Changing Part Dimensions from Drawings

The process flow for SolidWorks usually starts with modeling a part / assembly and then afterwards creating a drawing from the model.  Usually changes are made to the model and they are reflected across all the drawings.  However it is possible to directly modify a part from the drawing. (Also Read: Drawing Zones in SolidWorks)

We have a simple part shown below (Related Read: Part Description Missing)

The part is detailed in the drawing shown below

In order to drive the dimensions in the model we go to the Annotations tab and select Model Items.

With Model Items selected, we want to select the drawing view and the dimensions to be driven as shown

Notice that the dimensions are black in color, not the usual grey.  By double clicking the black colored dimensions you’ll find you’re able to modify the dimensions. In this case we want to change the dimension to 200mm.

By accepting the changes, modification to the part is successfully applied to all drawing views.

Creating a Custom Detailed View in SolidWorks

CREATING A CUSTOM DETAILED VIEW

When a part is modeled in SolidWorks it exists as a virtual object as per Figure 1.

Figure1:

That information is traditionally conveyed to manufacturing by means of an engineering drawing.  The parametric nature of the Solidworks software allows for modifications of the part model to instantly update the part drawings.  Furthermore, more complex assemblies may have their Bills of Material updated on the fly.  An example of a simple engineering drawing is shown in Figure 2 (dimensions removed for clarity).

Figure 2:

Traditional use of the detailed view allows for a circular cut out and enlargement of the viewing section.  In some cases it is beneficial to create a custom or modifiable shape that will suit the geometry of your part.  In this case I have chosen a simple rectangle for illustration purposes.  Please bare in mind that any closed contour will work as well.  Begin by sketching your contour around the section you would like to detail as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3:

Once the sketch is complete, select the “View Layout” tab and select “Detail View”.  This will create a detailed view based on the contour that you sketched.  In this case the detail view is a rectangle instead of the default circle as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4:

This trick will help you save space and work with better formatting in your engineering drawings.