The SolidWorks Blog

Simulation Tip: Verify Your SolidWorks Simulation Results Quickly & Easily

Have you ever wondered, after running a SolidWorks Simulation study, whether or not your results are correct? A few people I have talked to have questioned the validity of their results and sometimes wonder if the software is reporting what they actually see in the field or in a 'test.'

Well, I typically find that the problem is not with the results, but in the set-up of the analysis. For example, loads may not be accurate, or may be applied incorrectly; people apply incorrect boundary conditions like fixtures, and in some cases, the user/analyst may be looking at a stress concentration.

So, to prove that the software is working correctly, SolidWorks presents you with SolidWorks Simulation Verification Problems and NAFEMS (National Agency for Finite Element Methods and Standards) Benchmarks. These verification problems compare the results of SolidWorks Simulation studies to known analytical solutions. You can find these problems from the Help menu within SolidWorks. With the Simulation Add-In checked, simply go to the Help menu > SolidWorks Simulation > Validation. Here you will find two options: Verification Problems and NAFEMS Benchmarks.

Selections marked with a (Professional) are available with SolidWorks Simulation Professional and above. Selections marked with a (Premium) are available only with SolidWorks Simulation Premium.

Within each group shown above, there are many examples. Below is a listing of what you will find under the Static selection, as well as one of the examples from this list: Deflection of a Cantilever Beam.

So if you get a chance, please take a look through all these great problems to see that SolidWorks is definitely verifying their Simulation software. And those incorrect results? They might actually be due to an incorrect setup of your analysis. Just remember: in any event, your SolidWorks reseller is there to support you! Give them a call.

Static Verification Problems:

Cantilever Beam Example:

Want to learn more about SolidWorks Simulation? Check out our First Look at Simulation video to see how simulation could improve your own designs and reduce prototypes.

***

Ken LaVictor is an Senior Applications Engineer at Fisher/Unitech, a SolidWorks Value Added Reseller with locations across the Midwestern and Northeastern United States. He is a regular contributor to the Fisher/Unitech blog.

Creating Section Views in SolidWorks 2013

One of the questions we have seen a lot in the Technical Support department today is about some of the new functionality that has been added in SolidWorks 2013. There are generally two questions that users ask and the first is "How do I use the new functionality?" and "Can I still use the tools that I have used for years past?"

Looking at one of the new tools in SolidWorks 2013 that we were given is a new Section View Property Manager. This is a great tool that now allows you to easily create an almost limitless amount of section view types.

To answer the first question, in this new tool we start by selecting the Section Cutting Line or Half Section type.

When we create a standard Section we are then given a popup that allows us to add one or several different offsets to the section view.

To answer the second question we also get asked if you can still create a section view the way you use to be able to by first drawing your section lines then choosing the Section View tool?

The simple answer is Yes but there is still some new functionality that you need to watch out for. You can create the lines or arcs that you want to use for your section and add in all the relations or dimensions to those sketch entities. When you are done you can use your Right Click selection on one of the lines and use the Select Chain option to easily grab all of the connected entities.

The new functionality comes in when you select the Section Line from the Command Manager and you are presented with the following options.

You will want to read this carefully and know that to get a "standard" section view that you are used to seeing you will want to choose the Foreshortened option. Also you want to be aware of the option in the lower left of the dialog for Don't show again. If you check this it will add this message to the Dismissed messages and the new default will be the option you choose when you dismissed the dialog box.

The only way to be offered the dialog box again is to make sure you clear out those dismissed messages.

***

Josh Altergott is Support Manager at Computer Aided Technology, a SolidWorks Value Added Reseller with locations in Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois. He is a regular contributor to the CATI Tech Notes blog.

Want to try out SolidWorks? You can request a free SolidWorks trial on our website.

Want to see how SolidWorks can help you win new business and get to market faster? Request a  SolidWorks demo today.

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How do I learn how to use SolidWorks?

Here at SolidWorks we often get asked the same question: “Where can I find materials to help me learn how to use SolidWorks?” Well, we have many resources for SolidWorks users of all levels to check out.

If you’re a fan of textbook learning, you can find ample books online at the SolidWorks Merchandise Store or Amazon.com such as the SolidWorks 2013 Basic Tools Part I and Part II. In addition to the variety of SolidWorks books that are available online, you can take a look at our video tutorials which provide instructions on different design needs such as building parts and assemblies.

For additional online reading that teaches you all of the ins-and-outs of SolidWorks, you can also check out some of our older blog posts tagged as “Tips and Tricks”.

If you’re looking for more personalized training and support, you can contact your local reseller: http://www.solidworks.com/sw/purchase/varlocator.htm.

Moreover, please feel free to reach out if you have any additional questions about using the software that we haven’t covered in the resources mentioned above. Which part of SolidWorks do you want to learn about?

Snapshots of PhotoView 360: Viewpoint

Read the Entire Series: (Part One: The Basics, Part Two: Appearances, Part 3: Scenes, Part 4: Lighting)

PhotoView 360 gives the user the option of using a standard named view for the orientation of the rendering or a camera. A named view requires less time and setup than a camera; however a camera gives many more options. These two methods will be discussed in this snapshot.

Named Views

Named views allow the user to either use standard views like isometric or trimetric from the orientation views selection. The other option is the orient the model that way the user would like to render it, and save the view, so the user can come back to it later.

To do this: 

• Open the orientation dialog (spacebar or the heads-up view toolbar)
• Click New View
• Type the name of the view

 

 
Perspective View

Perspective view gives a more realistic real world view, related to the size of the object and the observed and the distance of the object from the observer.

See the full tutorial after the jump -

Live from SolidWorks World 2013: The 9th Annual CAD Manager's Boot Camp

Time and Location: Sunday January 20^th, 1-5pm in Southern I & II

Each year since the SolidWorks World we hosted in Boston, we have held the CAD Admin Bootcamp. This is an opportunity to discuss and learn more about how to manage SolidWorks and the hardware it runs on. We cover a wide variety of topics (that’s why it’s really 4 hours long) and we have a members of our support team available to answer questions.

 

While we do cover many of the similar topics each year, they are always updated (i.e., Windows 8) and new things are added (CAD Admin Dashboard and some other surprises). Every year we try to ensure there is something you can take from these sessions.

One of the additions this year is we will list sessions during the week that are related to each of the topics. Here is the listing:

Technical Resources

  Monday, Jan. 21, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

  CAD Manager's Survival Guide
  G. Jankowski
  Room: Osprey Ballroom

  Monday, Jan. 21, 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM

  The Next Generation of SolidWorks Community and Customer Content
  J. Ellsworth
  Room: Northern A-2 (Hands-On)

 

Computers and Networks

  Monday, Jan. 21, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

  Advanced 3D Graphics Hardware for SolidWorks 2013
  A. Bourgoyne
  Room: Swan 9 and 10

  Monday, Jan. 21, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

  Tips and Tricks 2013: Getting Top Performance from Your Desktop/Laptop
  R. Rocco
  Room: Pelican

  Monday, Jan. 21, 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM

  Selecting the Best Workstation Configuration for SolidWorks
  B. Young
  Room: Swan 3 and 4

  Monday, Jan. 21, 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

  Allowing SolidWorks to Perform
  A. Fanjoy J. Altergott
  Room: Swan 6

  Tuesday, Jan. 22, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

  SolidWorks and Hardware - Find out What Really Matters and What Doesn't
  B. Harrison V. Parvate
  Room: Mockingbird

  Tuesday, Jan. 22, 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

  CAD Administrator Dashboard: Use the Dashboard to Investigate Real Problems
  K. Berni D. Leblanc
  Room: Swan 3 and 4

  Wednesday, Jan. 23, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

  Building or Specifying Computers for SolidWorks
  C. Culp A. Wood
  Room: Southern I

  Wednesday, Jan. 23, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

  Dramatic Performance Increases Using SolidWorks 2013 with a Workstation
  S. Hamilton
  Room: Mockingbird

  Wednesday, Jan. 23, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

  SolidWorks for Admins — Basics
  N. Shea
  Room: Swan 3 and 4 

 

Installation

  Tuesday, Jan. 22, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

  Admin Image for Everything – A One-Click Install
  B. Pawlak
  Room: Swan 9 and 10

  Tuesday, Jan. 22, 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

  The Ins and Outs of the SolidWorks Installation Manager
  T. Siemaszko
  Room: Osprey Ballroom
 

  Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM

  How to Create and Administer a SolidWorks Administrative Image
  S. Baugh
  Room: Mockingbird

 

Administering SolidWorks

  Monday, Jan. 21, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

  Back Office Essentials
  P. Fischer
  Room: Southern III

  Wednesday, Jan. 23, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

  SolidWorks for Admins — Basics
  N. Shea
  Room: Swan 3 and 4

  Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM

  Upgrading to New Style Toolbox
  J. Van Engen
  Room: Swan 3 and 4

 

Managing Your Data

  Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM

  Managing SolidWorks and Enterprise PDM Upgrades
  G. Ahuja B. Briggs
  Room: Pelican

  Tuesday, Jan. 22, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

  Property Tab Builder Is Your FRIEND!
  J. Griffith
  Room: Swan 1 and 2

  Monday, Jan 21, 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

  Everything You Need to Know about SolidWorks Enterprise PDM Archives
  T. Iveroth
  Room: Mockingbird

 

If you have not pre-registered, stop by--there’s always room.

Hope to see you there Sunday, and have a great SolidWorks World!
Greg Jankowski

How do I buy SolidWorks or get a trial version?

Here at SolidWorks, we work hard to make our products easy to buy, learn and use; however, two of the most common questions we receive are:

• How do I buy SolidWorks?
• How do I get a trial version of SolidWorks?

The answer to both questions is actually the same--by contacting a SolidWorks Value-Added Reseller. Unlike many companies selling software for the consumer market, SolidWorks does not sell directly, or offer trial versions for download from our website. And there's a reason for this.

Despite being easy to learn and use, SolidWorks is a sophisticated piece of software with multiple package options and add-ons, with functionality for building everything from simple sprockets to complex cars and airplanes. When you express an interest in SolidWorks, we want to make sure that you talk with someone who can discuss your business with you personally and recommend the ideal solution.

That's where your local reseller comes in, meeting with you and putting together a personalized quote to meet the needs you have today and help you be more productive in the future. The same goes for product trials. We want to ensure that you have the best possible experience when you're evaluating our products, which is why trials are only available through your local reseller. Once your reseller has discussed the right options for your business, he or she can provide you with the corresponding trial software, and will be available to answer questions during the trial period.

SolidWorks resellers are also the first line for product support, and when you buy SolidWorks, you can be sure that you have a local team available to help you out with the initial set-up process, as well as walk you through any support issues you may have in the future. They are committed to working with you and helping you be successful.

When you contact SolidWorks directly, we will pair you with the best reseller in your area to speak with.  They will contact you directly to schedule a consultation and demonstration, and when you're ready, provide a comprehensive quote. And if you like, they can provide a trial version of SolidWorks and any of our other software solutions.

Want to try out SolidWorks? You can request a free SolidWorks trial on our website.

Want to see how SolidWorks can help you win new business and get to market faster? Request a  SolidWorks demo today.

Customizing SolidWorks Flyout Toolbars

The other day while watching a video on some of the new SolidWorks 2013 features, I noticed that one of the Flyout Toolbars for Annotations had a command for Cosmetic Threads that I did not have in my Flyouts, so I set about going to find out how to make the same change. I looked in all of the standard places first, Help, Knowledge Base, etc. and found no real straight forward answer. So I resorted to my other bag of tricks, below is what I found and I think I will add this to my other collection of Redneck Workarounds.

So here is what we started with first we Customize the S key to add the Annotation Flyout Toolbar.

We can see that when we look at the Annotations Flyout that there is no Cosmetic Thread.

To get our Cosmetic Thread we will again go back to Customize, show the Annotation toolbar and add the Cosmetic Thread to the toolbar.

 Now we go back to our S key and you will see that we now have our Cosmetic Thread.

Note the location in the Flyout and it is the same location that we dropped the command into the toolbar in the earlier Customize.

We have tested this with several other Flyout Toolbars and we were able to add and or reorder buttons to several other toolbars with the same steps listed above.

Good Luck and I hope this helps in customizing SolidWorks. You can learn more about SolidWorks 2013 on the website (no registration required).

***

Josh Altergott is Support Manager at Computer Aided Technology, a SolidWorks Value Added Reseller with locations in Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois. He is a regular contributor to the CATI Tech Notes blog.

Cutting All Ties: Best Practices for Removing External References

Designing parts using the Top-Down assembly modeling technique can be extremely useful. If a component is designed with the “top-down” technique, this means it is born in the assembly environment and it is designed using references to other parts within that assembly. Parts that are designed “top-down” have the advantage of being able to update when related geometry in the assembly updates, much like features update in the part environment when other related features are changed.

This can save a lot of time and hassle when it is a desired result, but it can also cost a lot of time and hassle when it is not. What happens when the User A wants to take a component that is designed “top-down” and use it in an assembly other than the one it was originally designed in? User B may decide to adjust the original assembly and before you know it, User A has a part that has mysteriously changed shape so that it no longer meets their design intent. The key in preventing these undesired updates in “top-down” designed parts is properly removing the external references that relate one part to another (or many others, for that matter).

Step 1: Open the Part

  When you open a part that has been designed using the “top-down” technique, you may notice that certain features and sketches in the design tree are appended by the notation “->?” This means that those specific features and sketches contain external references to a document that is not currently open. A feature that does not have external references may also display this notation if the sketch that is a parent to the feature does have external references. You can right click on any externally referencing feature and chose “Edit In Context” to open the assembly that this component references. You will notice once this assembly is opened, the notation next to these features and sketches change from “->?” to “->”.    

 

 

Step 2: Save the Part

If you are now planning on removing the external references to a part that was not originally your design, you should consider that the person who designed this component originally may still want the part to update in the context of their original assembly. It is best practice to use “Save As…” to save your version of the part. When you chose to “Save As…” you will get a message saying you are about to replace the original document with the new one in the assembly unless you check “Save as copy” in the “Save As…” dialogue. Please be sure to choose to “Save as copy”.

 

Step 3: View the External References

You may wish to see a list of every external reference in the component. This can give you a good idea of what you need to adjust in order for your part to be “free” to stand on its own. Simply right click on the part name in the feature tree and chose “List External References” in the drop down menu. A window similar to the one below will appear:

This window can provide you with detailed information on every external reference in the model. It also provides you with the options to “Break All”, “Lock All” and “Unlock All”. These options can be used as an alternative to removing the references manually. “Lock All” locks or freezes the references until they are unlocked at a later date. This means that changes to the original assembly will not affect this new component. It is fully reversible by choosing to “Unlock All”. However, it does not make adjusting geometry an easy task because much of the geometry may still be tied into the original assembly. “Break All” will blindly break these references, and it is NOT recommended in any circumstance.

  

Step 4: Removing the External References

It is finally time to actually purge the model of all these external references. This can be a tedious process, depending on how much of the model is dependent on its parent assembly. The key is to start with the latest change and work your way up the feature tree to the oldest changes. Working from the bottom up in the Feature Manager helps prevent rebuild errors.

Most of the external references are likely to reside in the sketch environment. These references will be in the form of relations and dimensions created to the geometry of other parts in the original assembly. These relations and dimensions must be deleted so that the sketch geometry can be redefined internally. Below is an example of a sketch that was created using “Convert Edges”. These edges no longer exist, so the “On Edge” relation must be replaced.

Any easy way to do this is to use the “Display/Delete Relations” dialogue. Through this dialogue, it is easy to delete all relations, leaving the sketch completely under undefined: A simple sketch like this one can be fully defined with only a few relations and dimensions, however it may be more difficult to constrain a sketch with more complicated geometry. The following sketch shows how this can be easily accomplished:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This sketch has “On Edge” and co-linear relations to another part. You may also notice that there are some dimensions that don’t seem to point to any edges. This is because these edges exist in another model. These are all references that need to be removed and replaced. You can easily get rid of these relations by choosing to delete all relations in the “Display/Delete Relations” dialogue, however, that would also result in the deletion of a number of internal relations in this sketch. If you don’t wish to take a chain saw to the entire sketch, but want a fast and easy way of deleting the unwanted relationships, there is a filter in the “Display/Delete Relations” tool to only view external references. From here you can easily delete ONLY the external references and maintain the rest:

You can see that all of the symmetry relations are maintained as well as the dimensions that do not reference another components geometry.

This sketch is still very much under defined, so another tool that can be used is “Fully Define Sketch”. This tool allows you to select relations you’d like SolidWorks to look for in the sketch. It also allows you to define a base point or base line for SolidWorks to dimension the sketch to. Once these selections are made, you may get the following message:

This means the geometry itself is fully defined, but the location is not. The easiest way to get a fully defined sketch at this point is to dimension your geometry to the origin of the part.

 

In the end, you want your feature manager tree to look something like this. You’ll notice, all of those pesky notations from before (“->?” and “->”) are gone, showing that you part is all grown up – it can now survive on its own, independent of the assembly it was born in!

There are many other techniques that may be used for freeing a part from its external references. Apart from the sketch environment, sketch planes can be edited so that only internal planes are referenced and extruded features can be edited so that geometry from other parts isn’t used for “offset” or “up to” start and end conditions. All of these techniques (and more) are taught in our Advanced Assembly class. For more information on classes, click here.

Want to try out SolidWorks? You can request a free SolidWorks trial on our website.

Want to see how SolidWorks can help you win new business and get to market faster? Request a  SolidWorks demo today.

Introducing the SolidWorks Plastics Dream Team

Munich, Germany Dream Team

Hi - while you might have heard about the release of SolidWorks Plastics back in April of this year, you may not have heard about the SolidWorks Plastics "Dream Team" - the world's largest field organization with plastics domain expertise. 

The Dream Team consists of over 200 SolidWorks Territory Technical Managers and Directors, Support Engineers, Reseller Application Engineers, Product Managers, Training & Certification Managers and more.  All 200+ have been trained and educated on the fundamentals of plastics materials, best practices in plastics part and injection mold design, injection molding theory and in some cases, hands-on injection molding.

Cambridge, UK Dream Team

We partnered with the University of Massachusetts Lowell - one of the world's leading Plastics Engineering programs - to help develop and deliver the training content.  Then we started training the Dream Team so that they could understand the design-to-manufacturing challenges our customers face every day. 

Armed with that knowledge, the Dream Team can better help SolidWorks customers optimize their plastic part designs, injection mold designs and the injection molding process itself.  We started in Boston, MA and then took a world tour with stops in Woodland Hills, CA; Velizy, France; Cambridge, UK; Munich, Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo then came all the way back to Boston for even more training.  The pix you see here are of the Dream Team members from all those locations.

Woodland Hills, CA Dream Team

Of course, the Dream Team has been fully trained on the use and application of SolidWorks Plastics, software tools that can be used to predict and avoid injection molding manufacturing defects in the earliest stages of part and mold design so you can avoid mold rework, improve part quality and decrease time to market.

Tokyo, Japan Dream Team

Finally, the SolidWorks Plastics Dream Team has only just begun - it is growing on a weekly basis and we expect to add another 100+ engineers to the worldwide team by the end of August.  So if you're involved in the injection molding design-to-manufacturing process, feel free to call on a member of the SolidWorks Plastics Dream Team for help in optimizing your part and mold designs.

Shanghai, China Dream Team

Until next time...clear your mind, focus and GET THAT PROJECT DONE!

 

Thanks,

Peter

Velizy, France Dream Team

Boston, MA 2 Dream Team

Boston, MA 3 Dream Team

Singapore Dream Team

Boston, MA 1 Dream Team

License vs. Subscription: What's the Difference?

The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.

 -Thomas Berger

 

A very common question we receive here at SolidWorks (actually one of the top 5) is the difference between a subscription and a license.  I thought it was worth going into more detail on the differences.

When you purchase SolidWorks software (all three flavors, SolidWorks Enterprise PDM, 3DVIA Composer, etc.), you are actually purchasing a SolidWorks product license.  Your license never expires.  So, if you purchased SolidWorks 2010 two years ago, you can use it forever.  However, if you want any updates to the software or the new version when it comes out (historically, in the October/November timeframe each year), then you’ll want to purchase a software subscription instead. The advantage to a subscription over a license is that you receive software updates automatically, so you have the latest and greatest version as soon as new functionality is ready and released.  As the software becomes more efficient, you become more efficient too! 

Along with updates, you receive unlimited full technical support at no additional cost.  This is not like the email support that may take 48 hours to receive a reply like that some other software companies provide. You have complete access to the SolidWorks Call Center Team which almost always has a wait time less than 1-minute.  This is not included in a license. 

A subscription does not automatically expire after the 12-month term, and is renewable. 

If you have more detailed questions about subscription vs. license, visit our website to get in touch with a SolidWorks Representative,