07:002015-06-30T10:55:38.489-07:00Reading ChamfersI've got a short post today. We need to talk about chamfers and how the test shows them. We all know that there are multiple ways to dimension a chamfer on a drawing. The exam uses a couple of different ways. <br />
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Here are a few ways you will see chamfers on the exam.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cW2H56c-Oh66hpFBzbx6PPFXa7BHjPTjPKT2a3LdTZ2iiWIQi9hS2DudEP6qK090PG4DDeqJmLHx9zsjc0ouv2VLeSKk6mEPboQmuvgrx6RC7lWQDlA1OqwTMcfpd0vKSsEI_qgv7Tbm/s1600/chamfers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cW2H56c-Oh66hpFBzbx6PPFXa7BHjPTjPKT2a3LdTZ2iiWIQi9hS2DudEP6qK090PG4DDeqJmLHx9zsjc0ouv2VLeSKk6mEPboQmuvgrx6RC7lWQDlA1OqwTMcfpd0vKSsEI_qgv7Tbm/s320/chamfers.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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The key to chamfers on the exam is to know where the reference plane is. If you are shown a 45° chamfer, the orientation does not matter, but when you are given a 60°, the reference surface becomes very important. Here is an example for defining an edge chamfer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSYbUc2MvgoRqAGd5jlEp3mdfpuWTcfvmtfCDBQSYCBN0tLKvELC4WK20Pbh_FWTEVLkPXt_Gk1MfydEAHilsvsRtf8WgEjD9YfcqOKFPULftxI3n6ZIK-h55ALEmR449wuQw4kSqBpzL/s1600/Chamfers+desc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSYbUc2MvgoRqAGd5jlEp3mdfpuWTcfvmtfCDBQSYCBN0tLKvELC4WK20Pbh_FWTEVLkPXt_Gk1MfydEAHilsvsRtf8WgEjD9YfcqOKFPULftxI3n6ZIK-h55ALEmR449wuQw4kSqBpzL/s320/Chamfers+desc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Also, one word of caution, I've had several instances, more in the past, where chamfers flip on you in patterns or mirrors. Be wary of the chamfer...</div>
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Until next time,</div>
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Bryan</div>
<span id="goog_893829334"></span><span id="goog_893829335"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-45298002467616627652015-06-15T12:03:00.001-07:002015-08-04T10:09:52.853-07:00CSWP Segment 1: Equations<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In this entry, we’ll discuss equations and variables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By using variables, you can assign a
dimension to multiple features or sketches and update them from one
location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is much easier than
trying to remember in your model where the dimension 15mm occurs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, an equation in SOLIDWORKS is a very
powerful tool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can control parts and
have them automatically update in regards to new dimensions or updated
dimensions in a design. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Segment 1 uses variables and equations throughout the
test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before we begin the exam, let’s
turn on two features in SW that will come in handy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we go to Tools/Options – System Options
then Feature Manager, we can set Equations and Sensors to ‘Show’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will populate both in the design tree so
we can easily find it when we are working on our test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will discuss Sensors later in the blog.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJWrRa7u649zuvstDnn98_yyLT4byusWuISjhr0WUrszrfyCE_-g1RekhiVy6vGckNVb1IriPcC0qlpXYdmA1uUyh1gSjwsuQg6p0GRNdjs_bqUnVdXhEeUQz0_N4cgjW-HjTt9FCNwZa/s1600/Show+Equations.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJWrRa7u649zuvstDnn98_yyLT4byusWuISjhr0WUrszrfyCE_-g1RekhiVy6vGckNVb1IriPcC0qlpXYdmA1uUyh1gSjwsuQg6p0GRNdjs_bqUnVdXhEeUQz0_N4cgjW-HjTt9FCNwZa/s640/Show+Equations.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now when we start a new part, in the feature tree, we can
see both of these options.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Pzk4fzsGYEiKZ5DJ4pDAZLogcoqmEwlw0SF1j-1vFIq0_BNfMaRxB-h2IZK1tmHr1W6t80rrUvAG5My-qFU3euaeFXiVHwTvbtLzic70wJpgIC3qpkzhP4CGUyE0GBQ8TST1Mv6zWtqF/s1600/Equations+in+feature+tree.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Pzk4fzsGYEiKZ5DJ4pDAZLogcoqmEwlw0SF1j-1vFIq0_BNfMaRxB-h2IZK1tmHr1W6t80rrUvAG5My-qFU3euaeFXiVHwTvbtLzic70wJpgIC3qpkzhP4CGUyE0GBQ8TST1Mv6zWtqF/s1600/Equations+in+feature+tree.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we start our test, we see that we are given some
variables and further into the test, we are given an equation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s look at how to enter these variables
and equations before we even start modeling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We will start a new part, right click on the equations
folder and select ‘Manage Equations’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
will open up our equations dialog box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Under Global Variables, type the letter A. Tab over to Value/Equation
and give it a value of 20.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hit the Enter
Key and it takes you to the comments box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In a real world application, you can give this variable a description so
that people after you know what it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the purpose of the test, there isn’t much value in this field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you hit Enter again, it drops you to a new
line under “A”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now set B equal to 10
and start a third line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the third
line, we are going to set C equal to the equation (1.5*’A’)+5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will notice at the bottom of the equation
manager that there is an equation section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is for a direct application of an equation to a dimension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it is not needed for the exam, you can
double click a dimension and apply an equation to it from directly in the
model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The equation will be displayed
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s also check the ‘Automatically
Rebuild” box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can now click OK and
close out the equation manager dialog box.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPULlNwMZp8Lm95VjqY5F6L0KypDxAWW7n5KiMLtMVLz8hCHRbObhagITYgwga-2f70ulhiMSPDbcmmEBu6CzICPjw6wSMow-2Z7uJAab7qhxmKdpBKE3ocC-w7uWhIuzXFi3ZKwBL-svt/s1600/Equation+Manager.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPULlNwMZp8Lm95VjqY5F6L0KypDxAWW7n5KiMLtMVLz8hCHRbObhagITYgwga-2f70ulhiMSPDbcmmEBu6CzICPjw6wSMow-2Z7uJAab7qhxmKdpBKE3ocC-w7uWhIuzXFi3ZKwBL-svt/s640/Equation+Manager.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s start our part on the top plane.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Select this plane and start a sketch.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On this plane, we will sketch two circles
with the center on the origin, one slightly bigger than the other. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Put a dimension on both, the value does not
matter at this point.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEk5ekLmpdiq9d6xLg95lOxQvliYIAddo3fmCnxz7hsZPDTmTRIAijxpVMIP5SRwZbGowbUwQk3b2WbczkzOy3APnTnBNccKhC8GTpn3n_CZN1WlD3Hv0QaN6ca0iX4zipnbLQfJjkx82/s1600/Sketch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEk5ekLmpdiq9d6xLg95lOxQvliYIAddo3fmCnxz7hsZPDTmTRIAijxpVMIP5SRwZbGowbUwQk3b2WbczkzOy3APnTnBNccKhC8GTpn3n_CZN1WlD3Hv0QaN6ca0iX4zipnbLQfJjkx82/s320/Sketch.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Double click the dimension for the inner circle (32.27
above).</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If we type =A in the dimension,
we can now link this dimension to the variable A.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRxytu_OukNEimJVHnH91hFMOk-vg1EtkYhWELvgbVFKghoqJ6tfYBAFE0TdLRqcITLY7r_I-3W_cq4yRn4lwzERnuBKq22IsV49FWGNDPhD0F1J4mVFYjhKphaYE90Bgkx1lV99jGo2j/s1600/Sketch+with+Variable.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRxytu_OukNEimJVHnH91hFMOk-vg1EtkYhWELvgbVFKghoqJ6tfYBAFE0TdLRqcITLY7r_I-3W_cq4yRn4lwzERnuBKq22IsV49FWGNDPhD0F1J4mVFYjhKphaYE90Bgkx1lV99jGo2j/s320/Sketch+with+Variable.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; text-align: center;">Click the check and repeat the process for the second
dimension, linking it to B.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You will see that we now have our diameters linked to our
variables and SOLIDWORKS is show us a new symbol (Red Sigma) that means we are
linked to the equations manager.</span><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVNe8XIz1ksqMx7Tt-eGoKvzE26ctvN4NcNvPCyTc2S6DJhoIwhiSf2I65mA4BenAAQBfgEcuCqsKlXDzelLo16d3CBFjTat6JAEnZ_EZaMqbKKghqaWvf_XVsoclfc26mE7TpoqLaIOu/s1600/Sigma.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVNe8XIz1ksqMx7Tt-eGoKvzE26ctvN4NcNvPCyTc2S6DJhoIwhiSf2I65mA4BenAAQBfgEcuCqsKlXDzelLo16d3CBFjTat6JAEnZ_EZaMqbKKghqaWvf_XVsoclfc26mE7TpoqLaIOu/s1600/Sigma.png" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, let’s extrude this part.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Select the Features tab, click Extrude
Boss/Base and in the Direction one boss, set D1 equal to C.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Click the check mark and we have a part!</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGiZH9WBlNznW5pCgYFWRJz-xVFJGlDA7HgvLrlTScHYZqoo-J_T-yFGcDPvjil7o6_WK6Dlrf6nRwaP2LV-2OisV8E0X5foKqVvphF3n4qMyvidF7wf-EpdnA0t4YZd6YePgXczWUCu1/s1600/Extrude.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGiZH9WBlNznW5pCgYFWRJz-xVFJGlDA7HgvLrlTScHYZqoo-J_T-yFGcDPvjil7o6_WK6Dlrf6nRwaP2LV-2OisV8E0X5foKqVvphF3n4qMyvidF7wf-EpdnA0t4YZd6YePgXczWUCu1/s400/Extrude.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8620000183618001665" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why is this important?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the exam, the variable will change.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The variables are also used multiple times in the exam.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is done to force you to show your
knowledge of how to use them.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s much
easier to change A in the Equation Manager rather than sift through your models
and find every instance of A.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If we open the equations manager again by right
clicking on equations and selecting manage equations we can change these
variables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s change A from 20 to
30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Move the equations manager off the
model so you can see what happens when you click ok.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our part changed from this:</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSQJ6lIjgWUHAYsm8vRHoaWVOBCvnwI-DCPAhuS2VqZ9AKHbjnwz5gTZG1inq6YyjbMH3dYj2Kk8J1_7r95Wby8slf_MaqsST2e6iWixvIoKu42RYKvyOmldNAq8TNtUPuy9hmpU0tI7J/s1600/Before.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSQJ6lIjgWUHAYsm8vRHoaWVOBCvnwI-DCPAhuS2VqZ9AKHbjnwz5gTZG1inq6YyjbMH3dYj2Kk8J1_7r95Wby8slf_MaqsST2e6iWixvIoKu42RYKvyOmldNAq8TNtUPuy9hmpU0tI7J/s320/Before.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To This:</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZnwg7-kYTO9f8BHORLOYpBqgw_6OZ_kOAgnNF_o_DXVeKCEyx0v5Se5q45N-P9w1DxykotjfQMavmZawJwG81I9SI6jBLXs9hY5g1zWDNcjOzk3svDwJrrhFo_RPEUI0HEy6qoaEnAoS/s1600/After.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZnwg7-kYTO9f8BHORLOYpBqgw_6OZ_kOAgnNF_o_DXVeKCEyx0v5Se5q45N-P9w1DxykotjfQMavmZawJwG81I9SI6jBLXs9hY5g1zWDNcjOzk3svDwJrrhFo_RPEUI0HEy6qoaEnAoS/s320/After.png" width="294" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Diameter A updated from 20 to 30 and Length C updated to
from 30 to 50.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have any questions on equations, post them below and
we will discuss them.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next time we’ll talk about materials and mass.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bryan</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-10992932646769882072015-05-19T12:56:00.001-07:002015-05-20T06:13:32.603-07:00Free Certification ExamThis one is hot off the press.<br />
<br />
Richard Doyle just announced that they have partnered with the Certification team to give anyone that attends a SOLIDWORKS User Group meeting between June 15 and August 15, 2015 a free exam for CSWA, CSWP or CSWPA.<br />
<br />
Folks, that's a 99 dollar bill put right into your pocket!<br />
<br />
Here are the details:<br />
<ul>
<li>
Open to all attendees of a summer SOLIDWORKS User Group
meeting (June 15th - August 15th) </li>
<li>Attendee must be physically present at a user group in
order to receive a free SOLIDWORKS Certification exam voucher</li>
<li>Attendee will ask the user group leader for ONE free
CSWA, CSWP or CSWPA voucher and provide his name and email address to user
group leader</li>
<li>User group leader will send the list of names and email
addresses to Certification Team</li>
<li>The SOLIDWORKS Certification team will send special test
vouchers and instructions to attendees for the requested exam. </li>
<li>Vouchers will expire one month from the date they are sent to
the attendee</li>
<li>Find a Group here: <a href="http://www.swugn.org/swugn/directory.htm">http://www.swugn.org/swugn/directory.htm</a></li>
</ul>
To make sure your SWUGLeader is in the know, you might want to have this blog on your phone to show him or have him contact Richard.<br />
<br />
Ready, Set, SWUG!!!<br />
BryanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-55894207875195463012015-05-13T06:44:00.000-07:002015-05-13T06:50:22.204-07:00Marie’s Tips to Passing the CSWP Exam<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uuqa9Sq1px1yRj37lvGrPJYrrkhbMCTInXN3MCqseJD8NtiJJ81vGMwPgWVVBOtLyafpvn4cY6MOJpHpwjuApLemDJpoXxA56taGXMXUwX4GQegwyW5JbRl_2gRQiiu_OdHIfRPn-31e/s1600/Marie+Planchard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uuqa9Sq1px1yRj37lvGrPJYrrkhbMCTInXN3MCqseJD8NtiJJ81vGMwPgWVVBOtLyafpvn4cY6MOJpHpwjuApLemDJpoXxA56taGXMXUwX4GQegwyW5JbRl_2gRQiiu_OdHIfRPn-31e/s200/Marie+Planchard.jpg" width="130" /></a>So, I am departing from the norm on this post. Marie Planchard, Director of Education Community, SOLIDWORKS presented at our SWUG meeting last night. She makes an awesome presentation on education and SOLIDWORKS. If you can snag her for a meeting, I highly recommend it.<br />
<br />
Part of her presentation as the title suggests was Tips and Tricks. With her permission, I'm posting them below. I'll start getting into mine in the next few posts, but I wanted to share hers with everyone. I've added my comments in { } to help clarify things that she said verbally.<br />
<br />
Thanks Marie for your support of Education, Certification and SWUG. <br />
<br />
Bryan<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Use Global Variables and Equations</li>
<li>{watch} Number of Decimal Places (Precision) </li>
<li>The first multiple choice is right on</li>
<li>Read the next series of problem variables carefully {They change}</li>
<ul>
<li>Problem 1: A=110</li>
<li>Problem 2: A=120</li>
<li>Problem 3: A=135</li>
</ul>
<li>Reference Coordinate System - Know the Direction of X and Y axis</li>
<li>{be familiar with} Width Mate and Angle Mate</li>
<li>Material - exactly {if it says Aluminum 6160, don't use plain Aluminum}</li>
<li>{Understand} Mass Properties - Mass, Moment of Inertia based on material</li>
<li>CSWP = passing 3 parts of the exam</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-16353982534786303552015-04-27T12:02:00.002-07:002015-08-04T10:09:31.092-07:00CSWP Segment 3: Flow and TipsSo let's talk this time about the flow and some tips for Segment 3. The good news is there is little modeling in this section. The bad news is some of the material is not stuff that I knew off the top of my head. Once I figured it out, they were some fairly simple concepts though.<br />
<br />
We are going to start off this segment by modeling a part. Nothing fancy, but be careful, when you have it completed, it asks the mass and is a fill in the blank question. There is a check, but not until the next question...<br />
<br />
You are going to then download a part and make an assembly of this part and the part you modeled for the previous question. It will then ask you for the Center of Gravity (Center of Mass). This question is Multiple Choice. As long as you put the two parts together as they tell you and the origin is located in the place they tell you, then you should get an answer that exactly matches one on the test. If you do, you can be reasonably assured that you properly modeled your part. If not, I would suspect the part from question 1 is not quite right.<br />
<br />
You are then going to download and add another part and answer the COG again. The answer is Fill in the blank.<br />
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Next comes a technical move. You are going to rotate one part until it hits another part. Once it hits, you are going to measure the angle between two surfaces. This is a Fill in the Blank question.<br />
<br />
Download another part and tell what the mass is, again, fill in the blank.<br />
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Change gears for the next question. Model up a part, download another part and make a subassembly out of these two parts. This is a multiple choice question asking for the mass.<br />
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Download a third part, add it to the subassembly, then add the entire sub assembly to the first assembly. You need to know how to make a subassembly flexible on this one. They ask what the COG is and it is a fill in the blank question.<br />
<br />
Download a part, add it to the assembly, what is the COG? (Multiple Choice)<br />
<br />
Download a part, add it to the assembly, what is the mass? (Fill in the Blank)<br />
<br />
Model a part, add it to the assembly, what is the COG? (Fill in the Blank)<br />
<br />
That's a lot of assembly work... Now, take your whole assembly and evaluate it for interference. List all the parts that exhibit interference. This is a multiple choice with multiple answers (check all that apply)<br />
<br />
The final question is to take your original part and replace it with a downloaded part, than answer one last time, what is the COG? (Fill in the Blank)<br />
<br />
We will get into how to do the things above in a later post, but here are some tips to think about. <br />
<ul>
<li>If question #2 is wrong, you most likely did something wrong in question #1. If so, please don't forget to fix the answer on Question 1...</li>
<li>I think on every test, it says that the part origin is arbitrary. My advice is to treat it like it is not on every test. On this one, it will bite you, because the COG is generated about the origin, right? If your origin isn't in the same place as the origin on the test, there is no way you can get the question right...</li>
<li>Know your mates. Width, Parallel, Perpendicular, Dimensional and Angular are popular on the exam.</li>
<li>In the how to section, we'll get into collision detection, flexible assemblies, interference detection and how to replace a part with another.</li>
</ul>
Stew on this for a bit. Next time, we'll start with segment 1 showing you some of the skills you need. As always, if you have any questions, let me know by posting them below.<br />
<br />
Thanks,<br />
<br />
BryanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-69413509052415090432015-04-17T05:19:00.003-07:002015-04-17T05:19:48.834-07:00Of Mice and Navigators<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_lFs9iAib8dv0PpFhs1RpzZeCwzLESKYhebWAcG8bTQFN97-sfpVOlUsZfgLAuRj65sgNPfDakkma1BNFSzrjyUC0YEqss_9XW38wZAVkCpVmbWiUjoNRSmP1OnTzLJUM50yGRhbJ8BS/s1600/20150410_084035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_lFs9iAib8dv0PpFhs1RpzZeCwzLESKYhebWAcG8bTQFN97-sfpVOlUsZfgLAuRj65sgNPfDakkma1BNFSzrjyUC0YEqss_9XW38wZAVkCpVmbWiUjoNRSmP1OnTzLJUM50yGRhbJ8BS/s1600/20150410_084035.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I got my hands on their new CAD Mouse about a month or so ago
and a couple people I know at work and outside have been trying them out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That got me to thinking about mice and 3D
mice as a tip for certifications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
a Space Pilot Pro and now a CAD Mouse, both from 3DConnexion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjEM0UXibjZfgrUvhnTfJ9VD8y7oj4McRGMfxMign2Ti4g7JUQbH07uYEBbQVW_ILa4Py4HfQSGXmM8UC9cp2KksYMIG6_1gABj4h7KchbxKD_Pf5XBHqXjE6rKcRKHTDkbP86kYSIxiu/s1600/CAD+Wheel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjEM0UXibjZfgrUvhnTfJ9VD8y7oj4McRGMfxMign2Ti4g7JUQbH07uYEBbQVW_ILa4Py4HfQSGXmM8UC9cp2KksYMIG6_1gABj4h7KchbxKD_Pf5XBHqXjE6rKcRKHTDkbP86kYSIxiu/s1600/CAD+Wheel.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I'm a big fan of the new CAD Mouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only is it great in SOLIDWORKS, but it
also has functionality in other programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The software that comes with it recognizes what application is active
and you can program buttons based on the application, so I can click on
Outlook, hit one of the programmed thumb buttons and a new email starts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It even has a button that brings up a feature
similar to the SOLIDWORKS wheel and has features programmed that are
application relevant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a three
button mouse with a wheel and you have to hold it between your pinky and thumb,
which takes some getting used to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
found that it took me about 2 weeks to get comfortable with the new grip and
using the ring finger to use the RMB.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You will note I’ve added a couple of banners to my blog post
for 3DConnexion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are interested
in buying one, I’d like to ask that you use the banners to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3DConnexion will send a portion of any sales the
banner to help pay for the blog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have any questions or comments on 3D mice or the new
CAD Mouse, please post them below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d
like to hear what you think.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Best of Luck,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bryan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-61985296898493353642015-04-03T06:01:00.000-07:002015-08-04T10:08:58.087-07:00CSWP Segment 2: FlowI like to have fun with this section in my presentations, please read this post knowing that I am smiling and laughing with you. They say that 72.8% of all statistics are made up on the spot. Segment 2 is 93.478% about configurations. There are some questions involving a shell at the end, but in my opinion, that section is mainly about design intent. I'll touch on it at the end.<br />
<br />
Let's talk about how this segment flows. This segment starts of with one of the easiest questions I have ever had on a certification. IMO, even easier than 'Are you ready to begin'...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgW4gjTFZ0Vs2PsJjoC3TwGwbk29pMm-XKbM0KNpFAWEkheLjps5kMGSOXH2kdhyphenhyphenbZf-aGSFvcBVKC7bglM1k40fYEUsnQ7J2TMIW4ULjfg6-o-ofo7KEGf3KeyTmyQkSJhkf0BaE6kQk/s1600/configurations.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgW4gjTFZ0Vs2PsJjoC3TwGwbk29pMm-XKbM0KNpFAWEkheLjps5kMGSOXH2kdhyphenhyphenbZf-aGSFvcBVKC7bglM1k40fYEUsnQ7J2TMIW4ULjfg6-o-ofo7KEGf3KeyTmyQkSJhkf0BaE6kQk/s1600/configurations.JPG" /></a></div>
You are going to load a part that they provide to you. You are going to change to the configurations tab and tell them how many configurations there are. And to make it even easier, it's going to be a multiple choice question. I deal with configurations all day long, this one was so easy for me, it scared me. Be calm though, it is not a trick question. :-)<br />
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The second question will ask you to switch to another configuration and enter the mass as a fill in the blank question. If configurations aren't your cup of tea, it's as simple as double clicking the configuration you want. So far, it's been simple, right? Let's start cranking up the heat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpW62OCasSTUBnndd-PYPnjFjNT65vLrpVcsd_DPEydA6fgFsyLDxMnBWhZClLdaZvfrLz_4k6ysBGqWP1JTt4TMoemtj-yLUZSknnYzA7jClYkIg2lksEbnorP1tStGApkozAo1NbFka/s1600/add+configuration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpW62OCasSTUBnndd-PYPnjFjNT65vLrpVcsd_DPEydA6fgFsyLDxMnBWhZClLdaZvfrLz_4k6ysBGqWP1JTt4TMoemtj-yLUZSknnYzA7jClYkIg2lksEbnorP1tStGApkozAo1NbFka/s1600/add+configuration.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Now let's add a new configuration. The test will tell you to switch to a certain configuration. It will then tell you to make a new configuration based on the active one. You accomplish this by right clicking the part name at the top of the configuration tree and selecting 'add configuration'. Give your new configuration a name and hit the check mark. Now you are going to need to make a change to this configuration. You will need to find the mass and report it on the test. This is a multiple choice question.<br />
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-J-qYyrDKyXcGY879AqS89Bn5O_zOEw54vH-YQFiH_B28FM9WAKx5FE0okIiFIAOgqQFbWypyBJ8AmgZSyizNVE2ovy08PiZL2EwiK1PHfQrcbIBw_j5HMJNUhVRo5HLfTeOaxRq88Kq/s1600/Feature+Control.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-J-qYyrDKyXcGY879AqS89Bn5O_zOEw54vH-YQFiH_B28FM9WAKx5FE0okIiFIAOgqQFbWypyBJ8AmgZSyizNVE2ovy08PiZL2EwiK1PHfQrcbIBw_j5HMJNUhVRo5HLfTeOaxRq88Kq/s1600/Feature+Control.jpg" /></a>So the next question is what I like to call suppression control. It's going to ask you to suppress/unsuppress the new feature from the previous question in another configuration, change to that configuration and report the mass. It is a fill in the blank question. You can switch to the configuration and make the change or you can use the configure feature function in the design tree by right clicking the feature and selecting 'configure feature'.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSluS9aMCI8cPzlPstPPsIQJ086RYd1zjAb2Zs6iiArx35W12OTETIDm5e00C9nJx_GTZoQH87QglAQz7AsBiCpo3TDrd1iuFCQxocIS4UiAP-IuPMIUjQOK6wvEUxghYb7kPMIu3aHsK_/s1600/Design+Table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSluS9aMCI8cPzlPstPPsIQJ086RYd1zjAb2Zs6iiArx35W12OTETIDm5e00C9nJx_GTZoQH87QglAQz7AsBiCpo3TDrd1iuFCQxocIS4UiAP-IuPMIUjQOK6wvEUxghYb7kPMIu3aHsK_/s1600/Design+Table.jpg" width="320" /></a>The final question on the configurations portion involves design tables. A lot of people freak out about this question. Design tables are nothing to be scared of. They are very easy to create and are an incredibly powerful tool for creating multiple configurations very quickly. The test will ask you to create a design table, this is done by going to insert, table, design table. The test will tell you what options to select and when you have, just click the check mark. SW will find all the configurations present and automagically (that's Biz Markie reference, not a typo) populate all dimensions that are different in any two configurations into an Excel table in your UI. To make a new configuration in a design table, just copy the entire row they designate and paste it at the end. Change the configuration name to what they tell you and modify the dimension value the tell you to. Then just click outside the Excel table window and SOLIDWORKS will start jumping through hoops (seriously, it starts jumping around) and a new configuration is born. The only thing you have to do now is fill in the blank on the mass.<br />
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The last questions on this segment deal with design intent. It's also the most difficult topic to explain to someone. There are entire college courses on this topic. The easiest question to explain this on is this one: They give you a part that is shelled. They then ask you to put an angular cut on the part. If you put the cut at the end of the design tree, it cuts a large hole in the part. This is obviously not what they want given the pictures. You have to understand the design intent is for the shell to be a uniform thickness all the way around the handle. The solution is to put the cut before the shell operation. You have to understand how the part is built to accurately modify this part.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6DOX5Dd9Bx2S4LbSkmcZOHELIUNyzA6dyJlsiwTuMi4IQDRERiAC1QiVYx_-oF0Pun4RsldLTI-ttR3e0EUiTQJZmvHMCRqeg_DyVH-9bQk8Gc-53Uhk4zFLMS0-L3AewT3jfpXshNg9/s1600/before.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6DOX5Dd9Bx2S4LbSkmcZOHELIUNyzA6dyJlsiwTuMi4IQDRERiAC1QiVYx_-oF0Pun4RsldLTI-ttR3e0EUiTQJZmvHMCRqeg_DyVH-9bQk8Gc-53Uhk4zFLMS0-L3AewT3jfpXshNg9/s1600/before.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38VLU9cBKizR-ysdU0Hx998C6KWmF5HRy3olCq3i-ZLJ3-caVrtqwXR0kbURikCLqbbBOdOQjtV30bY6arovMgMejkY8fejDv0UxXI0VBMzmYwN-YqriGvWWmO8YVRCM-PKDj5Ba71HTR/s1600/after.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38VLU9cBKizR-ysdU0Hx998C6KWmF5HRy3olCq3i-ZLJ3-caVrtqwXR0kbURikCLqbbBOdOQjtV30bY6arovMgMejkY8fejDv0UxXI0VBMzmYwN-YqriGvWWmO8YVRCM-PKDj5Ba71HTR/s1600/after.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'll cover my tips on this section next time.<br />
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Have fun,<br />
<br />
BryanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-20926029281812321572015-03-26T06:38:00.002-07:002015-08-04T10:09:10.444-07:00CSWP Segment 1: Flow and TipsAs I said last week, we are going to look at the flow of the exam on this post and I'll throw in my tips to make it easier.<br />
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The information on the exam is given in 2 formats, graphical and written. You need both to properly execute the exam.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpkZ82u40mnHxdvmOBoCQkz1nqHxY6B3s3t5ifPSESl0hkPlAL32oEH49bGApWpgGa-2coOx80dGe3fNUR3vznoK2Yd9KtUtM0_snU7poHXubxRVolWNP_0cFS7FWQk6AxGzOcVrSsIOuC/s1600/Graphical.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpkZ82u40mnHxdvmOBoCQkz1nqHxY6B3s3t5ifPSESl0hkPlAL32oEH49bGApWpgGa-2coOx80dGe3fNUR3vznoK2Yd9KtUtM0_snU7poHXubxRVolWNP_0cFS7FWQk6AxGzOcVrSsIOuC/s1600/Graphical.png" width="320" /></a></div>
The graphical information is given much like the image to the right, with dimensions, section views, variable dimensions, etc. Much like you would see on a sketch when coming out of a design review.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpm4iun9jReHChh4cwAXLDxoAFxrgJxl1N7BgaMy4Ah25aRbs64lYeXMDn0Z4I-SIMB4X5xfVlGMcRB_3-x5OENYdsx-B6TppmkTwIMbwQUBHNBOa7h11oLSloLwqRat3URokQQiQjbH7/s1600/Written.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpm4iun9jReHChh4cwAXLDxoAFxrgJxl1N7BgaMy4Ah25aRbs64lYeXMDn0Z4I-SIMB4X5xfVlGMcRB_3-x5OENYdsx-B6TppmkTwIMbwQUBHNBOa7h11oLSloLwqRat3URokQQiQjbH7/s1600/Written.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpm4iun9jReHChh4cwAXLDxoAFxrgJxl1N7BgaMy4Ah25aRbs64lYeXMDn0Z4I-SIMB4X5xfVlGMcRB_3-x5OENYdsx-B6TppmkTwIMbwQUBHNBOa7h11oLSloLwqRat3URokQQiQjbH7/s1600/Written.png" width="216" /></a><br />
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In the written portion, there is more detailed information that applies to the physical attributes of the model and defines the variable in the graphical portion. Here you will find the unit system, variable dimensions, material, number of decimals that they want the answer in and where the part origin is located at. This segment is one of the few times where I agree that the part origin is arbitrary. Any time you are dealing with Center of Gravity, it is not. Please keep that in mind.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivc16gWuz8HZo8booCzINm14XS9qP6CIYWtxkkq43_Mg4v86oKZeUqEQEZj9-o7pMV_nTgKSCHOhnjvboktJxuNx6jLUppid8ATreMLGCweioB2fO4Iw28A3j_lDiD0xQIyBkITIiJdn0G/s1600/Graphical+Variable.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivc16gWuz8HZo8booCzINm14XS9qP6CIYWtxkkq43_Mg4v86oKZeUqEQEZj9-o7pMV_nTgKSCHOhnjvboktJxuNx6jLUppid8ATreMLGCweioB2fO4Iw28A3j_lDiD0xQIyBkITIiJdn0G/s1600/Graphical+Variable.png" /></a>Another way the exam delivers variables is with a dimension that is circled in the graphical views. Be on the lookout for them as they will change sometime during the test.<br />
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Let's look at the flow of the exam now. It is 5 questions. You must get 85 points to pass and there are 115 points on the exam. You have a 90 minute time limit. By the way, when you start this exam, the clock does not pause. If you lose internet connection, somewhere, the clock is still running. If SOLIDWORKS crashes (I know that never happens), the clock is still running...<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Model a part from scratch, answer what the mass of the part is, this is a multiple choice question.</li>
<li>Modify the previous part slightly (variables). Answer what the mass of the part is. This is a fill in the blank answer.</li>
<ul>
<li>Non U.S. people, please be careful. Is 1,000 one thousand or one? On these exams, the comma (,) designates groups of 3 in a number, not a separator from whole numbers and partial (decimal) numbers. 1mm to 2 decimals should be entered as 1.00 NOT 1,00.</li>
</ul>
<li>Add some features to the previous part. Answer what the mass of the part is, this is a multiple choice question.</li>
<li>Make some significant modifications to the previous part. Answer what the mass of the part is, this is a multiple choice question.</li>
<li>Modify the previous part. Answer what the mass of the part is. This is a fill in the blank answer.</li>
</ul>
5 simple questions, right? If only, it were... Here are some tips to help you out.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>When you start, the first thing you should do is browse through all the questions. You can go forward and back through them as you need. Know how this model is going to change. That will help you lay out your design intent.</li>
<li>When you model, sketch and model it exactly as shown. One of my students did some quick math in his head once and instead of dimensioning a feature 75mm from the bottom of a 100mm part, he dimensioned it 25mm from the top. When that dimension changed, he was forced to do more calculations in his head.</li>
<li>Use linked values for the variables. You do not want to go searching through your sketches for all your variable dimensions. It is much faster and easier to change them in the equations folder.</li>
<li>Understand how to use equations in SOLIDWORKS. You will need to use them many times.</li>
<li>When you complete a model, save it. Use a file name that is easy to find later. I used S1Q2 for Segment 1, Question 2. You can easily jump back and forth to make changes and it makes it easier for the next tip.</li>
<li>The next tip is to answer the multiple choice questions first. The multiple choice questions are there for instant feedback to if you are wrong or not. The multiple choice questions are worth 75 points. That means you only need 10 points from the Fill in the Blank questions to pass. Which leads me to...</li>
<li>If your answer does not EXACTLY match a multiple choice question, you did something wrong. </li>
</ul>
Out of every tip I give below, the last one is the one I cannot express enough. If you do not exactly match an answer in the multiple choice options, it is time for a FULL STOP to what you are doing and find your mistake. As I said in a previous post, at the start of every presentation I do for this, I ask if anyone has failed the CSWP, the number of hands that go up is the reason for this blog. The reason I ask is because I failed my first attempt at Segment 1. Not only did I fail it. I failed it completely. As in when the test was over, I got 2 out of 5 questions right.<br />
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Here is how I failed it. I did my modeling on question 1. My answer was incredibly close to a multiple choice answer I was confident it was right. The second question was a fill in the blank question. I filled in the blank with no feedback if I was wrong or not. My third question, a multiple choice question, was off by a fair margin, but it was relatively close to an answer, so I selected it. I modeled up my forth question, the last multiple choice question and my answer was nowhere near any option given. At this point, I'm well over 70 minutes into the test I'm getting a little worried. I go back to the previous question and look for my mistake, because, really, the first one couldn't be the problem, I mean it was barely off the answer I selected. After spending 15 minutes, I found my mistake. It was in my first model. Not what I wanted to see. I hurriedly made my corrections and guess what, the clock runs out. You can see the results above.<br />
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Next time, I'll go over the flow and tips for segment 2.<br />
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Good luck,<br />
<br />
Bryan<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-42380255114624221812015-03-18T06:04:00.003-07:002015-03-18T06:04:45.813-07:00CSWP, My recommendationsOn this post, let's start getting into the preparations I recommend in my SOLIDWORKS World presentation. For the most part, this can be applied to all certifications, but we'll be specifically discussing the CSWP in this post.<br />
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Are you ready?<br />
<ul>
<li>You have taken (not required) the recommended training courses.</li>
<ul>
<li>Essentials</li>
<li>Drawings</li>
<li>Advanced Part Modeling</li>
<li>Advanced Assemblies</li>
</ul>
<li>You have about 9 months of SOLIDWORKS experience</li>
</ul>
Some general tips:<br />
<ul>
<li>Use two monitors</li>
<ul>
<li>You will not be able to print out the test</li>
<li>It is easier to have the test on one monitor and SOLIDWORKS running on a second</li>
</ul>
<li>Do not begin with Segment 1</li>
<ul>
<li>I get into the why in a future post, but trust me on this one...</li>
</ul>
<li>Read and complete all written instructions prior to modeling.</li>
<ul>
<li>SET YOUR UNITS!!!</li>
<ul>
<li>This has to be the #1 mistake I see in the exams I have proctored.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Have a pen, paper and calculator in case it is needed.</li>
<ul>
<li>I do recommend using SW for all your calculations</li>
<li>It's better to have one and not need it, than need it and not have it</li>
</ul>
<li>Rebuild models prior to submitting answers</li>
<ul>
<li>Did that last change propagate to your mass?</li>
</ul>
<li>Dimension the model exactly as the exam depicts</li>
<ul>
<li>Your models are going to change, don't let a 'shortcut' screw you up</li>
</ul>
<li>Get comfortable</li>
<ul>
<li>Take care of your personal necessities before you begin.</li>
</ul>
<li>DO NOT attempt during lunch or business hours.</li>
<ul>
<li>As soon as you hit start, someone will ask you to do something.</li>
<li>Take the phone off the hook (That phrase shows my age, turn your phone off)</li>
<li>Put the kids to bed</li>
<li>Feed the dog</li>
<li>Make sure the honey-do list is up to date</li>
<ul>
<li>Happy Wife, Happy Life :-)</li>
</ul>
<li>Do you have your coffee handy?</li>
</ul>
<li>Relax, It's only a test. </li>
<ul>
<li>Nobody has to know if you fail. </li>
<li>If you do fail, you can always retake it.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Next time, I'm going to get into the Exam Format and the flow of Segment 1.<br />
<br />
As always, if you have any questions, please ask them below.<br />
<br />
Bryan<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620000183618001665.post-43532677672161461292015-03-10T10:00:00.001-07:002015-03-16T05:18:21.728-07:00Paying for it.So, let's tackle how to pay for your certification now. The <a href="https://store5.esellerate.net/store/checkout/CustomLayout.aspx?s=STR6391639620&pc=&page=OnePageCatalog.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">cost for certifications</span></a> runs from $19.95 for a specialty exam to $149 for the CSWE. The way I see it, you have 3 options for funding your certification endeavors. The pros are all the same. You get your certification paid for, but let's look at the cons...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rUMtTFpseKFFCHhECvD-aWCzEwA2g3MYw3H0aRWepAKkXPq3CYq9DtypKDkXj5eAt6-XlmtCM8r88ZHhMpHRdGaSooGr0VGkK2A84_2D8b0dp-3IOmB0Ag-vkbr7bPW5nV39PiKjmyHd/s1600/surprised+boss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rUMtTFpseKFFCHhECvD-aWCzEwA2g3MYw3H0aRWepAKkXPq3CYq9DtypKDkXj5eAt6-XlmtCM8r88ZHhMpHRdGaSooGr0VGkK2A84_2D8b0dp-3IOmB0Ag-vkbr7bPW5nV39PiKjmyHd/s1600/surprised+boss.jpg" /></a>1. Ask your boss to pay for it. We all know that for most bosses, the first thing going through their heads is what does the company get out of this? It's not that this is a bad thing, that is simply their job. As an employee, you have to spin it to highlight the pros while addressing the cons. Explain why you think it will make you a better employee while addressing fears that you are going to use his money to justify a raise or pad your resume. Also, keep in mind that if your boss does pay for the exam, he is going to want to see the results. My boss knows that I am a CSWE, but he doesn't know that I flunked my first attempt at CSWP. (My boss didn't pay for any of my exams)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu38ujOZZSLszXeh8h-B7ltPS0sKVtqiwR_6zE1CwZzMtVJ6GOyRK7A8T0UxVXn9zGNbP0JrAxDfgU1DTn1QEgoXbxcH-cEibWM-KOAcdrcOUtsTMuWR1FDL1raurIVUHyx7ciJzLZG3kZ/s1600/empty+walletsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu38ujOZZSLszXeh8h-B7ltPS0sKVtqiwR_6zE1CwZzMtVJ6GOyRK7A8T0UxVXn9zGNbP0JrAxDfgU1DTn1QEgoXbxcH-cEibWM-KOAcdrcOUtsTMuWR1FDL1raurIVUHyx7ciJzLZG3kZ/s1600/empty+walletsmall.jpg" /></a>2. Pay for it yourself. Ouch. The CSWE will cost you $327.80. That's less than a class at community college and frankly, it's a huge plus on your resume or your next job evaluation. In my opinion, it's a small price to pay to put another bullet point on your resume or raise request. The question you have to ask is it worth it to you to pay that cost? Plus, if you pay for it, nobody needs to know you failed. Except your pocket book, that is. You'll likely need to pay for another exam... (Guess what? I didn't pay for any of my exams)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJTO29hJueKOhy55aOQYzeSAPq0JDHVk5OKF_QvMB_VhMLS8DwMHPmCq_S3rkdAtvnRbukpFaMYWRjDgT2ZTlzkoyFdpsUwchIT-nzzImGGK0JGdc8uZRvboTr55GA6cEwh9mPkDYM8fD/s1600/SW+Block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJTO29hJueKOhy55aOQYzeSAPq0JDHVk5OKF_QvMB_VhMLS8DwMHPmCq_S3rkdAtvnRbukpFaMYWRjDgT2ZTlzkoyFdpsUwchIT-nzzImGGK0JGdc8uZRvboTr55GA6cEwh9mPkDYM8fD/s1600/SW+Block.jpg" /></a>3. Get all your exams for free (this is what I did!). It takes longer. By my mental calculations, and keep in mind I have not changed my batteries lately, it should take you a little over a year. You can do it faster, but it would likely add some cost. So, let's check this out... The certification team offers one free exam for the CSWA or CSWP and one free specialty exam every 6 months for Subscription Service Members. Your boss pays a subscription fee every year to SOLIDWORKS, the exams are included in this fee. All you have to do is get your subscription information and create an account using that info. I can't post a direct link to this website because it requires a login, but, you can go to this <a href="http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/mcad-certification-programs.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">webpage</span></a> and on the right is a link to the offer. So, in the first 6 months, you just got your CSWA and let's say SheetMetal paid for using the Subscription Service. Here is something every SOLIDWORKS user should know. SOLIDWORKS has user groups. What is a user group you ask? Well, it is a group of ordinary users that get together every couple of months to talk about SOLIDWORKS, socialize, win prizes and eat pizza. All the user groups got together at SOLIDWORKS World for our national meeting. It looked something like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IIJwvJQq4g&list=PLiKqXuECiKNKs9A5Sfyrql3J2kPVbZaxe&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">this</span></a><span style="color: blue;">.</span> You can find a group near you at this <a href="http://www.swugn.org/swugn/directory.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">website</span></a><span style="color: blue;">.</span> The reason why I mention this is that if one of the certification guys are giving a presentation, you are usually treated to one free exam. When you find a user group, contact the leader to see if one of them are coming to their group or you can email them directly at<span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="mailto:certification@soldworks.com"><span style="color: blue;">certification@soldworks.com</span></a> and ask about their travel schedule. Let's say you get a free Drawings Certification out of it. That's $140 bucks you just saved. So, you wait until the Subscription Service offer renews, which happens in January and July, and you get your CSWP and Mold Tools exams for free. That's another $120 you saved. Now, we wait again for the Subscription Service to reset and we get our last specialty exam, let's say Weldments. We only saved $20, but hey, we are now ready for the big kahuna, the CSWE.<br />
<br />
I'm going to come to a full stop with that. I said earlier that I have not paid for a single exam. What I should have said, is I have never paid cash for any exam. The reason I break from the excitement of the paragraph above is because there is a caveat that I need to explain. You can get free vouchers/coupons for all the above tests with the exception of the CSWE exam. There is no free ride for the general public on the CSWE train. But, Bryan, you said you didn't pay for any exam... Well, I spoke about User Groups above. <span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="http://www.swugn.org/swugn/calendar/ugdetails.htm?id=411" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The SLUG</span></a> is the best thing that ever happened to my career. I got some free training, I met some good friends, I was given some good food too. I've been in the leadership of our group since it started and I am currently the president. The reason I mention this is because there is a perk of being in the leadership of the group. You get a CSWE exam for free. So, for a little time investment in a SWUG, you can get all those benefits and your CSWE exam for free.<br />
<br />
So, let me end with some other pointers on getting an exam for free. There are two other ways, but they both involve a trip to SOLIDWORKS World. In January, 2016, we are meeting in Dallas, TX. The first way is every year on the Sunday of the event, the Certification Team gives you the chance to take the CSWP exam for free. The second is if you attend my Tips and Tricks on passing the CSWP, you will get a voucher/coupon for a free CSWP exam.<br />
<br />
The information here could save you some real money. If you have any questions, please post them. Next time, I'm going to discuss some general tips for taking the exams.<br />
<br />
See you then,<br />
<br />
Bryan<br />
<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16666104245990293463noreply@blogger.com1