![]() In some cases, 2D drawings of designs are rarely referenced or changed. A company that has been around for a while has likely accumulated a large amount of 2D CAD drawings, which will provide reason enough to keep 2D CAD. A hybrid 2D/3D environment may be the best solution. Smart companies also realize that when there is little advantage to 3D CAD, like the small machine shop with simple prismatic parts, the costs of purchasing 3D CAD will be hard to justify-not to mention the costs of retraining employees and the learning curve of mastering 3D design.Ĭareful evaluation of the return on investment (ROI) in migrating to 3D can also keep 2D CAD around. They know that the intrinsic efficiencies of 3D CAD far outweigh the additional costs. That being said, smart companies know that the cost of software and hardware is far less than the costs of the greatest assets-their employees. For many companies, such as a small machine shop that just needs to sketch up a prismatic shape every once in a while, an inexpensive 2D CAD program running on an inexpensive PC is sufficient. Generally, 2D CAD costs less than 3D CAD, and the hardware required for 2D CAD is generally less expensive. ![]() They often have experience with other design packages, so hesitancy to change is not a problem.Ĭost is one factor in 2D CAD’s lingering popularity. The people who are currently using 2D CAD today are younger and computer savvy. That could have been an indication that 2D CAD would stay around because of the reluctance to change in what might be called mid- to late adopters-except that most of them have aged out of the workforce. ![]() One student told me over lunch on the first day of 3D CAD training that he would leave design rather than learn a new CAD program. Windows was a mystery to them, and I often found myself teaching both SOLIDWORKS and Windows. Many students in the early days (1998 to around 2005) only interacted with a computer to use ACAD or to play a game of Tetris or Solitaire. By around 2005, most of my students were still 2D CAD users. Check out more SOLIDWORKS tips and tricks below.Why does 2D CAD persist? Early on, from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s when 3D CAD was still new to people, many viewed it with skepticism, perhaps as a passing phase. This article walks through the steps to sync your library: Updating the SOLIDWORKS Routing Database. Though it is typically not necessary, especially in later releases, you may need to sync your Routing library after moving your new files into place. 6: Moving the contents of the newly downloaded Flanges folder into the pre-existing flanges folder in the Routing library piping location. If I don't want my flanges separated by Standard, I can just cut and paste the part files in the ISO Piping Copper Alloy Flanges folder into the flanges folder that already exists in my Routing library folder.įIG. For example, in the downloaded ISO Piping Copper Alloy fileset, there is just one folder containing Flanges. 5: The ISO Piping Copper Alloy library stored in a new folder in piping for ISO components.Īnother is to move the extracted files into the existing subfolders in piping. One option is to create a new folder in piping for the Standard you just downloaded, then move your downloaded and extracted files there.įIG. How you organize your new files in the piping folder will depend on your workflow and where you want these additional parts and assemblies to appear. 4: Go to the Routing File Locations and Settings tab to see your Routing library location. ![]() 3: To open the Routing Library Manager, go to Tools > Routing > Routing Tools > Routing Library Manager.įIG. ![]() You can double-check which folder is set to be your Routing library folder by going to Routing File Locations and Settings in the Routing Library Manager.įIG. The default location is C:\ProgramData\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS 20XX\design library\routing. Then, move the extracted files to the piping subfolder in your Routing library location. zip file has been downloaded, browse to it in a Windows File Explorer and extract its contents. You'll be prompted to select a location for this. 2: A flyout appears with these instructions when you hover your cursor over one of the items in a folder. zip files, hold the CTRL button on your keyboard and left-click the desired fileset.įIG. zip file that contains the associated Routing components. In the Routing folder, the additional libraries are grouped by Standard.Įach item in the Standard folders links to a. In SOLIDWORKS, select the Design Library tab of your Task Pane. 1: The Design Library tab of the Task Pane. Additional piping Routing content can be downloaded through SOLIDWORKS Content, including parts and assemblies that align with different Standards like ISO and DIN.įIG. Installations of SOLIDWORKS include a set of routing components with your Design Library. ![]()
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