23 Years of Model Mania®
Every year, Dassault Systemes hosts one of the largest engineering conferences in the world. Since SOLIDWORKS World 2000, Model Mania® has been an attraction for many engineers and designers wanting to compete and show off their SOLIDWORKS skills. Model Mania, for those not familiar, is a design challenge where your modelling skills are measured on both accuracy and time. For more information about Model Mania, check out the past drawings and solution videos below, or go to my.solidworks.com and search for “Model Mania”.
Here’s how it works. First, you are first given a 2D drawing of a part. Your goal is to create that part in SOLIDWORKS as quickly and as accurately as possible. Seems simple, right? Well the second “Phase” is when things get really interesting. For Phase 2, you are given a modified version of that drawing; you can consider it an engineering change if you like. Your goal is to make the design change as quickly and as accurately as possible and run a simulation to determine the minimum factor of safety. At 3DEXPERIENCE World, all of the entries are judged on accuracy first, and time second, because in the real world, it doesn’t matter how fast you get something done if it’s not right.
3DEXPERIENCE World 2022 will be virtual again, like last year, and we are carrying on the legacy of Model Mania. Similar to last year, with this virtual challenge, to keep things simple, there will be no phase 2, just model the part and run a quick simulation analysis. All contestants will use their own license of SOLIDWORKS, and any version will be accepted. You can use either your full license of Simulation, or SimulationXpress to determine the factor of safety. If you use SimulationXpress, be sure that it is activated before the challenge. If you have never used SimulationXpress, be sure to check out this tutorial.
Please register for 3DEXPERIENCE World 2022 – it is free this year, since it is virtual. Then go to the 3DEXPERIENCE Playground tab and click on Model Mania. Be sure to watch the instructions video first so you know what to expect! The Model Mania SOLIDWORKS Challenge will take place on Monday February 7, 2022, beginning at 1:00 PM EST, and the entry form will open 10 minutes early beginning at 12:50 PM EST. The virtual challenge will take place at the same time for all contestants around the world, and there are no second chances – don’t be late!
All of the Model Mania Winners will be announced on SOLIDWORKS LIVE on Wednesday February 9, 2022 at 12:30 PM EST.
Mark Schneider ran Model Mania for 20 years, from 2002-2021, and has passed the Model Mania ‘reigns’ on to Jenn Doerksen. Jenn has been involved with Model Mania for many years, you may have met her at the Model Mania booth at 3DEXPERIENCE World over the years. We thank Mark for his dedication to keeping the Model Mania challenge fun and exciting for so long, and wish him well on his new endeavors.
The models, drawings, and other materials created for the Model Mania® Challenge and distributed by Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation (DS SolidWorks) are intended for the sole use of DS SolidWorks, its partners, and customers, and may not be used for commercial purposes except by DS SolidWorks partners without written consent from DS SolidWorks.
| Model Mania 2019 | |
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Phase 1 drawing |
| Phase 2 drawing | |
| Solution video | |
| Model Mania 2020 |
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Phase 1 drawing |
| Phase 2 drawing | |
| Solution Video |
Model Mania 2021
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Phase 1 drawing |
| Solution Video | |
Model Mania 2022
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Phase 1 drawing |
| Solution Video | |
Jenn Doerksen
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