You’re working along using one of my favorite tools, the Hole Wizard, and then it happens… The size you need isn’t listed. Don’t panic! I will show you how easy it is to add those missing sizes quickly so you can continue on.
First, let’s pick an odd size that is not listed in the default database. In one of my recent projects, I found myself needing a M6x.75 Socket Head Cap Screw. Looking at the Hole Wizard tapped hole selection, we can see that there is currently no M6x.75 listed. So let’s add it!
To add a missing tap size, we will need to know the following information. I typically use data from one of the various thread data websites found with a simple google search.
These are the numbers that we will be using when adding a M6x.75 tap to my Hole Wizard database.
Now that we have all of the data needed, let’s get to it! First we need to go into the Tools > Options and choose the Hole Wizard/Toolbox under the System Options tab.
Once in the Hole Wizard/Toolbox area click Configure.
Then a new window should open that looks like this:
You guessed it, we are going to select 1. Hole Wizard.
The next screen will present you with all of the standards, for this example I will choose ANSI Metric, then Tapped Holes and finally Tapped Hole.
Once into the correct location it’s time to add a new size. With the Sizes section selected click the + sign to add a new size.
After the data is entered, select OK and you will see your new size listed at the bottom of the list.
Wait! We’re not done yet, we still need to add the proper Thread Data from above. Select Thread Data from the Standard Properties section and click the + sign again.
Once all the data is entered, you can click OK and you will see a new entry at the bottom of the list.
Note: All cells must have a value filled out to continue, as you can see I placed a “– “ in for Series since I do not have that information at this time.
Now for the most important part, SAVE!
After you select the save icon it will gray out, letting you know that all your hard work has been saved to the database. Now let’s go see if it works!
We can now create an M6x.75 tapped hole using the Hole Wizard. The information will also show when using the hole callout feature when detailing your drawings.
One last optional step…
If you would like to share your hard work with your co-workers you will need to take the “SolidWorks Data” folder from your local install and place it on a shared network location (To verify this location go to Tools > Options and choose the Hole Wizard/Toolbox).
Once the folder is in a location that everyone can see, open SolidWorks on each client and modify the location to the Toolbox under Tools > Options and choose the Hole Wizard/Toolbox to point to the network location you just created.
If you have questions, feel free to submit a case and one of our CADimensions support engineers will get back to you shortly.