The target audience for this book is college students in courses that use
SolidWorks to learn and master CAD/CAM for design, visualization,
prototyping, and manufacturing. The book’s primary market is four-year
colleges and two-year community colleges. Freshman Engineering Design
courses should find this book useful, refreshing, and interesting. Other
important markets include high schools, professionals, and training courses.
We have written the book with the target audience in mind. Page iii
highlights some of the book’s features.
The book includes relevant math in Chapter 8 (Curves), Chapter 9
(Surfaces), and Chapter 13 (Analysis Tools). The math is concentrated in
one or two sections in each of these three chapters. We include the math for
two reasons. First, it shows students who are curious how CAD/CAM
systems work “under the hood.” Second, it broadens the book’s appeal to
many students, professors, and readers. This math may be ignored without
affecting the continuity of the coverage of the material in any of these three
chapters.
The philosophy behind the book is original, unique, and effective. We
cover and present SolidWorks as a design system rather than a software
program. Thus, instead of focusing on describing SolidWorks menus and
syntax, we describe design approaches, methodologies, and techniques to
help CAD designers/engineers and draftspersons achieve engineering tasks
in the fastest, easiest, and most effective way.
Based on this philosophy, the book focuses on design, modeling, and
drafting concepts instead of menus and commands. Thus, we present
command sequences to achieve CAD and modeling tasks. Of course, we
provide SolidWorks syntax and details, but do so in accordance with the
proposed philosophy of the book. We start with a CAD task to accomplish
(what to do) and then go about accomplishing it (showing how to use
SolidWorks to do it). This philosophy is more motivating to student
learning than simply going through layers of menus and commands.

The book approach is designed to showcase SolidWorks as a powerful
modeling and design system instead of only a software program. We
include challenging modeling and design examples and problems in the
book. As part of the book’s unique approach, we cover the theoretical
concepts behind the various functions of SolidWorks. This should provide
information to curious minds about why things work the way they do, as
well as explain their limitations and use.
The book provides abundant illustrations, step-by-step instructions, and
rich and challenging end-of-chapter problems. The book is suitable for use
at various levels, from freshman to senior to graduate courses. Instructors
can choose the chapters and topics that suit their teaching needs and
courses. They can also choose the level of depth. The book includes both
examples and tutorials. An example covers one concept whereas a tutorial
is more comprehensive by covering a full design task. Most examples and
tutorials have a hands-on exercise at the end that serves two purposes. First,
it ensures that the student has completed the example or tutorial, because it
builds on it. Second, it both challenges and extends the student’s
understanding.

The book is organized into parts and chapters. Instructors may cover the
chapters in any order to fit their course and student needs. However, we
recommend covering Chapters 1 and 2 first to build a sound foundation in
3D CAD/CAM modeling concepts. Chapter 1 is designed to provide a
quick grasp of basic functionalities: create parts, create assemblies, and
create drawings. These three functionalities correspond to the three modes
of SolidWorks: part, assembly, and drawing. Therefore, students can start
designing basic and simple products after using only one chapter of the
book; they do not have to wait until later chapters to learn how to design
and document simple parts and assemblies. Later chapters provide further
details. Thus, Chapter 1 provides breadth and the remainder of the book
provides depth. Chapter 2 covers essential concepts required for a sound
understanding of 3D modeling and efficient use of today’s parametric
features-based solid modeling CAD/CAM systems such as SolidWorks.