SolidWorks 2012 unveils the Freeze Bar feature

The one of the most favourite and well-known feature of SolidWorks 2012 is the Freeze Bar. Though, this feature of SolidWorks was supposed to launch in 2011 but that time it wasn’t ready. For the manufacturing companies’ engineers who work through complex parts with an extensive elements history, SolidWorks software 2012 provides the option to freeze features.

Freeze Bar feature

Freeze bar in SolidWorks products provides you the capability to freeze features to keep out them from the reconstructs of the model(s). It organizes the point at which a part’s feature manager intends tree restructures. Freezing a segment of a model could be helpful in condition; you work through complex models with numerous features. The feature of freezing helps to:

• Trim down the time of rebuild.
• Avoid unplanned modifications of the model.

Though, Freeze feature of SolidWorks 3D CADdesign software avoids the geometry of frozen features from being rebuilt but still you may experience lengthy rebuild times owing to other procedures that are not addressed by feature freeze. Illustrations of potentially long duration procedures not addressed by feature freeze are as under:

• Updating display appearances, when on extremely huge patterns.
• Updating the graphics of complex parts and larger parts.
• Updating complex Dim pert dimension and acceptance schemes.

Steps to Turn on the Feature Freeze in SolidWorks 2012

1. Click the options Standard toolbar or tools then, Options.
2. On System Options tab, please click General and then Enable Freeze bar.
3. Now, Click Ok.

After following these steps, the yellow freeze bar will appear on the top of the Feature Manager Design tree. The freeze bar organizes the aim at which a part’s Feature Manager Design tree reconstructs. You will get the features on top of the freeze bar are frozen. Now, you won’t be able to edit them also they will be barred from the rebuilds of the model.

Commands for moving the freeze bar are provided by the freeze bar shortcut menu. It also provides controlling rebuilds in addition to controlling part rebuild indicators.

To access following commands you need to right – click the Freeze Bar.

• Roll to end or freeze all it is accessible when the freeze option is on the top of the tree. To freeze all the features; you need to move the freeze bar to the bottom of the tree.
• Roll to top or unfreeze all it is accessible when some or all features are frozen. To unfreeze all features you need to move the freeze bar to the top of the tree.