When dealing with design tables, we can start by creating a base model. After that, we can use a design table to create multiple configurations. This will be the process we follow in this exercise by creating the base model and using the configurations highlighted in the drawing in the following screenshot. SOLIDWORKS uses Microsoft Excel to generate design tables, so you must have Microsoft Excel installed on your computer to use design tables:

To create the following model utilizing design tables, follow these steps: 

1. Create the base model as highlighted in the drawing. When doing that, you can use the following good practices. These will minimize confusion when generating and using a design table:
   • Give names to your dimensions as you are inputting them. The following screenshot shows inputting the name for the Slot Radius. You can follow the naming we have indicated in the initial drawing:

1. • Rename your features and sketches listed in the design tree to make them easier to identify. The following screenshot highlights a sample of renamed features and sketches for use in this exercise:

2. To add a design table, go to Insert then Tables and select Design Tables..., as highlighted in the following screenshot:

3. Select the source as Auto-create, as in the screenshot. The Edit Control is set by default to Allow model edits to update the design table; we will leave that selected. We will discuss this option later in this part. Click on the green checkmark to initiate the design table:

4. Select the dimensions we want to vary as shown in the screenshot. Notice that this selection only includes dimensions related to sketches and features, not whether or not a feature is applied or suppressed:

5. Fill in the design table as highlighted in the screenshot. The first column in the table shows the name of the configuration, while the others show dimensions unique to that particular configuration. Note that empty cells will automatically take the values of the active default configuration:

6. Note that the table only has dimensions so far. However, configuration B has the circle extruded boss features suppressed. To add the state of the feature to the design table, select the first empty title cell, then double-click on the feature on the design tree, as highlighted in the following screenshot. This will automatically add the state of the feature to the design table.
7. To adjust the status of the feature, we can type the letter U for unsuppressed or the letter S for suppressed. Alternatively, we can type the full words (unsuppressed or suppressed) or 0 and 1, which stand for unsuppressed and suppressed respectively. Adjust the feature status as shown in the following screenshot:

8. Click anywhere on the canvas outside of the table to confirm the table. We will see the following message confirming the new configurations:

After generating the different configurations, it is a good practice to double-check them. So, go to the ConfigurationManager and check all of the configurations we just generated and notice how they are different from each other.

This concludes our coverage of how to generate a design table to create multiple configurations. However, now that we know how to initiate a design table, we will also learn how to edit it.