Part II: Building Intelligence into Your Parts
I believe that it is only after you respect the rules and understand why they are so important, that
you know enough to break them. However, best practice lists should not be taken too seriously.
They are not inflexible rules, but conservative starting places; they are concepts that you can
default to, but that can be broken if you have good reason. Following is a list of suggested best
practices:l Always use unique filenames for your parts. SolidWorks assemblies and drawings may
pick up incorrect references if you use parts with identical names.
l Using Custom Properties is a great way to enter text-based information into your parts.
Users can view this information from outside the file by using applications such as Windows
Explorer, SolidWorks Explorer, and Product Data Management (PDM) applications.l (^) Learn to sketch using automatic relations.
l Use fully dimensioned sketches when possible. Splines are often impractical to fully
dimension.
l Limit your use of the Fixed constraint.
l (^) When possible, make relations to sketches or stable reference geometry, such as the
Origin or standard planes, instead of edges or faces. Sketches are far more stable than
faces, edges, or model vertices, which change their internal ID at the slightest change and
may disappear entirely with fillets, chamfers, split lines, and so on.
l (^) Do not dimension to edges created by fillets or other cosmetic or temporary features.
l Apply names to features, sketches, and dimensions that help to make their function clear.
l (^) When possible, use feature fillets and feature patterns rather than sketch fillets and sketch
patterns.
l (^) Combine fillets into as few fillet features as possible; this also enables you to control fillets
that need to be controlled separately — such as fillets to be removed for Finite Element
Analysis (FEA), drawings, and simplified configurations — or added for rendering.
l Create a simplified configuration when building very complex parts or working with large
assemblies.
l Model with symmetry in mind. Use feature patterns and mirroring when possible.
l (^) Use link values or global variables to control commonly used dimensions.
l Do not be afraid of configurations. Control them with design tables where there are more
than a few configs, and document any custom programming or automated features in the
spreadsheet for other users.
l (^) Use display states when possible instead of configurations.