SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Part IV: Creating and Using Libraries

Note
When specifying network paths, it is best to specify a Universal Naming Convention, or UNC, path rather than
a mapped address. A UNC address follows the format, \Server\Shared Folder. The advantage of the
UNC over the mapped drive is that mapped drives can vary from one computer to another, but the UNC is
always the same. n

The Configurator application

If you have just installed Toolbox the way that most, if not all, new users do, then you will accept

all defaults and trust the software that you just purchased to not give you bad advice. In this situa-

tion, the database is installed locally and Toolbox is set to use configurations for sizes.

When you put a Toolbox part into an assembly, you do not even notice anything other than the

part going into the assembly, although it may hesitate while the large database is opened. If you

check the part configurations, you may notice that there is a Default config and a new config that

represents the size that you just created. Every new size that you create makes another new config-

uration. Figure 17.11 shows a Toolbox part with the FeatureManager and ConfigurationManager

open, showing several configurations that Toolbox created in this particular fastener.

FIGURE 17.11

A Toolbox part showing the FeatureManager and ConfigurationManager