Simulation Tech Tip: How to Use the Bolt Connector
If you analyze assemblies of parts that are joined by bolts or screws, you probably know about the “Bolt Connector”. Bolt Connectors are a very efficient way of representing the bolt stiffness, and compression due to pre-load, on the bolted components. The Bolt Connector account for these effects mathematically in the solver, which spares you [...]
eDrawings App for iPad
eDrawings® for iPad® is the first mobile application from 3DS SolidWorks. eDrawings for iPad is the only CAD viewer on the iPad that allows you to view native eDrawings® files, DraftSight® files, and SolidWorks® parts, assemblies and drawings files. Since its launch, eDrawings software has become a successful and much loved collaboration product. In the [...]
Creating DXF Files in SolidWorks
3D (-1) (Exporting 2D DXF files) We design in a 3D world, but many parts are manufactured from flat sheet. The flat pattern of a sheet metal part and flat plates used in weldments are examples. Laser and waterjet cutters of flat parts may want to use a DXF file instead of native geometry. Let’s [...]
3DVIA Composer Tech Tip: Growing a Wire
Spring is finally here and all kinds of things are popping up, molting, sprouting, blooming, and growing…. By planting the seeds from your CAD system in the rich soils of your 3DVIA Composer garden, you can grow things too! Today, we’re going to “grow” a wire from its seed. There is a special video at [...]
Are you strong/smart enough to break handcuffs?
Remove the guesswork from your designs We know you are smart enough to set up a physical test, now see how with SolidWorks Simulation you can use the same knowledge to reduce the time and costs of physical testing and get to the best design faster. We’ll prove it by breaking handcuffs and you can [...]
EPDM Tech Tip: Data Recovery
Sometimes a First Impression is all you get… Data recovery when local files are lost before the first check in. It was a typical scene, curbside to the local cafe. Boy meets Girl. They introduce themselves, shake hands, and exchange glances with a smile. Boy begins to think about all the things he wants to [...]
How to Simplify SolidWorks Assembly Geometry
Dealing with a large assembly can have its frustrations however SolidWorks has some tools to help. One such tool is called Defeature. This tool lets you remove details from Assemblies, Multi-body Parts, and Parts to simplify the geometry. This in turn will speed up your open/rebuild times. This tool can also be used to remove [...]
SolidWorks 2013 Alpha Testing Begins Soon
SolidWorks 2013 will be here before you know it, but in order to make this release even better than 2012, DS SolidWorks needs your feedback. Alpha testing begins on May 2nd, so you must register soon in order to participate. This will be held at their new Waltham campus, where you will be meeting one-on-one [...]
How to Run Simultaneous Simulations
Starting with SolidWorks Simulation 2009, we have been granted the ability to run a Simulation study while continuing to work on other models in SolidWorks or even shut SolidWorks down while the Simulation continues to solve. We are also allowed to run multiple studies simultaneously. The best part is there are no special settings or [...]
SolidWorks Tech Tip: Sketches That Enforce Proportion
Sometimes a sketched feature is not intended to produce a particular dimension, so much as to create a chosen proportion. The most obvious way to enforce proportionality between any two dimensions in SolidWorks, is to write an equation. Equations are powerful and useful, and they have their place. But we also teach that Geometric logic [...]
