AutoCAD and SolidWorks Overview

This tutorial is designed for the new SolidWorks user with a background in AutoCAD design. Although
the two applications are similar in appearance, they do differ.

A closer look at the differences between design approaches

A closer look at the differences between user interfaces
A closer look at the differences between terminology

It is recommended that you complete the Lesson 1 - Parts, Lesson 2 - Assemblies, and Lesson 3 -
Drawings tutorials before starting any of the AutoCAD lessons. It is also recommended that you
complete the AutoCAD lessons in this order:

Time Tutorial
Importing an AutoCAD File shows how to import an AutoCAD drawing and modify it.

Converting an AutoCAD Drawing to 3D shows how to create a 3D model.

Creating a Drawing from a 3D Model shows how to add a new drawing sheet and
drawing views.

Next to start the Importing an AutoCAD File tutorial.

Importing an AutoCAD Drawing

In this lesson, you take an existing 2D design created in AutoCAD, import it into SolidWorks, modify it,
and save it as a SolidWorks drawing. You change the size and pattern of the bolt holes in a flange, a task
you might typically perform when implementing an engineering change order (ECO).

You can also edit AutoCAD drawings in the DWGEditor and save the files in their native format.

First import the existing 2D AutoCAD drawing.

1. Click Open on the Standard toolbar.

When tool images have an orange border, for example , you can click them in the
tutorial window to flash the corresponding button in the SolidWorks window.

2. Select DWG (*.dwg) in Files of type.

3. Browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\autocad.

4. Select 7550-021.dwg, then click Open.

Next  

Editing the Drawing

To improve the contrast between the dimension text and the background of the drawing, change the
color of the dimension text.

1. Click Layer Properties (Layer toolbar).

If the Layer toolbar is not visible, click View, Toolbars, Layer.

2. In the dialog box, in the row for the CENTER layer, click the solid green square in the Color
column.

3. In the Color dialog box, select dark purple , then click OK.

4. Change the colors of SECTION, DIMS, and REVISION to dark purple.

5. Click OK.

Next

Creating a Circular Pattern

Create a circular pattern of four circles to replace the original pattern of six circles.

A SolidWorks circular pattern is equivalent to an AutoCAD polar array.

1. Click Circular Sketch Pattern (Sketch toolbar).

 If Circular Sketch Pattern is not visible on the Sketch toolbar, click the button in the
tutorial window. This action places the button on the Sketch toolbar and highlights its position.

2. In the PropertyManager, if the name of the circle, Arc3, does not appear in Entities to Pattern,
then click in Entities to Pattern and select the circle in the graphics area.

3. Click Zoom to Fit on the View toolbar.

The blue circle indicates that the circular pattern will be created around this circle.

4. To change the circular pattern, in the dialog box, under Parameters, set Radius to 1.625 and
Arc Angle to 270. By default, three new instances of the circle will be created 90° apart.

5. Click .

Four instances of the circle are patterned equally around the flange.

Next

Changing Note Text

Next, delete the old note and insert a new note for the new circular pattern.

1. Click Zoom to Area (View toolbar), zoom to the flange, and press Enter to release the tool.
 2. Box select the note and leader as shown, then press Delete.

3. Click Note (Annotation toolbar).

4. Move the pointer toward the hole circle. As you move over items in the drawing, the pointer
changes.

When the pointer is over the circle, it changes to indicating that you are inferencing it.

5. Click on the circle to place the note leader, then click a blank area in the drawing sheet to place
the note.

 Next

Updating the Revision and Title Blocks

Now update the information in the revision block to reflect the changes made to the drawing.

1. Click Zoom to Fit (View toolbar) to view the drawing sheet.

2. Click anywhere inside the drawing sheet and zoom in to the revision block:

 Press Shift+Z to zoom in.

 Hold down Ctrl and press the arrow keys to pan.

If you zoom in too close to the revision block, press Z to zoom out. If the Drawing
View PropertyManager opened, click to close it.

3. In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Layout1 and select Lock Sheet Focus so you can
 select items outside the drawing view.

4. To create another row in the revision block, select the bottom line of the revision block and click

Offset Entities on the Sketch toolbar.

5. In the PropertyManager, set Offset Distance to 0.28, clear Add dimensions, then click .

The offset line is added to the drawing.

Next

Saving the File

1. Click Save (Standard toolbar) to save your changes.

2. In the dialog box:

 Type 7550-022 for File name.

 Make sure that Drawing (*.drw,*.slddrw) appears in Save as type.

3. Click Save.

4. Click Close (Standard toolbar) and click Yes if prompted to save your changes.

Congratulations! You have completed the Importing an AutoCAD File lesson.

Return to AutoCAD and SolidWorks Overview.

Converting an AutoCAD Drawing to 3D

In this lesson, you use an AutoCAD drawing to create a solid 3D part.

First import an AutoCAD DWG file as a SolidWorks part document.

1. Click Open (Standard toolbar), then select DWG (*.dwg) in Files of type.

2. Browse to <install_dir>\samples\tutorial\AutoCAD, select 7550-021.dwg and click Open.

 3. In the DXF/DWG Import dialog box:

a. Select Import to a new part.

b. Click Next.

c. Select the Model tab to select that sheet for import.

d. Click Next.

e. Select Add constraints to solve all apparent relations and constraints in the sketch.

f. Click Finish.

A closer look at constraints

The entities in the DWG file are imported to a 2D sketch in a new part document.

4. Click View, Sketch Relations to clear the display of sketch relations icons in the graphics area.

Next

Creating the Solid Part

1. To hide the grid:

a. Click Grid/Snap (Sketch toolbar).

b. Clear Display grid.

c. Click OK.

2. Delete all the sketch entities except the upper cross-section and the line beneath it, as shown. Be
sure to delete the entities in the upper cross-section shown on the right.

Use box selection and cross selection to select groups of entities. Use the zoom tools to
locate other entities.
 3. Click Trim Entities (Sketch toolbar).

4. In the PropertyManager, under Options, select Trim to closest .

5. Select the line shown, then click .

Why did I trim this line?

Next

Creating the Revolved Feature

Now create the solid feature using the Revolved Boss/Base feature.

1. Select Sketch1 in the FeatureManager design tree, then click Revolved Boss/Base
(Features toolbar).
2. Under Revolve Parameters, click in  Axis of Revolution , then select the centerline.
3. Clear the Thin Feature check box.
4. Click in Selected Contours , then select inside the enclosed sketch.
A preview of the revolved feature appears in the graphics area.
 5. Click .

6. In the FeatureManager design tree, expand the Revolve1 feature to see the absorbed feature ,
Sketch1.
 
Next

Creating the First Bolt Hole

Next, add the bolt holes on the flange. To create the first bolt hole, use the Hole Wizard tool. You define
the type of hole you want to make, select a location for the hole, then the Hole Wizard inserts the hole.

1. Click Left (Standard Views toolbar).

2. Click Hole Wizard (Features toolbar).

3. On the Type tab, under Hole Specification, select:

a. Hole

b. Ansi Inch in Standard.

c. Screw Clearances in Screw type.

d. #12 in Size.
 4. Under End Condition, select Through All.

Next, you add a sketch point on the face to indicate the center point of the hole.

5. Select the Positions tab, then click the flange face in the approximate area as shown.

Next

Creating Additional Bolt Holes

Now use a circular pattern to create additional uniformly-spaced bolt holes. Circular patterns require an

axis, which you create in this example using the Axis tool. You can also use temporary axes to
create circular patterns.

1. Click Isometric (Standard Views toolbar).

2. Click Axis (Reference Geometry toolbar).

3. In the PropertyManager, select Cylindrical/Conical Face .

4. In the graphics area, select the cylindrical face of the flange as shown for Reference Entities .
 5. Click to create the axis.

Next

Creating a Drawing from a 3D Model

In this lesson, you add a drawing sheet to a SolidWorks drawing document and insert model views. A
SolidWorks drawing sheet is a page in a drawing document, similar to an AutoCAD paper space. A
SolidWorks model view is similar to an AutoCAD viewport.

1. Click here: to open 7550-021.slddrw (or browse to

<install_dir>\samples\tutorial\autocad\7550-021.slddrw).

2. Right-click in the sheet tab area below the graphics area and select Add Sheet.

A new sheet named Sheet 1 is added to the drawing document.

3. Right-click in the drawing sheet and select Properties.

4. In the dialog box:

a. Type Flange for Name.

b. Set Scale to 1:1.

c. Under Sheet Format/Size:

 Select B-Landscape in Standard sheet size.

 Clear Display sheet format.

A closer look at sheet

formats

5. Click OK.

The sheet is now B landscape size and named Flange.

Next

Inserting a Block
Now add a point and insert a block inferenced to the point.

1. Click Point (Sketch toolbar).

2. Click in the lower left corner of the drawing sheet to place a point.

3. In the PropertyManager, under Parameters,  X Coordinate and Y Coordinate to 0.5.

4. Click .

5. Click Insert Block (Blocks toolbar).

6. In the PropertyManager, under Blocks to Insert, select TITLE_BLOCK.

7. Select the point to insert the block with its base point at the sketch point.

8. Click .

Next

Creating a Shortcut Key

You can create shortcut keys so that the SolidWorks interface more closely resembles the AutoCAD
interface.

1. Click View, Toolbars, Customize.

 2. On the Keyboard tab, select Tools in Category.

All of the commands in the Tools menu appear in the Command column.

3. Scroll to Blocks and select  Make.

4. Type b.

Do not press the Shift key. The SolidWorks software automatically creates this shortcut key
as an uppercase B.

The letter B appears under Shortcut(s).

5. Select Only show commands with shortcuts assigned to see the tools with shortcut keys.

You can print the list currently displayed, or copy it to the clipboard to paste into other
documents.

6. Click OK.

Next

Working With Blocks

Edit the inserted block and change its attributes.

1. Expand the Blocks folder in the FeatureManager design tree, then right-click TITLE_BLOCK
and select Edit Block.

2. Zoom to the title box in the lower right corner.

3. Click Note (Annotations toolbar), click in the REV box, and type A.

4. In the PropertyManager, under Block Attribute, type REV for Attribute name.

5. Click .

Rebuild icons are displayed in the FeatureManager design tree.

6. Click Rebuild (Standard toolbar) to clear the icons.

7. Select the TITLE_BLOCK block in the graphics area.

8. In the PropertyManager, under Text/Dimension Display, click Attributes.

 9. Scroll to REV and change its value to C.

10. Click OK, then click .

Next

Inserting a Model View

Now insert a model view of the flange part.

1. Click Options (Standard toolbar).

2. Select Drawings, clear Automatically scale new drawing views, then click OK.

3. Click Model View (Drawing toolbar).

The pointer changes to .

4. Under Part/Assembly to Insert, click Browse.

5. Browse to \<install_dir>\samples\tutorial\AutoCAD\flange.SLDPRT, then click Open.

The pointer changes to .

6. Under Orientation, select:

 *Isometric .

 Preview.

7. Click in the drawing sheet to place the model view as shown.

Next

Inserting a Section View

Now insert a section view of the part.

1. Click Section View (Drawing toolbar).

The pointer changes to , indicating that the Line tool is active.

2. Sketch a vertical line through the center of the *Left view as shown.

3. Click in the drawing sheet to place the section view as shown.

4. If the section line and section view on your drawing are reversed, select or clear Flip direction in
the PropertyManager..
 5. If a message box appears, click OK to accept Visible as the Tangent Edge Display style.

6. Click .

Next

Changing the Part

First, save the drawing document.

1. Click File, Save As.

If a message box appears, select Don't prompt me again in this session, then click Yes to
update views on inactive sheets.

2. Save the drawing as 7550-023.

Change the bolt hole pattern in the part file and update the drawing.

1. Right-click an empty area in any of the drawing views (do not right-click the model in the view)
and select Open flange.sldprt.

2. In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click CirPattern1 and select Edit Feature.

3. Under Parameters, set Number of Instances to 6 to change the number of bolt holes.

4. Click OK .
 5. To save the modified part as a new part document:

a. Click File, Save As.

b. Read the message and click OK.

c. Type flange6Holes for File name.

d. Click Save.

Next

Updating the Drawing

The Flange drawing sheet updates automatically.

1. Click Window, 7550-023 - Flange.

The drawing views show the modified part that contains 6 bolt holes.

2. Click Save (Standard toolbar).

You created these drawing views from a 3D part model. Alternatively, you can create views in drawing
documents by drafting .

 
Next  

  

Formatting a Note
Insert and format a note.

1. Zoom to the lower-left corner of the drawing sheet.

2. Click Note (Annotation toolbar).

3. Click in the graphics area to place the note.

4. Type the following:

NOTES:
PART SHALL BE CLEAN AND BURR FREE.
ALL INTERSECTIONS SHALL HAVE X RADIUS OR CHAMFER.

5. In the PropertyManager, under Layer, select FORMAT.

6. Select all the note text. On the Formatting toolbar, select 16 for point size.

7. Select NOTES and click Bold (Formatting toolbar).

8. Select CLEAN, click Color (Formatting toolbar), select Red, then click OK.

9. Select X, click Stack (Formatting toolbar), type 0.005 for Upper and 0.015 for Lower, then
click OK.

  

Next

Saving a Favorite
Name a favorite style and add the note to the Design Library..
 A closer look at favorites

1. In the Note PropertyManager, under Favorites, click Add or Update a Favorite .

2. In the dialog box, type Note1, then click OK.

3. Click .

3. In the Task Pane, select the Design Library tab and click .

4. In the graphics area, select the note.

5. On the Design Library tab, click Add to Library .

6. In the PropertyManager, select the annotations folder for Design Library folder.

7. Click .

8. On the Design Library tab, select the annotations folder. Note1 appears in lower pane.

9. Click Save (Standard toolbar).

10. Click Close (Standard toolbar).

Congratulations! You have completed the Creating a Drawing from a 3D Model lesson.

Return to AutoCAD and SolidWorks Overview.