How Do You Link a Dimension to a Design Table in SolidWorks?

In SolidWorks, design tables are powerful tools that allow you to create and manage configurations of your models. They provide a convenient way to modify dimensions and features without the need for manual editing. One of the key benefits of using design tables is the ability to link dimensions to cells within the table, making it easy to update multiple configurations simultaneously.

The Basics of Design Tables

Before we dive into linking dimensions, let’s quickly review the basics of design tables. A design table is a spreadsheet-like interface that allows you to define different configurations of your model by varying dimensions, suppressing features, or changing other parameters. It acts as a bridge between your model and the Excel software.

To create a design table in SolidWorks:

Open your model in SolidWorks.
Navigate to “Insert” > “Tables” > “Design Table”.
Choose whether you want the table linked or unlinked.
If you choose a linked table, it will automatically populate with existing dimensions and features from your model. If you choose an unlinked table, you’ll need to manually enter the desired parameters.

Once you have your design table set up, it’s time to link dimensions to cells within the table.

Linking Dimensions

Step 1: Identify which dimension(s) you want to link. For example, let’s say we have a rectangular part with dimensions for length and width that we want to control via the design table.

Step 2: In the design table, locate the cell corresponding to the dimension you want to link. You can easily identify these cells as they will be highlighted in yellow, indicating that they are linked to the model.

Step 3: Double-click the highlighted cell to activate it for editing. You can now enter a formula or reference to link the cell with a specific dimension in your model.

Step 4: To link a dimension, the cell value should match the dimension’s name in your model. For example, if our length dimension is named “Length”, we would enter “=Length” (without quotes) in the cell. If you want to link multiple dimensions, simply repeat this process for each dimension.

Note: When linking dimensions, it’s important to ensure that the names used in the design table match exactly with those assigned within your model. Any mismatch can lead to errors and unexpected behavior.

Updating Dimensions via Design Table

Now that you have successfully linked dimensions to cells within your design table, you can easily update them by modifying the corresponding cell values.

To update dimensions using a design table:

Edit the desired values within the design table cells.
Save and close the design table.
Your model will automatically update with the new dimensions based on the modified values in the design table.

Tips and Tricks

To make your design tables more readable and organized, consider using subheaders and formatting options available in SolidWorks. You can use <h3> tags to create subheaders within your design table. Additionally, you can format specific cells or columns by applying bold (<b>) or underline (<u>) styles to the corresponding cells or column headers.

Remember, design tables are a powerful tool that can save you time and effort in managing configurations of your models. By linking dimensions to cells within the table, you can easily update multiple configurations with just a few clicks.

So go ahead and start exploring the possibilities of design tables in SolidWorks, and take your modeling efficiency to the next level!