Why SOLIDWORKS World is More Like a Family Reunion

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My name is Joe N. Lance, Principal Mechanical Technologist at Halliburton in Houston Texas. I recognize the impact that one person can make, and I further understand that many people sharing a mutual vision can make an even greater impact, which is why I have volunteered to spearhead the Houston SOLIDWORKS User Group (HOUSUG) for over 12 years. As President of HOUSUG, I have brought in presenters ranging from the end users of SOLIDWORKS, Local Value-Added Resellers (VARs) and SOLIDWORKS employers ranging from the developers of the software to its CEO to enhance the potential of all attendees.

My reason for choosing the title SOLIDWORKS Family Reunion

SOLIDWORKS World 2019, being held February 10-13, will be my 15th year of attending SOLIDWORKS World consecutively. Family reunion comes to mind because every year there are always new members of the family with which to laugh, play but most of all to learn, and every year is truly an adventure. Therefore, is there a more appropriate way of describing SOLIDWORKS world than a family reunion?

I had the honor of being nominated as an ambassador for SOLIDWORKS World 2018. Though it was an honor for me, it was really nothing special, just me doing what I do at every SOLIDWORKS event: meet and greet new users, sharing my experience by suggesting the best way to incorporate the Technical Session, Partner Pavilion, and most of all interact with other users. If you attend SOLIDWORKS World, you learn more in three days than you will in three years.

Let’s get technical

Just to name a couple of things, time after time you go in a tech session with the hope of getting a couple of good ideas, but at the end of the session you’ve taken several pages of notes on tips and tricks. Don’t worry if you don’t get everything written down, because all the presentations will be available online after SOLIDWORKS World.

I remember one valuable tip that I received several years back. Some of my coworkers were modeling a helix to display the springs in the model assemblies. Unfortunately, this is one of the last things you would want in an assembly model. In this one session the light bulb was twisted on…this is when we discover the feature Twist used to create representation of the spring. This insight became a gigantic timesaver and reduced the size of the model significantly. That alone was worth the trip.

The Partner Pavilion

I strongly suggest that you dedicate some serious time to spend here. This is your opportunity to visit with the vendors, touch and feel the products, and even pick up some goodies along the way. There is a wealth of information that you may not be familiar with and it provides the opportunity to learn how other companies are using the software and see the products they have designed in SOLIDWORKS on display. I promise you cannot spend enough time in the pavilion so be sure to allocate some time here.

So with that said, let’s recap. With all the fun and the learning, there’s more fun. So I strongly suggest you bring your walking shoes (oh yes, we do have a running group so pack your running shoes as well) and your fun personality because at the end of the Technical Sessions and partner pavilion, there’s always special events that you really have to make a conscious decision on which one to attend.

The days are long and the nights are short but you’ll go back home with a wealth of information. My suggestion is that you be careful and don’t overdose because it is addicting; you can’t just do it once. So be prepared to get your justification letter in order for returning years to come…

See you at SOLIDWORKS World 2019 in February, my 15th consecutive SOLIDWORKS family reunion. Click on the banner below and register before January 11th and save $100 off a full-conference pass.

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Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. offers complete 3D software tools that let you create, simulate, publish, and manage your data. SolidWorks products are easy to learn and use, and work together to help you design products better, faster, and more cost-effectively. The SolidWorks focus on ease-of-use allows more engineers, designers and other technology professionals than ever before to take advantage of 3D in bringing their designs to life.
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