Creating drawing templates and sheet formats in SolidWorks is an essential skill for any designer or engineer. These templates serve as the foundation for all your drawings and ensure consistency throughout your projects. In this tutorial, we will explore the step-by-step process of creating these templates to streamline your design workflow.
Step 1: Accessing the Template Editor
To create a drawing template, open SolidWorks and navigate to the “File” menu. From there, select “New” and choose “Drawing” to open a new drawing document.
Once the blank drawing document is open, go to the “Format” menu and select “Sheet Format.” This will open the Sheet Format dialog box where you can customize your template.
Step 2: Adding Title Block and Border
The first element to add to your drawing template is the title block. This section typically contains important information such as company name, logo, project title, revision number, and date. To add a title block, use the sketch tools available in SolidWorks.
Start by creating a rectangle using the “Sketch” tool from the toolbar. Adjust its size according to your requirements.
Next, add text boxes using the “Insert Text Box” option under the “Annotations” menu. Enter relevant information into each text box.
Step 3: Customizing Sheet Size and Orientation
In this step, you can define the size and orientation of your sheet within the drawing template. To change sheet size, go to “Format” > “Sheet Properties.” Here you can select standard sizes like A4 or A3 or specify custom dimensions.
To change orientation from portrait to landscape or vice versa, click on “Orientation” under the same menu.
Step 4: Including Standard Views
Including standard views in your drawing template provides consistency across all drawings created using that template. These views could be top view, front view, right view, etc.
To add standard views, go to “Insert” > “Drawing Views” > “Model Views.” Choose the desired views and place them in the appropriate location on your template.
Step 5: Saving the Template
Once you have customized your drawing template to your satisfaction, it’s time to save it. Go to “File” > “Save As” and choose a location on your computer to save the template file. Make sure to select the file type as “Drawing Template (*.drwdot)” from the drop-down menu.
Creating Sheet Formats:
Sheet formats are another crucial element when it comes to creating drawings in SolidWorks. They define the layout of each sheet within a drawing document. To create a sheet format, follow these steps:
Step 1: Edit Sheet Format
Open an existing drawing or create a new one by going through the same process as before. Right-click on any blank area of the sheet and select “Edit Sheet Format.” This will activate the editing mode for sheet formats.
Step 2: Customize Sheet Layout
In this step, you can customize various elements like borders, title blocks, revision tables, and notes specific to individual sheets within your drawing document. You can use sketch tools and annotations available in SolidWorks to create these elements.
Step 3: Save Sheet Format
After customizing your sheet format, go to “File” > “Save As” and choose a location on your computer to save it. Select the file type as “Sheet Format (*.slddrt)” from the drop-down menu.
- Remember that changes made in sheet formats will affect only that specific sheet within a drawing document.
- To apply a saved sheet format to another drawing document, simply right-click on any blank area of that particular sheet and select “Properties.” In the Properties dialog box, go to the “Sheet Format” tab and choose the desired sheet format from the drop-down menu.
Conclusion
Creating drawing templates and sheet formats in SolidWorks is a straightforward process that significantly improves your design workflow. By creating these templates, you ensure consistency and save time by eliminating repetitive tasks.
With a well-designed template, you can focus more on your actual design work rather than formatting each drawing individually. So take some time to create your own template and see how it enhances your productivity in SolidWorks!