SolidWorks DXF Output for 2010 – for Waterjet, Laser, ect…
In working with several customers and preparing for my webcast on SolidWorks for Aerospace Component Manufacturers (watch recording here), I realized how powerful the new DXF/DWG output capabilities in SolidWorks 2010 were. Simply put, a manufacturing engineer can output a DXF file from a SolidWorks model without the need to make a detail drawing. This [...]
SolidWorks Enhanced Interrogation Techniques
SolidWorks provides ways for you to get your assembly models to talk. You don’t even need to bring in Jack Bauer (a shameless and gratuitous “24″ plug). You will find that the SolidWorks AssemblyXpert will come to the rescue when your model is either behaving badly or not at all. The most common use for [...]
Can’t open a SolidWorks Assembly?
This is an oldie but goodie that I showed to a customer yesterday who was having trouble opening a large assembly. In the SolidWorks File… Open dialog box there is an “Advanced” option when opening an assembly. In Windows XP the option is found in the configuration drop down list. In Windows 7 and Vista, [...]
SolidWorks for Furniture Design
We conducted an exciting webinar last week showing techniques for using SolidWorks in furniture design. SolidWorks can be applied to the furniture industry or to any industry using wood products. Highlights of this webinar include using SolidWorks standard features for building up wooden frames, using Library Features for wood joining methods and the use of [...]
No more Virtual Components by default…
In SolidWorks 2010, there is a new option relating to creating new in-context components in an assembly that may reduce the blood pressure of many SolidWorks users. The new option is “Save new components to external files”. If selected, SolidWorks prompts you to name and save new in-context components to external files, like it used [...]
Probe in SolidWorks Flow Simulation
In working with one of my clients today, I discovered a hidden gem within SolidWorks Flow Simulation CFD software. My client asked me if we could walk around the model and probe temperatures at certain locations, like you can in SolidWorks Simulation FEA software. The answer is yes. But the tool is well hidden. With [...]
Vote for your favorite enhancements online!
Each year, SolidWorks asks you to vote on the top ten enhancements you would like to see in a future release of the software. They introduced a new Brainstorm tool for SolidWorks World 2009, and they have brought it back for 2010. It lets you submit your favorite enhancement ideas, and allows other SolidWorks users [...]
I’ve got the power!
In my webcast today on Event-Based Simulation I showed how SolidWorks revolutionizes the way controls and CAD modeling work together. This approach allows you to directly integrate your models with the behaviors you desire, bringing mechanical and electrical design to the forefront while maintaining machine controls flexibility. EBS accomplishes this in a novel way: instead [...]
SolidWorks Enterprise PDM is the BOM!
I ran a webinar that shows how BOM’s created in SolidWorks CAD software are passed intact to Enterprise PDM, reducing rework. “Named” BOMs, which can be used beyond the engineering organization, are now associated with the SolidWorks assembly. This means that if a designer changes a part, the BOM is automatically updated. In addition, named [...]
Create a new view in a Drawing
Have you ever wanted to to change the orientation of a view in a drawing after you have inserted a view? There is a little know function that allows a user to rotate / pan or zoom in a model view in a drawing. Typically one can use this function to add a dimension to [...]
