Changes in SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP3

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SOLIDWORKS service pack releases contain critical fixes and enhancements to deliver a better user experience.  You may not immediately be aware of subtle changes so we’ve listed some of our favourites here:

User Interface

 

Help Menu

Some of you may have noticed that the user interface looked slightly different when you first opened SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP3, and it has. One commonly used button that has relocated is the Help menu.

In previous versions of SOLIDWORKS, many of us would have been familiar with accessing the Help menu from the menu bar alongside File, View, Tools, etc. However, we could also have accessed it by clicking the small arrow to the right of the Online Help button.

In SP3, the Help Menu and the Online Help buttons have now been consolidated into one. So, if you’ve been looking to manage your licenses or check your serial number, but found yourself wondering where the Help menu had disappeared to, look no further than the circled question mark in the top right of your screen.

Quick Access Tools

Another area of the user interface that has had a bit of a makeover is the quick access tools. These tools would normally appear in the menu bar, if you have upgraded from an existing version of SOLIDWORKS, they will still be there.

 

If, however, you have a fresh install of SP3, you will now find these tools in the Command Manager.

If you do have a fresh install of SP3 and would like your quick access tools back in the old spot, or if you would like to try out the new location, you can right-click anywhere in the Command Manager, click Customize, and choose between the two options shown below.

Release Notes

Below we have some selections from the release notes for SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP3.

SOLIDWORKS Simulation

  • Simulation data sensors are enhanced to track strain component results. You can track any strain component available in strain result plots (elemental values).

SOLIDWORKS Visualize

  • A new option, Allow denoiser from pass, in Tools > Options > 3D Viewport > Denoiser, lets you specify at what pass your scene starts using the Denoiser.
  • Added functionality to support the 3DEXPERIENCE Connector for Visualize when it becomes available on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
  • Resolved a problem for general instability of the Queue application.
  • Added support for sorting MDL appearances in Palette.

SOLIDWORKS Plastics

  • New Multi-Material Overmolding Injection Process
    • A new multi-material overmolding injection process is available for parts you design with two-shot or multi-shot overmolding injections processes. When creating a new Plastics study, for Injection Process, select Multi Material Overmolding.
    • Within one injection cycle, you can inject sequentially a maximum of 6 polymer materials into the various cavities of your multi-material overmolding design (one material per cavity).
  • Updates for the Plastics Material Library
    • Added new material grades from SABIC Innovative Plastics and Asahi Kasei Plastics North America.
    • Reclassified a Chevron Phillips grade from HDPE to MDPE.
    • Renamed grades from Trinseo (formerly Dow Chemical and Dow Chemical Europe).
    • Removed obsolete grades from Trinseo and RadiciGroup.
    • Removed duplicate grade Generic PET+30%GF.

Click here to see the release notes in full.

Fixed SPRs

There is also a vast number of SPRs that have been fixed for SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP3. The full list of fixed SPRs can be found here, where you can search and filter to find what you’re looking for.

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Scott Hope is an Applications Engineer at TMS CADCentre, a SOLIDWORKS Value Added Reseller in Scotland.

You can read more from Scott on the TMS CADCentre blog

TMS CADCentre

TMS CADCentre

TMS CADCentre is a SOLIDWORKS Reseller based in Scotland providing CAD Design Software, analysis software & product data management software. Founded in 1981, TMS CADCentre is the only UK SOLIDWORKS Reseller based and funded within Scotland and have been providing SOLIDWORKS software, training and support since 1996 when the product was first launched in the UK.
TMS CADCentre

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