Sketches can become three-dimensional curves when using the Projected Curve, Fit Spline, Spline On Surface, or 3D Sketch command. Three-dimensional geometry in SolidWorks is constructed from sketches, which are most often two-dimensional and drawn on planes.

The essence of SolidWorks stood the test of time since the first 1995 release.

The program offers simple modeling functions with numerous advanced sub-operations, some of which we will cover in this guide.

Since its inception in 1993, SolidWorks has become one of the most popular tools for designers and engineers, not in the least because it has a consistent learning curve. Numerous add-ons for SolidWorks are available, such as PhotoView 360 for photo-realistic rendering, FloXpress for fluid dynamics, SolidWorks Motion for mechanical animations, Scanto3D for converting 3D scan data to solid models, TolAnalyst for geometric dimensioning & tolerancing (GD&T), Simulation for FEA strength analysis, and SolidWorks Plastics for analyzing injection mold flows. The venture is currently owned by Dassault Systems, mostly known for CATIA, a professional CAD environment geared towards the automotive and aerospace sector. The first alpha release took place in late 1995, and since then over 12,000 updates have taken place. SolidWorks was initiated by MIT alumni John Hirschtick in 1993 with the goal to develop a user-friendly CAD environment for Microsoft Windows. This new generation of tools tapped into the opportunities of graphical user interfaces and more advanced spline-based surfacing methods. Large corporations adopted technical design solutions such as AutoCAD, Intergraph, and Unigraphics in the 1980s, while these were surpassed in the 1990s by newer offerings such as SolidEdge, Inventor, CATIA, and SolidWorks. Since the era of the mainframe, 3D CAD design has enabled manufacturers to digitally store designs and optimize workflows.

Solidworks tutorial