What is the best way to learn SOLIDWORKS? That is the question every SolidWorks beginner asks themselves when they first start designing parts and assemblies.

Since SOLIDWORKS is the easiest CAD modelling software among many others, it is no rocket science to learn it. Still, there are many criteria and points that decide how easily and fast someone can learn the software.  Firstly, it depends on the learner how long it takes for him/her to understand the software. And Secondly, which source they are using for learning. Let us have a glance at the different features of the software. Alongside, we’ll get an overview of how anyone must proceed to learn SOLIDWORKS.

 

 

Easiest Methods to learn SOLIDWORKS

1.    Know your Software

To understand in a better way and make the learning experience more efficient and quick, it is necessary to do your homework. Only with thorough research, the learner will be able to select the software which is perfect for them. There is a lot of software that has different usage as well as capabilities. Some might be suitable for mechanical design, civil design, automobile design and some for interior design.

That is why it is a crucial step in the learning process to be aware of all the software out there and choose which one best suits your requirement. When you have completed your research and selection phase and your chosen software is SOLIDWORKS, then let us move on to the next criteria.

 

2.    Know the Software

After downloading the software and completing the installation, the next step should be to navigate it thoroughly. By navigation, we imply that the user must try and understand each and every command, feature, option and all the other divisions or sub-divisions that are present on the screen. To understand a little more, you can also open the sub-menu and ultimately make a list of all the features and everything that you find on the software by yourself.

This is an important step in learning SOLIDWORKS. Since, when you discover by yourself, the chances of remembering them for a longer time also increase. After having a thorough look at the various features present in SOLIDWORKS you can move on to the next and very important step.

 

3.    Choose Your Instructor

Now, this plays a very important role in the learning process. There are a number of ways in which anyone can learn the software including educating oneself by trial and error,  opting for free online tutorials (Youtube) and videos by well-known creators,  or taking up a certification course. There are some good sides and bad sides to each type of learning. For starters, if you decide to go with the trial and error method, it can be the best decision.

The reason behind this is you will be learning from your own mistakes. This certainly makes you retain things for a long time. However, the problem with this method is that it will take a lot of time. Secondly, you can even learn from a YouTube channel. The negative part is you might not get proper tutorials. There are many channels that fail to explain each and every feature of the software. Therefore, you might end up learning only a small part of the software. Last but not the least, there are many online portals that provide complete training for Solidworks.

These learning platforms include all details of Solidworks in their program. They even make the learner understand everything in a creative and elaborate way. They also have a doubt clarification session too. The only problem that you can face with this mode of learning can be outsmarting with a little smartness. The learner should only choose those platforms which are popular for their loyalty to the user base. This ensures that you are learning from a loyal place and are becoming the best.

 

4.    Keep Practicing

After selecting the mode of learning, the next step is practice. It is quite necessary to put a lot of effort and dedication into learning to get a good grasp on Solidworks. The mug-up technique with commands and features will not be enough to design hi-end and complex models. The news you learn about SolidWorks will always require practice. This plays an important role in retaining knowledge for a longer duration of time.

You can take out a little time and must make sure that before going further on to a new command you must revise the previous one thoroughly. The issue with climbing on to new things without practicing the older ones is uncountable. You won’t be able to, sometimes clearly understand the new features and sometimes you will forget them quickly. So for an effective process, keep a smooth balance between learning and practicing.

5.    Self Evaluating

If you enter a good learning course, then they will take tests from time to time. This helps you refresh your memory and evaluate yourself. If you just continue to learn without testing yourself, there will be no clarity of how much you remember. On the other hand, if you are your own teacher, or learning from any YouTube channel then it becomes a self-responsibility to evaluate your knowledge.

You can buy or download an exercise pdf, a question bank, or even ask a friend to test you with a design task. There are many online resources that include question banks, practice questions, queries of other students, and even applications that help in self-evaluation. Mark a fixed day in your schedule for assessments and attempt them honestly.

 

6.    Attempt the Official Certification test

SOLIDWORKS organizes certification exams for learners to get a verified license. These are held at certain times throughout the year. SOLIDWORKS gives guidelines, sample paper, and practice sheets in order to help the candidate get ready for the test. These exams have three stages and a candidate may appear as many times as they want in order to clear it. But it is better to prepare perfectly and then attempt this test with your full potential.

The three exams are Associate level, Professional level, and Expert level. Upon passing these examinations, the candidate receives certificates for each level. These certificates are very important and can help you shine from others in a job resume/interview. It is a seal of surety from the company, Dassault Systemes, that the certificate holder is efficient on the mentioned level of working on Solidworks.