What’s New in SOLIDWORKS Cloud November 2024 Update

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A new update to the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Offer delivers many great enhancements to increase your design process, including the option to open apps in separate browser tabs, the new AI-powered Command Predictor, and the ability to create a vertex in Sub-D.

Read on to learn more and watch the how-to videos for each new enhancement in the November 2024 update.

This rendering was created with the xStudio app, included in the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Offer.

 

PART AND ASSEMBLY DESIGN

Command Predictor

The AI-powered features just keep getting better for automating your workflow. The new Command Predictor uses AI to predict your next move. Activate the Command Predictor from the Action bar to display a toolbar with up to seven suggested commands based on your recent design activity. The toolbar dynamically updates with every step, helping you work faster by reducing the need to return to the Action bar. If the Command Predictor toolbar doesn’t display the command you need, simply use the intelligent command search located at the end of the toolbar.

 

Improvements for Fixing Missing References

There are several improvements for fixing missing references. First, a new “missing reference” icon is shown in the selection chip for lost references, making it easy to identify which selection is causing the error.

Secondly, selecting the missing reference chip will highlight the last known position of the missing reference in the graphics area. This ghost-highlighting visual cue provides valuable context to help you find the missing reference or identify a suitable replacement reference.

A Flag toolbar will also appear in the graphics area attached to the ghost highlight of the missing reference, providing quick access to delete or replace it.

 

Open Apps in Separate Browser Tabs

There is a new platform setting to change the default behavior for opening apps. With this new option enabled, clicking an app in the Compass panel or using the “Open With” command will automatically open the app in a new browser tab in full-screen mode. Opening apps in separate browser tabs provides a cleaner workspace and helps you stay organized when running multiple xApp sessions.

To enable this behavior, select the option “Open Web Apps as Browser Tabs” in the Options tab of the Platform Preferences menu.

 

Discreet Processing Bar

Maintain momentum by navigating your design space while processing runs in the background. A new discreet processing dialog allows users to navigate around their model—using rotate, pan, and zoom—while server-side operations are still processing. This enhancement supports a smoother workflow by minimizing interruptions during model processing, reducing downtime, and helping you keep your focus on refining your model.

 

Enhanced Hide/Show Management

Control item visibility of your product structure with greater control and flexibility. Use the new Hide/Show column in the Design Manager to see and adjust the visibility of any node, including components, features, and 3D Shapes. Customize the display of the Design Manager with the ability to toggle the Hide/Show column on and off.

 

Enhanced Component Mating

Initiate the mating process without having to resolve components. Simply select faces and the Mate toolbar will display available mate options. Once you select a mate option, the components will be resolved, and the mate will be applied.

 

Improved Bookmark Integration

Keep your data organized by assigning bookmarks as you create or modify physical products. The ability to add a bookmark is now available in the Save As, Insert New, and Create Assembly commands.

 

New Rebuild Options

Control your error management approach with multiple options for rebuilding: “Stop Update on First Error,” which stops the rebuild as soon as an error is detected, or “Full Rebuild,” which continues processing through all errors. Select your preferred option to either address issues as they arise or complete the rebuild in one go, helping you manage errors effectively.

 

FREEFORM DESIGN

Enhanced Soft Selection

You now have greater control when using the Soft Selection tool that allows you to precisely define the nodes that are affected during push-pull operations. New options to ‘Reverse Influence’ or select ‘Affected Faces’ make it easier than ever to add draft to specific areas of a subdivision model by giving you the flexibility to target only the areas you want to adjust.

 

Ability to Crease a Vertex

This is a highly requested enhancement. You’ve had the ability to create a loop for a long time, but sometimes you may want to create a single point to create a sharp corner on your model. Now you can do that! Simply select the vertex you want to create and activate the Create command from the Context toolbar.

 

Improved Workflow for Slicing a Rotational Primitive

The “Slice” option in the Primitive dialog box lets you precisely slice rotational primitives like the cylinder, globe, taurus, and cone. You can specify an exact slice angle in the dialog or adjust the angle directly in the graphics area using the Manipulator tool. This enhancement streamlines your workflow, allowing you to create the exact shape you need from the start. There’s no need to create a full rotational primitive that you have to modify.

 

DRAWINGS AND MODEL BASED-DEFINITION

Hide Components in an Assembly View

When inserting an assembly view, you can now use the exclude option to hide specific components. This makes it easier to add balloons, especially when external components block the visibility of internal ones.

 

Section View Hatching

When creating a section view, cross-hatching and color fill are now automatically applied. You can easily adjust the hatching and color fill from the Edit View dialog. Cross-hatching helps clearly communicate where the cutting plane cuts through solid geometry in a section view.

 

Synchronize Physical Product and Documentation Set Revisions

Eliminate errors and reduce rework by ensuring product and documentation revisions are in sync. Use the Replace Component command in xDrawing to assign an existing annotation set to a new revision of a Physical Product. You can then create a new revision of the annotation set to ensure that the revisions of the physical product and annotation set are in sync.

 

In addition to the major enhancements covered above, this update includes several minor improvements and bug fixes worth noting. You’ll find all the details in the patch notes below.

  •       Added the ability to split and trim splines that are created as a converted entity
  •       Added the ability to Hide/Show a 3DShape
  •       Added 10 fluid materials to the library of core materials, which are usable for running simulations in SIMULIA apps
  •       Added Turkish language support for all elements of the user interface, enabling seamless navigation and enhanced usability for Turkish-speaking users
  •       Improved tabbing behavior for better navigation: Users can now use the Tab key to move focus through UI elements in a logical order, with visual cues indicating the focused element. Modifier keys can be used to change the tabbing direction
  •       Fixed multiple issues related to “Save As” in collaborative spaces: 1) Prevented unwanted data duplication when saving to a different collaborative space. 2) Resolved session switching unexpectedly to the target collaborative space after saving an activated component. 3) Stopped repeated addition of instance names when performing “Save As” on an activated component
  •       Enhanced model editing allows users to retain or replace selections when modifying geometries in another OGS, preventing the loss of references to modeled-away faces during edits
  •       Improved the insert primitive dialog for more intuitive topology and bounding box modifications
  •       Improved the PDF publishing process by automatically setting sheet format, orientation, and size based on the sheet settings

Check out our favorite enhancements in this release in the overview video below.

 

 

As a reminder, we deliver functional delivery updates throughout the year. Here’s a look at the Top 10 enhancements delivered earlier this year.

Also, we recently launched the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Apps for Makers offer.

 

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.