PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
(OP)
Hi
I am trying to move the creation of Elecrical and P&ID drawings into Solidworks. I have created the blocks (very simple ones) that we need but using blocks really slows my system, generates huge files, and moving the blocks for modification or editing is a real problem. In AutoCAD and VectorWorks I can GROUP lines together and move or copy them as that group - cleanly. The only thing I can find in SW is BLOCK. I have contacted our VAR about this (several times) but they have no alternative, to blocks, to suggest. I have kept my Feature Manager Blocks clean and up-to-date but that doesn't really solve the problem.
Does anyone have a suggestion on how to quickly create symbols/groups for drawings in SW DRAWING that are quick and easy to move/use and take up little file space?
If we can't do something better than SW blocks I'll have to go back to ACAD or Vectorworks- and I really don't want to.
Thanks for your time.
DAVID
I am trying to move the creation of Elecrical and P&ID drawings into Solidworks. I have created the blocks (very simple ones) that we need but using blocks really slows my system, generates huge files, and moving the blocks for modification or editing is a real problem. In AutoCAD and VectorWorks I can GROUP lines together and move or copy them as that group - cleanly. The only thing I can find in SW is BLOCK. I have contacted our VAR about this (several times) but they have no alternative, to blocks, to suggest. I have kept my Feature Manager Blocks clean and up-to-date but that doesn't really solve the problem.
Does anyone have a suggestion on how to quickly create symbols/groups for drawings in SW DRAWING that are quick and easy to move/use and take up little file space?
If we can't do something better than SW blocks I'll have to go back to ACAD or Vectorworks- and I really don't want to.
Thanks for your time.
DAVID






RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
Going back to ACAD just because of a block issue would be a waste...
Chris
SolidWorks 08, CATIA V5
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
ctopher's blog
SolidWorks Legion
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
The goal of SW was not for 'intensive' 2D drawing ability ... and it has achieved that goal quite well.
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
In sert Empty View with Insert->Drawing View->Empty from the menu.
Now you can draw of copy-paste sketch entities into this view and move them all with the view as a group.
Thanks,
Artem Taturevich
CSWP
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
I have followed all the proper block building procedures - it is just SW BLOCKS are not too well engineered - not just my opinion but also from GoEngineer my VAR. They are just too byte intensive, hard to move around, and hard to use in the way we need them. I'm bulding simple squares for term blocks, simple symbols for other items. Adding a square to a term block line can totally mess up the entire set. Waiting for a block to move and then set can take quite a bit of time. We need something faster to create these very simple line drawings or we just can not have our entire design in SW as was our goal. VectorWorks is not too good of a system but at least it can make simple blocks.
I will try the empty view to see if that will work for us.
Thanks to everyone. Any other ideas?
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
Also, forgetting about ACAD and switching your mind to SolidWorks will help...different worlds.
Chris
SolidWorks 08, CATIA V5
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
ctopher's blog
SolidWorks Legion
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
Can you tell me where it is?
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
Check the Help file index for group annotations
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
I'm going to write SW as well since my VAR can not help with the problem.
Thanks
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
Just a thought; Why not give up the unequal struggle of trying to get SW to create 2D drawings directly, for which it is truly dreadful and use its true strength by making your simple schematic symbols into solids by extruding the sketches to a nominal depth, deselect the "Merge result" checkbox to retain boundaries of parts of the sybmol if necessary and keep any text to the minimum.
You'll soon build up a symbol library (You could even put them in a custom Toolbox). Now you can quickly build up an assembly on some simple base, pattern/mirror if you want, Mating or dragging them to form the schematic layout, and when satisfied, create a drawing from that and add annotations and simple lines as necessary.
I regularly do something like this where I nest loads of simple flat components on a sheet for CNC cutting. They could just as easily be symbols and it's a lot easier to manipulate the parts in the assembly and produce a simple "one view" drawing!
Trevor Clarke. (R & D) Scientific Instruments.Somerset. UK
SW2009x64 SP3.0 Intel Core i7 2.94Ghz, 12Gb Ram, NVIDIA Quadro FX3700 Driver: 6.14.11.8246
SW2009x64 SP3.0 Intel Core 2 Duo 3.17Ghz, 8Gb Ram NVIDIA Quadro FX3700 Driver: 6.14.11.8246
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
The sketch on the empty view would be my second choice.
-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Certified SolidWorks Professional
Certified COSMOSWorks Designer Specialist
Certified SolidWorks Advanced Sheet Metal Specialist
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
RE: PROBLEM USING SOLIDWORKS BLOCKS
ht
-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Certified SolidWorks Professional
Certified COSMOSWorks Designer Specialist
Certified SolidWorks Advanced Sheet Metal Specialist