Author Archives: CAD2M
Using Excel filters on an Excel BOM with thumbnails
SOLIDWORKS 2019 introduced a new option to include a thumbnail of each component when you export a Bill Of Materials to Microsoft Excel. I noticed that a lot of SOLIDWORKS customers are using this Excel BOM to group their components
... ContinuedSOLIDWORKS 2019 Sheet Metal Tab and Slot
Sheet Metal Tab and Slot was introduced with SOLIDWORKS 2018 and it gave engineers a great and fast way for a common time-consuming task. But it did not last long or the first SOLIDWORKS users started to demand more functionality,
... ContinuedPDM: Versions and the exclamation mark
In this article we will discuss several notifications we see when using the PDM add-in in SOLIDWORKS. These revolve around versions and how each version is used in assemblies or sub-assemblies. During customer support I notice that this question comes
... ContinuedCreating a colour Layered DXF/DWG export – SW Map File
Laser cutters on the market can automaticity recognize colour layers from DXF files. Based on the colour in the DXF file the machine makes an engraving or cuts the geometry. With a conventional DXF export you would need edit the
... ContinuedSOLIDWORKS assembly delighters for everyday use!
Since assembly modelling in SOLIDWORKS is one of the daily tasks of an engineer, I want to share some handy tricks to simplify the workflow of this task. The main focus in this tech blog will be the creation of
... ContinuedWhat is a stress singularity in SOLIDWORKS Simulation?
With SOLIDWORKS Simulation it is possible to test your design during the engineering phase of your project. It’s a powerful tool to provide you direct answers to difficult engineering questions. And to get the right answers, it is important that
... ContinuedWorking with SOLIDWORKS files in a multi-user environment without PDM
First of all, in a multi-user environment, SOLIDWORKS PDM is the best solution to work together with the same files. And it offers a lot of extra useful functionalities. But when you own a small organisation, or when your organisation
... ContinuedEasily create opposite-hand versions of parts in SOLIDWORKS
Quite often engineers need an opposite-hand version of a part. A commonly used method is the Mirror feature at assembly level. Here you have the possibility to create an opposite-hand version during the definition of this feature. This works great,
... ContinuedSpeed up Large Assemblies with Display States
Working with large assemblies can be a challenge in SOLIDWORKS. Time consuming rebuild times, being patient while the assembly is opening/saving or delayed response during rotating/zooming the assembly. It are just a couple of symptoms which can occur during large
... ContinuedThe fastest way to add Smart Dimensions in SOLIDWORKS
One thing SOLIDWORKS users use every day is the Smart Dimension tool during sketching. Beginners often start the command by selecting it at the Sketch toolbar of the CommandManager. But this needs quite some mouse travel to select it. So
... Continued