Creating Custom Appearances In Solidworks

By Author: Nc Cad Cam Systems
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CREATING CUSTOM APPEARANCES IN SOLIDWORKS

SOLIDWORKS is a quite versatile CAD modelling software and one of its advantages is that it allows the user to create custom features.

An example is the custom form tool feature that allows a designer to create a custom forming tool from a part file in a shape created to suit the designer’s needs.

This makes the software useful especially when what one requires is not in the design library.

In this demo, I will be taking you through how to create your own custom appearance based on a jpeg or jpg file. Following these few simple steps then this can be made possible.

First, you need to identify the image you would like your part to look like. You can download different surface texture images from google. Once you’ve done this, you can create a part inside SOLIDWORKS that would embody your custom appearance.

A custom appearance like the one below should do. Go to the appearance tab and right in the appearance section click on add a new file location.

Search for the folder and add it to your selection. Go ahead and insert the image file ...
... In the custom appearance folder. With this, you are good to go.

Browse for the file location in the appearance tab and you will notice the jpg image is added to your materials option in the custom appearance folder.

Drag and drop the file onto your part and notice the texture and appearance of the part change to the one you created.
With these simple steps. you will be able to create your own custom appearance.