cout<<"Hello World"; First Post: Background, Purpose and Scope

BACKGROUND:
I've been fortunate to work for two companies over the past 6 years that have had resources and a variety of products. Both places that I have worked have used a multitude of different CAD programs in the past, but eventually they landed on Solidworks.

PURPOSE:
My exposure to a variety of processes and design tasks has afforded me an opportunity to explore some of the lesser-known features of Solidworks. For every given task there is usually more than one method that provides the desired outcome. My purpose with this blog is to highlight some of the procedures that I have found helpful in solving engineering problems.

There are many really good Solidworks blogs out there. I hope that I can be a productive and valuable component of that community.


TENTATIVE PLAN OF TOPICS (in no particular order):
1. Use of patterns.
-----i. Linear
-----ii. Circular
-----iii. By sketch
-----iv. By input values
-----v. Create flexible circuits in Solidworks
2. Master modeling
3. Skeletal modeling
-----i. Solidworks "layout sketch" feature
-----ii. Other methods
4. Deform feature
5. "Shrinkwrap" assembly
6. Rules of lofting
-----i. Use of splines
-----ii. Segmented cross sections and the use of "split-entity"
-----iii.Guide curves
-----iv. Boundary conditions
7. Boolean Modelling
-----i. Multi-body modeling
-----ii. Copy body
-----iii.Combine
-----iv. Value for part organization and model robustness
8. Curves and Split lines
-----i. Projecting curves
-----ii. Using Split lines for masking and coloring of faces
-----iii.Using curves for lofted sections.
9. Sheet metal modeling and conversion
-----i. Design goals: Starting off solid
-----ii. Converting solid to sheet metal
-----iii. Making better looking sheet metal
10. Using Adobe to generate cosmetic colored surfaces
11. Helix tricks
-----i. Garter spring
-----ii.Screw threads.
12. Plastic injection molding and die casting part tips
-----i. Organization of features.
13. Importing coordinate data.
-----i. By txt file
-----ii. By manual entry
14. Tube Coping
15. Assembly Layout
16. Body Move
17. Face Move (Push-Pull modeling)
18. Insert Part into part
19. Surfacing
-----i. Basic tips
-----ii. When to use surfacing
20. Free and helpful programs
-----i. For PDF creation
-----ii.For artwork (.ai) files
-----iii.General system cleanliness
21. Computer tricks
-----i. /3gb switch (for all those 32-bit XP users with 4gb ram)
-----ii. Startup control with msconfig
22. Review of helpful misc. Solidworks features
-----i. Using feature statistics
-----ii. Various analysis tools (Draft, curvature...)
-----iii. Design Tables
-----iv. Tree Organization
-----v. Selecting transparent faces
23. Configurations
-----i. Why use them?
-----ii.How to use them.