SolidWorks® 2011 Parts Bible

Appendix A

Finding Help

IN THIS APPENDIX

Getting SolidWorks Help

Accessing information on SolidWorks Web sites

Accessing graphics cards and drivers

Benefiting from user groups

Getting support from online forums

Using non-commercial Web sites

SolidWorks software has been around for more than 15 years now. In that time, the resources available to users seeking help have increased dramatically. These resources take many forms, from personal Web sites with information from individual experience to commercial online magazines or forums with advanced interfaces. In this appendix, I have assembled some of the more worthy sources of quality information.

It is not the goal of this book to endorse any commercial sites or services, but some of the listed resources are commercial in nature, and may feature advertisements, logins, or paid subscriptions.

SolidWorks Help

The SolidWorks Help file contains some information you need to research how functions work. There are topics for which searchability is poor, or that do not appear under expected names, but this is the exception rather than the norm. It is more common to find that some features are poorly documented or not documented at all. For example, when you look up the significance of the Engage Belt option in the Belt/Chain sketch function described in Chapter 3, SolidWorks Help says, “Engage belt. Clear to disengage the belt mechanism,” which may not be the help you are looking for.

However, some functions, such as sheet metal bend ...