SolidWorks:HEARD!

SolidWorks Walk-Though:

This podcast covers the new walk-though feature in SolidWorks 2011 and how this new gamer-like navigation tool can be used for presentations.  Topics covered:

- Introduction of walk though

- Walk though workflow (PropertyManager and Navigation Controls)

- Recording options

- Hotkeys and mouse navigation

- Tips and tricks for recording and using SolidWorks as a live presentation tool.

Walk through animations are nothing new to SolidWorks since the introduction of cameras but it has always required some planning to execute.  SolidWorks 2011 walk-thoughs are a streamlined way to communicate a design without having to create and plan out a complex, camera-based animation.

Although you may think about the new walk-though feature as something to make videos, I believe that it can be used more like eDrawings, allowing more in-depth communication.  This allows SolidWorks to take on the role of the presentation tool and not just the presenation authoring tool.

The use of hotkeys and the mouse really bring the PC gamer feel to this new navigation option and gives users the option to make SolidWorks the way to view designs in live 3D virtual reality! ~Lou

Remember to check out the SolidWorks: Heard! Blog and to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and THE HEaRD!

SWH Episode 305

SolidWorks Routing 2011:

This podcast covers the new enhancements to SolidWorks Routing and the specifics that really make this build worth a second look.  Topics covered:

- History of the SolidWorks Routing toolset

- Challenges of getting a library-centric product working

Routing Library Manager: 

- Walk-through of the new standalone interface

- New P&ID Tag Manager

- Default Pipe & Tube library (5600+ parts out of the box)

In-SolidWorks Routing Experience:

- Global weld gaps

- New implementation of Guidelines

- New Move Fitting with triad

- New Segment highlighting and placement interface (P&ID)

I have been using SolidWorks Routing back from the beginning when it was called SolidWorks Piping.  As the product has grown over the years with the addition of tubing, cabeling and wire harnessing, the management and creation of the various libraries has always been an undertaking, making the task of getting the tool ready for production intimidating.  

After doing 7 rollouts in 7 cities, it was amazing how many questions I received after the presentations about the new Routing in SoildWorks 2011 Premium.  It is aparent that the issues of creating a database of usable components was a focus or correction by SolidWorks along with the overall usability of the tool.

This was the first year that I had done any presenation on Routing without any setup or usage of supplied libraries.  My default installation worked on an outside assembly and all the new features worked without setup.  With Routing being a library-centric application, these adjustments in 2011 are going to pull more users into the fold! ~Lou

Remember to check out the SolidWorks: Heard! Blog and to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and THE HEaRD!

SWH Episode 304

Benchmark Resources:

This podcast covers options to measure the performance of the hardware to run SolidWorks and related CAD activities.  Topics covered:

SolidWorks Benchmark website:

- PassMark Performance Test

- SPECCapc for SolidWorks 2007 

- Anna's SolidMuse

- Windows Experience Index

- SolidWorks 2011 Rx Performance Test

SolidWorks users are often asking me at rollout event and other meetings how to get the best performance out of their hardware or what new hardware to purchase.  Some decisions can be made easier with resources like the graphic card site that SolidWorks has or reading through the SolidWorks forums to hear the reviews of a user's new system.  The trick is measuring your system with those who have similar uses and needs and a way to see what differences in hardware have the most impact on performance.

SolidWorks' benchmark site has a few resources, some more useful than others, to assist in the ongoing quest for better CAD performance.  One listed is Anna's SolidMuse, a longtime user here in Arizona, who has made a name for herself in the SolidWorks community as the CAD hardware guru. Her benchmarks range from surfacing, complex parts and other file sets and allow capture of a number of variables to really parse performance gains.

In SolidWorks 2011, there is now a performance test build right into the installation folder (Programs -> SolidWorks 2011 -> SolidWorks Tools -> Performance Test). The test uses a variety of parts, assemblies and drawings (some of which are thanks to Anna!) that run through a routine 5 times each to measure rebuild times, zoom and pan performance and rendering times.  These are then computed and can be shared among the community to really help understand how your hardware stacks up.

Both SolidMuse and the new 2011 Performance Test can give you great insight into why some systems perform better than others. I hope that now that one is built into every install of SolidWorks, more users will opt to share their results to help us all make wise hardware decisions in the future! ~Lou

Remember to check out the SolidWorks: Heard! Blog and to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and THE HEaRD!

SWH Episode 303

October Tech News:

This podcast covers the SolidWorks tech news that broke since mid-September covering the SolidWorks Blog, tech alerts and other related news. Topics covered:

SolidWorks Blog:

- Let's Go Design Episode 5 is out!

- Genius grant goes to outstanding engineering educator

- Jeff Ray's FAQs on SWW10 "CAD on the Cloud" announcements

- New SolidWorks 2011 Defeature video

- New SolidWorks 2011 Weldments video

- SolidWorks' customer roles in Chilean mine rescue

- New SolidWorks 2011 Sustainability video

- New SolidWorks EPDM 2011 video

Tech Alerts:

- SolidWorks 2011 SP0 is available for download from the Customer Portal

- SolidWorks EPDM PR1 is available for download (9/28) (SP0 should be out 1 week after...wait)

- SolidWorks 2011 PR1 shipped (9/21)

Related Industry News:

- Let's Go Design Summary

- Launch of UsingSolidWorks service by Ben Eadie

- New nVidia Quadro product line details at SolidSmack and SolidMuse

- SolidWorks Performance Benchmark

- SolidWorks VAR 2011 Rollout events

Another busy month of SolidWorks tech news and the welcome release of SolidWorks 2011 SP0!  I was wondering if SolidWorks was going to have a Pre-release 2 in 2011 but as it got closer to the end of October, I started to doubt it.  SP0 shipped on Monday, October 18, just in time for me to have to update right before my rollout events began.

Enterprise PDM 2011 is still in PR1 as of this writing, however, they typically delay updates 1 week after SolidWorks.  With this in mind, 2011 Enterprise PDM SP0 should be available this coming week, most likely on Monday.  I am currently using SolidWorks 2011 SP0 with EPDM 2011 PR1 but remember pre-release builds of EPDM are not upgradable to SP0 so I would wait to upgrade till SP0 is officially available for EPDM.

Don't forget to look up your local reseller and find out where your 2011 event will be.  It is always a good opportunity to talk with other users and see the software in action across all the products in the SolidWorks family.  The most important part of these events is to discover anything that could help you use SolidWorks more effectively.  That is the sole reason to upgrade to 2011 or not. Hope to see you there! ~Lou

Remember to check out the SolidWorks: Heard! Blog and to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and THE HEaRD!

SWH Episode 302

2011 What's New - Flow Simulation:

This podcast covers the What's New in SolidWorks Flow Simulation 2011 which is outlined in the help.  Since Flow Simulation is no longer part of the standard What's New PDF in SolidWorks, this is a compiled version of what I could find.  Topics covered:

General Enhancements:

- Animate and interaction in UI

- Animation and display of multiple plots (cut, surface, iso, trajectories...)

- Save monitor UI layout

- Particle Study PropertyManager & wizard

- Point parameters & goal plots PropertyManagers

- Updated UI dialogs for decimal places and related screens

Electronics Module:

- Additional Materials

- Additions Input Data options

- Expanded supplier fan data

HVAC Module:

- Additional materials for buildings

- Advanced radiation modeling (absorbtion)

- New comfort parameters (PMV, PPD, ADPI, CRE, LAQI, etc..)

This covers the features outlined in the Flow Simulation 2011 help that have been changed in the product line since the previous release.  

The goal of this series is to provide a portable, audio version of the 2011 What's New so users can have a quick way to evaluate the features that have been changed/added/removed in SolidWorks' product line.  We all fall victim to the "ruts" of using SolidWorks and knowing what's to come brings awareness early.

I will be releasing an additional show a week as well as the usual monthly Tech News shows (up to 3 a week) in order to cover the entire What's New PDF in September before FCS (First Customer Ship). Between the podcast, blog and other posts around the web, there will be no shortage of SolidWorks 2011 content to come! ~Lou

Remember to check out the SolidWorks: Heard! Blog and to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and THE HEaRD!

SWH Episode 299