Design Tables (SOLIDWORKS)
Excel-driven tables embedded in a SOLIDWORKS file that generate configurations from rows.
🔗 Related Concepts
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Definition
A design table is an Excel sheet embedded in the SLDPRT or SLDASM. Each row is a configuration; columns are parameter names (dimensions like D1@Sketch1, suppression states, custom properties, configuration-specific values). Double-clicking the design table opens it inside SOLIDWORKS for editing.
Why it matters
Design tables scale configuration management beyond what manual editing allows. A 100-row design table generates 100 fastener configurations from one parent SLDPRT.
Common pitfalls
- Renaming dimensions in the part without updating the design table — silent column desync.
- Embedding Excel macros — design table refuses to update.
- Adding rows that produce invalid feature combinations — configurations error on rebuild.
The Excel-to-model contract
A Design Table is an embedded Excel worksheet where each row is a configuration and each column controls a parameter using a keyword syntax: D1@Sketch1 for a dimension, $STATE@Feature for suppression, $CONFIGURATION@name for the row's configuration name, and $PARTNUMBER/$COMMENT for metadata. On close, SOLIDWORKS regenerates one configuration per row.
Keeping tables robust
Rename features and dimensions before building the table so the column headers stay meaningful (Length@BaseExtrude beats D1@Sketch1). Use Insert > Tables > Design Table > Auto-create to seed columns from existing configurations. Watch units — the table uses document units — and avoid circular equation references, which surface as rebuild errors on the affected rows only.
References
Primary and vendor documentation used while writing this page (external links, not republished):
SOLIDWORKS Ecosystem Context
This concept is a core structural element of the SOLIDWORKS drafting and engineering environment developed by Dassault Systèmes. Dassault Systèmes' mainstream parametric MCAD — feature-based modelling, assembly mates, and 2D drawings tightly coupled to the 3D model.
Relevant SOLIDWORKS FAQs
❓ Is SOLIDWORKS available on macOS?
Not natively. SOLIDWORKS is Windows-only. Mac users run it via Parallels, VMware Fusion, or Boot Camp (Intel Macs). On Apple Silicon, virtualisation is limited. The official cross-platform alternative from Dassault is the browser-based xDesign on 3DEXPERIENCE.
❓ What's the difference between SOLIDWORKS Standard, Professional, and Premium?
Standard is the core modelling + drawings package. Professional adds CAD Library, PhotoView 360 rendering, eDrawings Professional, Toolbox, advanced sheet metal. Premium adds Simulation, Routing (electrical/piping), ScanTo3D, Motion. Most production shops use Premium; education usually uses Premium-equivalent.
❓ What is 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS vs. traditional SOLIDWORKS?
Traditional SOLIDWORKS is a desktop product, files saved to disk/network/PDM. 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS is the same desktop product but cloud-connected: files saved to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, license tied to a Platform identity, and access to companion cloud apps (3D Sculptor / xDesign, simulation, PLM).
⚡ Concept Self-Test
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🎓 Recommended Practice Lessons
Step-by-step practical exercises and certification-aligned paths chosen by our editors to master this concept:
SOLIDWORKS - Tutorial for Beginners in 13 MINUTES!
SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD Specialization (Coursera)
🌳 Semantic Crossroads & Navigation Pathways
Trunk-Branch-Leaf ModelExplore cross-referenced learning lanes. Connect this specific method back to macro CAD coordinate foundations, parent software environments, and sibling parameters in our shared taxonomy map.
Global Foundations
Core glossary, interactive graph, and domain-wide concept index.
Ecosystem Integration
Parent design environments and platforms implementing this method natively.
Active Context & Neighbors
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