Solidworks 2011: Advanced Techniques: Advanced Level Tutorials Parts, Surfaces, Sheet Metal, SimulationXpress, Top-Down Assemblies, Core & Cavity Molds [Anglais] [Broché]

Advanced mean a lot of things to different people; this book to me is not advanced. I'm not sure what it is? It does not cover surfaces, equations, complex design tables, assemblies (two, three or more levels of configurations) advanced system and document options or a simple item like Top-down assemblies. The one example in the book that addresses a Top-down assembly does not even start with the user creating a 3D sketch or a layout sketch. You open a model and then starting working with it. There is very little on Advanced or Mechanical mates. The tutorials are very limited and the models user poor design techniques.

I requested a desk copy from the publisher. I'm trying to collect information, materials and to decide on a text book to craft an Advanced CAD class using SolidWorks. I've read the reviews and have given other SolidWorks books (freshman class) five stars.

One of the reviewers was very unprofessional with a statement, "I AM A COLLEGE PROFESSOR TEACHING SOLIDWORKS, so the gentlemen that gave it 1 star might have a 'learning disability'". This goes again everything that academics stand for and I feel very remorseful for his students with this brutal and all knowing attitude.

Now the book; it's not a one star book but it's not a five star book. I wanted to locate items in the book, and realized that it has no index. Not a good idea for a book in an academic environment. When students cannot find something, they raise their hand in class to ask the professor or TA.

I then started to review each chapter and open the models located on the CD. The author may have a great knowledge of SolidWorks and 3D modeling, but does not fully understand nor comprehend basic engineering graphics and ANSI standards when applying part and drawing dimensioning schemes. This is very scary for an upper level CAD class. Example 1: ASME Y-14.5M: ANSI dimensioning standard for U.S, trailing zeros are used. Metric, no trailing zeros should be used. Example 2: Cylindrical part with a hole. Holes are dimensioned by giving their diameter and located in the view that displays the circular hole. Its goes on and on with the errors.

The table of contents is impressive and this is what first interested me about acquiring a desk copy, but the depth and procedure is lacking. Little or no granularity is provided in various sub-topics of the chapters; but this could be good in an advanced CAD class. Writing a good advanced book can be very difficult, and I'm starting to understand the pros / cons of this book. Not having solution models on the CD does not help.

Overall a fair endeavor to write an advanced SW book, but falls short with basic engineering graphics and ANSI / ASME standards and errors in a few chapters when directions are provided. I would grade it 2.5 stars but there is no place to input 2.5 on Amazon.com.

What a disappointing book this is. Lack of in-depth material; surfacing, sheet metal, top down assembly, equations, configurations, external references, in any advanced category. SolidWorks help and their tutorials provid more useful information than this book and it's free.

I strongly recommend either buying the SolidWorks Bible or the SolidWorks Surfacing book from Matt if you are truly looking for an advanced book. I wonder if Paul is an engineer and I know that he has never taught in a college environment.

The section on the CSWP is utterly worthless. I have my CSWA and I am trying to obtain study materials for the CSWP. The book provides no help is this area. As an example: Page 19-3 tells you to create a second revolve body on the Front plane, it should say the Top plane. On page 19-8 he tells you to select the 6 edges as shown; but there are only five arrows pointing to the edges, and this is just the first part and no solution model on the CD to check your work. Utterly worthless. He states, "the mass included in this dialog is for example only, they're not the actual weight of the part and then he displayed the Mass Properties. What is the correct mass? Guess what; mass and weight is different!!!!

Plus there is NO index!!!