Pain in the Axis (New user questions)

[gunnykiln]

I my company finally upgraded to solidworks last week. I have been using ashlar vellum (3D wireframe) for the last 8 years. The tutorials have been helpful but I would like many more of them, are there any websites where I can download more tutorials?

The main problem I have is the ridicules way the axis are setup. When I visualize something in the real world, a desk for instance, the top surface of the desk is the XY plane, the front is XZ, and the side is the YZ plane. For some crazy reason, my default setup in solidworks has the top plane as the XZ plane! So if I import 3D a desk for instance and change to a iso view, I have the perspective of hanging from the ceiling behind the part (if that makes any sense).

Is there a way to change this globally and forever?

Thanks much

 

[ctopher]

XY is front, XZ top. That is how it is in Geometry. If you want your desk in another viewing plane, select it, then select "float". Then add mates to the planes you want.

Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP0.1 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site

 

[rockguy]

You can in fact redefine the default front, top, right, etc views. It's explained in the help section. If you hit the space bar the "view oritation" dialog appears. One of the tools at the top redifines the standad views. You could also set your templates to follow a format you are more comfortable with.

 

[Theophilus]

Right. As rockguy said, open your default part template, make the edits noted above to reorient everything, and save your template. Now when you import geometry the default template will be used to create the new part in SW and your orientation will be to your liking.

As ctopher said, the SW default is "normal" to standard geometry. The Vellum version seems to default to "plan view" like you are creating house plans or something. Front view is normally primary in product design.


Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reality is no respecter of good intentions.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Looking at your monitor screen:-

X axis runs horizontally, to the right is plus, to the left is minus.
Y is vertical, up is plus, down is minus.
Z is in & out of the screen, out is plus, in is minus.

That is standard for most programs, especially mechanical based.

& all the best.

 

[aamoroso]

I feel for ya gunny, my background comes from CNC Machining and CAM Software, most of my original work was done in 2D CAM programs and as you know the XY is the basis. You will get used to it and find it is more comfortable after a while. When I train an operator on CNC equipment I teach them the gun, if you make a gun with your left hand (index finger pointed forward, thumb up and middle finger pointed toward the right) that is your XYZ with X being your middle finger, Y being your index finger and Z being your thumb. With that knowledge if you look at that gun from the top view you are looking at a XZ plane.