SolidWorks is a premium, premier, professional grade CAD program. This program can be used to design a variety of objects with great detail, and accuracy. There are varying tiers of SolidWorks that are available for varying costs. There are two machines with SolidWorks in the Center for Educational Technology located in the library on level 1 Surface computer, and the other is in LITC room 115.
Pros of SolidWorks:
- Very versatile, and very powerful program
- Many key functions are pre programmed
- Wide variety of design options
- The software already includes an immense variety of tutorials that can teach almost anything. Good if you like to have everything on the same screen.
Cons of SolidWorks:
- Can be difficult to get started
- Variety of options can be overwhelming initially
- Expensive, limited on campus access
- Not directly available for Mac softwares. A “virtual PC” would be needed
Should you feel inclined to learn about using SolidWorks, visit the STA desk to make an appointment. A quick Google search for “SolidWorks Introduction” will provide a good base for learning how to control the program and create good designs. After the basics are learned the rest of the major processes can be easily learned and applied. The SolidWorks program itself already contains a variety of helpful and detailed tutorials.
Here are some good resources to get started
SOLIDWORKS 2018 Essential Training
-This is a good introductory tutorial for getting started in SolidWorks. The whole course is about 7 hours, but each portion is well labeled, making it easy to skip around to where you need to be.
-If you have not signed up for Lynda, go to this page while on the Trinity wifi, and follow the directions for signup on the page.