Design: Using Solidworks with Google Drive
This is a brief how-to on using Google Drive to share Solidworks CAD files.
- Tidy up your CAD.
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Ensure most -- if not all -- sketches within parts are fully defined and error-free.
Fully defined sketches will turn from blue to black with default Solidworks settings.
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Ensure most -- if not all -- sketches within parts are fully defined and error-free.
- Tidy up your CAD (cont.)
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Look over feature tree for each part and check that major features that may need to be modified by other students are clearly defined.
For example, if a mounting hole needs to be 2 inches away from another hole horizontal to it, the defining dimension should be this distance. A common mistake is dimensioning holes from the edges of a part, however, if the part size changes the holes will no longer be the appropriate distance apart.
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Look over feature tree for each part and check that major features that may need to be modified by other students are clearly defined.
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Add main assembly along with all parts and subassemblies to one folder on your computer. Provide a descriptive name for the folder such as: Pluto 2.5”OD Sub CAD
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Only include parts relevant to the assembly.
Don’t include earlier versions of parts that aren’t used in final CAD unless this progression is relevant/helpful for others. -
Double check that all parts referenced by an assembly are included.
If an assembly file is updated without all the individual parts, the next student will not be able to properly open the assembly because the missing components will be suppressed. To check that all parts are included, try opening the main assembly once all assemblies and parts are moved to a separate folder. If there are any parts missing from the folder, Solidworks will display an error message.
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Only include parts relevant to the assembly.
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Upload the folder to Google Drive in the appropriate CAD folder.
- Right-click on the project folder and select ‘Download’.
- Open the main assembly to check if any sub-assemblies or parts are missing.
- If you get an error message such as:
Click on ‘View Report’ to find the missing file and contact the student that uploaded these files and request that they upload this part as well.
- If there are no errors you’re good to go and can start editing your local copy of the CAD. See ‘Uploading Files’ above for instructions on properly uploading files that you’ve modified.
Last edited by Christina Segar on 7/12/17.