Tutorials

1 0 Intermediate
๐Ÿ“ฆ **SolidWorks โ€“ Bounding Box Command Tutorial ๐ŸŽฏ **Purpose of the Bounding Box The **Bounding Box** is used to automatically generate a **virtual box** that represents the smallest rectangular box that can fully enclose a part or body. It's useful for: * ๐Ÿ“ Estimating raw material size * ๐Ÿ“ฆ Packaging design * ๐Ÿ“Š BOM automation (length, width, height) * ๐Ÿงพ CNC programming / nesting ๐Ÿ”ง Where to Find the Bounding Box Command ๐Ÿ”น **SolidWorks Version**: Available in SolidWorks 2018 and later ๐Ÿ”น **Applicable To**: * Weldment parts (structural members) * Sheet metal parts * Bodies (in multibody parts) ๐Ÿ“ **Location:** * **Insert โžœ Reference Geometry โžœ Bounding Box** * Or, Right-click the **Cut List Item** or **Solid Body Folder** in FeatureManager Tree โžœ *Create Bounding Box* ๐Ÿงฐ **How to Use the Bounding Box Command โœ… Steps: 1. ๐Ÿ–ฑ๏ธ Right-click the **Cut List Item** or the **Solid Body Folder** (e.g., under a weldment or sheet metal part). 2. โž• Click **Create Bounding Box**. 3. ๐Ÿ“ SolidWorks calculates and displays the smallest 3D box around the selected body. 4. ๐Ÿงพ The box dimensions appear in the **Cut List Properties** automatically as: * `Bounding Box Length` * `Bounding Box Width` * `Bounding Box Thickness` (or Height) ๐Ÿ“ *Tip:* You can show these values in a drawing BOM using cut list properties. ๐Ÿ“Œ **Bounding Box Options | Option | Description | | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ๐Ÿ”ฒ **Best Fit** | Default. Creates the smallest possible box, optimized to the shape. | | โ†•๏ธ **Custom Plane** | You can define a specific orientation or plane for the box. | | โœ๏ธ **Manual Adjustment** | Not possible โ€“ the box is always auto-calculated by geometry. | ๐Ÿ“ **Using Bounding Box in Drawings 1. Create a **drawing** from the part. 2. Insert a **Cut List Table** (for weldments or sheet metal). 3. Add columns for: * `Bounding Box Length` * `Bounding Box Width` * `Bounding Box Thickness` 4. ๐Ÿงพ These will auto-populate from the bounding box data. ๐Ÿงช **Example