3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 5: SOLIDWORKS, Collaborative Space and Bookmarks
After teaching 1000’s of students and writing about SOLIDWORKS for over 25 years, David Planchard, emeritus WPI, is exploring SOLIDWORKS desktop and the integrated 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. Through the 3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson series, David helps educators understand the 3DEXPERIENCE Add-In with simple examples and industry practices. The Platform offers are available thru your Education Partner (VAR).
Most of my students have had a class in Windows-based CAD software. With SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, they need to understand both Windows and cloud-based Apps.
In this lesson, open a SOLIDWORKS assembly that has not been previously uploaded or saved to the platform. Create a new Collaborative space on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
A Collaborative space is defined by an administrator (instructor or IT personnel) or the user, if the user has access rights. The default Collaborative space for a student is named, Common Space.
Apply the 3DSpace Widget to create a Collaborative space. The default location defines the Collaborative space (cloud storage) where your models and data are saved. The 3DSpace Widget is displayed in the SOLIDWORKS Task Pane.
Add a member to the Collaborative space.
Apply the Bookmark Editor Widget to create a Bookmark. The Bookmark Editor is displayed in the SOLIDWORKS Task Pane. Use Bookmarks (Browser links) to delete entire groups of data or just a single file. Note: Another option to delete files (Physical Products and more) from the platform is to use the Collaborative Lifecycle App.
Save the SOLIDWORKS assembly to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform in the new Collaborative space and Bookmark.
Utilize the 3DPlay App. View the auto generated embedded model properties. This provides improved search capabilities and PLM attributes.
There are three different user types when using 3DEXPERIENCE: Administrator, Member (student), and Administrator/Member (educator). This lesson is written for an individual Member, who has permission, with their own computer. For computer lab installation, contact your Value Added Reseller (Partner).
Before we start, there are a few items that you need to know.
In this lesson, use your default Collaborative space named “Common Space”. An internet connection is required.
3DEXPERIENCE Launcher needs to be installed. 3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 1: Getting Started with SOLIDWORKS and the Platform. Note: This lesson is not for SOLIDWORKS Connected “3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS”.
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is browser driven. Your existing cookies and cache determine what you will see on your computer desktop or during a SOLIDWORKS login. A full installation of SOLIDWORKS 2019 SP0 or later is required.
Start a SOLIDWORKS session from your desktop.
Double-click the SOLIDWORKS icon.
View the illustration below. Depending on your system setup, cookies, and cache, it will be different.
Input the requested information.
Click Accept All.
The Welcome – SOLIDWORKS dialog box is displayed.
You are logged into the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Close the Welcome dialog box.
Click the 3DEXPERIENCE icon in the Task Pane. The MySession panel is displayed. This displays the two-way communication between SOLIDWORKS running on your desktop and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform running in the cloud, a single modeling environment.
The default Collaborative space for a student is named, Common Space. I’m using a created Collaborative space named Quick Start xDesign.
Note: If you do not see the 3DEXPERIENCE icon, click the Options drop-down arrow, click Add-Ins, check the 3DEXPERIENCE box, click OK, from the SOLIDWORKS Main menu.
Click Accept All.
Download the SOLIDWORKS Homework Problem 10-1 assembly to follow along with this lesson.
Open the SOLIDWORKS assembly that has not been uploaded or saved to the platform. The SOLIDWORKS assembly is displayed in the Graphics area. The assembly and components are displayed in the FeatureManager and Task Pane.
The Status, orange save icons, indicate that the assembly and components have not been uploaded and saved to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Obtain access through the Compass to your Roles, Cockpits, Favorite Apps and Apps depending on your license and Role.
Click the center of the Compass.
Create a new Collaborative space on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
A Collaborative space is defined by an administrator (instructor or IT personnel) or the user, if the user has access rights.
The 3DSpace Widget/App creates a Collaborative space.
Drag the slide bar downward to view your available Roles, Cockpits, My Favorite Apps, and Apps.
Click the 3DSpace Widget. A Widget is displayed with an arrow in the upper right corner of the icon as illustrated.
The 3DSpace dialog box is displayed. The default Collaborative space for a student is named, Common Space. Illustrated are a few of my created Collaborative spaces.
Click the New Collaborative Space button.
The Create Collaborative Space dialog box is displayed.
Enter Title, Project 2.
Enter Description, Class ME2300.
Note: Within a Collaborative space, your access role determines what you can do depending on whether the Collaborative space is public, protected, or private.
Select the default Design – Collaborative storage to manage any kind of content.
Select the default Private – Content visible to members only.
Click Create.
Click Refresh.
View the results. Project 2 is displayed in the My Collaborative Spaces dialog box.
Add a member to the new Collaborative space.
Select Project 2.
Right-click Project 2.
Click Add members.
The Add member(s): Project 2 dialog box is displayed.
The Contributor role inherits all Reader access rights. The Author role inherits all Contributor access rights. The Leader & Owner role inherits all Author access rights and has the ability to read any content of the Collaborative space including personal contents.
In this example, I added Marie Planchard to the Contributor role.
Click Add members.
Note: Use the User Group Widget to create a set of students and assign their access rights.
Close the 3DSpace App.
Click Close.
Click the center of the Compass from your Dashboard.
Create a Bookmark. Bookmarks are organized as Bookmark Workspaces and Bookmark folders. Think of a Bookmark Workspace as a directory which can contain various Bookmark folders. Bookmark folders are used to further categorize bookmarks like a folder tree structure (Windows Explorer). A Bookmark provides an easy way to delete a single component or assemblies with their reference files on the platform.
Create a Bookmark Workspace.
Click the Bookmark Editor Widget from My Apps.
The Bookmark Editor – Project 2 – Bookmarks dialog box is displayed.
Right-click Bookmarks.
Click New Bookmark.
Enter Design Project 102.
Bookmark Design Project 102 is created and is selected.
Close the Bookmark Editor dialog box.
Click Close.
Launch SOLIDWORKS from the 3DEXPERIENCE Dashboard.
Drag the slide bar downward to view your available Roles, Cockpits, My Favorite Apps, and Apps.
Click the Design with SOLIDWORKS App.
You are returned to your SOLIDWORKS session.
Click Close to return to the MySession panel in the SOLIDWORKS Task Pane.
Refresh your desktop.
Click the drop-down arrow in the MySession panel.
Click Refresh.
The MySession panel displays the two-way communication between SOLIDWORKS running on your machine and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform running in the cloud.
Note: To change your Collaborative spaces in the MySession panel, click Preferences from the drop-down arrow. Select a Collaborative space from the Credentials box. Click Save. The Collaborative space is updated in the MySession panel.
The MySession panel displays the Component Name, Status (Displays an icon that represents the status of a given revision, saved or not saved to the platform), Locked status (Locked or Unlocked), Rev (Revision #), Is Last Revision (Yes/No), Maturity State (Lifecycle state of the family, for example: Private, In Work, Frozen, Released, Obsolete), Description, File Name (Displays the PLM external ID of the object for reference objects and the PLM external ID of the connection for instances) and Type (Physical Product or Drawing).
At this time, they are blank. Remember, we opened a SOLIDWORKS assembly that has not been previously uploaded or saved to the platform.
Upload the Assembly to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform in the cloud to your Collaborative space and Bookmark that you created.
Right-click Homework Problem 10-1 in the MySession Panel. View the drop-down menu.
Click Save with Options. One of the best simple practices for SOLIDWORKS data is to create bookmarks upon the initial save to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Choosing “Save With Options” provides you the choice of existing Bookmark folders or to create a new Bookmark to contain the file references.
The file is temporarily being saved to a local cache area. The platform is checking for out of date components, modified components from the last save to the platform, different revisions, missing components, etc. Note: If the platform identifies an error with your file, error information is provided.
The Save to 3DEXPERIENCE dialog box is displayed. Product lifecycle management (PLM) attributes are displayed. The attributes include: Bookmark, Revision, Maturity State, Collaborative Space and Reservation Owner.
Save the SOLIDWORKS assembly to the created Bookmark.
Click the Select Bookmark down arrow.
Click Select Bookmark. The Select a Bookmark dialog box is displayed.
Select Design Project 102 Bookmark as illustrated. Click Apply to Selected.
Note: The Export icon saves the information to a CSV file.
Status: Green checkmark. This means that the parts are ready to be uploaded.
Bookmark: Displays the bookmark assigned to the respective object. The Bookmark column is empty by default.
Hover over the Bookmark column. The Design Project 102 Bookmark is displayed.
Revision: Displays the revision from the 3DEXPERIENCE server that is opened in SOLIDWORKS. This will be empty until you save the assembly.
Enter comment in the Revision Comment box.
Click Save from the Save to 3DEXPERIENCE dialog box. The files are directly loaded into your Collaborative space and Bookmarked on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
You are returned directly back to your SOLIDWORKS session.
Expand the Task Pane area. View the updated results in the MySession panel. The Status is a green check mark. This means that the files were successfully loaded into the Collaborative space on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The model is unlocked. The default Revision is “A.1”. The default Maturity State is “In Work”. Collaborative space is Project 2.
Obtain access through the Compass to your Roles, Cockpits, Favorite Apps and Apps in SOLIDWORKS.
Click the center of the Compass in the MySession panel.
View the updated Bookmark Editor with the uploaded SOLIDWORKS files.
Click the Bookmark Editor Widget from My Apps.
The Bookmark Editor is displayed. The Collaborative space is Project 2. The Bookmark is Design Project 102. View the available information. Explore the various icons and options.
Right-click Homework Problem 10-1 assembly icon.
Click Open With. The options are: 3D Markup, 3D Navigate, 3DPlay, Design with SOLIDWORKS and More Apps. The More Apps tool brings you to your My Apps section under the 3DEXPERIENCE platform compass.
3DPlay is the universal player and viewer on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Use 3DPlay to view 3D models, image files, PDFs, 2D drawings, Power point presentations, and assembly instruction files.
For design reviews, 3DPlay provides the ability to explode and collapse components in the assembly while making hand or typed markups and measurements. There are various Section tools to view the internals of a complex assembly.
When the 3DPlay link is shared with people outside of your team/platform via another App called 3DDrive, 3DPlay is INCLUDED. This provides someone who has no roles and isn’t even associated with your platform the ability to view the link and even mark it up during the review or quote process.
When the sharing of the link is finished, you can remove the outside person. No file is provided. This ensures security on the platform of your design.
If your students use SOLIDWORKS edrawings, the 3DPlay tools will be familiar.
Click 3DPlay.
If needed, Login to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform.
3DPlay is displayed. View the two Action bar tabs: View and Tools.
Click the Information icon as illustrated.
Drag the slide bar downward to view the auto generated embedded model properties. This provides improved search capabilities and PLM attributes.
We are finished with this lesson.
In the next lesson, we will explore Search tools using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Academic Community: After you create a 3DEXPERIENCE ID, Educators, can get more information on SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. Request to join the 3DEXPERIENCE Academic Community for free at go.3ds.com/academiccommunity.
Student Community: Students, join the student community for free at go.3ds.com/studentcommunity. Check out great posts on Mechanism Mondays, FEA Fridays, Solid Saturdays (animations), Formula Student and Formula SAE exercises.
Stay tuned for David’s next 3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 6: SOLIDWORKS and Search. Other lessons in this series include:
3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 1: Getting Started with SOLIDWORKS and the Platform
3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 2: SOLIDWORKS and Save and Revision
3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 3: SOLIDWORKS and Bookmarks, Share and Delete
3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 4: SOLIDWORKS and Lifecycle Maturity States
Design well, Marie
Marie Planchard