SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Chapter 16: Modeling in Context

Mirror parts can also use configurations, and so if you have one of those “mirrored exactly except

for.. .” parts, you can select the configuration of the parent from the child document.

Using the Layout feature

I described the Layout feature briefly in Chapter 12, where I also described layout sketches. This is
an unfortunate naming conflict. Two highly useful functions do nearly the same thing, one of
which is simply a technique that has existed for years, and the other, a newly added formal feature.
For this reason, I will always capitalize the name of the new Layout feature and refer to it as a fea-
ture, while I’ll refer to the layout sketch in lowercase and as either a sketch or a technique.

The Layout feature is simply a 3D sketch that is given special treatment within an assembly. It works

best with sketch blocks. To initiate a Layout, click the Layout button on the Layout tab of the assem-

bly CommandManager or activate it from the Insert menu. Once you are in a Layout, SolidWorks

puts you into a 3D sketch with the Front (XY) plane activated, so it displays a small grid.

Cross-Reference
3D sketches are addressed in Chapter 31. n

For now, you primarily treat the 3D sketch as much like a set of 2D sketches as possible. The main

difference is that you can double-click on a different plane to start sketching on the new plane, and

you will always see this small grid when a plane is active.

3D sketches have some limitations when you are working with Layouts, such as lacking the capa-

bilities to use sketch patterns and Sketch Pictures.

Using the Layout workflow

Here is the general workflow for working with the Layout feature:

1. Open a new or existing assembly.


2. Click the Layout toolbar button on the Layout tab of the CommandManager.


3. Sketch on the plane in the 3D sketch to create 2D sketches representing parts of a
   mechanism or other assembly.


4. Make selections of the sketch into blocks representing individual parts.


5. Insert multiple instances of the blocks to represent multiple instances of the parts.


6. Use sketch relations to put the blocks together like mating parts in an assembly.


7. Test the mechanism by dragging sketches. (Blocks function like a single sketch entity,
   so you can drag them within the sketch like parts in an assembly.)


8. Right-click the block (from inside or outside the Layout) and select Make Part From
   Block (also a button on the Layout toolbar), as shown in Figure 16.15.