How to train students in SolidWorks

[Govind Girish]

Our team has tried for years to teach students Solidworks in a nice, cohesive fashion. A lot of teams seem to be really on top of their CADing skills, and I was wondering how they train their students. What resources do y'all use? I've looked through the SolidWorks Educational material and it seems less than par.

If y'all have or know of any sites with lesson plans, it would be much appreciated.

BTW, we are an extra-curricular club.

Thanks!!

[jkelleyrtp]

I have found the Simbotic Series to be more than helpful.

[angelah]

We use SolidWorks to design our robot in full each year before we build it. In the fall, we do a few weeks of training, each night a mix of PP lecture and hands-on work. Then they work on old robots. Honestly, though, the most they learn is during build season. Everyone uses CAD to design a part of the robot, as far as they are able to go, even though their work may not be used in the final design. Two or three main students, usually the same students who provided the bulk of the training in the fall, finish it off.

As far as the lectures go, we just made a list of what students need to know to design the robot and worked backwards from there. We have had a few students end up getting their CSWA, but most just learn enough to help out.

[Rachel Lim]

I've found that the best way to teach (and the best way I learned it) was through workshops because there are many things that can go wrong when you're not sure what various options do.

We currently hold 2h sessions that cover the basics of parts, assemblies, and drawings including:
- Creating parts, assemblies, drawings
- Sketching (on a plane, on a surface)
- Dimensioning in parts
- Extrude (blind, midplane)
- Thin feature
- Extrude cut
- Reference geometry
- Mirror
- Inserting parts into assemblies
- Basic mates (coincident, concentric, etc.)
- Dimensioning in drawings (smart dimension, ordinate dimension, hole callout)
- Part naming
- PDM usage

I have some of this material online (youtube and a couple of google docs), and if you're interested, let me know and I'll clean it up a bit and share it.



For online material:

1114 has a series of youtube videos where the cover the basics of solidworks, from the layout of solidworks to designing a drivetrain. The playlist can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...JfAHsCVbe3fpXG or on their youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/simbotics

610 has a design tutorial that covers the basics of CAD/design and focuses on their 2013 drivetrain: http://team610.com/portfolio_page/design-tutorials/

973 has a series of youtube videos that focuses more on the design applications of solidworks: https://www.youtube.com/user/973ramp

These are other youtube channels that have solidworks tutorials (not FRC-related). I've found them useful for specific things I want to learn, but haven't tried to use them for an overall syllabus.
SolidWorks Tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtw...ysZLh1rrPzwFw), SolidWorks Zen (https://www.youtube.com/user/solidworksviewer), Hawk Ridge Systems (https://www.youtube.com/user/hawkridgesystems), and Javelin Technologies (https://www.youtube.com/user/JavelilnTechnologies)

[Chris Endres]

No matter how much time you take to "teach" (I presume everyone sits down in a room and goes over a topic), not everyone will retain the information or be able able to demonstrate their skills effectively.

The way I learned was by watching upperclassmen design for hours on end and by practicing whenever I had the chance. The best time to learn CAD is by practicing, I started by designing and building an FTC robot for 2013, then I moved up to drive bases, then to more complex assemblies like swerve.

The past few years, I have logged over 1000 hours of leisure CAD, that is just sitting down and designing whatever I thought of. By doing this, I learn something new almost every project.

So overall, it would be a good idea to show students the basics and good practices, then set them free.

Our advanced mechanical class is currently designing FRC sized robots to play (a scaled version) of the VEX Nothing but Net game, I can tell they are all learning a lot.

[Sperkowsky]

This is a problem we are currently addressing.

As of right now we have no mentors that know solidworks.

I trained myself completely. Another student also separatly trained himself. But, 2 students is not enough.

The simbot series is a good start. I sent it to the two freshman interested in learning but we still don't have a good way to teach them in person.

[Munchskull]

On the topic of Solidworks training, is there any easy online training for FEA?

[Fields]

The simbotic listed earlier is great for a just starting introduction.


To expand the individual training:

http://my.solidworks.com/
Need to create a free account

https://grabcad.com/
Free account
Great for seeing how others built their models (most will have a history)

http://www.cudacountry.net/html/solidworks_toc.html

http://www.productdesignforums.com/forum/60-tutorials/

[OccamzRazor]

I teach SOLIDWORKS/FEA Simulation for a living and teach some of our students on the team before and during the build season. We design the entire robot in CAD each year with only 2-3 students actively working in the software. We are trying to increase that number but the biggest challenge is time and practice. I will share a couple of free, cheap, and not cheap options depending on how you view it.

I choose to teach the first few basic commands during a few sessions and see what the general interest is on the team and then put it on the students who are interested to seek out tutorials on the software as well as sharing resources online. I post problems and video tutorials to the CAD students and let them practice the required skills before build season. I require them to download the software and complete the in-software help tutorials.

The tutorials in the software are not robot specific so those skills need to be practiced by each individual to truly polish that skill set. Once they are able to struggle through a drive system with help from peers and mentors they usually learn much faster. Throw them in to the deep end and make them use the software. They usually swim. CAD is also a use it or lose it skill so practice is a must.

There are some additional tutorials on mysolidworks.com(30 hours). If you want to learn up to a professional level (CSWP and CSWE) then you can also choose to purchase the professional level mysolidworks account (100 hours +) for around $350/yr which is probably one of the faster self paced ways to learn without a lecture and these tutorials mimic the actual instructor courses produced by SOLIDWORKS. This is the expensive option but you will usually learn each command much faster with this method so you save time.

If a team has no mentor for CAD I highly recommend the mysolidworks professional purchase so that students can learn on their own.

You could also purchase the SOLIDWORKS Bible 2013 by Matt Lombard which is very well written and only 40$ or so on amazon. This also comes with video tutorials but is independently written and the newest version only goes up to 2013. This is also a good option as well to help speedily get students up the the level they want to be at. You could potentially teach this as standard curriculum for FRC and FTC students.

I would only purchase these things if you have already exhausted your web resources from other teams and need more point and click based instruction.

Hope this helps!

[Bob Steele]

Our team uses Inventor and I teach Inventor in a class here at the school
I use a self-directed tutorial that is produced by SDC I find it to work pretty well and can be done without a great deal of over the shoulder help from me or my TA's. Here is a link to the book from SDC for Solidworks:

https://www.sdcpublications.com/Text...1-58503-921-0/


It is not cheap but they offer an e-version that you might get your school to purchase and then anyone can use a copy. It is reasonable though for a single copy. It is available on Amazon.

good luck!!

[mman1506]

Lynda.com has a couple hundred good solidworks tutorials. It's a paid service but a lot of schools and public libraries will give you access for free.

[orangemoore]

Originally Posted by mman1506

Lynda.com has a couple hundred good solidworks tutorials. It's a paid service but a lot of schools and public libraries will give you access for free.

I have Lynda.com through my school and it is has been helpful to me. I would think it could be a good investment for a team to make

[KohKohPuffs]

When I use to be in 115, we had Google Hangout sessions for 3+ hours for almost seven days a week (don't worry, it was during the summer ). We first started off with a simple WCD chassis, then a single speed gearbox, etc., pretty much basic mechanisms and techniques. To check if anyone was struggling, we used the screenshare function.

The entire purpose of this was to get us familiar with the FRC design process, because in the end, our instructor let us off on our own to CAD without him watching.

I guess the takeaway for me was that CAD trainings should be one where minimal time is put into learning how to use the software, and more of making something. But another important takeaway is that mastering this skill may be a big time commitment, and not everyone may be on-board; out of, I think, 10+ people who attended the training, only a very few came out of the session confident enough to make something that could be used in competitions.

Yeah, just putting out how I learned to CAD. May not be the best idea, but sure is an option.

[BenGuy]

Our coach uses the Solidworks handbook and powerpoints on their website to teach the program to beginning students. More advanced people just practice making everyday objects increasing in difficulty.

[Chris Hapstack]

One resource I would highly recommend is SolidProfessor. My employer uses it to teach SolidWorks to all new engineers. For $279/year you get access to an extensive library of intuitive instructional videos and follow-along examples (including some on FEA). You can also purchase tutorials for Inventor, MasterCam, and many more products. The SolidWorks package features these modules:

• SOLIDWORKS for Beginners
• Core Concepts for Parts and Assemblies
• Drawings
• SimulationXpress (light version of FEA)
• AutoCAD to SOLIDWORKS
• Advanced Parts
• Surfacing
• Mold Tools and Plastic Design
• File Management
• Advanced Assemblies
• Sheet Metal
• Weldments
• Intro to eDrawings
• Visualization and Appearances
• PhotoView 360
• DriveWorksXpress
• CSWA Prep Course
• CSWP-CSWE Prep Course
• Toolbox and Design Library
• DimXpert and TolAnalyst
• SOLIDWORKS Routing
• SOLIDWORKS Simulation (full version of FEA)
• SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation
• SOLIDWORKS Plastics
• SOLIDWORKS Composer
• SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic
• SOLIDWORKS Workgroup PDM
• SOLIDWORKS Enterprise PDM
• Update Training
• SOLIDWORKS 101 - Academic