FAQ

In this section, I will try to answer the questions (used as the keyword) in the search. Please feel free to add your queries/questions.

Please leave a comment here if you want to know something specific or want me to add any other tutorial or any other information.

72 thoughts on “FAQ”

  1. karthick

    weather i could trace the path made by a point on the coupler on a four bar mechanism in solidworks motion study?

    Reply ↓
  2. nick

    Downloaded your Change_Sheet_Format macro off 3D content central. Worked great with one problem. Could you modify, so it looks up current sheet and replaces only that specific sheet format. For example if current_sheet =”old_A” then replace with “new_A”. We have 6 different sheet formats and I only want to update one. Sure this is simple, but I never learned VB.

    thanks,
    Nick
    SW 2013 SP1.0 x64, windows7

    Reply ↓
  3. Dan

    Hi Deepak,

    I’m hoping you could help me trouble shoot an error. I’m using SW 2011 for an assembly driven by a design table. I had just finished updating the design table in excel, when I saved and closed the table SW shut it self down. Confused by this, I reopened my assembly. When it reopened I recived a design table error “feature was empty..” message. I’ve looked through some forum threads including two that you have been involved in. Unfortunately nothing has seemed to help.

    Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you,
    Dan

    Reply ↓
      1. Dan

        I’m running SP 5 and using an external design table. I was able to recover the missing design table by going straight to the external file and reinserting the table into the assembly.

        This situation has happened twice now, but because it’s fixable it’s really more of a confusing, minor inconvience than a true issue. If you can shed any light on why this is happening and how I can prevent it from happening again that would be greatly appreciated.

        Reply ↓
        2. Deepak Gupta Post author

          Dan as per S-055609 mentioned in the SolidWorks KB, “The recommended solution is to use SolidWorks Task Scheduler>Updates Files and choose to update all the part files for a given assembly. This will update the part files so the message is not seen repeatedly”.

          Can you try this one some assembly to check.

          Reply ↓
          1. Dan

            Deepak, I “fixed” my original issue by linking the design table. After doing so I had one whole error free day! I then started receving any error message that said “Design table was created in Excel 2007 and cannot be opened in Excel 2007” But I am able to edit the table with in the solid works window. Other times I get a “failed to launch server application” message followed be a complete SolidWorks crash.

            As for the S-055609 solution I can seem to get any assemblies to show the empty design table error any more. However I tried it on the assembly that had the issue with originally and it has switch from giving the “failed to launch server application” error to the “Design table was created in Excel 2007 and cannot be opened in Excel 2007” which is significantly better.

            Am I right to assume that the issue is likely within my installation of Excel?

            Reply ↓
                    1. Dan

                      Unfortunately I can’t send you the files due to company policies however for some reason by converting the excel file in to the 2003 format it magically works perfectly fine. Atlest for now…

  5. David Yoo

    Hello Deepak.

    First of all, I really appreciate your work and it is a great resource for so many SW users out there!
    I would like to ask you a question:
    I have a large assembly file. In the assembly file, I mated few parts together. Is it possible for me to select those “mated parts” and somehow transfer/move/copy those parts into another assembly file?
    The reason is to not waste time by mating and replacing each individual part.
    It would be great if there is a solution to this. Thank you so much.

    David

    Reply ↓
  6. Raj Dave

    Hi Deepak,
    I am posting my question here:

    I am creating a macro whose function is to select the part file’s axis system and mate with the other part which is already there in the assembly environment. The macro first opens the part files from the folder after that it selects the reference axis of the part file and then mate with the already open part in assembly?

    Any kind of help is highly appreciated..

    Reply ↓
  7. skan

    Hello

    Could you explain differences between…, please?
    features -> wrap
    appearance -> decal
    insert -> curve -> split line
    other similar things

    Or even better make another of your great tutorials with it.

    Thanks

    Reply ↓
        1. skan

          It would be nice.

          “wrap” and “decal” are quite different to the others but
          I find “convert entities” and “split line” quite confusing, they look too alike.

          regards

          Reply ↓
  8. widia

    Hi Deepak,

    I want to do integral interval calculation of a solid body in macro solidwork.
    I don’t find the syntax for the integral.
    Do you have any idea how to do this?

    Thank.
    Widia

    Reply ↓
  9. ELANGOVA

    HI deepak pls help me i have created an assembly with 20 parts but unfortunately i have saved as a part while saving it now how can i convert it again in assembly?

    Reply ↓
  10. Ashwin

    Hi Deepak,
    I am writing my first macro in Solidworks and I need help in adding a Excel sheet as a database to the form in VBA for Solidworks 2010. I searched for some help for the general procedure to add a ODBC to the VBA. but i am not able to find how to add the ADO control.
    Thanks in advance
    Ashwin

    Reply ↓
  11. Vishnu

    Hi Deepak,

    Do you have a macro that can add component referance to components in an assembly, same numbers need to be assigned to instances of same components.

    Thanks
    Vishnu

    Reply ↓
  12. Vishnu

    Hi Deepak,

    I am trying to create a charted drawing for my part that has 5 configurations, with 3 parameters varying. Will it be possible to create a table where I would be able to pull the configuration names and it automatically adds the three parameter values in the respective columns something similar to BOM table in the drawing file.

    Vishnu

    Reply ↓
  13. Nicolas

    Thank you for your quick reply, I tried but that didn’t work :o(
    We’re working with SW2010 x64Edition SP5.0.
    Now I’m a bit lost, probably we should install SW2011.

    Do you have any other idea?
    Regards,
    Nicolas

    Reply ↓
  14. Stepanovic Vladimir

    How to put a folder name sheet of the part, not the path, where the part is located?
    Please send me on my mail.

    Reply ↓
  15. Nicolas

    Dear Deepark,

    Do you have any idea concerning this message ” Design table was created in Excel 2007 and cannot be opened in Excel 2007″?
    Should I go to the doctor or not? ;o)
    We use Solidworks 2010 and we just installed Office 2007.
    If you can help me………….

    Thanking you
    Nicolas

    Reply ↓
  16. Jeff Scott

    Deepak,

    I am finding that the Property Manager and other displays such as filleting option managers etc. are too large and are taking too much space on my screen. Is is possible to reduce them by 50% or whatever, so that everything is shown, only in reduced form.

    Thank you for any help you can provide.

    Dave

    Reply ↓
    1. Deepak Gupta Post author

      The few things you can try:

      1 Increase screen resolution
      2 Use customized S key toolbar instead of any toolbar
      3 Keep the taskpane (on right side) in hidden mode
      4 If you want to use command manager, then go to Tools > Customize > Toolbar tab or right click on command manager toolbar and uncheck “Use large button with text”

      There is no other way to reduce the size though.

      Reply ↓
  17. Jeff Scott

    Deepak,

    Thank you! Your help is greatly appreciated. As I work on this component I find that I am having trouble with visualizing and positioning surfaces or fillets. If I were physically modeling in clay for instance it is easy to add and subtract material exactly where it is needed.

    I am finding it difficult to do this in Solidworks as related to visualizing and positioning surface changes in 3D. Do you have any techniques or tricks for making this easier. Thank you again for your great advice.

    Reply ↓
  18. Jeff Scott

    Deepak,

    Thank you! Your help is greatly appreciated. As I work on this component I find that I am having trouble with visualizing and positioning surfaces or fillets. If I were physically modeling in clay for intance it is easy to add and subtract material exactly where it is needed.

    I am finding it difficult to do this in Solidworks as related to visualizing and positioning surface changes in 3D. Do you have any techniques or tricks for making this easier. Thank you again for your great advice.

    Reply ↓
    2. Jeff Scott

      Deepak,

      Thank you for the follow-up.

      It is a regular part file. The reason I want to turn it into a single solid with no “tree” is that I want to elliminate error messages when I try to “form and shape the part” through loft cuts and other means. This part has had a lot of “tinkering” and when I try to work on it, I am stopped by error messages dealing with geometry etc. I am assuming that doing this simplifies the part and will eliminate the error messages so that I can to do what I would like to do.

      I look forward to your reply.

      Reply ↓
      1. Deepak Gupta Post author

        Jeff, there are two ways to do what you need.

        1 Save the current file as IGES, Parasolid or Step and then import back in SolidWorks. This will convert the part into dumb solid/surface body and you can work as required. But I’m not sure if this will keep the link with original part in case you do some changes in that.

        2 Other way will be to insert this part in a new part. In this case the link will be maintained with original file and then in new part, only body will come. Make sure you select the option to maintain the link while inserting the part.

        Reply ↓
  20. Vishwa deep

    Hi,
    Can you please guide me as how to provide depression operation in sheet metal,through forming tool.

    Regards
    Vishwa Deep

    Reply ↓
      1. Vishwa Deep

        Dear Sir,

        Yes,I have made the solid feature,but while importing it from design library in sheet metal part mode, the necessary embossing/debossing has not been possible (actually I want 0.75mm depression to be there 60x40mm ractangle)
        Regards

        Vishwa Deep

        Reply ↓
  21. Prokopy

    Hello,

    I noticed had simulations of a rope/string moving from one pulley onto another. I am needing to do something to replicate that same movement. I was wondering if you could guide me through the technique used to accomplish this task. Thanks

    -Prokopy

    Reply ↓
  23. Michael

    Hi there,

    I work for a pump company in Australia. We use SolidWorks as modeling and producing manufacture and repair drawings of pumps. We currently make inspection forms in SolidWorks using excel tables, then export then create pdf forms for electronic use on the shop floor (pen tabs and laptops). The main problems are having both PDF and SolidWorks files and having to add individual text boxes to the table to allow data to be added.
    Do you have any ideas how to overcome these problems.

    Regards Michael

    Reply ↓
    1. Deepak Gupta Post author

      Michael,

      Can you give me more inputs about your issue. Any pictures of sample files will be great. You can email them to me (check your inbox for my email address)

      Deepak

      Reply ↓
  25. Albert

    Hi,
    I recently ran into one of your macros. “ImportBOM.swp” and I was trying to modify it so it will first export the BOMTable that already exist in a drawing and save as an excel file in the same directory of the drawing. And at that point it would bring it back as a general table. (SW 2007 sp2.2 and Office 2003 sp3)

    Reply ↓
  26. Jordi

    Hello!

    I’m using solid 2007 with office’97 and my problem is with another machine with solid 2007 and office 2003 sp3 because it doesn’t open design tables.

    What could I do?

    Reply ↓
  27. Angus Merriam

    Hi Deepak,

    Is it possible to save decals when exporting an assembly as an eDrawing (Solidworks 2009)?

    Thank you,

    Angus

    Reply ↓
    1. Deepak Gupta Post author

      Angus,

      I checked this one just now and found that decals are not exported while saving an assembly as edrawing. I will do another check to confirm.

      Reply ↓

I'll be happy to know your views and opinions as this will help me to improve. You can share them as comments below.