SolidWorks blog

If you create many grooves in your design, you can use very simple method to do that in SolidWorks.

1. create groove as library feature part (*.sldlfp) in our design library.
2. use it!

On the images below you can see whole process.

Sketch contour of groove without any relation to solid body or origin. Also add point to a center of axes. This point we will after use to determine position of groove.

Extrude contour inner and outer

Now change name of configuration from default to M5 and SAVE AS groove_automation.sldlfp (SolidWorks library feature part) to your design library.

The top icon in feature manager will change

Also you can see changed other icons by Extrude2 and Extrude3. You will do that by right click on that features and select ADD TO LIBRARY. Finally SAVE and CLOSE this file.

Now you can try how this groove will be simple used.

Drag and drop groove to your design from task pane. In the list you can see name of configuration M5. If you create more configurations you can select them here.

Confirm.

Finally add dimensions to fully defined sketch and determine position of groove

In this tutorial we created vertical groove. If you want horizontal, create new library feature part with horizontal groove.