New in SolidWorks 2012: Assembly Enhancements

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SolidWorks 2012 includes lots of usability and workflow enhancements in the area of assemblies. Some of these include:

  • Creating subassemblies: You can preselect components in the parent assembly's graphics area when creating a subassembly. Previously, you could preselect only components in the parent assembly's FeatureManager design tree.
  • Editing flexible subassemblies: You can edit flexible subassemblies in the context of their parent assemblies.
  • Face and edge names in lightweight components: When replacing components in assemblies, if you select Re-attach mates, the software can access previously assigned face and edge names in lightweight components. If you have previously assigned names to mated entities (faces or edges), then when you replace one component with another, you can reattach the mates automatically without resolving the original component.
  • Finding missing references: While opening an assembly that has multiple missing references, the process of finding those references is simplified. The software tracks each folder where you find a missing reference and checks those folders for subsequent missing references.
  • Smart fasteners: When inserting Smart Fasteners, the software recognizes more holes that were not created with the Hole Wizard or Hole Series tools, such as holes created by various mirroring and patterning operations.
  • Modifying component dimensions: You can edit the dimensions of a multiple-configuration component in the assembly or drawing environment, regardless of which configuration is active in the component document.

These are only some of the over 200 enhancements added to our 20th release of SolidWorks. Want to learn more? Just visit the SolidWorks 2012 website to learn about the rest of the updates for our 20th release.

Matthew West

SolidWorks alumnus. I like plate reverb, Rat pedals, Thai curry, New Weird fiction, my kids, Vespas, Jazzmasters, my wife & Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not necessarily in that order.