Schematics in SolidWorks

[rusty763]

Wondering if anyone out there creates schematics in SolidWorks. What works the best? Right now we are painfully sketching them in the SolidWorks Drawing.

 

[MrPickles]

I think you'll find most folks use AutoCrap for schematics, as it is a much better 2D package than straight SW Drawings....


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Mr. Pickles

 

[rusty763]

I'm sorry, I should have mentioned that we have used AutoCAD but we use it infrequent enough that we've lost most of the skill we had to use it fluently. I am thinking of a software like Visio that can be used directly with SW but is perhaps better.....

 

[MrPickles]

I have heard of some folks using Visio, but we don't. Don't know if it has a less learning curve than ACAD, though. Perhaps someone with some more indepth knowledge will reply...

Rumor is that SolidWorks Routing Package (formerly Piping) is slated to have some schematics/electrical stuff in it next year. But, I didn't say that....


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Mr. Pickles

 

[Timelord]

IMHO anyone creating schematics in todays world should be using schematic capture software that creates a netlist. Drawing a schematic in 2D or 3D CAD programs such as Autotrash or SolidWorks is like investing in buggy whips. Schematic capture programs are much easier to use for this purpose and they digitally capture the design intent in the form of a netlist. The netlist can then be used for simulation in a program like spice or be exported to a printed wiring board program to auto-route the board. To invest the time to draw the schematic in a digital program and not capture the design intent even if you do not use it at this time is nothing short of criminal. Do you use your digital camera and then throw away the files after making prints?


Timelord

 

[rusty763]

Thanks tl. I am a bit confused with all of what you said. We aren't always creating schematics, perhaps an average of 3 a month. Some are pneumatics, some are electrical and some are a combo. Knowing this, should we stick w/ the 2D stuff or is it worth pursuing what you are talking about?

 

[TheTick]

visio?

 

[Timelord]

If all you are doing is simple wiring and pneumatic diagrams then I take back what I said. Stick with a 2D program such as Autotrash-Lite as it will be simpler to use than a 3D program. Keep in mind that the time spend drawing a schematic in a 2D CAD program will only give you a drawing, nothing more. If you will someday want to analyze your circuits or put them on a printed wiring board then you ought to investigate a real schematic capture program as it will record the data in a manner that is useful for these applications and you won't have to re-enter the data someday. It's like you want instant photography and do it with a Polaroid instead of a digital camera, the results are nicely recorded, but you do not have access to the files (or negatives) for subsequent use.

Timelord

 

[ShaggyPE]

I'v dabbled with visio, the "learning curve" is virtually non-existent. They have templates for everything. Just drag drop and resize. Once you have visio installed, you can INSERT-SCHEMATIC from within the SW environment, a little visio window will open and you create it. It is similar to the way an excel bom works.

 

[Yogibear]

We use Visio for our pneumatic schematics. It's not the nicest thing to play with but it works. In SW04 it will let you insert a schematic into a 2d drawing, like shaggy said. I've done it a couple times. No big benefit other than it will be linked to your drawing.
If you have a lot of legacy data and your not doing what timelord was talking about I would keep going the way you are.

 

[ctopher]

I also create some schematics and was going to look into Visio. My question is, can you create your own symbol library in Visio? Or, is there a way to create a 2D symbol library in SolidWorks for schematics?

 

[MadMango]

First off, you need Visio Pro, or whatever the latest version is called (Visio 2003). This level of the software has many electrical and pneumatic/hydraulic symbols already created for simple drag and drop use. Many of the symbols have several different "configurations" to get most of what you will need.

You can create your own library of symbols, but I haven't had to go there yet. Looking at Visio Help, it looks a bit complicated.

If you've ever used Visio is the past to create flow charts, then using it to create schematics is fairly straight forward.

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[cadsman]

Do you mean to say that you all
are purchasing CAD software for around 5K
and you can not create a 2d drawing
without using other software?
my -2cents

 

[sirmick]

That's right.

Or rather there is better software for 2d then Solidworks. Solidworks has some text ability but I am not going to use Solidworks as a word processor.

 

[JNR]

cadsman.

1. $5k? Sounds like someone is being ripped off. Mind you, I remember the days when $1M bought you less (much less) than you are getting in any of todays PC based CAD systems!!!

2. Like most modern solid modelling 3D CAD packages, SW is not intended for schematic capture, or even for heavy duty entirley 2D drafting. "Us all" apparently live in and have embraced a 3D world. The other posts are correct. If you are doing a lot of schematic type work, buy some custom (and associative!!) software for the job. Otherwise use Visio of you want to do it inside SW for consistency. That is their approved tool for this. It is set up to handle connective charts and symbols. It makes no sense to brute force even a regular 2D drafting system for this purpose. Your time is worth more than the cost of Visio. I think that their choice to rely on Visio for this application is a valid one. Why would they want to spend a fortune on building (and supporting forever - that's the killer) 2D symbolic chart connectivity inside SW drawings for a very small percentage of SW use when an off the shelf solution partner is available?

3. Having said that, I too suspected that with the routing stuff becoming more mature, they would start to think about adding schematic capabilities. It would now have enough value added to make it worth the investment. But you should expect it to remain via a mature 3rd party partner code like Visio - it makes so much more sense. As Engineers we often take a very nuts and bolts approach to our logic and tend to forget this is a business descision as well. So far SW have done a great job of avoiding most of the classic pitfalls of the CAD industry - there are a lot of tombstones out there (and some BIG ones too). I have been in the CAD business since 1979, so I have seen virtually all of them - never fails to amaze me that they keep on doing it (PTC to name but a few!). There is no point in putting out what you think is the ideal dream system for every single potential user if you have to file chapter 11 next year.

4. We took advantage of the Visio freebies and/or discounts from SW a while back (it ran in SW2003 also). We do use it from time to time for wiring diagrams and electrical schematics, but only for those that roll over from our legacy CAD system or manual originals. Everything else is done using the EE CAD systems -where it belongs.

5. BTW we are having pretty good success using CircuitWorks for bi-directional transfer of data between PCB layout and SW 3D models. Note also that all our PCB layout work is done by outside contractors and it is all working fine. A by-product of this is that our thermal analysis is now greatly improved and in much greater detail. (We are using Cosmos partner and CosmosM products for analysis.)

Be naughty - save Santa a trip.

 

[macPT]

I don't know wy some of you use nasty words when referring AutoCAD.

I use CAD systems for more then 10 years. The most intensive use was Pro/E (since 1992) and SW (since 1999). In my last 2 jobs I have implemented 3D CAD/CAE systems and proved to managers that it was the right tool, as an alternative to the traditional 2D. But still I think that for many tasks and designers, 2D (and AutoCad) is the way to go.

And I confess that several times I use AutoCAD. Why? Because it's a good tool when properly used. I bet you consider a hammer a bad tool if you try to use it with screws. But does a screwdriver fix a nail?

The tasks that I am happy about AutoCAD are the schematics. I have created my own symbols with custom properties. With a macro that I've created I export to Excel a BOM with the datails needed. For normalization purposes, the schematic and BOM are then linked into an SW sheet.

I've tested VISIO but I was not able to create schematics as easely as with AutoCAD (but I don't mean that VISIO can't be suitable, for a more experienced user).

I note that our schematics are not very complex. Otherwyse a more suitable CAD would be needed.

Regards

 

[ctopher]

All Cad systems have plus and minus to them. After using ACad then SW...it is like night and day to me with the capabilities of mechanical design. For me it is like using a cordless power drill vs a screwdriver, they both do the same job.....but I would prefer the easier more powerful one.

 

[TheTick]

AutoCAD is our tool of choice for assimilating wireframe IGES (which is common from Japanese auto designers). SW IGES loses all of the curve colors and layers, which can make sifting through a wireframe model very difficult.

"Great ideas need landing gear as well as wings."--C. D. Jackson

 

[meintsi]

VISIO works well.
Allows for creation of product specific stencils and etc.
Once you learn how to use the shapesheets, you never have to create any symbol more tahn once.

The technical edition was included for free with SolidWorks 2001 or 2001+. That is if you redeemed your coupon that was in the box.





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your going to have to use your feet."