Are you struggling to freely move a part in SolidWorks? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
In this tutorial, we will walk you through the steps to easily move a part within your SolidWorks assembly. So, let’s get started!
Step 1: Open Your Assembly
The first step is to open your SolidWorks assembly where the part you want to move is located. You can do this by navigating to the File menu and selecting Open, or by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+O.
Step 2: Activate the Move/Copy Feature
Once your assembly is open, activate the Move/Copy feature by clicking on it in the Assembly Features toolbar. It has an icon that resembles a cube with arrows indicating movement.
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If you can’t find the Assembly Features toolbar, go to View > Toolbars and make sure Assembly Features is checked.
Step 3: Select the Part
With the Move/Copy feature activated, click on the part that you want to move within your assembly. The selected part will be highlighted in your graphics area.
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If you are having trouble selecting the desired part because it’s obscured by other components, try using the Selection Manager tool. You can access it by right-clicking in the graphics area and selecting Selection Manager from the context menu.
Step 4: Choose a Reference Point
After selecting your part, choose a reference point for moving it. This reference point will define where you want to start moving your part from within your assembly.
- Select Origin: If you want to move the part from its current position, select the origin of the part as the reference point.
- Select Component: If you want to move the part relative to another component in your assembly, select a surface or a vertex on that component as the reference point.
Step 5: Define the Direction and Distance
Now it’s time to define the direction and distance of your part’s movement. You can do this by using any of the following methods:
- Drag and Drop: Click and drag your selected part in the desired direction within your graphics area. A temporary preview of the movement will be displayed while you drag.
- Numeric Input: Enter specific values for X, Y, and Z coordinates in the Move/Copy PropertyManager dialog box. This method is useful when you need precise control over your part’s movement.
Step 6: Confirm and Apply
Once you have defined the desired movement for your part, click on the green checkmark icon or press Enter to confirm and apply the changes. Your part will now be moved accordingly within your SolidWorks assembly!
Congratulations! You have successfully learned how to freely move a part in SolidWorks. Now you can rearrange components within your assemblies with ease.
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If you want to undo any movement, simply press Ctrl+Z or go to Edit > Undo from the menu bar.
We hope this tutorial was helpful to you. Stay tuned for more SolidWorks tips and tricks!