3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson #3: SOLIDWORKS Bookmarks, Share and Delete

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After teaching 1000’s of students and writing about SOLIDWORKS for over 25 years, David Planchard, emeritus WPI, is exploring SOLIDWORKS desktop and the integrated 3DEXPERIENCE Platform.  Through the 3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson series, David helps educators understand the 3DEXPERIENCE Add-In with simple examples and industry practices. The Platform offers are available thru your Education Partner (VAR).

In my experience, most students do not fully understand that they need to save their assembly document along with the reference components in the same folder (Save vs. Save As). I’ve had numerous students open their assembly or drawing only to ask, “Where are my parts?”

I’ve also experienced students opening various assemblies with common reference components in multiple folders. They blame SOLIDWORKS. Their reference component/components did not open.

This entire lesson is within the SOLIDWORKS environment connected to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Open SOLIDWORKS directly from your machine. Open a SOLIDWORKS assembly that has not been previously uploaded or saved to the platform. View the 3DEXPERIENCE Add-Ins on your SOLIDWORKS desktop.

Use Bookmarks (links) to delete entire groups of data or just a single file. For assemblies within the Bookmark folder, there is an option to delete the entire structure of the assembly and all reference components. Another option to delete files (Physical Products) from the platform is to use the Collaborative Lifecycle App. This lesson focuses on Bookmarks.

Save the assembly to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Create a Bookmark Workspace. Bookmarks are similar to Windows Explorer with a familiar tree file/folder structure. Bookmarks are organized as Bookmark Workspaces, and Bookmark folders. Return to your MySession panel in the Task Pane. View the auto generated embedded model properties. Use these properties for enhanced search options.

Apply the Bookmark Editor Widget. The Bookmark Editor is displayed in SOLIDWORKS (a single modeling environment). Create three Bookmark folders in your Bookmark Workspace.

View how to share Bookmark Workspaces and Bookmark folders with other students in your Collaborative space.

Delete the Wheel and Collar assembly (with all reference components) from the Bookmark Workspace.

 

Before we start, there are a few items that you need to know.

In this lesson, use your default Collaborative space named “Common Space”. An internet connection is required.

Note: Use Bookmarks, not Collaborative spaces to save different assemblies with common referenced components.

3DEXPERIENCE Launcher

3DEXPERIENCE Launcher needs to be installed. 3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 1: Getting Started with SOLIDWORKS and the Platform. Note: This lesson is not for SOLIDWORKS Connected “3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS”.

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is browser driven. Your existing cookies and cache determine what you will see on your computer desktop or during a SOLIDWORKS login. A full installation of SOLIDWORKS 2019 SP0 or later is required
.

 

Start a SOLIDWORKS session from your desktop

Double-click the SOLIDWORKS icon.

View the illustration below. Depending on your system setup, cookies, and cache, it will be different.

Input the requested information.

Click Accept All.

The Welcome – SOLIDWORKS dialog box is displayed.

You are logged into the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Close the Welcome dialog box.

MySession Panel

Click the 3DEXPERIENCE icon in the Task Pane. The MySession panel is displayed. This displays the two-way communication between SOLIDWORKS running on your desktop and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform running in the cloud, a single modeling environment.

The default Collaborative space for a student is named, Common Space. I’m using a created Collaborative space named Quick Start xDesign.

Note: If you do not see the 3DEXPERIENCE icon, click the Options drop-down arrow, click Add-Ins, check the 3DEXPERIENCE box, click OK, from the SOLIDWORKS Main menu.

Click Accept All.

 

Download the SOLIDWORKS Wheel and Collar assembly to follow along with this lesson.

Wheel and Collar

Open the SOLIDWORKS assembly that has not been previously uploaded or saved to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Expand the Task Pane. The MySession panel displays a tree view of the active file and a list of commands that can be accessed through the Action bar and context menu.

The MySession panel displays the Component Name, Status (Displays an icon that represents the status of a given revision, saved or not saved to the platform), Locked status (Locked or Unlocked), Rev (Revision #), Is Last Revision (Yes/No), Maturity State (Lifecycle state of the family, for example: Private, In Work, Frozen, Released, Obsolete), Description, File Name (Displays the PLM external ID of the object for reference objects and the PLM external ID of the connection for instances) and Type (Physical Product or Drawing).

At this time, they are blank. Remember, you opened a SOLIDWORKS assembly that has not been previously uploaded or saved to the platform.

The Action bar provides the ability to upload files to the platform. There are other tools that can be accessed. The Lifecycle tab is selected by default.

Save Active Window

Save the assembly to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Use the Save Active Window command in the Action bar.

Click Save Active Window from the Lifecycle tab in the Action bar.

 

The file is temporarily being saved to a local cache area. The platform is checking for out of date components, modified components from the last save to the platform, different revisions, missing components, etc. Note: If the platform identifies an error with your file, error information is provided.

 

The Save to 3DEXPERIENCE dialog box and PLM attributes are displayed. The PLM attributes include: Bookmark, Revision, Maturity State, Collaborative Space, and Reservation Owner.

Save the model. Use your existing Collaborative space. Use Bookmarks, not Collaborative spaces to save different assemblies with common referenced components.

Create a new Bookmark

One of the best simple practices for SOLIDWORKS data is to create Bookmarks upon the initial save to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Click the Select Bookmark down arrow.

Click Select Bookmark (Workspace). The Select a Bookmark dialog box is displayed.

Select the Bookmarks box as illustrated.

Click the New Bookmark icon. The below illustration displays a few of my created Bookmarks.

 

Enter Design Project 107 for New Bookmark Title.

Select your Collaborative space. The below illustration displays a few of my created Collaborative spaces.Click OK.

Click the Design Project 107 box.

Click Apply to Selected.

Hover over the Bookmarks column. Design Project 107 is displayed.

Enter Revision Comment.

Enter Initial Save.

Click Save. The files are directly loaded into your Collaborative space and Bookmarked on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

 

You are returned back to your SOLIDWORKS desktop session.

Expand the Task Pane. Examine the auto generated embedded model properties. Use these properties for enhanced search options.

 

View the columns in the MySession panel: Component Name (Wheel and Collar), Status (Saved to the platform), Locked Status (Unlocked), Rev (A.1), Is Last Revision (Yes), Maturity State (In Work), File Name (Wheel and Collar), Collaborative space (Quick Start xDesign), Name (prd-R1132100373266), Type (Physical Product), Convert status (Yes). Note: A Physical Product is a configuration of a part or assembly that can be manufactured. When you save a .sldprt or .sldasm file to a Collaborative space, each configuration becomes a Physical Product with a name that you can find in searches.

 

Create three Bookmark folders. Bookmarks are organized as Bookmark Workspaces and Bookmark folders. Think of a Bookmark Workspace as a directory which can contain various Bookmark folders.

Roles and Apps – Bookmark Editor

Click the center of the Compass. View your available Roles, Cockpits, My Favorite Apps, and My Apps. The display will vary depending on your license and Roles.

 

Drag the slide-down bar downward to view the Bookmark Editor Widget under My Apps.A Widget is an extension of the App that allows you to use it in the Dashboard. A Widget is displayed with an arrow in the upper right corner of the icon as illustrated.

Click the Bookmark Editor Widget.

 

The Bookmark Editor is displayed in your SOLIDWORKS desktop.

Expand the Task Pane. Expand the Bookmarks folder. Click the Design Project 107 Bookmark Workspace. View the Wheel and Collar assembly icon.

The term component is used because both parts and assemblies are treated the same in a single modeling environment. The default Type is a Physical Product. Think of the Physical Product as the component (Assembly in SOLIDWORKS) with all reference parts under a single icon in a single folder (Bookmark). For a traditional SOLIDWORKS student this is a new concept to understand.

Note: You can click and drag any Physical Product (Assembly or Part) from the Bookmark Editor directly into your SOLIDWORKS desktop Graphics area.

Create three Bookmark folders under the Design Project 107 Bookmark Workspace. Use Bookmark folders to assign design tasks and save CAD models in separate areas to simplify reviews, revisions, sharing within the Collaborative space and more.

Right-click Design Project 107. View the Pop-up Content menu and options.

Click New Bookmark.

 

Enter Design team 1. View the new Design team 1 Bookmark folder under the Project 107 Bookmark Workspace.

Repeat the same process to create Design team 2 and Design team 3 Bookmark folders.

Remember, the term component is used because both parts and assemblies are treated the same. The default Type is a Physical Product. Think of the Physical Product as the component (Assembly in SOLIDWORKS) with all reference parts under a single icon. This makes it very easy to delete an assembly with all reference parts in a single area.

Share with Bookmarks

Right-click Wheel and Collar (Physical Product). View your options.

Click Share.

 

The Share dialog box is displayed. Share provides the ability to share the Bookmark Workspace with a team member in your Collaborative space. There are two options: Read or Edit access.

In this example, I entered Marie Planchard for Read access only.

Click Share.

The Report dialog box is displayed. A Report is generated to provide Read access to Marie Planchard. Close the Report dialog box.

Click Close.

Delete with Bookmarks

Right-click Wheel and Collar (Physical Product). View your options.

Click Delete.

 

The Delete – Physical Product dialog box is displayed. The Delete – Physical Product box provides the option to delete all structural objects (reference components).

Check the Include structural objects box. This will include the reference components in the assembly.

Click Delete.

The Wheel and Collar assembly with all reference components (Physical Product) is deleted from the Design Project 107 Bookmark Workspace.

Close the Bookmark Editor. Return to the MySession panel in your Task Pane.

Click Close.

 

 

The Wheel and Collar assembly (Physical Product) is also deleted in your Collaborative space.

Refresh the Session. View the result in the Task Pane.

This entire lesson was within the SOLIDWORKS environment connected to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

We are finished with the lesson.

 

Academic Community: After you create a 3DEXPERIENCE ID, Educators, can get more information on SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform.  Request to join the 3DEXPERIENCE Academic Community for free at go.3ds.com/academiccommunity.

Student Community: Students, join the student community for free at go.3ds.com/studentcommunity.  Check out great posts on Mechanism Mondays, FEA Fridays,  Solid Saturdays (animations),  Formula Student and Formula SAE exercises.

Check out previous SOLIDWORKS and the Platform lessons.

3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 1: Getting Started with SOLIDWORKS and the Platform

3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 2: SOLIDWORKS Save and Revision

3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 3: SOLIDWORKS Bookmarks, Share and Delete

Design well, Marie

Marie Planchard

Marie Planchard

Senior Director, Early Engagement, 3DEXPERIENCE Works at Dassault Systemes
Marie Planchard is an education and engineering advocate. As Senior Director of Education & Early Engagement, SOLIDWORKS, she is responsible for global development of content and social outreach for the 3DEXPERIENCE Works products across all levels of learning including educational institutions, Fab Labs, and entrepreneurship.
Marie Planchard

@marieplanchard1