sww10 – day 1

So Monday is also now officially in the books and my head is still spinning from everything that happened on the first real day of SolidWorks WORLD 2010.  I wanted to get something out to you about what happened but I will need to do individual posts on these things.

For times sake, here is a bulleted list (in order) of what happened on Sunday for me.

• General Session
  • Dassault Systemes will be playing more of a role with SolidWorks in the future.  Bernard Charles, CEO of Dassault, is around this week to promote that.
  • SolidWorks “green” hot rod
    • Runs on bus batteries
    • 0 – 60 in 3.6 seconds
    • Jeremy Luchini and Mike North (Prototype This) work on this project together
  • SolidWorks in the Cloud
    • Enough said
  • James McLurkin
• Breakout Session: Tips, Tricks, & Things – Phil Sluder
• Lunch
• Breakout Session: In-Context Modeling: The Original Design Automation – me
• Breakout Session: Model like a Maniac – Mark Schneider
• Breakout Session: 11th Annual SWUGN Summit
  • The West Michigan SolidWorks User Group is 1 of 5 groups nominated for User Group of the Year.  It is great to see our group get recognized.
    • We will find out on Wednesday at the General Session the final results
• Press Dinner
  • Great food, networking, and location.  All around great event.
• CSWP Event
  • Loud music, RC cars, drinks, and food.  A geeks paradise, right?

I will probably be doing this sort of post every day and then going more in depth with some of this stuff in separate posts so stay tuned.

sww10 – day 1/2

So day 1 (or 1/2) of SolidWorks WORLD is in the books.  Sunday in Anaheim was a busy day for me.  The day started off with a meeting with Scott Harris who was one of the 6 guys that started SolidWorks back in the early 90’s.  Scott has since retired and has moved on to other ventures.  These new ventures are 2 companies called Solido and Infinite Z.  I will review both of these products more in an upcoming post by for now I encourage you to check out their websites to see what they are all about.  You will not be disappointed.

After my meeting with Scott I headed off to meet with Bill Doll.  Bill was previously in charge of SolidWorks Labs but over the course of the past year has moved into another area of SolidWorks Corporation.  I am not allowed to talk a lot about what me and Bill talked about but I again, encourage you to check out SolidWorks Labs and see all of the great products they have to offer.

My afternoon consisted of a 4 hour power geek session with Greg Jankowski called the CAD Managers Boot Camp.  I am planning on doing separate posts on the breakout sessions I attend so stay tuned.

The event officially kicked off with the Welcome Reception in the Partner Pavilion last night and all I can say is WOW!  It looks as if attendance is booming and the down economy of the last year has had no effect on SolidWorks WORLD 2010.  After the welcome reception wrapped up I headed over to the SWUGN leaders party which offered great food, drinks, and networking with user group leaders from around the world.

That is all I have time for now but be sure to check back for more in depth details of Sunday’s event and also of the rest of the week sessions and news from SolidWorks WORLD 2010.

sww10 - let the festivities begin!

Let the festivities officially begin.  I arrived in sunny and warm Anaheim, CA around 12:00 PM PST yesterday.  The 60 degree weather that greeted me when I got off of the plane was a welcome feeling for me compared to the 0 degree temperatures I left in West Michigan on Saturday morning.  After an uneventful trip I quickly checked into my room to kick back.  I had no OFFICIAL plans for Saturday so I spent the day relaxing and catching up with friends.

The fun officially begins today.  Starting in about 30 minutes I have meetings booked and my scheduled is solid until Wednesday afternoon.  I wouldn’t trade this for the world though.  I encourage all of you to stay tuned right here for coverage of all of the events and also check out all of the other blogs and tweet feeds.  To find both of these you can visit the SolidWorks Community page on the SolidWorks WORLD website to see all of the coverage in one place.

Oh, and 1 more thing, if you want to follow all of the happenings in Anaheim in your own twitter program, the official hashtag is #SWW10.  Enjoy!

where to find me at solidworks world 2010

SolidWorks WORLD starts on Sunday in Anaheim so I thought I would let you know where I would be during the event.  Below you can find a list of the break-out sessions that I am planning on attending.

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Sunday, January 31, 2010: 1:00 – 5:00

CAD Administrator’s Boot Camp
Greg Jankowski, SolidWorks Corporation

Monday, February 1, 2010: 10:30 – 12:00

SolidWorks Tips, Tricks, and Traps
Phil Sluder, Mechanical Engineer, TriAxial Design and Analysis
Room: Ballroom D
Presentation Abstract: Fast paced session with a unique collection of useful SolidWorks tips not found in the help file. Phil will explore new tips for 2010 and some of his past favorites. WARNING: this presentation may contain sleazy features.

Monday, February 1, 2010: 1:30 – 2:30

In Context Modeling: The Original Design Automation
MY PRESENTATION
Room: 207 A-B
Presentation Abstract: In context, sounds scary huh? This presentation, which is completely revamped from last year, will show you how effective and quick in context modeling can be both now and for future designs. So don”t be scared, come check it out!

Monday, February 1, 2010: 2:45 – 3:45

Model Like a Maniac
Mark Schneider, Product Management, DS SolidWorks Corporation
Room: Ballroom D
Presentation Abstract: Deep dive in to some of the basic SolidWorks commands to increase your productivity. You will be guided through the techniques used to create many of the past Model Mania designs and leverage these methods to shortcut your design process.

Monday, February 1, 2010: 4:40 – 6:00

11th Annual SWUGN Summitt

Tuesday, February 2, 2010: 10:30 – 12:00

10 Essentials You Must Understand to Use SolidWorks Effectively
Phil Sluder, Mechanical Engineer, TriAxial Design and Analysis
Room: Ballroom D
Presentation Abstract: The ten essentials of SolidWorks; not just a list of beginner topics, but concepts and tools inside SolidWorks that once learned, will help you survive your day to day projects.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010: 1:30 – 2:30

SolidWorks Crashes and Slowdowns - It’s Not Always the Software
Jeff Mirisola, Owner, JRM Consulting
Room: Ballroom D
Presentation Abstract: This presentation covers the various factors that can contribute to SolidWorks crashes and slowdowns.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010: 2:45 – 3:45

10 Administration Essentials for all SolidWorks Users
Matt Lombard, Author, dezignstuff
Room: Ballroom E
Presentation Abstract: From the author of the SolidWorks Administration Bible, this presentation details topics vital to efficient use of SolidWorks from Installation methods to Toolbox to Tools/Options.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010: 4:30 – 6:00

Stump the Chumps
Jeff Mirisola, Owner, JRM Consulting
Room: Ballroom E
Presentation Abstract: Attendees will be able to ask questions in an effort to "Stump the Chumps". The Chumps: Rob Rodriguez, Lou Gallo, Josh Mings, Ben Eadie, Alex Ruiz, Charles Culp, Bill Briggs, Ricky Jordan, Joy Garon, Matthew Lorono and Jeff Mirisola.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010: 10:30 – 12:00

Surfacing Case Studies
Matt Lombard, Author, dezignstuff
Room: Ballroom E
Presentation Abstract: In this presentation, the author of the SolidWorks Complex Shape and Surfacing Bible examines several production surfacing models in detail. Matt will describe the decision making process step by step as he leads the audience through the models.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010: 1:30 – 2:30

Tackling Administrative Images: Deploying SolidWorks to the Masses
Adrian Fanjoy, Technical Services Manager, Computer Aided Technology
Room: Ballroom E
Presentation Abstract: With many ways to deploy SolidWorks in mass it is hard to fully understand all the possibilities. This presentation will shed light on the many options associated with these methods and help Administrators determine appropriate deployment methods for their environment.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010: 2:45 – 3:45

Unemployed Models - Keep Them Working in Manufacturing
Daniel Bertschi, Cad Support Specialist, Babcock & Wilcox
Room: 209 A-B
Presentation Abstract: Do you layoff your models when the drawing is released? Keep them working for you in manufacturing! We will explore the benefits of using SolidWorks models beyond the drawing to create sheet metal, molded/cast, tubular, and machined parts. Various methods of model use in manufacturing will be discussed, along with potential hurdles to overcome.

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If you see me in one of these sessions or wandering around aimlessly in the halls, feel free to stop me and say hi.  I would love to meet you.

solidworks world 2010…are you going?

Well, personal life has not allowed me to do a series of posts on why you should attend SolidWorks WORLD 2010 (SWW10) but I wanted to take a moment to hopefully help you out.

In these tough economic times every penny is being pinched and every purchase requisition is being gone over with a fine toothed comb.  So how are you supposed to convince the powers that be at your company that it is worth sending you across the country for 4 days of nothing but SolidWorks networking and training?

I have created a ROI (return on investment) worksheet that will help you justify the cost depending on how much stuff you learn and how much it will increase your productivity.  Feel free to fill out this file, print it off, and hand it in with a proposal to the necessary people at your company.  Hopefully this will help them understand that it IS a good investment to send you to Anaheim in January/February.

You can download the file here (Microsoft Excel .xls format).

hot off the press…3dconnexion products support solidworks 2010

One of the most popular partner products used by SolidWorks users has to be 3Dconnexion 3D mice devices.  That is why I felt that this press release was important to post for all of you.  3Dconnexion announced yesterday that their full product line of 3D mice now support SolidWorks 2010.  To see all the details of this check out the press release below.

3Dconnexion 3D Mice Enhance New Design Experience in SolidWorks 2010

3D Mice Help SolidWorks 2010 Design Engineers Work Faster, Simpler and Smarter

FREMONT, Calif. – Oct. 27, 2009 – 3Dconnexion, a Logitech company, today announced that its full line of 3D mice, including the SpacePilot™ PRO flagship 3D mouse, now supports SolidWorks^® 2010, the newest version of the popular 3D CAD software. 3Dconnexion 3D mice complement the new user-driven features in SolidWorks 2010 that help designers and engineers work faster and smarter.

Using 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice within SolidWorks 2010 allows professionals to navigate around their designs more intuitively, further enhancing the speed improvements made to rendering, loading parts and large assemblies in the new 3D workspace. In addition, 3D mice enable engineers working in SolidWorks 2010 to view designs from multiple angles, helping to detect errors earlier in the design process.

“3Dconnexion is committed to improving and enhancing the productivity of 3D design work, and the core design functions that have been implemented into SolidWorks 2010 echo that goal,” said Dieter Neujahr, president of 3Dconnexion. “SolidWorks 2010 paired with 3Dconnexion 3D mice provides today’s engineers a very powerful 3D design solution focused on efficiency and design performance – critical elements in bringing competitive products to market as quickly as possible.”

3Dconnexion’s 3D mice enhance new features of SolidWorks 2010. For example, when using the new Rapid Dimension Tool with a 3D mouse, designers can position drawing views and add dimensions to generate final drawings with greater ease and efficiency. In addition, 3D mice complement the functionality of new Mouse Gestures in SolidWorks 2010 for drawings, assemblies, parts, and sketches, helping engineers concentrate on design needs instead of the application environment.

“SolidWorks 2010 is focused on optimizing core design functions so users can more quickly and intelligently achieve their goals,” said Nick Iwaskow, Manager of Alliances at Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. “Using a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse with SolidWorks 2010 can help today’s engineers work even faster, simpler and smarter.”

About 3Dconnexion 3D Mice

3Dconnexion’s advanced six-degrees-of-freedom sensor technology allows designers to simultaneously maneuver 3D objects or move within 3D scenes by gently pushing, pulling, tilting or sliding the 3D mouse controller cap. Using a 3D mouse together with a traditional mouse engages both hands into a balanced and cooperative work style and provides more control than just using a standard mouse alone that is confined to motion on two flat planes.  3Dconnexion’s Professional Series of products – including the SpacePilot PRO, SpacePilot™ and SpaceExplorer™– provide another level of productivity with quick access to frequently used SolidWorks 2010 commands via customizable Intelligent Function keys.

3Dconnexion provides advanced and affordable 3D mice that are supported by more than 130 of today’s leading and powerful 3D applications. For a complete list of applications supported by 3Dconnexion, visit: www.3dconnexion.com/solutions.

Pricing and Availability

SolidWorks 2010 supports 3Dconnexion’s entire 3D mouse product line on Windows^® XP, Windows Vista^®, and Windows 7 (SolidWorks 2010 SP1 when Windows 7 ships). The 3Dconnexion product line, including the Professional Series with the new SpacePilot PRO (MSRP $399), SpacePilot (MSRP $299 with promotion) and SpaceExplorer (MSRP $299), and the Standard Series with the SpaceNavigator (MSRP $99) and SpaceNavigator for Notebooks (MSRP $129), are available from professional CAD resellers and major online resellers including CDW, Insight, PC Connection, and PC Mall. For a complete list of resellers or to buy directly, visit www.3Dconnexion.com.

About 3Dconnexion, A Logitech Company
3Dconnexion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI), is the leading provider of 3D mice for 3D design and visualization. 3Dconnexion devices support today’s most popular and powerful 3D applications by offering users a more intuitive and natural way to interact with computer-generated 3D content. 3Dconnexion’s award-winning 3D mice serve a wide variety of industries and are used by 3D designers, animators and artists worldwide. 3Dconnexion is headquartered in Fremont, Calif. with European headquarters in Seefeld, Germany and offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.3Dconnexion.com.

solidworks world 2010…why you need to be there.

So the biggest event of the year, as a SolidWorks user, is coming up fast.  A lot of the planning behind the scenes is going on which mean only one thing, you need to figure out a way to get to Anaheim, CA. in January.  Why you might ask?  Well here is a brief breakdown of the reasons I feel it is a necessary event to attend each year.

1.  Learn

Why else would you go to a user conference like this right?  There is no shortage when it comes to learning at this event each year.  There are more breakout sessions than you can shake a stick at, ranging from CAD Administration to Education to Modeling Essentials to Customer Success/Designing Better Products.  These are only a couple of the categories that are available to each attendee.  One of the hardest parts of attending SolidWorks WORLD is trying to map out your schedule because there are usually 3 or 4 breakouts that you want to attend during each time slot.  This however is the reason that this is such a great place to go to learn more and enhance your SolidWorks skills.

2.  Network

Have you ever attended a SWUGN (SolidWorks User Group Network) meeting before?  If you have you know the atmosphere where there are 30, 40, 50 or even 80+ SolidWorks users walking around, talking to each other and NETWORKING.  Now try to imagine upwards of 4,000-5,000 SolidWorks all in the same building willing to help and discuss about anything and everything SolidWorks.  This I think is the coolest part of the event.  The learning is great but the ability to talk to other users from around the world is even better.  There is NO other event that you can attend that will give you the opportunity to do this.

3.  Explore

This one seems a little out of place probably but it is also a very important part of this event.  The Partner Pavilion is a place to see first hand all of the partner products and add-on that work inside of and with SolidWorks.  This is also something that you will not be able to do anywhere else, at least not at the same time.  There are a lot of products out there that could benefit your line of work greatly and you might never know about them if you don’t see them.  The Partner Pavilion is a great place to see these products.

So there you have it.  A brief list of why this even is so important to go to.  I will breakdown each of these areas more in depth in upcoming posts along with how to convince management to send you.  If you have seen enough and are ready to sign on the dotted line all you need to do is register.

To register click here and fill out the necessary information.

solidworks world 2010! don’t miss it!

There is a lot of buzz going on right now about SolidWorks 2010 but there is another 2010 event that is creeping up on us that deserves equal attention because of what it has to offer.  SolidWorks WORLD 2010!

If you have never been to a SolidWorks WORLD before you need to begin making plans to attend this one.  It is a great conference that is only a mere 146 days away.  In the upcoming couple of months I will be posting about why you should attend and how to convince your employer that it is worth sending you.

Until then I will leave you with this highlight video from SolidWorks 2009.

spacepilot pro driver update: featuring great new enhancements

Last week 3Dconnexion released an updated driver for their brand spankin’ new SpacePilot PRO 3D mouse.  You may remember hearing about this new product this past April when the product was released but since then it has been made better and better with each driver update.  I have been running this new driver since it came out now and am very pleased with it.  There is a lot of new functionality that is now available at your fingertips that makes you more efficient doing your day to day work.  One of the nice new features is the ability to see all of the SolidWorks file properties on the LCD screen.  You can read more about this is the official press release below.

3Dconnexion Enhances Its Powerful SpacePilot PRO 3D Mouse with New Software Updates

FREMONT, Calif. – Aug. 10, 2009 – 3Dconnexion today announced a free software update for the new SpacePilot™ PRO 3D mouse, enhancing the functionality of its full-color LCD Workflow Assistant that delivers quick access to important commands and information without interrupting the design workflow. The new update helps connect engineers more closely to their 3D applications, allowing them to view vital 3D model information and the name of an activated command when an Intelligent Function key is pressed on the LCD at a glance.

“The LCD Workflow Assistant featured on the SpacePilot PRO was designed with an open architecture to allow for additional features to be introduced,” said Dieter Neujahr, president of 3Dconnexion. “This software update is a reflection of that, introducing an even tighter integration between our 3D mouse and supported CAD applications, enabling higher levels of performance for our customers.”

The software update brings several enhancements to design engineers working with the LCD Workflow Assistant on the SpacePilot PRO, including:

- Model Properties Applet: This new applet enables engineers to quickly view key model information on the SpacePilot PRO’s LCD Workflow Assistant, increasing productivity and making it even easier for workgroups to collaborate. The new applet is compatible with SolidWorks^TM, Autodesk Inventor^TM, Pro/ENGINEER^TM, and NX^TM, and gives professionals easier access to vital model statistics, such as file size and type, creation date and time, name of the last person to edit the design, as well as mass, volume and density information.

- Intelligent Function Key Notification: A new visual confirmation in the form of an easy-to-view pop-up window shows users what Intelligent Function key command was activated, regardless of the applet currently running on the LCD Workflow Assistant. This new feature enhances designer’s interactivity with the SpacePilot PRO, providing more control over the design environment.

Also new with the software update is an updated default button setting for SolidWorks on the SpacePilot PRO’s Intelligent Function Keys, as well as on the SpaceExplorer™ and SpacePilot™ Speed Keys. The popular “S” shortcut key in SolidWorks has been added as a default command, giving design engineers quicker access to the command shortcut toolbar.

More about 3Dconnexion 3D Mice

Unlike traditional mice confined to motion on one flat plane, 3Dconnexion 3D mice enable design engineers to move in all three dimensions simultaneously, using six-degrees–of-freedom sensor technology. By gently lifting, pressing and turning the controller cap, design engineers can easily pan, zoom and rotate without stopping to select commands. Using a 3D mouse together with a traditional mouse engages both hands into a balanced and cooperative work style.

3Dconnexion provides advanced and affordable 3D mice that are supported by more than 130 of today’s leading and powerful 3D applications, including Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks, CATIA, Pro/ENGINEER, NX and Solid Edge^TM. For a complete list of applications supported by 3Dconnexion, visit www.3dconnexion.com/solutions.

Compatibility, Pricing and Availability

The software update v3.7.18 is available with SpacePilot PRO products purchased as of September 2009, and existing design professionals can download the update for free at www.3Dconnexion.com.

The entire 3Dconnexion product line, including the Professional Series with the SpacePilot PRO (MSRP $499), SpacePilot (MSRP $399) and SpaceExplorer (MSRP $299), and the Standard Series with the SpaceNavigator (MSRP $99) and SpaceNavigator for Notebooks (MSRP $129), are available from professional CAD resellers and major online resellers including CDW, Insight, PC Connection, and PC Mall. For a complete list of resellers or to buy directly, visit www.3Dconnexion.com.

About 3Dconnexion, a Logitech Company
3Dconnexion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI), is the leading provider of 3D mice for 3D design and visualization. 3Dconnexion devices support today’s most popular and powerful 3D applications by offering users a more intuitive and natural way to interact with computer-generated 3D content. 3Dconnexion’s award-winning 3D mice serve a wide variety of industries and are used by 3D designers, animators and artists worldwide. 3Dconnexion is headquartered in Fremont, Calif. with European headquarters in Seefeld, Germany and offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.3Dconnexion.com.

If you are the owner of one of these awesome devices I highly suggest you go out and update your driver now to be able take advantage of the helpful new enhancements.  You can download the updated driver here.

Matt Lorono also covered this in a post he did last week.  You can check it out here.

rc cars, food & drinks…oh my! cswp event 2010

In an update to an earlier post, you better get your cswp certification now, more details have emerged about the CSWP off site event that will be held at SolidWorks WORLD 2010 in Anaheim, California.  Instead of me boring you with words about what you can expect to do at this event I will let you watch the video below.

Here is the kicker though, in order to attend this event there are 2 prerequisites.  First, you need to be a CSWP and second you need to attend SolidWorks WORLD.  SolidWorks WORLD in itself is worth attending and then to add on an event like this, you can’t afford to miss it.

To sign up for SolidWorks WORLD and take advantage of some of the early bird deals that are available click here.

Stay tuned for more blog posts about the benefits of attending SolidWorks WORLD like I have done in years past and also for advice as to how you can convince your employer that it is worth sending you there.

ONLY 165 MORE DAYS UNTIL ANAHEIM, CA!