SolidWorks Expert Level: Design, Assembly & Simulations

Explore SolidWorks feature manager across assembly, part, and drawing files, using a draggable history line to reveal extrudes, cuts, fillets, patterns, and annotations, then apply materials.

Master sketching with the SolidWorks line tool, including horizontal, vertical, and angle lines, construction lines, and center and midpoint lines; learn selection, deletion, and efficient continuation of sketches.

The video explains the physical significance of sketch relations and constraints through a simple assembly, showing how constraining dimensions and alignments keeps holes in place when parts change.

Learn how to constrain a SolidWorks sketch using smart dimensions and coincident constraints to center features, avoid over-constraining, and ensure sketches stay fully defined for reliable extrudes and assemblies.

Learn how to use the offset entities tool in SolidWorks to create offset lines, end caps with arcs, construction geometry, and linear sketch patterns for quick, precise part design.

Learn to extrude a sketch in SolidWorks, starting points and directions from the sketch plane, surfaces, and vertices, with options like blind, through all, up to surface, and midplane.

Learn to create a revolved boss base in SolidWorks by sketching on the front plane, selecting a revolve line, and applying up to surface, midplane, blind, and thin options.

Learn the revolve cut in SolidWorks to hollow a part by revolving a closed sketch around an axis, with 360° or partial angles. Include surface and thin feature options.

Master convert entities to fix a hole relative to an LED in an assembly, using sketch from edge, offsetting, and extrude cut to ensure movement with mates.

Learn how to use SolidWorks linear sketch pattern to create patterns in two directions with a defined pitch and entity count, yielding a fully constrained sketch.

Edit a part within an assembly to align its features with other parts so changes in mates move the feature accordingly, using sketching and extruding.

Explore the SolidWorks linear pattern feature by patterning a single extruded body along one or two directions, setting distance, instances, and references for a precise 3d array.

discover varying geometry patterning in SolidWorks to pattern a boss extrusion with a pattern on a plane, so instances terminate at surface rather than duplicating via the geometry pattern option.

Learn to mirror and pattern bodies in SolidWorks, including selecting bodies, choosing mirror planes, and applying a linear pattern to bolts to create symmetric assemblies.

Learn to apply linear pattern and mirror in SolidWorks to create symmetric features by using up to reference, multiple instances, and offset distances, achieving centered symmetry around the origin.

Learn plastic power design for a simple electronic device using FDM 3D printing, focusing on two halves, PCB, battery, display, screws, brass inserts, and exploded views.

Explore design intent, the principle that assemblies adapt to dimension changes while components retain positions, enabling robust, reusable SolidWorks models for plastic and molded parts.

design a plastic enclosure around the display, PCB, and battery using a top-down assembly in SolidWorks; create a boundary box, extrude, fillet, shell, and offset geometry by 0.2 mm.

Demonstrates building a display mount in a plastic part: sketching holes, creating M2 brass inserts, extruding and cutting features, refining fillets, and mirroring the design for assembly accuracy.

Learn how to reposition a PCB in the bottom plastic, create clearance from the USB port, and add M2 insert holes and fasteners with mates in SolidWorks.

Master designing a lip to align top and bottom parts in a SolidWorks assembly for easier assembly, including PCB fasteners, managing mates, and applying extrude boss and cut operations.

Design and integrate a plastic 3d printed button in SolidWorks, creating an elliptical button with flange, drilling a 3 mm hole, and verifying clearance and travel within the enclosure.

Apply adaptive assembly by keeping parts editable so PCB changes don’t break the design, and enlarge the button by adjusting the top part and mates for clearance while preserving tolerances.

Assess and resolve assembly clearance issues in a SolidWorks model by sectioning the body, identifying USB port interference, and applying extrude-cut clearances. Note implications for 3d printing versus mold design.

Add ventilating holes for air flow to cool a handheld PCB using SolidWorks features like split face, extrude cut, and fill pattern, with a 3D-printed friendly design.

Import the PCB into an assembly, save as an assembly file rather than a part file, and create three perpendicular planes at the PCB center to ease future mates.

Design a plastic 3d printed part in SolidWorks by creating a top plate with holes and fins, applying extrude and extrude-cut features for screw clearance and m3 inserts.

Advance the assembly by refining the plastic part, installing inserts, applying chamfers and fillets, and validating minimum distances while sketching, extruding, trimming, and mirroring for 3d printed parts.

Design the bottom heatsink within the assembly, adding a 2 mm extrusion, countersunk M3 holes, and fins. Pattern the fins and plan screw placement with the plastic part.

Learn how to import and integrate CAD models from Grabcad into a SolidWorks assembly, add M3 inserts, and install a 16 mm USB-C panel port, with troubleshooting for non-editable imports.

Prepare a SolidWorks model for thermal simulation by assigning 300 W heat sources to MOSFETs on an aluminum heatsink and a plastic part, then save a dedicated simulation copy.

Perform a SolidWorks thermal simulation to predict surface temperatures under 300 W, comparing natural and forced convection with and without fans to meet a 60 C limit.

Explore designing four 40x40x15 mm fans for forced convection cooling of a heatsink and MOSFETs, optimizing size, placement, and symmetry along the heatsink fins in a SolidWorks assembly.

Learn to complete a SolidWorks assembly by adding mechanical fasteners and fan grills, importing STEP files, and using mates, linear patterns, and BOM considerations for PCB assemblies.