{"id":8041,"date":"2016-06-03T11:19:42","date_gmt":"2016-06-03T15:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/?p=8041"},"modified":"2016-06-06T15:00:59","modified_gmt":"2016-06-06T19:00:59","slug":"mysolidworks-101-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/2016\/06\/mysolidworks-101-part-3.html","title":{"rendered":"MySolidWorks 101 \u2014 I\u2019m a New SOLIDWORKS Student, How do I Start?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>A MySolidWorks for Students Guide: Part 3<\/h2>\n<p>Greetings! Before reading this article, please make sure you have at least a Student-level MySolidWorks account. If you don&#8217;t, please read my previous <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/2016\/06\/mysolidworks-101-part-2-account.html\">article <\/a>explaining how to make one.<\/p>\n<p>Alright! Now that you&#8217;ve created your Student account, we can finally get started with some SOLIDWORKS material! Go to the <a href=\"https:\/\/my.solidworks.com\/#General\"><span style=\"color: #0066cc\">MySolidWorks <\/span><\/a>website and log in.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7958 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/MySolidWorks-home-page-emphasis-on-log-in_join-615x306.jpg\" alt=\"MySolidWorks home page emphasis on log in_join\" width=\"615\" height=\"306\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/MySolidWorks-home-page-emphasis-on-log-in_join-615x306.jpg 615w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/MySolidWorks-home-page-emphasis-on-log-in_join-300x149.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/MySolidWorks-home-page-emphasis-on-log-in_join-768x382.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/MySolidWorks-home-page-emphasis-on-log-in_join-728x362.jpg 728w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/MySolidWorks-home-page-emphasis-on-log-in_join.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Once you have done this, click on the &#8220;Training&#8221; tab on the menu. Scroll down until you find a small grid of common course options. I imagine you are reading this article because you are brand new to SOLIDWORKS and have no idea where or how to begin. I would recommend that you start by clicking on the &#8220;CSWA Exam Prep Course&#8221; option. All of the &#8220;Sketch Tools&#8221; lessons are included in the CSWA prep, as are the &#8220;Basic Assembly Modeling&#8221; lessons.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8047\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/view-course-path-options-615x108.jpg\" alt=\"view course path options\" width=\"1141\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/view-course-path-options-615x108.jpg 615w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/view-course-path-options-300x53.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/view-course-path-options-768x135.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/view-course-path-options-728x128.jpg 728w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1141px) 100vw, 1141px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You will be shown a list of 44 courses meant to prepare you for the <a href=\"https:\/\/solidworks.virtualtester.com\/#home_button\">Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate (CSWA) exam<\/a>, a SOLIDWORKS engineering \u00a0exam that tests your knowledge on engineering design fundamentals and your ability to use the software.\u00a0I know no one likes tests, but trust me here, this is one exam you <em>definitely<\/em> want to take.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background: white;color: #333333;line-height: 105%;font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size: 10.5pt\">Even though these lessons are exam-oriented,<\/span>\u00a0they are very good for teaching you the basics as well. Select the first lesson, &#8220;<span class=\"heading ng-binding\">Starting a Sketch on a Plane or Face<\/span>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7986 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/CSWA-training-course-selection-615x306.jpg\" alt=\"CSWA training course selection: start learning SOLIDWORKS\" width=\"615\" height=\"306\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/CSWA-training-course-selection-615x306.jpg 615w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/CSWA-training-course-selection-300x149.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/CSWA-training-course-selection-768x382.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/CSWA-training-course-selection-728x362.jpg 728w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/CSWA-training-course-selection.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Before you can do anything fun and exciting\u00a0in SOLIDWORKS, you need to be able to make a sketch. This first video goes into detail about how to make a sketch and what types of surfaces you can sketch on. There are also interactive components so you can learn where the buttons are as well as a brief quiz at the end that you can retry as many times as you like.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8055 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/Starting-a-Sketch-on-a-Plane-or-Face-615x487.jpg\" alt=\"Starting a Sketch on a Plane or Face\" width=\"615\" height=\"487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/Starting-a-Sketch-on-a-Plane-or-Face-615x487.jpg 615w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/Starting-a-Sketch-on-a-Plane-or-Face-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/Starting-a-Sketch-on-a-Plane-or-Face-768x608.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/Starting-a-Sketch-on-a-Plane-or-Face-728x577.jpg 728w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/Starting-a-Sketch-on-a-Plane-or-Face.jpg 856w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The quiz questions effectively reinforce the material covered in the lesson and there is absolutely no pressure if you get a few things wrong the first time. These lessons are here to help you learn, not judge you for not knowing what you&#8217;re doing.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8058 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/lesson-completed-progress-marked.jpg\" alt=\"lesson completed, progress marked\" width=\"5971\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/lesson-completed-progress-marked.jpg 5971w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/lesson-completed-progress-marked-300x35.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/lesson-completed-progress-marked-768x90.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/lesson-completed-progress-marked-615x72.jpg 615w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/lesson-completed-progress-marked-728x85.jpg 728w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5971px) 100vw, 5971px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Once you finish the lesson, a check mark will be placed next to it and its status will be updated to &#8220;Completed&#8221; Your progress count will also be updated to display the number of lessons you have completed.<\/p>\n<p>So now you can make a sketch, that&#8217;s great! Now you&#8217;re going to need to know how to say what size your shape is. This process is called <em>dimensioning, <\/em>and it happens to be the next lesson on the list.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8065 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/Sketch-Smart-Dimension-615x487.jpg\" alt=\"Sketch Smart Dimension\" width=\"615\" height=\"487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/Sketch-Smart-Dimension-615x487.jpg 615w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/Sketch-Smart-Dimension-300x237.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/Sketch-Smart-Dimension-768x608.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/Sketch-Smart-Dimension-728x576.jpg 728w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/3\/Sketch-Smart-Dimension.jpg 857w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Just keep going through these lessons and you&#8217;ll know how to use SOLIDWORKS in no time! If you are a student learning how to use SOLIDWORKS in school, these lessons will be a good tool to reinforce what you do in class. If you are learning how to use SOLIDWORKS on your own, then these lessons are really great for teaching you the basics.<\/p>\n<p>Remember to reach out to us on Twitter @SOLIDWORKSedu or the <a href=\"https:\/\/forum.solidworks.com\/welcome\">SOLIDWORKS Forums<\/a> of you have any questions!<\/p>\n<p>See you next time!<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Rachael Naoum<\/p>\n<p>Mechanical Engineering<\/p>\n<p>Worcester Polytechnic Institute Class of 2018<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A MySolidWorks for Students Guide: Part 3 Greetings! Before reading this article, please make sure you have at least a Student-level MySolidWorks account. If you don&#8217;t, please read my previous article explaining how to make one. Alright! Now that you&#8217;ve<\/p>\n... <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/2016\/06\/mysolidworks-101-part-3.html\">Continued<\/a>","protected":false},"author":317,"featured_media":8024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5381,4184,4183,5760,5767,4015,4770,5380,5211],"tags":[3930,4058,4039,5782,5784,5785,3931,4001,4318],"class_list":["post-8041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cad-2","category-cad-instructor","category-cad-teacher","category-certification","category-learned-solidworks-in-school","category-mechanical-engineering","category-solidworks-tutorials","category-stem-science-technology-engineering-and-math","category-technology-2","tag-cad","tag-certification","tag-cswa","tag-getting-started","tag-how-to-start","tag-new-user","tag-solidworks","tag-student","tag-tutorials"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/317"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8041"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8091,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8041\/revisions\/8091"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/teacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}