Creating a configuration table in SolidWorks allows you to efficiently manage different variations of your design. It gives you the flexibility to create multiple configurations within a single model, making it easier to explore different options and streamline your design process. In this tutorial, we will walk through the steps to create a configuration table in SolidWorks, ensuring that you can effectively organize and control your design variations.
Step 1: Opening the Configuration Manager
To begin, open your SolidWorks model and navigate to the Configuration Manager. You can find this on the left side of the screen, typically located below the FeatureManager Design Tree.
Step 2: Adding Configurations
Once you have accessed the Configuration Manager, right-click on the default configuration and select “Add Configuration” from the drop-down menu. This will create a new configuration based on your existing design.
Note:
- Make sure to choose a descriptive name for each configuration. This will help you easily identify and differentiate between various configurations.
- You can choose whether or not to include suppressed features or components from the original configuration in your new configurations. If you want all configurations to have identical features, make sure to include suppressed items.
Step 3: Modifying Configurations
Once you have created multiple configurations, you can modify each one individually without affecting the others. To do this:
- Select a specific configuration by clicking on its name in the Configuration Manager.
- Edit or modify any feature or component as desired. These changes are restricted only to the selected configuration; other configurations remain unaffected.
Step 4: Displaying Configurations in a Table Format
Now that you have created and modified your configurations, let’s display them in a table format for better visualization:
- Right-click on the Configuration Manager and select “Tree Display” from the drop-down menu.
- Choose the “Show Configuration Name, Description, and Quantity” option. This will enable you to see the configuration details in a table format.
Note:
- You can customize the table columns by right-clicking on the column header and selecting “Column Chooser”. This allows you to add or remove specific columns according to your requirements.
- To adjust the column width, hover your cursor over the column divider until it turns into a double-headed arrow. Then click and drag to resize as needed.
Step 5: Switching Between Configurations
To easily switch between different configurations:
- Select a configuration from the Configuration Manager. This will make it active, displaying its features and components in the graphics area.
- To change any parameters or dimensions specific to that configuration, simply modify them as required. These changes are unique to the selected configuration and do not affect others.
Congratulations! You have successfully created a configuration table in SolidWorks.
By following these steps, you can now efficiently manage multiple design variations within a single model. The ability to switch between configurations and visualize them in a table format will significantly improve your design workflow.