A common SOLIDWORKS rookie mistake is not leveraging the origin in the first sketch of your model. Not relating your first SOLIDWORKS sketch to origin leads to confusion and often requires the time-consuming process of refactoring your model later when errors occur.
By applying the initial SOLIDWORKS sketch to origin, you can quickly add design intent to your model, fully define your sketch, and gain powerful information about the mass properties in the future.
Mastering the SOLIDWORKS origin technique might prove prudent during a SOLIDWORKS Certification Exam and could mean the difference between a pass or fail.
What is the SOLIDWORKS Origin?
When we start a model in SOLIDWORKS, we do so from one of the three orthogonal planes: Front, Top, or Right. The intersections of those three planes create a single point that we refer to as the origin and is the only defined reference when starting the model. It resides at absolute zero and can be used to build off of for future sketches. Without the origin being defined, we would have no way to tell SOLIDWORKS where we are in space and we could be potentially creating sketches 20 meters from the “true” middle of the part.
Orthogonal SOLIDWORKS planes and the origin
How Do We Align a SOLIDWORKS Sketch to Origin?
The easiest way to use the origin is when placing the first point of the first sketch entity we place. This is typically the first corner of a rectangle, the center of a circle, or the endpoint of a line. When creating those entities, if you hover over the origin a little icon will appear to show that an automatic coincident relationship will be created and that point will be locked to the origin. All subsequent sketch entities will be tied to that point in one way or another. You can continue to chain sketch entities from the origin or use the smart dimension command to add additional dimensional relations.
The alternative to using the origin from the first sketch entity and leveraging the automatic relations is to add the relationship manually afterward. By holding control and selecting the origin with another entity, you can create many other relationships such as coincident, vertical, or horizontal. Regardless of the choice, using the origin in the first sketch of a model is an essential part of the SOLIDWORKS modeling workflow.
What are the Benefits of Aligning the First Sketch to Origin?
The first benefit of using the origin in the first sketch is to have better-defined design intent meaning that the model is in a very specific location and can’t accidentally shift off when dimensions change. Equally as important, it means that you can get accurate mass properties and center of mass measurements. The center of mass measurements will use the SOLIDWORKS origin when doing its calculations and report the distances from that origin. Although the coordinate system can be changed, it is an easy thing to overlook and report inaccurate values. The recommended workflow is to make sure you are using the origin in the first sketch of your SOLIDWORKS models.
SOLIDWORKS center of mass display
Making SOLIDWORKS rookie mistakes is an integral part of the journey to becoming a SOLIDWORKS expert but learning how to avoid them is how you can quickly go from novice to pro. Minimizing mouse movements and increasing modeling is the easiest way to set yourself apart from other users. While learning SOLIDWORKS can take many forms, the best way to do so is by getting information directly from the TriMech Group team. Our years of experience can help answer all your SOLIDWORKS-related questions and make you the SOLIDWORKS user you were meant to be.
Learn more with a certified training course
One of the biggest benefits of taking certified, instructor-led SOLIDWORKS training is the knowledge shared by our team to help avoid common pitfalls or committing a SOLIDWORKS rookie mistake. While trying to learn on your own has the potential to go smoothly, it often leads to gaps in fundamental knowledge that could make you a more efficient SOLIDWORKS user. Formal training is jam-packed with useful SOLIDWORKS Tips and Tricks to help you quickly go from SOLIDWORKS novice to pro in no time.
Check out our SOLIDWORKS Training Passport to gain access to a large number of essential training classes at a discounted price.
