Detroit SWUGN Summit
On Tuesday, August 9, 2011, the SWUGN Summit show made a stop in Troy, Michigan (just outside of Detroit) and I hope the pleasure of attending and presenting.
As always, Richard Doyle did an outstanding job lining everything from the facility, to the food, to the presenters up. The event was held at The San Marino Club and was well attended with around 90 users or so registered.
The day was chocked full of some AWESOME presentations as well and the list of presenters was nothing short of a who’s who in the SolidWorks universe. The presenters in Detroit were:
- Richard Doyle – DS SolidWorks
- Darin Grosser – DASI Solutions
- Avelino Rochino – DS SolidWorks
- Mike Garvelink – Gentex Corporation
- Lars Christensen – CADimensions
- Ken LaVictor – Fisher / Unitech
- Michael Beem – FANUC Robotics
- Jeff Cope – Extensible CAD Technologies
- Glen Desmier – Inductoheat, Inc.
- Elton Smith – DS SolidWorks
- Me
The hard part about any Summit or SolidWorks World day is that usually you want to be able to be in multiple places at one time. This day was no different. I decided to attend the following sessions and I was not disappointed.
- 8:45am – 10:00am – Using Advanced Mates in Assemblies (Darin Grosser)
- 10:15am – 11:30am – DUMB Solids: Making Them Your Friend (Lars Christensen)
- 12:30pm – 1:45pm – Working with Macros and the API (Michael Beem)
- 2:00pm – 3:15pm – Preparing Drawings for Inspection (Jeff Cope)
Needless to say, looking at that list of presenters, these presentations were awesome. However, I was disappointed that I missed out on a session called “SolidWorks Admin “Stuff”: The Things SolidWorks Doesn’t Tell You to Do!” which was done by Mike Garvelink. This was a presentation that Mike did at our user group meeting in July and was AWESOME! If Mike does, and he should, submit this for SolidWorks World and gets his abstract approved, you WILL NOT want to miss this presentation.
Mike also was gracious enough to post his outline on his blog (see link above) which he created not to long ago. This is a great idea which I am going to steal from him and do that with the presentation that I did as well which was titled “Using SolidWorks in Sales & Marketing”. Stay tuned early next week for a series of posts that relate to my presentation.
All in all, the Detroit SWUGN Summit was a huge success in my eyes. As long as Richard is in charge of these, they will continue to be great events and you should make a point to attend one if it happens to be in your area.
do you have mad skills?
Do you think you have some mad design skills? Well, here’s your chance to show them off.
3Dconnexion has launched a design contest that challenges you to design the 3D Mouse of the Future. Here is the official press release that was issued on July 11, 2011.
3Dconnexion Kicks Off Global “3D Mouse of the Future” Design Challenge
Design Contest Invites 3D Professionals and Enthusiasts to Create the Ultimate 3D Mouse for the Chance to Win a $5,000 CAD Workstation
BOSTON – July 11, 2011 – Dedicated to improving the way people interact with digital 3D content, 3Dconnexion today kicked off a new contest for designers everywhere – challenging them to create the “3D Mouse of the Future”. For the months of July, August and September, designers across the globe can submit their designs for a chance to win monthly prizes of 3Dconnexion SpacePilot PRO, SpaceExplorer and SpaceNavigator 3D mice, as well as a grand prize of a custom CAD workstation.
“Engineers and designers across the world in a range of industries use 3Dconnexion 3D mice to better understand their designs and improve their workflow,” said Antonio Pascucci, vice president of products, 3Dconnexion. “We initiated this challenge to give people the opportunity to show us their best creative thinking, whether they are using our devices day in and day out or not at all. We’re really excited to see what creative and innovative things the community can bring to the 3D mouse.”
To enter, designers and 3D enthusiasts are invited to create their 3D Mouse of the Future. The only element that must remain constant in each design is the integration of 3Dconnexion’s inherent controller cap. At the end of each month, a panel of judges will select their three favorite entries. The first place winner will receive a SpacePilot PRO 3D mouse, the second place winner a SpaceExplorer 3D mouse and the third place winner a SpaceNavigator 3D mouse.
The nine monthly prize winners plus a community wildcard (the entry with the most “Likes” on Facebook) will be entered into the final phase of the competition where a grand prize winner will be selected by a public vote. The grand prize winner will receive a custom workstation, up to a $5,000 value. More information about the 3Dconnexion design challenge and submission guidelines are available on 3Dconnexion’s website and Facebook page.
About 3Dconnexion
3Dconnexion 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 Munich, Germany with North American headquarters in Boston, Mass and offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.3Dconnexion.com. You may also connect with 3Dconnexion on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/3Dconnexion) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/3Dconnexion).
Full details on this contest can be found here on the 3Dconnexion website and also here on the official 3Dconnexion Facebook page.
So let’s see what you got! Make your fellow SolidWorks designers proud!
you have options with draftsight
How much do you use DraftSight? Is it multiple times a day or is it only once a month or less? 2D CAD is quickly becoming an antique tool but the need for it is still there because of the mass amounts of legacy data that is still out there.
Core DraftSight is a free product that is available on a multitude of operating system platforms. If you are strictly using DraftSight to access and slightly modify your existing legacy data, core DraftSight is all that you will need and I feel you will be extremely happy with.
However, if you are using DraftSight to create new projects, drawings, etc. you might want to look at the paid DraftSight packages that are available. Since its inception, 3DS has offered a package call DraftSight Premium Service Pack which is a paid version but it offers you the following additional resources.
- Telephone and Email Support
- Network Licensing (minimum of 5 DraftSight licenses required)
- Access to the DraftSight API’s and API updates
As someone who uses SolidWorks to create and design new projects, the only use I have for DraftSight is to open legacy documents and print or measure items so the above resources / options would be severe overkill for me.
But, yesterday, 3DS announced a new paid service called DraftSight Prosumer Service which again is a paid service but it offers you technical support for installing, activating, configuring, and using DraftSight. If you are a CAD Admin that ends up installing this on multiple configurations of workstations, this may be a service that should interest you.
Whether is does or doesn’t interest you, I wanted to make sure you were aware of the options that were out there for you in regards to what should be your favorite 2D CAD software.
beta test now to turn off the heat later
Summer is in full swing here in West Michigan this week with the temperatures supposedly sustaining in the upper 90’s all week. Some of you are probably thinking that it would be nice to have a cool down to those temps but here in West Michigan, people are freaking out. I would say 90% of the items on my Facebook newsfeed have to deal with how hot it is.
The launch and release of a new version of SolidWorks can usually make CAD Admins feel the heat no matter what the weather is like outside. If you are a CAD Admin, I am sure you know what I am talking about. You will here comments like…”2011 worked better than this” or “how come this is different in 2012” or “we should have waited longer to launch 2012”. At times these comments are valid, however, more often than not, a little research done up front can eliminate 95% of these snide remarks.
How to Turn on the Air Conditioning?
Every year SolidWorks offers all of their current subscription customers the opportunity to beta test the next release of the software. This is a great opportunity for you, whether you are the CAD Admin, a power user, or just a user to test out the normal functions that you do every day. This way, when you are ready to launch the next version to the masses at your company you have developed a comfort level that the software will or will not function properly in your unique design environment.
How to Beta Test?
Simple – click on this link and sign up! SolidWorks 2012 Beta
Also, take note that on that same website there is some other really useful information such as Beta Testing Tips and the current Beta 2012 Leaderboard. Leaderboard? That’s right…while you are doing yourself a favor by testing out the software before it gets released to the masses, you can also when some sweet prizes which are listed here.
So there you go! Get out of the sauna and start beta testing today!
missing in action
Ahhhhhhh…it feels good to be back in the saddle again.
After been missing in action since the middle of April, I think I will finally have some time to post rambling nonsense here again. This summer has been absolutely insane in both my personal and professional schedules.
I spent 2 weeks in June helping out at a boys basketball camp, for 7th & 8th graders 1 week, and 9th & 10th graders the other week, at a local high school. This on top of family, softball, camping, etc. has made my personal life if nothing else, interesting. I also modified & launched a new invoicing system at my father-in-law’s business which tied up some early mornings and late nights at home.
Professionally speaking, I have been heading up (thus heavily involved) in launching a completely new ERP system at work. This has been fun, frustrating, and stressful amongst other things. Our new system went live this past Friday so we are currently working out some bugs, but for the most part has been a successful switchover. Now that that project is somewhat behind me, I can get back into doing my normal tasks on a daily basis.
I am looking forward to posting some content here coming up soon. There has been a lot of things going on in the SolidWorks Community that should be mentioned and also we can’t forget the slew of posts that will be popping up all over the web in a couple of months about SolidWorks 2012.
I am looking forward to bringing all of this to you and I thank you for hanging in there during my dry spout.
hidden gem: total uninstall option now available
First and foremost, I am taking no credit for finding this so I want to give credit where credit is due. Chris Snider, Application Engineer at 3DVision Technologies, posted a few weeks back on their blog that SolidWorks now has the “Total Uninstall” option that so many CAD Admins have begged and pleaded for for a long time.
However, this new option is not easily found unless you know where to look. Starting with SolidWorks 2011 SP3.0, you can start the uninstall process, and click on the program bar at the top of the uninstall window as shown below. From there you will notice the “Total Uninstall” option as shown below.
For more information on this you can check out the Forum Topic for this tool.
As a CAD Admin I want to personally thank the SolidWorks developers for finally adding this to the program. This will make my life much, much, much simpler.
what do the users really want?
A few weeks back I mentioned how I was confused as to why a CATIA translator in SolidWorks did not make the Top Ten list at SolidWorks WORLD this year. That one sentence began a firestorm of tweets about whether the translator was really a high priority among SolidWorks users.
First and foremost I need to mention that I live in West Michigan which is heavily entrenched in the auto industry. With that being said, almost everywhere I go and everyone I talk to in the Midwest have mentioned the NEED for the ability of SolidWorks to handle CATIA files natively. After all, both CAD programs are owned by parent company Dassault Systemes.
One of the first comments made on Twitter stated the my feedback and the user base I usually talk to might be skewed compared to the entire SolidWorks user base and I totally agree with the comment. This may be the exact reason why it does not make it to the Top Ten list.
Still it leads to me think, what is the holdup of getting this translator incorporated into SolidWorks? There are many tools inside SolidWorks that are industry specific, things like Mold tools. So why should someone that has to constantly deal with CATIA files be forced to find workarounds in order to get their work done.
I personally know of a company that has a large number of SolidWorks licenses, however they also have a license of Autodesk Inventor for the sole reason of translating data. I am guessing that this is probably not how Dassault Systemes wants there customers working.
So what is the holdup? Is it pride? Is it the possibility of making more money by releasing an additional add in down the road that customers are going to have to buy? I don’t know the reasoning for it not being in the software already but I have to think that one of these is the deep rooted holdup. When or if it does come I sure hope that it does not come at an additional cost if you have the Professional or Premium SolidWorks packages.
This post is not meant to pick on Dassault Systemes, SolidWorks, a development team, or a specific development person but is more to ask the question of why are we still waiting. SolidWorks 2011 offers a wide range of translators for other popular CAD programs like Pro-E, Unigraphics, Inventor, Solid Edge, etc. but not CATIA yet.
Do you see the need? Why do you think we are still waiting?
toolbox headaches in solidworks 2011? this might be the cause
Are toolbox components making your head throb in SolidWorks 2011?
Well there is a new option that might be throwing you off and you probably aren’t even aware that it is checked by default out of the box.
In Tools > Options > Hole Wizard / Toolbox there is a new checkbox for a feature called “Make this folder the default search location for Toolbox components”. According to the SolidWorks help file this new feature “is useful when you open models whose toolbox components do not reference your Toolbox folder. If you clear the system option, SolidWorks does not automatically search the Toolbox folder for references to Toolbox components.”
Whether this is the cause of your toolbox problems or not, the frustrating thing for me is that this option is checked by default out of the box. I am not a huge fan of new features being added like this and it is automatically checked without being publicized in some way shape or form. Unless you go through each option when a new release comes out (which I think every CAD Admin should) you probably wouldn’t have seen this or known about it.
more draftsight news: linux version
A few weeks back DraftSight removed the beta tag from its flagship Windows product. On Wednesday, they added another product, this time a Linux version of there popular FREE 2D CAD program.
So what does this mean? Not much if you are a Windows homer but if you run Linux at home on your personal computer this is a major announcement as it will now allow you to run DraftSight natively on your Linux machine.
Below is the official press release from Dassault Systemes about the new version. You can also see screenshots at the end of the press release.
Dassault Systèmes’ DraftSight
Now Available for Linux
Linux Users Can Now Create, Edit and View DWG Files with DraftSight
VÉLIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France, – March 9, 2011 – Dassault Systèmes (DS) (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, today announced the availability of a beta release of DraftSight for Linux. DraftSight is a no-cost 2D CAD product for CAD professionals, students and educators that can be downloaded at DraftSight.com.
DraftSight for Linux allows users to create, edit and view DWG files. DraftSight generally takes a few minutes to download and runs on multiple operating systems, including Linux and Mac OS in beta, and Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 in general release.
“We’re very excited to finally announce to the DraftSight community the availability of Linux in beta for DraftSight,” said Aaron Kelly, senior director, DraftSight, Dassault Systèmes. “We’ve been working on the Linux version since the launch of DraftSight and have seen a significant rise in demand for this over the last few months. It’s been our objective since the start to respond to users by providing them with products that will meet their needs.
DraftSight beta users have access to no-cost Community Support available within the DraftSight open, online SwYm community where they can access support and training resources, along with an environment to interact, ask questions and share their opinions. The DraftSight community is one of the first social networks designed by engineers for engineers, designers and architects.
For more information, please visit DraftSight.com. Also, check out DraftSight on Facebook and Twitter.
3dconnexion hits the 1 million milestone
Today 3Dconnexion announced that has achieved its 1 millionth 3D mouse shipped milestone. That achievement is truly astonishing for me. Below is the official press release from 3Dconexxion.
3Dconnexion Achieves One Million 3D Mouse Milestone
3D Mice Revolutionizing the Workflow of Engineers and Designers Around the World
FREMONT, Calif. – March 2, 2011 – 3Dconnexion today announced it has shipped more than one million 3D mice, supporting today’s most popular and powerful 3D software solutions from companies including Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, Siemens, PTC, Google, Microsoft, and Adobe across computer aided design, digital content creation, architecture and construction, and geographic information systems.
3Dconnexion 3D mice unlock the power of 3D design applications by allowing design engineers to interact naturally with 3D content as if they are holding the model or camera in their hand. Many of the world’s leading companies in industries from aerospace to automotive, consumer goods to electronics, and machine tools to game development, use 3Dconnexion 3D mice to boost productivity, efficiency and the comfort of their design teams.
“As we accelerated through the one millionth 3D mouse milestone, we’ve seen customer recommendations become an increasingly powerful driver of our business,” said Dieter Neujahr, president of 3Dconnexion. “And the future looks bright as we continue to bring the benefits of superior 3D navigation to an ever wider range of software applications and new market opportunities, bound only by the imagination.”
To mark its “One Millionth 3D Mouse Milestone,” 3Dconnexion will host several activities throughout the next month, offering users the opportunity to win a 3D mouse. For more information, visit 3Dconnexion’s website, Facebook and Twitter.
The core technology inside all of 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice originates from the field of robotics and space exploration. In 1993, a 3D controller was used on the space shuttle Columbia, manipulating the first robotic arm in space, and was the launching point for a family of 3D mice that now help 3D professionals in hundreds of thousands of organizations to design, innovate and create some of the most well known products in the world.
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 Munich, Germany and offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.3Dconnexion.com. You may also connect with 3Dconnexion on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/3Dconnexion) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/3Dconnexion).
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