SOLIDWORKS makes it easy to put your parts together to make fully functional assemblies. With just a few clicks you can use the Mate Reference tool to capture the real world movements and behavior of your models. Here is how to use it: 

Within SOLIDWORKS, users tend to spend a lot of time creating mates to hold assembly components together. Although there are many components that are unique to a project, most designs include a handful of standard components.

But with a little upfront set up this can be made even easier. With the Mate Reference tool you can pre-define entities to use for establishing mates. 

Looking for a more in depth look at Mate References? Read our blog!