Design
Landscape Forms: adding beauty to outdoor furniture & cutting design cycles by 30% with SolidWorks
Landscape Forms is a Michigan-based company that makes outdoor site furniture. If you're wondering what that means, they're the folks that design and manufacture stuff like transit stops, benches, planters, tables, chairs—you get the idea. You've probably come across their
... ContinuedSt. Patrick’s Day: A Celebration of Beer – and 3D Design?
Anyone who knows me well can tell you that I'm something of a beer nerd. So in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, it’s time to talk about 3D design software and beer. Not a likely pairing, except when you
... ContinuedDraftSight passes the 2 million download mark
At SolidWorks World 2012 last month, CEO Bertrand Sicot talked at length about the size of the SolidWorks community. With 1.7 million licenses sold, it's getting big. But there was another number he threw out as well–one that was even
... ContinuedThe final ride of the Hot Rod Baby Buggy
After the Let's Go Design team unveiled the Hot Rod Baby Buggy back in January, you started telling us what you thought about it. One thing you told us in particular was that you wanted to see the buggy driving
... ContinuedSolidWorks World 2012 – Day 1 General Session Update #sww12
The first general session of SolidWorks World 2012 ended just a little while ago, and there’s a lot to talk about. We should have some video for you a little later this afternoon, but for now, here’s a quick recap
... ContinuedSolidWorks in 2012 – The CEO’s perspective
The first general session of SolidWorks World 2012 just ended a little while ago, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share some thoughts with those of you who could not attend. The SolidWorks community has grown a lot
... ContinuedThe Hot Rod Baby Buggy is finished–watch the final episode today.
I know a lot of you have been following the latest project from Jeremy Luchini and the Let's Go Design team. You'll all be excited to know that the baby buggy is finally finished, and the final episode is now
... ContinuedUltimate Igloos and Cool Engineering
Last year, a former colleague at SolidWorks built himself an igloo, and my children deemed it ‘totally awesome’ and demanded one. I never managed to finish that particular project, but the thought of building an igloo has never really gone
... Continued2012 – The Year of the Sports Car Comeback?
Green vehicles were all the rage in 2011, with a heavy focus on reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Consumers are trying hard to be green at every turn – and this doesn’t end when they hit the road.
... ContinuedThe Hot Rod Baby Buggy – Stepping Back from the Nuts and Bolts
Let’s Go Design’s Hot Rod Baby Buggy is almost complete. However, in episode 7, the team took on an incredibly important task: the design review. While we’ve been working on the design of the vehicle in pieces and developing the
... ContinuedBend It Like a Football Star – With SolidWorks Simulation
Watching my son play indoor 6-a-side football (or soccer, as some of you might call it), is both an exhilarating and nerve-racking experience. The father in me wants him to enjoy ‘the beautiful game,’ the competitor in me wants him
... ContinuedDIY Design at Cedarville University
I first learned about Jay Kinsinger, professor of engineering at Cedarville University, from the school's VAR, 3D Vision. They told me about how in addition to pushing design to its limits using the tools at hand with his students' projects, he also designs steel-frame bikes on his own time.
... ContinuedNow available – Episode 7 of the Hot Rod Baby Buggy
We’re in the home stretch now as the baby buggy comes together and we build up to the big reveal. But first, the team needs to work a few bugs out of the buggy. While host Jeremy Luchini faces a
... ContinuedHow to Turn a Battleship Replica into a Naval Inventory Tool
Ever think that a dream of yours is impossible? That it will just take far too long to complete so why bother? No? SolidWorks users never cease to amaze us with their creativity, drive and determination. Today we revisit a story that embodies this sentiment.
Last May we looked at SolidWorks user Donn McKinney’s 30+ year dream to recreate a fully operational replica of the U.S.S. Missouri. (On a smaller scale, of course.) Donn is part of a team engaged in producing operational replicas of the Iowa Class Battleships with the goal to put these operational ships on display for the education and enjoyment of the general public, in various locales.
However, the development of fully operational battleship replicas is only part of Donn’s story. During his creation of these naval models, Donn also discovered another use for SolidWorks that may help naval engineers. Through his efforts to recreate the Missouri, Donn developed the ability to take hard copy designs and convert them into electronic media. This electronic media can then be modified in both design and engineering systems, and then turned back into a hard copy at any scale desired (think “Honey I Shrunk the Kids”, but for full scale vehicles).
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