Magical designs that build themselves are the goals of many a SolidWorks user. Getting there with pure SolidWorks functionality, a 3rd party automation tool or API programming requires up-front thought and models designed for automation. Learn techniques to construct bulletproof models for any automation system.

1. SolidWorks Strategies for
Designing Durable
Robert Mengel, Design Automation Consultant
Master Models for Paul Gimbel, Business Process Sherpa
Accurate Automation Razorleaf Corporation

2. BACKGROUND
• Razorleaf Corporation
 SolidWorks Service Partner
 Services ONLY (we’re not trying to sell you any products, we’re neutral)
 Data Management (EPDM, Enovia, SmarTeam, Aras, V6, MatrixOne)
 Design Automation (DriveWorks, Tacton, Custom Programmed API)
 Workflow Automation (Microsoft SharePoint and Tools)
• Bob Mengel
 Mechanical Engineer and Automation Developer/Implementer
• Paul Gimbel (aka “The Sherpa”)
 Mechanical Engineer, SolidWorks Demojock, Automation Implementer
All Razorleaf presentations will be available at www.razorleaf.com
and on www.slideshare.net

3. Presentation Focus
Design models that can be automated
Little or no user intervention
Either via API programming or a
Solution Partner Product
(for example or )

4. To Configure or Not To Configure
Issue Configurations Separate Files
Parameters to be Not everything is configurable Separate files with
driven separate feature
managers
Model Complexity Suppressed relationships Don’t need it, delete it
PLM Implications One file for many parts Lots of files
Security Easy to make one change that Once a part is run, put it
affects a lot of configurations with the job it was used
for (read-only)
Reuse All configurations at your beck Find or rebuild the
and call, no rework part…use automation
Use as reference Configure Component Replace Component
Collaboration Only one user can own a file at Separate files, separate
a time permissions

5. Configurable Items for Parts and Assemblies
Excerpts from:
SolidWorks 2011 SP 1.0 Help File

6. Two Approaches to Automation
Master Model Generative Model
Start with One model containing “worst Empty or skeleton model
case” model
Control via Delete unnecessary features, Add features or components
mates and components as required
Programming Minimal, simply delete Programmatic mating
Complexity components by name requires significant efforts
Predictability High, model already exists Suffers from problems due to
SolidWorks use of “closest”
Model Testing Model can be tested manually Component insertion cannot
be tested without code
Scalable Scales down only Unlimited in size

7. Step 1: Know Your Audience
• Know what you need to produce
• Drawings
 To what level of detail?
 What information (notes or dimensions)?
• Models
 What features are required?
 How much detail do you want to give away?

8. #1 Mistake in Automation – Too Much Detail
• Do you need threads?
• Do you need swoopies?
• Do you need fillets?
• Do you need hardware?
• Do you need mounting holes?
• Do you even need SOLID GEOMETRY?

9. Simplified Models and Automation
• Why are you building a model?
• Visualization?
• Model is to it LOOKS right
• Simulation?
• Model it so it WORKS right
• Calculation?
• Model it so it gives you the right result
• Drawings?
• Model it so that the drawings are correct
• To win that SolidWorks model contest?
• OK, fine. Go for it.

10. Finding and Avoiding Unwanted Parent-Child Relations
• How to find Parent-Child Relations
 RMB>Parent/Child shows the feature names, but not what the relations
are
 What kind of relations are there? Feature vs. Sketch
• Anything that changes can have downstream consequences

11. Sources of Parent-Child Relationships in Parts
• 1) If you have sub-features, query them first
• 2) In sketches, look for:
 Sketch plane reference
 Dimension references
 Relations (Display/Delete Relations -> External)
 Remember that SolidWorks can add relations automatically
 Extraneous relations will only cause overdefining if they are in conflict
• 3) In the feature, use EDIT FEATURE
 ANY entity selection control could potentially create a relationship

12. Avoiding Unwanted Relations with Reference Geometry
• Planes and Axes are infinite in size – no failures to intersect
• Cannot be split, cut or have their internal ID compromised
• 2D and 3D Sketches (immune to topological issues)
• Build Reference Geometry at the top of the Feature Manager
• Always consider what might be deleted or suppressed
• Don’t underestimate grandchild and great-grandchild references
Reference Uses
Geometry
Plane End Condition, Sketch Plane, Sketch Reference,
Mating
Point Sketch reference, Mating, End Condition
Axis Plane, Sketch Reference, Rotation Axis, Mating
Coordinate System Mating, Export
Sketch Sketch references, Plane location, Axis location,
Mating

13. Top-Down Assembly Modeling (TDAM)
• Key Concept: Relations exist in the context of the ASSY
 “Sketch5 in part1 references sketch2 in Part2 AS IT EXISTS in Assy1”
• TDAM has issues when you FILE, SAVE AS because of references
• IModelDocExtension.SaveAs WILL NOT WORK! You must use
ISldWorks.CopyDocument

14. TDAM Limitations for Bottom Up Systems
• Your tools may limit you to single level references

15. Mating Issues
• Replace Components
 Issues with internal identifiers not matching swapped components
 Build base references then File, Save As method
• Avoid mates to geometry when you can mate to planes or other ref
geometry
• Try using the default datum planes whenever possible
• For complex mating, ask yourself, “Do you REALLY need that?”
 Assembly motion
It looks like you are trying
 Complex mating schemes for drawing purposes to mate a new component

16. Mating Generative Assemblies
• Add two entities to the SelectionManager the create Mate entity
 The API highly recommends that you use SelectByID2 (mark = 1)
 Use NAMED ENTITIES
 Make the name identical on the part to be installed

17. Sketching
• Reduce the number of entities and relations in a sketch.
 We’re taught to reduce feature count because it’s faster. What do you
care? Your machine is doing the work, you’re probably not even going
to be there. Spending an extra 5% or even 15% in rebuild time to gain
stability is time well spent.
• Avoid large value changes, they can be unpredictable
 See if I can come up with an example of changing from 1 to 2000 that
freaks out, but it does not freak out if you go from 1 to 100 to 700 to
1500 to 2000.
• Beware of conditions that have multiple solutions, ex. Tangency.
• Beware of dimensions that may flip.
• Do not rely on negative dimensions, because you can’t always guarantee
what direction it’s facing to start with. And you can’t guarantee child dims.
• Minimize external relations. Ex. Multiple references to the same external
reference. Make one line coincident to the model edge, then make all of the
other relationships to that line.

18. Automating Weldments
• Sketch lines have direction
 Your profile will be attached at the start point
 This could mean that your section is flipped if you’re not careful
• Design your profiles to make origin the attachment point
 You can use IStructuralMember.LocateProfilePoint = SketchPointObject
if you are doing this from scratch, but it’s work to get the sketch point
 Most DA tools don’t provide the ability to specify the profile point
• Use reference geometry for trim faces

19. Automating Sheet Metal
• Issues that face sheet metal automation
 Creating invalid geometry (unable to flatten or crashing flanges)
 Bending multiple entities per feature
 Driving materials and bend calculation method
 Normal Cuts

20. Automating for Drawings
• Notes in the drawing or in the title block
 Drive the notes with model custom properties

21. Automating for Drawings
• Dimensions in the drawing
 Make sure that the dimensions are in the model
 Make sure that any reference dimensions are to persistent references

22. Automating for Drawings
• Drawing views
 Make sure that named views are identical on swappable components
 Make sure any references exist (detail, section views, etc.)

23. Automating for Drawings
• Sketches
 Consider sketch geometry that you want to show on the drawing
 Group the entities so that they can be easily displayed/hidden
• Hide Dangling Annotations Option (in Gargantua the MegaDialog)

24. Automating for Simulation
• Master model method expands to simulations
 Create master design studies
 Entity selection for adding loads and boundary conditions is tough
 Create extra loads/BCs or extra studies – “worst case” approach

25. External References Of Another Kind
• References to entities outside of your tool must exist or be accessible
 Libraries of standard parts
 Weldment profile files
 Material Library Files
 Anything in Gargantua>System Settings>File Locations
• Consider user customizable settings
 Users like to customize their settings in Gargantua
 This can complicate entity selection
 This can alter what is defaulted
 This can introduce dialogs that may not appear on your system

26. Brute Force Method
• We’re engineers. We WANT the elegant solution. Brute force is ugly. It’s
inefficient. Well, you’re only being inefficient once. The computer is doing
the work the rest of the time.
• Create five separate features and control them all rather than making one
megalithic feature that has additional levels of complexity
• Insert multiple options and delete the ones that you don’t need instead of
swapping or trying complex drives
• If your automation tool is creating one model, what’s it to your machine if it
creates more than one? Consider models specialized for different purposes.
One detailed one for manufacturing, a simplified rep for sales, a pretty one
for animation and 3DVIA…

27. Testing
• Test extremes in values
• Keep in mind that your master model will always reside in the same principal
state. So your changes must drive from there. Changing from 1 to 10 to 30
to 90 is not the same as testing those four values separately.
• Test value pairs. Changing one dim may not cause a problem. Changing
two dims in opposite directions may.
• Always reset your model after testing.

28. Thank You
!!PLEASE!!
Let’s see if they really read the evaluation forms (I know that
WE do)…In the comments section (after your comments)…
Everyone write…
“A cabernet?
…with fish?
Sauteed Fillet of Atlantic Halibut
Really?”
Sunchokes, King Trumpet Mushrooms, Watercress and
“Sauce Genevoise” from Thomas Keller’s French Laundry
For the complete version of the presentation, including presenter notes, full
code and models, visit www.razorleaf.com after the show! Yes, it’s free.