SolidWorks 2010 Bible

CHAPTER

Working with

Library Features

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding library features

Creating, applying, and

automating library features

Turning off dissection

Working with library features

tutorial

L

ibrary features are features that you create once and re-use many
times. They are intended to be parametrically flexible to fit into many
types of geometry, but they can also be of a fixed size and shape. You
will use all the information that you have learned in previous chapters about
designing for change, and design intent in this chapter, as well as learn how
to create, use, and store library features.

Using Library Features

Library features reside in the Design Library, which is located in the Task

Pane to the right of the graphics window.

Tip

You can detach the Task Pane from its docking location and move it wherever

you want, leave it undocked, or move it to a second monitor. n

You can use library features for snap rings, grooves for o-rings, custom holes,

mounting bosses for plastics, mounting hole patterns, electrical connector

holes, and much more.

One very useful aspect of library features is that they can be driven by con-

figurations and design tables. Once the feature is in the part, the configura-

tions are still available, and so you can change the config of an applied

library feature at any time.

You can also link a library feature to an external file. This enables you to

change a feature, or a set of features in several parts at once if they are all

externally linked to the file.