Part IV: Creating and Using Libraries
Toolbox, then sharing Toolbox should be good enough. However, if you share assemblies with
Toolbox users who do not share your Toolbox library, then you should probably go through the
exercise of populating all your parts with all the available configurations. If you do not receive
assemblies from outside of your group with Toolbox parts in the assembly and you have network
performance problems, it may be a good idea to install Toolbox locally, but to set it to use the
Create Parts setting, where the parts are on a shared network location.If you use a Product Data Management (PDM) system, then I would definitely install Toolbox
locally and use the Create Parts setting. The sharing occurs through the PDM system. Library parts
should be non-revision managed parts, but you may want to have a representation of the fasteners
so you can do where-used searches and BOMs.The least problematic technique is to turn Toolbox off altogether and either buy or make your own
library of static parts. You can then distribute these files internally in your organization, as well as
to any other people upstream or downstream from you who also share files with you. You can
build this type of library by using Toolbox’s config population tool; materials or other custom
properties are then dealt with the way you want, likely using auto-created design tables.Of course, there is a downside to this too, and it is that you lose all the nice automation features
available with Toolbox. The best option if you want to keep Toolbox is to use the Copy Parts
option, install locally, use a PDM system, and if you get assemblies from Toolbox users who aren’t
part of your network, insist that they either use your parts or send you their parts.For a more complete discussion of the administration issues surrounding SolidWorks Toolbox,
please refer to the SolidWorks Administration Bible (Wiley, 2009).Tutorial: Gaining Experience with the Hole
Wizard and Toolbox
Figure 17.21 shows a section view of the assembly used for this tutorial. Notice that there is a gas-
ket under the Sensor part.This tutorial assumes that you have a working copy of Toolbox running on your computer. If you
do not have Toolbox, then you can proceed to the next chapter. This tutorial also assumes that
your Toolbox is using the default Create Configurations setting, although it can also work with the
Create Parts setting. To get some experience using this tool, follow these steps: