What’s New in SOLIDWORKS Browser-based Roles R2024x FD03

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The SOLIDWORKS browser-based design role update drops this Saturday and you’re in luck as I’ve got a preview for you today! The R2024x functional delivery (FD) 03 update applies to 3D Creator, 3D Sculptor, Manufacturing Definition Creator and 3D SheetMetal Creator.

With so many great enhancements it was tough to pick, but you can catch a glimpse in the video below of our favorites AND see more of the enhancements in action as you read below.

The top enhancements in the R2024x FD03 update include customizable geometry checks, mesh inspection when editing a subdivision feature and the ability to control dimension placement on arcs in drawings, and more!

 

 

PART AND ASSEMBLY DESIGN

DFM Helper – identify design flaws before designs hit the shop floor.

There’s a new command called the DFM Helper that enables you to perform geometry checks for certain parameters such as maximum part size, minimum wall thickness, and hole specifications to ensure that designs are manufacturable. This new feature enables you to find potential errors early in the design process that could affect the manufacturability of your product, streamlining production workflows.

 

Error and Warning Manager – identify and resolve model errors quickly with an interactive dialog.

You can now pull up a dialog box to view and filter errors and warnings in an open model so you can deal with them individually and resolve issues more quickly. You can activate feature dialogs directly from the Error and Warning Manager so you can troubleshoot issues efficiently.

This is the same tool you all know and love in SOLIDWORKS desktop and it’s now included in the browser-based design roles.

 

Edit Sketch Plane – gain precision and control by customizing sketch plane orientation to perfectly match your design needs.

You can now modify the sketch plane alignment manually while editing a sketch. Sometimes when you create a sketch on a face or plane the automatic sketch plane alignment is not what you had intended. Now you can easily modify the sketch plane on the fly. Just Launch the Edit Sketch Plane command from the Sketch toolbar to manually define the origin and perpendicular reference, aligning sketches with your specific design intentions.

 

Access Learning Content for Accademia – quickly enhance your CAD skills.

Academia users can quickly access a library of learning content under Quick Tours right from the xDesign landing page in 3D Creator. Accelerate skill development and CAD proficiency by accessing an easily discoverable, rich library of training content.

 

Contour Selection – ensure quicker and more accurate selection of desired elements.

Get your selection right the first time, with a more accurate selection of what the desired element is. Selection priority is determined based on the active selection field, which makes it easier to select the desired contour, object, or sketch. The cursor icon indicates which type of selection priority is active.

 

Save as DXF – improve your DXF export workflow with precise face and sketch exports.

You now have better selection capabilities when it comes to saving a DXF. For instance, you can use box select to select faces, and you can also select entire sketches from the Design Manager or breadcrumbs.

 

Split Face and Split Body – save timewith the ability to select entire sketches as inputs for the Split tool.

This enhancement is going to save you time and one less selection to make as you can select an entire sketch as an input from the Design Manager or from breadcrumbs.

Additionally, you do not need to specify the direction as the tool automatically sets the split direction as normal to the sketch plane, simplifying splitting operations.

 

Material Application Performance – apply materials faster.

Enhance your workflow with improved performance when applying materials. Material file sizes have been reduced, resulting in faster saving, importing, and exporting of physical products containing materials.

 

Seamless Transition Between xDesign and 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS – work faster between solutions.

xDesign parts can be modified in SOLIDWORKS by converting them to derived parts. However, converted derived parts cannot be modified in xDesign. Now, when opening a derived part in xDesign, users can select an option in the context menu to open the base part which can be modified in xDesign.

 

Hide/Show While Modifying an Environment – hide physical products so you can see and more easily work on obscured objects in the environment.

There’s a new option to temporarily hide components while modifying a design environment to facilitate easier selection of obscured objects in the graphics area. Objects will be restored to their prior visibility upon exiting the Modify Environment command.

 

FREEFORM DESIGN

Mesh Inspection Analysis – save time when creating a subdivision model with the ability to edit the subdivision mesh.

When working with subdivision modeling, you can ensure the geometry is not self-intersecting with the Mesh Inspection tool. Now when you edit a mesh you can keep that tool activated and continue to modify and correct the self-intersecting mesh and verify that it’s been fixed. The faces that are self-intersecting will be highlighted.

 

DRAWINGS AND MODEL BASED-DEFINITION

Min/Max/Center Dimension Control for Arcs – create precise drawings with more flexible dimension options.

Improve dimension precision with added support and control for dimensioning of arcs. When editing a dimension, you now have additional on-screen manipulators to control the dimension placement based on the maximum, minimum, and center distances between arcs and cylinders.

SHEET METAL DESIGN

Closed Corner – Speed up the design process to close off gaps between sheet metal flanges for a clean and professional finish.

To ensure a proper alignment for welding and to optimize the structural integrity of sheet metal designs, it’s important that any gaps between overlapping flanges be closed off. Eliminate the manual process of extending the flanges to close the gaps with the new Close Corner command.

The Close Corner command also includes three options called Gap, Overlap and Tabbed. If you choose the Gap option, you can specify the gap dimensions. If you choose Overlap it will close the gap completely. You can also use the option called Tabbed to close the gap between two flanges.

This command is a hit for SOLIDWORKS desktop users and it’s now available in 3D SheetMetal Creator!

 

Bend Order – review key bend information at a glance.

The new Bend Order command enables you to view both the folded and flat states of a sheet metal part, along with key information such as bend order, direction, angle, radius, K-factor, and more, in a table. Additionally, the Bend Order table allows you to quickly modify the bend order and rename bends as needed, helping to ensure that the correct manufacturing intent is conveyed from the design side.

 

That is just a glimpse of what’s in store in the latest update. A few other noteworthy things we did include:

  •  Improved system reliability with infrastructural enhancements to reduce data loss and handle crashes more effectively
  • Added the ability to split and trim splines that are created as a converted entity
  • Added the ability to use selective save when mates have been added, when components are removed from the product structure, and when there is no 3DShape
  • Added the ability to Hide/Show a 3DShape
  • Colors applied to parts in xDesign will now be preserved when the part is opened in SOLIDWORKS
  • Fixed some scenarios where enclosed volumes created by the trim feature could not be automatically knit and filled to create a solid
  • Fixed a scenario in which users would experience a “transition failed” error when accessing xApps due to full local browser storage

Join the SOLIDWORKS 3DSWYM Community to view this update and add a comment and to stay informed on more news here.

Learn about other functional delivery updates here: https://SOLIDWORKS.com/xWhatsNew. See the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Offer page at https://SOLIDWORKS.com/cloud to get an overview of the roles mentioned in this blog.

 

Daniel McGinn

Daniel McGinn

Dan McGinn is a Product Portfolio Manager for SOLIDWORKS. Dan has been working with CAD for 10 years and has experience with structure design, machine design, and robotics. When he’s not at work, you might find him out on the ski slopes or hiking and camping.