Schematics in SolidWorks
Schematics in SolidWorks
(OP)
Wondering if anyone out there creates schematics in SolidWorks. What works the best? Right now we are painfully sketching them in the SolidWorks Drawing.
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RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
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Mr. Pickles
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
Rumor is that SolidWorks Routing Package (formerly Piping) is slated to have some schematics/electrical stuff in it next year. But, I didn't say that....
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Mr. Pickles
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
Timelord
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
Timelord
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
If you have a lot of legacy data and your not doing what timelord was talking about I would keep going the way you are.
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
You can create your own library of symbols, but I haven't had to go there yet. Looking at Visio Help, it looks a bit complicated.
If you've ever used Visio is the past to create flow charts, then using it to create schematics is fairly straight forward.
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RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
are purchasing CAD software for around 5K
and you can not create a 2d drawing
without using other software?
my -2cents
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
Or rather there is better software for 2d then Solidworks. Solidworks has some text ability but I am not going to use Solidworks as a word processor.
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
1. $5k? Sounds like someone is being ripped off.
2. Like most modern solid modelling 3D CAD packages, SW is not intended for schematic capture, or even for heavy duty entirley 2D drafting. "Us all" apparently live in and have embraced a 3D world. The other posts are correct. If you are doing a lot of schematic type work, buy some custom (and associative!!) software for the job. Otherwise use Visio of you want to do it inside SW for consistency. That is their approved tool for this. It is set up to handle connective charts and symbols. It makes no sense to brute force even a regular 2D drafting system for this purpose. Your time is worth more than the cost of Visio. I think that their choice to rely on Visio for this application is a valid one. Why would they want to spend a fortune on building (and supporting forever - that's the killer) 2D symbolic chart connectivity inside SW drawings for a very small percentage of SW use when an off the shelf solution partner is available?
3. Having said that, I too suspected that with the routing stuff becoming more mature, they would start to think about adding schematic capabilities. It would now have enough value added to make it worth the investment. But you should expect it to remain via a mature 3rd party partner code like Visio - it makes so much more sense. As Engineers we often take a very nuts and bolts approach to our logic and tend to forget this is a business descision as well. So far SW have done a great job of avoiding most of the classic pitfalls of the CAD industry - there are a lot of tombstones out there (and some BIG ones too). I have been in the CAD business since 1979, so I have seen virtually all of them - never fails to amaze me that they keep on doing it (PTC to name but a few!). There is no point in putting out what you think is the ideal dream system for every single potential user if you have to file chapter 11 next year.
4. We took advantage of the Visio freebies and/or discounts from SW a while back (it ran in SW2003 also). We do use it from time to time for wiring diagrams and electrical schematics, but only for those that roll over from our legacy CAD system or manual originals. Everything else is done using the EE CAD systems -where it belongs.
5. BTW we are having pretty good success using CircuitWorks for bi-directional transfer of data between PCB layout and SW 3D models. Note also that all our PCB layout work is done by outside contractors and it is all working fine. A by-product of this is that our thermal analysis is now greatly improved and in much greater detail. (We are using Cosmos partner and CosmosM products for analysis.)
Be naughty - save Santa a trip.
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
I use CAD systems for more then 10 years. The most intensive use was Pro/E (since 1992) and SW (since 1999). In my last 2 jobs I have implemented 3D CAD/CAE systems and proved to managers that it was the right tool, as an alternative to the traditional 2D. But still I think that for many tasks and designers, 2D (and AutoCad) is the way to go.
And I confess that several times I use AutoCAD. Why? Because it's a good tool when properly used. I bet you consider a hammer a bad tool if you try to use it with screws. But does a screwdriver fix a nail?
The tasks that I am happy about AutoCAD are the schematics. I have created my own symbols with custom properties. With a macro that I've created I export to Excel a BOM with the datails needed. For normalization purposes, the schematic and BOM are then linked into an SW sheet.
I've tested VISIO but I was not able to create schematics as easely as with AutoCAD (but I don't mean that VISIO can't be suitable, for a more experienced user).
I note that our schematics are not very complex. Otherwyse a more suitable CAD would be needed.
Regards
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
RE: Schematics in SolidWorks
Allows for creation of product specific stencils and etc.
Once you learn how to use the shapesheets, you never have to create any symbol more tahn once.
The technical edition was included for free with SolidWorks 2001 or 2001+. That is if you redeemed your coupon that was in the box.
Remember...
"If you don't use your head,
your going to have to use your feet."