I am an individual almost complete newbie considering shelling out \$8K for a copy of SolidWorks Premium.  My main interest is simulation of linear static strains induced by gravity on a relatively simple assembly of parts made of a few different materials.  I've been working remotely with a license owner for a couple of years (folks here have given us a lot of extremely valuable guidance in that endeavor!), but I've never actually laid a hand on the software.  Worse yet, although computer literate, I've never before worked with a CAD or FEM package.  So in addition to learning how to run effective simulations and get results out, I would need basic education on how to create the parts within SolidWorks and combine them into assemblies suitable for simulation.

Can anyone recommend a good book (or two, perhaps, given the simulation aspect) that would (1) give me an idea what I'm up against pre-purchase and still (2) help me find my way through the project post-purchase? -- John Willett

P.S. -- I have a 2014 model Lenovo Thinkpad W430, the most powerful laptop I could find, more-or-less maxed out with Windows 7 Professional 64 bit, an Intel Core i7-3840QM processor, 32 GB RAM, 500 GB HD, NVIDIA Quatro K1000M Graphics with 2 GB RAM, etc.  Is it foolish of me to assume that I could run SolidWorks Premium adequately on such a machine? -- J.W.