SOLIDWORKS 2022 What’s New – Geometric Tolerance Symbols

I’m very excited to tell you about this SOLIDWORKS 2022 enhancement. It has to do with a complete overhaul of the SOLIDWORKS Drawing annotation tool for Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing

If you’re unfamiliar with the GD&T tool in SOLIDWORKS Drawings, here is an image of the tool and the resulting annotation:

Here is what the icon for the tool looks like (it hasn’t changed)

Here is what the tool looks like in SOLIDWORKS 2021 and prior.

If you build the block using these symbols the annotation will look like this: . The process for building the block has been restrictive and not very intuitive until now.

Now for SOLIDWORKS 2022 the user interface has been completely redesigned to make it much easier to create the most accurate GD&T blocks for your communication to fabricators and quality control.  It starts with a simple block and some symbols that can be added by clicking. I will duplicate the previous block.

Once I add a symbol the next information appears and I can add another symbol, change the tolerance, or add a datum. Here I have added a diameter symbol and changed the tolerance to 0.02.

I will now add a Material Condition:

There are two ways to add a datum, use the plus sign on the right of the block. or use the “Add Datum” button.

Each plus sign will give a different option to add to the block.

The GD&T symbol will still attach to a dimension, or if the dimension is preselected the block will be automatically attached to it.

I hope this part of the What’s New series gives you a better understanding of the new features and functions of SOLIDWORKS 2022. Please check back to the CATI Blog as the CATI Application Engineers will continue to break down many of the new items in SOLIDWORKS 2022. All these articles will be stored in the category of “SOLIDWORKS What’s New.”

Dennis Barnes, CSWE
Application Engineer
Computer Aided Technology

DESIGN INNOVATION MONTH 2021 – Webinars, Virtual Showroom, Contests
Design Innovation Month is CATI’s massive “What’s New in 2022” event for SOLIDWORKS, 3DEXPERIENCE, and 3D printing & 3D scanning technology.  That’s six weeks of live and on-demand webinars, demonstrations, in-depth blog posts, and prizes!  Best of all, it’s free of charge!  Check the DI Month Hub for all the details and to sign up for your next event.