Part I: SolidWorks Basics
- Click the Mate button from the Assembly toolbar. The mate options that are not
grayed out are available with the current selection. For example, in Figure 4.18, the cor-
responding faces of the weldment and the machined part are selected, and these faces can
be mated coincident, parallel, perpendicular, at a distance, or at an angle.
FIGURE 4.18
Mate optionsTip
You can move a part in an assembly by clicking the part and dragging it with the LMB (left mouse button). It
follows whatever mates you have applied to it. To rotate a part that does not have any mates applied to it, drag
the part with the RMB. The MMB (middle mouse button) still rotates the view. n
- Select the Coincident mate, and then the faces as shown in the figure. If the
machined part is turned as it appears in Figure 4.18 (so that it interferes with the welded
frame if the selected surfaces touch), then click the Flip Mate Alignment button on the
pop-up toolbar, or toggle the Mate Alignment buttons in the PropertyManager. Close the
popup toolbar by clicking the green check mark icon.
Best Practice
In contrast to sketch relations, most assembly mates have alignment orientation. Flat faces can be coincident in
one of two orientations separated by 180 degrees. The same is true of concentric relations, as well as others.
SolidWorks orients a part to the closest orientation that works. This means that it is often best to preposition
parts to make it easier for the software. This usually involves some combination of rotating the view and rotat-
ing the part. n