What’s New in Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS R2024x

By

BIG news! You now have the ability to define logic when saving configurations to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform in the latest updates of Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS R2024x GA (general availability). When you update a model that has several configurations with the same part number, SOLIDWORKS updates only one of the configurations to a physical product. Get more details on this below and learn about the latest enhancements.

  1. New Configuration Manager – reduce clutter and find configurations more easily.

With the new 3DEXPERIENCE Integration Rules Editor, you can define logic when saving your part and assembly configurations in the form of Physical Products or Representations to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Representations will be linked to the Physical Products on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, and they will not be saved separately, reducing clutter so you can find the configurations faster.

Define logic when saving configurations to Physical Products or Representations on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform with the new configuration manager.

 

When you update a model that has several configurations with the same part number, SOLIDWORKS updates only one of the configurations to a physical product. The other configurations become representations.

SOLIDWORKS selects the configuration to be used for the physical product using the following criteria:

  • When a Default configuration exists, the Default configuration becomes the physical product.
  • When a configuration uses Configuration Name for the part number, the configuration becomes the physical product.
  • When configurations have the same part number, SOLIDWORKS selects a configuration based on the Part number displayed when used in a bill of materials option in the Configuration Properties PropertyManager. The order of selection is:
    1. Configuration Name
    2. User Specified Name
    3. Document Name

If a configuration does not match the above criteria, the first configuration created in the ConfigurationManager tab becomes the physical product.

If you have very specific use cases or company standards to follow where the system-coded update logic does not give you the desired result, the recommendation is to use the new rules editor, where you can create user-defined update logic. Unlike the system-coded update logic, which applies to parts and assemblies, the 3DEXPERIENCE Integration Rules Editor allows you to define different update logic for both file types, if needed.

NOTE: This utility is only available in 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS and Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS + SOLIDWORKS 2024 SP0.1 and newer versions.

This really is a big deal, and I want to follow up later in more detail on this one so standby for a more in-depth blog.

  1. SOLIDWORKS Visualize enhancements – easily create compelling, life-like appearances with more advanced rendering capabilities.

The updated rendering capabilities in SOLIDWORKS Visualize give you faster, more flexible options. For starters you’ll experience better performance and can achieve more life-like images with the ability to play with textures and brightness. Enhancements include Dassault Systèmes Physically based rendering (DSPBR), a new manipulator for greater clarity and efficiency, a sunlight animation wizard, a new output wizard, and interactive video output capabilities.

With the new Render Output Wizard, you can simplify the process of saving and specifying parameters for rendering output. Just create a new setting and save all your settings for quick future outputs when you need them. When selecting an output type, the wizard limits a selection to only the parameters required for that specific output.

In addition, with DSPBR you can better replicate the realistic appearance of metal, glass, plastic, and other materials. Plus, it provides more consistent appearances across 3DEXPERIENCE platform applications, such as 3DPlay and xDesign, so you and your collaborators can achieve greater visibility into the final product.

Experience easier optimization and more advanced real-life rendering capabilities in SOLIDWORKS Visualize, including a new sunlight animation wizard, interactive video output capabilities and more.

 

  1. New – Access Bookmarks from Inside SOLIDWORKS – stay focused on your designs and easily add a bookmark.

This release also improves on the user experience when it comes to bookmarks. You can now add a bookmark from the Lifecycle and Collaboration tab right from the SOLIDWORKS interface, so you don’t have to open MySession. Clicking on the Add to Bookmark tab will give you the option to Add to Bookmark or Open Bookmark Editor.

Easily add files to bookmarks right from within SOLIDWORKS with the new “Add to Bookmark” command under the Lifecycle and Collaboration tab.

 

  1. Drawing Symbol Support in 3DPlay – gain greater visibility of drawings.

With enhanced symbol support you and non-SOLIDWORKS users can view weld, geometric tolerances (GTOL) and other drawing symbols in 3DPlay to get a more accurate view of drawings.

Gain better insight into drawings with new drawing symbol support in 3DPlay.

 

Watch the video below to see these enhancements in action.

 

That’s a few notable things from the latest update, and we’ve already got a lot of great enhancements in the works for the next functional delivery (FD), R2024x FD01, coming in February of 2024 so stay tuned.

Note the enhancements in this blog also apply to 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS R2024x GA and you learn about the new CAD features in 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS in this blog.

Also, 3DEXPERIENCE World, the annual user event, is taking place February 11-14th in Dallas. If you’d like to learn more or connect with me there, catch my presentations: “Best Practices for Managing SOLIDWORKS Designs with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform” and a hands-on session “PLM at Your Fingertips for SOLIDWORKS Users” and learn about data management on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

In the meantime, stay in the loop on all the latest updates to SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Works solutions at: https://SOLIDWORKS.com/xWhatsNew.

Priyanka Kanherkar

Priyanka Kanherkar

Priyanka Kanherkar is a Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS Roles Portfolio Manager focused on connecting SOLIDWORKS desktop with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. She has a master's degree in Aerospace Engineering specializing in Aerodynamics from the Florida Institute of Technology. Apart from work, she loves travelling, cooking and hiking. Priyanka is also a trained Indian classical dancer.