Converting an AutoCAD Drawing to a SolidWorks Part
convert AutoCAD drawing to Solid works.
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Step 1:
1 Open a dwg file from within SolidWorks:
2 When the dwg file is opened, “DWG Import Wizard” appears.
3 Select “Import to New Part”, and click “Next”.
4 Now select the “Model” tab to eliminate the border and notes in Paper space.
5 Then uncheck layers that do not help to create the sketches for generating SolidWorks such as the dimension and notation layers.
6 Then select “Next”.
7 Select “Import this sheet to a 2D sketch”. Finish.Import Wizard opens a 2D sketch in SolidWorks. There is a new “2D to 3D” toolbar that pops up along the side, but you may not recognize it.
8 I recommend dragging this new toolbar onto your sketch space so you can easily see it.
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Step 2:
9 The following list explains the icons in this new toolbar:
10 Sweep a box to select the Front view.
11 Then select the “Front” view icon in the “2D to 3D” toolbar.
12 This adds the view to your sketch. The green lines will turn gray. Your other view icons will now become active.
13 Now select the Left view.
14 Then select the “Left” icon.
15 You will watch the left view sketch turn to line up with the left plane. It looks like a straight line here.Then sweep-select the top view, and then select the “Top” icon.
16 To get the Auxiliary view, Sweep-select it, then control-select a parallel line in the parent view.
17 Now we have to control-select lines in two views to align them. Control-select a line in Left view and control-select a line in Front view. Then select the “Align Sketch” icon. Then control-select a line in Top view and control-select a line in Front. Select “Align Sketch”. Then align an edge line in Auxiliary to an edge in its parent view. The sketches will jump to snap in line with each other.
18 Now we can begin Extruding and cutting.I will start by selecting a line in the Front sketch, right-click, and select “Select Chain”.
19 This selects the entire border of my shape. Now I can select the “Extrude” icon.
20 This opens the “Extrude” dialog box on the left.
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Step 3:
21 Here you can select the “Vertex” point you want to extrude from and the “Up to Vertex” point to extrude to.
22 Select the checkmark to ok this extrusion.
23 Then select the same sketch as before, with new “from” and “to” Vertex points, to create the other plate.
24 Now I will select the circle for the hole, and Cut-Extrude it from the Sketch Plane to Through All.
25 Now, this part is more tricky: to select lines that need trimming, we select the lines, then the “Create Sketch from Selections” icon.
26 This places a sketch in the tree, but you have to right-click on that sketch in the tree in order to work on it. This is the only place you can activate “Edit Sketch”.Now, you can use the scissors to trim lines, make line collinear with edges, and convert construction lines to real lines.
27 Now, even though your sketch is fine, you can’t just select Extrude as in a normal sketch, but you must first activate the sketch (by sweep-selecting it in the graphics area, or clicking it in the tree) so it is green, then you can select Extrude in the 2D to 3D toolbar. To extrude this component, I uncheck “Merge result”.
28 Now, I repeat the process to execute a Cut-Extrude:
29 Next, we need to add tapped holes.
30 Select the surface for the holes.Select the Hole Wizard icon in the normal tree.Select the type of hole, in this case it was 3/8-16 tapped hole. Locate the 4 holes.
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Step 4:
31 Now, one at a time, control-select a hole and then its corresponding location in the correct sketch (in this case the auxiliary view). Then select “Coincident”.
32 Now, OK it, and we have our tapped holes.
33 Repeat the same process to create the ¼-20 tapped holes.
34 We are done. Now clean up by hiding the original sketches, and fully-defining each construction sketch.
35 You can use Tools/Dimensions/FullyDefineSketch to define the sketch.
36 This selects the entire border of my shape. Now I can select the “Extrude” icon.
37 This opens the “Extrude” dialog box on the left.
38 Here you can select the “Vertex” point you want to extrude from and the “Up to Vertex” point to extrude to.
39 Select the checkmark to ok this extrusion.
40 Then select the same sketch as before, with new “from” and “to” Vertex points, to create the other plate.
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Step 5:
41 Now I will select the circle for the hole, and Cut-Extrude it from the Sketch Plane to Through All.
42 Now, this part is more tricky: to select lines that need trimming, we select the lines, then the “Create Sketch from Selections” icon.
43 This places a sketch in the tree, but you have to right-click on that sketch in the tree in order to work on it. This is the only place you can activate “Edit Sketch”.Now, you can use the scissors to trim lines, make line collinear with edges, and convert construction lines to real lines.
44 Now, even though your sketch is fine, you can’t just select Extrude as in a normal sketch, but you must first activate the sketch (by sweep-selecting it in the graphics area, or clicking it in the tree) so it is green, then you can select Extrude in the 2D to 3D toolbar. To extrude this component, I uncheck “Merge result”.
45 Now, I repeat the process to execute a Cut-Extrude:
46 Next, we need to add tapped holes.
47 Select the surface for the holes.Select the Hole Wizard icon in the normal tree.Select the type of hole, in this case it was 3/8-16 tapped hole. Locate the 4 holes.
48 Now, one at a time, control-select a hole and then its corresponding location in the correct sketch (in this case the auxiliary view). Then select “Coincident”.
49 Now, OK it, and we have our tapped holes.
50 Repeat the same process to create the ¼-20 tapped holes.
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Step 6:
51 We are done. Now clean up by hiding the original sketches, and fully-defining each construction sketch.
52 You can use Tools/Dimensions/FullyDefineSketch to define the sketch.
53 Just OK the results.
54 After fully defining all those sketches, the completed model and tree
