Hey, I'm Chris — product design engineer with 15+ years in industry, CSWE, and the person behind Fully Defined. This community exists for one reason: to help you get genuinely good at SolidWorks, from a designer's perspective. Not a textbook perspective, not a mechanical engineering perspective — a product designer's perspective. There's a difference, and it matters. Here's what you'll find here: 📚 Courses — structured learning, starting from zero 💬 Community — ask questions, share your work, get unstuck 🎥 Content — videos, livestreams, and resources that go beyond the YouTube channel Where to start There are two ways in, depending on how you like to learn: 1. Learn by doing — start with the LEGO CAD Library. You'll build real parts from day one, develop parametric thinking naturally, and not even realise how much you're picking up. No pressure, just progress. 2. Learn by structure — start with SolidWorks for Designers, available here in Skool. It's a linear path from the SolidWorks interface through to CSWA exam preparation, built around a single project that accumulates across every section. Either way, both paths lead to the same place — confident, capable SolidWorks skills from a designer's perspective. A third step is in the works. I'll let you know when it's ready. A few things worth knowing: > Ask anything. If you're stuck, post it. The only bad question is the one you didn't ask because you thought it was too simple. > Share your work. Models, sketches, screenshots — even the messy ones. That's how you get useful feedback. > This is a practitioner's community. Come here to improve, and you will. Drop a comment below and introduce yourself — where you're at with SolidWorks, what you're working on, or what brought you here. I read every one. — Chris

Something I’ve been working on for a while is finally out. I teamed up with the CADclass team to write a SolidWorks workbook built around real projects. Not click-through exercises. Not reference material. Actual things you build from scratch: a LEGO brick ring, a carabiner, a rocket, a pizza cutter. Each one designed to teach you how SolidWorks thinks, not just how to follow steps. It’s written for complete beginners. Being here, I expect most of you are a bit further along than that, but you’ll enjoy the projects regardless. There are two versions: Student edition: available as a pay-what-you-want PDF download. If you can donate, it funds free access for students who can’t afford it. If you’ve already bought a print copy, or genuinely can’t, you can grab the eBook with just your email. The Amazon print version is also available if you want something physical. Instructor edition: $39.99 PDF, with answer keys, rubrics, teaching notes, and a CSWA certification alignment guide built in. Also on Amazon in print. CADclass bring the production quality and pedagogy framework. I bring the SolidWorks practitioner perspective. The result is something neither of us would have made alone. If you pick it up, let me know how you get on. Early feedback from this community means a lot.

For a while, the old Fully Defined site didn't reflect what we're actually doing here. So I rebuilt it. fully-defined.com now lays out the whole path in one place: • Just starting out? Begin with SolidWorks Fundamentals and CSWA prep. • Working toward certification? The Cert Path is there, and the CSWP waitlist is open. • Already in the industry? From Model to Manufacture is next: DFM, production drawings and supplier handover, built around one real moulded part. There's also an FAQ covering software versions, licences and access, so you don't have to hunt for answers. Two things I'd love from you: 1. Have a look and tell me what's clear and what isn't. 2. If CSWP prep or Model to Manufacture interests you, join the waitlist. It tells me where to focus next. 👉 fully-defined.com Thanks for being part of this from the start.

What’s the SolidWorks workflow that took you the longest to unlearn from another CAD tool? Might not be applicable to all. I, for one, learned SolidWorks first and never spent more than a few hours in other CAD tools since Building content for intermediate users and want to know where the friction actually is, not where I assume it is. Drop your answer below.

Drippy on Discord (unsure if they are here in Skool) asked me: "Hi Chris Can you help me with this blueprint? I don't know where to start, what strategies should I do. if you can send a tutorial guide for this part my pleasure to learn from you chris" How could I say no?! I livestreamed the answer, working through the process of planning and identifying the model details. The full walkthru is 90 minutes long! Let me know if you followed along. Files attached for reference.