Efficient SOLIDWORKS Drafting

What's Covered?

• Working with drawing templates
  
• Custom properties in drawings
  
• Using batch processing tool to automate repetitive tasks
  
• Drawing opening modes
  
• Configurations and display states and their impact on performance
  
• Efficient dimensioning
  

Applies to the following Roles:

• 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Standard, Professional, Premium
• SOLIDWORKS Desktop

Summary:

This SolidPractices document contains recommendations for both CAD administrators and drafters related to organizing and managing the CAD environment, tools and techniques for maximizing efficiency when working with SOLIDWORKS drawings.

Because drawings link parametrically to 3D models, the drawing performance depends greatly on the optimization of those models. Many of the slowdowns that drafters report relate to the models, system settings or document properties. The Efficient Modeling SolidPractices document covers these topics and is a supplement to this document.

When developing a new product, self-taught SOLIDWORKS users who have not optimized their drafting environment estimate that they dedicate 50% of their time to creating part and assembly models and the other 50% of their time detailing those models in drawings.

Users with full training who have optimized the drafting environment can take full advantage of the parametric and associative nature of SOLIDWORKS. This enables them to use less than 10% of their time working on drawings. The goal of this document is to help users unlock the 40% gap in productivity.

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