Unboxing SOLIDWORKS Simulation

Many products come with a great un-boxing experience. Over the years I have realized that, today, companies are designing their packaging and content of the package with a very high level of detail. So do we, at Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS. The issue with that is that we don’t ship a lot of physical products. All the products and content are digital and sometimes you just don’t know where are all the interesting additions.

There are four essentials that I want to point at today:
(1)    Quick Start Guide (“Introduction to Simulation”)
(2)    Documentation (“Theoretical Manual”)
(3)    Tutorials (“SOLIDWORKS Simulation Tutorials”)
(4)    Validation (“Verification Problems” & “NAFEMS Benchmarks”)

Assuming you just received a physical box containing a license of SOLIDWORKS Simulation, delivered by your friendly parcel courier. After you have broken the sealing of this minimalistic box (obviously, a virtual box that is never produced and shipped is very minimalistic and sustainable) and lifted the cover, you will discover the ingredients of this great product experience.

As a novice user, you should start with reading the Quick Start Guide, “Introduction to Simulation,” that can be found under “Help>SOLIDWORKS Simulation>Validation>Introduction to Simulation (PDF).” It covers basic engineering concepts and techniques with the goal of providing design analysts with the knowledge needed to incorporate this powerful simulation tool successfully into the design process.

For a better insight of what is happening in the background, the “Theoretical Manual” is the document to browse under “Help>SOLIDWORKS Simulation>Validation>Theoretical Manual (PDF).” This manual might not need to be read initially, but can be very helpful from time to time.

After this initial reading exercise, it is time to start using the software. As Simulation is a very broad field of different studies and features, you can start by searching for a Tutorial that is as close to the application you need as possible. Following this step-by-step tutorial will make you more familiar with the steps you will need to take to successfully incorporate simulation into your engineering workflow. Just go to “Help>SOLIDWORKS Simulation>Tutorial” to find the “SOLIDWORKS Simulation Tutorials.” The tutorials are grouped into available product categories: Simulation in SOLIDWORKS Premium, Simulation Professional and Simulation Premium.

If you are a new simulation user, you might be skeptical about the accuracy of the product itself. To alleviate any concerns or uncertainty about the validity of your results, we have added two Validation documents into every single box, found here: “Help>SOLIDWORKS Simulation>Validation>Verification Problems.” There is the “Verification Problems” section in which we have included a total of 83 Verification examples, including the files and setup, that are verified vs analytical methods. If this still isn’t enough, we have the “NAFEMS Benchmarks” ready for you. NAFEMS is an independent, not-for-profit membership association that sets and maintains standards in computer-aided engineering. You can find a total of 52 NAFEMS Benchmarks, also with the files and setups, ready to execute with every seat of SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

To learn more about SOLIDWORKS Simulation, visit the product page, or follow me on Twitter (@klumpp) or have a look on this Flipboard Magazine article: SOLIDWORKS Simulation Solutions.