How to Turn 3D Designs into 2D Drawings for Manufacturing

When designing parts and assemblies in SolidWorks, one of the final yet crucial steps is to create detailed 2D drawings from your 3D models. These drawings serve as the blueprint for manufacturing and assembly, ensuring that every dimension, feature, and orientation is clearly communicated. Creating accurate and professional drawings is essential for ensuring that your design intentions are properly understood and implemented during production.

For students or professionals who need to complete your drawings assignment, mastering these steps is key to delivering high-quality work that meets industry standards. If you're seeking help with SolidWorks assignments, particularly with drawing creation, this guide will provide you with a comprehensive approach to tackle your tasks effectively.

This guide will walk you through the process of opening a new drawing, setting up the drafting standards and units, inserting standard views, adding isometric views, and dimensioning your drawings effectively. By following these steps, you can confidently produce drawings that are both precise and easy to understand.

Introduction to SolidWorks Drawings

SolidWorks is a powerful CAD software that enables you to create precise 3D models of parts and assemblies. However, these 3D models often need to be translated into 2D drawings for manufacturing purposes. Drawings in SolidWorks are linked to the 3D models, meaning any changes made to the part or assembly will automatically update in the drawing. This dynamic relationship ensures consistency and reduces errors during the manufacturing process.

Creating a drawing in SolidWorks involves several key steps:

1. Opening a New Drawing
2. Setting the Drafting Standard and Units
3. Inserting Standard 3 Views
4. Inserting an Isometric Model View
5. Dimensioning the Drawing

Each of these steps plays a vital role in producing a detailed, accurate, and professional-looking drawing. Let’s delve into each of these steps in more detail.

Opening a New Drawing

The first step in creating a drawing in SolidWorks is to open a new drawing document. This process is straightforward but essential as it sets the foundation for the entire drawing.

1. Starting a New Drawing:

• Begin by clicking on New from the Standard toolbar or by selecting File > New from the main menu.
• In the New SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box, select Drawing and click OK. This will open the Sheet Format/Size dialog box.

2. Selecting the Drawing Sheet Format:

• In the Sheet Format/Size dialog box, you can choose the sheet size and format that best suits your project. For most engineering drawings, A3 (ISO) is a common choice due to its balance between detail and size.
• After selecting A3 (ISO), click OK to proceed.

3. Handling the Model View PropertyManager:

• Once the new drawing document opens, the Model View PropertyManager might appear. This tool allows you to insert views of your model into the drawing. If you're not ready to insert views yet, you can close this tool for the time being.

By completing these steps, you now have a blank drawing sheet ready to be populated with views and dimensions. The next step is to ensure that your drawing adheres to the correct drafting standards and units.

Setting the Drafting Standard and Units

Before you begin adding views and dimensions to your drawing, it’s important to set the drafting standard and units to ensure consistency and accuracy. The drafting standard dictates the rules and conventions for how your drawing will be presented, while the units determine the measurement system used throughout the drawing.

1. Accessing the Document Properties:

• Click on Options from the Standard toolbar or go to Tools > Options from the main menu.
• In the dialog box that appears, select the Document Properties tab. This tab contains various settings that control the appearance and behavior of your drawing.

2. Selecting the Drafting Standard:

• In the Document Properties: Drafting Standard section, you can choose the overall drafting standard for your drawing. For most international projects, ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the preferred standard. This standard ensures that your drawing follows globally recognized conventions for line thickness, text size, and other drawing elements.

3. Setting the Units:

• In the left pane of the Document Properties tab, click on Units.
• In the Document Properties: Units dialog box, under Unit system, select MMGS (Millimeter, Gram, Second). This sets the unit of measurement to millimeters, grams, and seconds, which are standard units in most engineering drawings.

4. Applying the Settings:

• Once you have set the drafting standard and units, click OK to apply these settings to your drawing.

Setting the correct drafting standard and units at the beginning of your drawing process ensures that all dimensions and annotations are consistent and adhere to the required specifications.

Inserting Standard 3 Views

With your drafting standard and units set, the next step is to insert the standard three views of your model into the drawing. These views typically include the front, top, and left (or right) orientations and provide a comprehensive view of the part or assembly.

1. Accessing the Standard 3 View Tool:

• Click on Standard 3 View from the Drawing toolbar or select Insert > Drawing View > Standard 3 View from the main menu.

2. Selecting the Model to Insert:

• In the Standard 3 View PropertyManager, under Part/Assembly to Insert, browse for and select the model file that you want to insert. For example, if you are working with a box model, select the corresponding .sldprt file.

3. Placing the Views:

• After selecting the model, the three standard views (front, top, and left) will automatically generate and appear in your drawing. These views are orthographic projections, meaning they represent the model from different perpendicular angles.

4. Adjusting the View Placement:

• You can drag the views around the drawing sheet to position them appropriately. Ensure that there is enough space between the views to add dimensions and annotations later.

Inserting the standard 3 views provides the foundational visual representation of your model. These views are essential for conveying the shape, size, and features of the part or assembly.

Inserting an Isometric Model View

In addition to the standard 3 views, an isometric view offers a 3D representation of the model, providing a clearer understanding of its overall shape and structure. Isometric views are often used to complement orthographic views, giving a more intuitive grasp of the part or assembly.

1. Accessing the Model View Tool:

• Click on Model View from the Drawing toolbar or select Insert > Drawing View > Model from the main menu.

2. Selecting the Assembly to Insert:

• In the Model View PropertyManager, under Part/Assembly to Insert, choose the assembly file (e.g., box_with_lid.sldasm) that you want to display in the isometric view.

3. Configuring the Isometric View:

• After selecting the assembly, the view is attached to your pointer, ready to be placed on the drawing sheet. However, before placing it, configure the view orientation and style:
• Under Orientation, select Isometric. This orientation shows the model from a 3D perspective.
• Under Display Style, choose Shaded with Edges to provide a detailed and realistic view of the model.

4. Placing the Isometric View:

• Position the isometric view in the lower right corner of the drawing sheet, ensuring that it complements the standard 3 views without overlapping them.
• Click OK to finalize the placement.

The isometric view enhances the drawing by providing a visual summary of the part or assembly, helping the viewer quickly understand its geometry.

Dimensioning the Drawing

Once the views are in place, the final step is to add dimensions to the drawing. Dimensioning is a critical part of the drawing process, as it provides the exact measurements needed to manufacture the part or assembly. SolidWorks offers several tools for dimensioning, with Smart Dimension being one of the most versatile.

1. Accessing the Smart Dimension Tool:

• Click on Smart Dimension from the Dimensions/Relations toolbar or select Tools > Dimensions > Smart from the main menu.

2. Using Autodimensioning:

• In the Dimension PropertyManager, navigate to the Autodimension tab. This feature allows you to automatically generate dimensions based on the entities in the selected view.
• Under Entities to Dimension, select Selected entities. This option lets you choose specific edges, faces, or features to dimension.
• For Horizontal Dimensions, select Above view. This places the horizontal dimensions above the drawing view.
• For Vertical Dimensions, select Left of view. This positions the vertical dimensions to the left of the drawing view.

3. Selecting Entities for Dimensioning:

• In the graphics area, click in the space between the drawing view border and the drawing view itself. The leftmost vertical edge will turn pink, and the bottom edge will turn purple. These color changes correspond to the dimensions set in the PropertyManager.

4. Placing the Dimensions:

• Click OK in the PropertyManager to place the dimensions in the drawing view. You can drag the dimensions to adjust their position for clarity and readability.

Dimensioning is the most crucial step in creating a detailed and usable drawing. Proper dimensioning ensures that every feature, edge, and surface of the part or assembly is accurately represented, allowing for precise manufacturing and assembly.

Conclusion

Creating detailed 2D drawings from your 3D models in SolidWorks is a vital skill for any designer or engineer. By following the steps outlined in this guide—opening a new drawing, setting the drafting standard and units, inserting standard 3 views, adding an isometric model view, and dimensioning the drawing—you can produce professional-quality drawings that clearly communicate your design intent.

These drawings serve as the blueprint for manufacturing, ensuring that your designs are accurately reproduced in the real world. Whether you're working on a simple part or a complex assembly, mastering the art of creating detailed drawings in SolidWorks is essential for successful design and engineering.