Solidworks PDM Professional is... well, it's complicated

As an ardent proponent of Solidworks Workgroup PDM, it was disappointing to come to terms with its end of life. Originally developed by Design Source Technologies, Inc with president and co-founder Jim Foster, the PDM tool was entitled PDMWorks. It was out-of-the-box basic and simple all around, much to the delight of administrators and users alike. Solidworks recognized its value and acquired it, renaming it as Workgroup PDM where it continued to be appreciated as a reliable file management tool. Based on a flat windows folder database structure, it has understandably been showing its age and being included with Solidworks Premium and Professional licenses was not a revenue generator in and of itself. Now with its demise, the alternatives parlayed by Dassault Systemes are Solidworks PDM Standard and Solidworks PDM Professional. The later formerly known as EPDM or Enterprise PDM, was acquired from Conisio @ 2006. Based on Microsoft SQL database structure, Dassault Systemes has put forth great effort to promote it as a "data management solution for organizations large and small", with scripted information that makes for a good first impression.

Like most marketing and sales related impressions though, it's what is not being said or shown that needs to be asked. For PDM administrators, the dilemma is that you simply might not have a good working knowledge of a product until you've... well, worked with it. As such, it isn't always apparent what questions to ask until you turn a corner in your understanding and suddenly realize you don't know anything about what's next, or how one aspect relates to or controls another.

For Solidworks PDM Professional, from the online presentations to the VAR sponsored demos, there is a clean polished display of what it can do, and it looks and sounds great. It's from the point of commitment however that things become... well, it's complicated. From the perspective of transitioning from Solidworks Workgroup PDM to Solidworks PDM Professional, here are some things that if not already apparent, certainly need to be discussed with a VAR when you hear them. This is especially so if you are anticipating a contracted statement of work (SOW) prior to implementation.  

• "easily migrate CAD data"  This expression sounds like everything will be taken care of for migrating your data. If agreed upon, only the most recent CAD files will be migrated to the new vault in the same folder structure arrangement. However, they will be in a "legacy state" that will most likely require you to manually transition each file to a working workflow if you want them in a working state. Also, none of the PDF copies of drawings contained in the Workgroup PDM vault will be brought over unless you specifically request such, because after all, they're not CAD data. Yes, if only you knew what to ask.

• "have it all set up"  This expression sounds like everything will be taken care of and you will simply need to show up and turn the key. From the initial consultation of current workflow processes, to the Administrating Solidworks PDM Professional Training you will begin to grow in your awareness that most everything required to make your PDM system operational will need to be learned, setup and tailored to fit your needs. Some points of application might be easier to understand, others will be totally new concepts that will take time to understand, implement, and test. Once understood, additional questions will inevitably arise. The VAR training includes examples on many points in the manual, but there really isn't enough time to cover every aspect in detail, nor the subsequent questions that naturally arise. The VAR will initially take the lead in developing each of the needed elements for your PDM system, and provide assistance along the way, but the operative word here is "assistance". Likely, you will receive assistance as you request it during the subsequent weeks that follow deployment. However the Admin is more or less left to discover what works and what doesn't, followed by head scratching, on-line research, requesting assistance or direction from your VAR, development and testing. Yes, if only you knew what to ask.

• "have any questions"  This expression too sounds like everything will be taken care of if you should ever have a question. As already discussed, you WILL have questions that arise only after you have made advances in your working knowledge of the software. Depending on how you arrange your workflow and transitions, some aspects of PDM Professional can be automated within PDM, others will require knowledge of API or dispatch programming. This will apply if you want to simply update a drawing when changing states such as from preproduction to production, or to simply update a drawing Revision Table with revision information. For example, would you know to ask if the Solidworks Revision Table works for Solidworks PDM? It's not a stupid question. It really doesn't work. So you will need to use a General Table edited specifically to function as a revision table. (Update: with the 2018 release, PDM now integrates with the Solidworks Revision table.) As these types of boggling issues surface, the VAR may or may not provide the hand-holding assistance you would like to have to address your questions as you navigate to the next corner and emerging question. In fact, you most likely won't be aware of initial shortcomings in your preset workflow and transitions until you realize you don't have the functionality you expected. All of this leaves the Admin in the unenviable position of having to make these edits to tailored PDM functions as projects of themselves, while communicating to the engineering team why Workgroup PDM used to perform all of these functions but 'we can't right now with PDM Professional until we do more programming'. Programming, which in all likelihood will again require some form of research, requesting assistance or direction from your VAR, development and testing. Yes, if only you knew what to ask.

Those who have successfully navigated the implementation of Solidworks PDM Professional are to be commended. They have garnered a worthy skill set using a product that possesses a puzzling array of potential. To put it judiciously... it's complicated. It's certainly not what everyone wants but seems to be the only choice Dassault Systemes wants to offer. With years of use behind it, isn't it strange that Solidworks PDM Professional would be so unduly complicated, yet in many ways does less out-of-the-box than Solidworks Workgroup PDM?

In summary, Solidworks PDM Professional is anything but turn-key. It's an auto mechanic dropping in a new engine for you, tightening it to the frame, showing you how a hose or a cable connect, and saying "you can deploy in as little as ten days... to capitalize on new opportunities faster"! Sure, out of necessity you will figure it out... eventually,... but it's complicated. You asked for an expensive new engine and naively thought you could just show up and turn the key, because you didn't ask the right questions.

Solidworks Xdesign and Xdrive... full cloud-based CAD and collaboration

With the recent announcement of SOLIDWORKS Xdesign, the world of browser-based and mobile mechanical design CAD has a new and exciting entrant. As is common among the trappings of annual user events, Xdesign premiered as a working demo, while anticipating a private beta in May, followed by a public beta yet in 2016. The Xdesign site reflects similar depth by presently only providing sign up for updates and beta consideration, and an informational YouTube video that while polished and well produced, clearly is intended to be more inspirational than informational.

As part of the larger Solidworks Innovation Platform (think 'all things Solidworks') and following recent releases of cloud-based Conceptual Designer and Industrial Designer, Xdesign is touted as a cloud-based, fully fledged CAD system, capable of 3D parametric modeling. As its own entity, Xdesign will run a different modeling kernel than Solidworks Desktop, and will store its data entirely in a cloud database. With this foray, attention within Solidworks will be divided to support both Desktop and Xdesign, and their corresponding development.

Perhaps of equal interest from this recent announcement at Solidworks World 2016 is the data storage functionality that will be known as Xdrive. Likened to a Dropbox for Solidworks, the Xdrive app will serve as the data bridge between Solidworks Xdesign and Solidworks Desktop, and is slated to be included in the Standard subscription release of SOLIDWORKS 2017.

As another aspect to the burgeoning Dassault Systemes 3D EXPERIENCE platform, the impetus given to Solidworks Xdesign will no doubt correlate with their concerns of current and future market share. With a well recognized and loyal customer base eager for staying technologically relevant, establishing Solidworks Xdesign as a credible CAD system is imperative for industry giant Dassault Systemes. This is especially so given Solidworks latent posture among established browser-based and mobile mechanical design CAD pioneers Autodesk Fusion 360 and Onshape.

A single monitor is no problem... with SolidWorks Design Library

Many have experienced the frustrating constraint with having to design using a single monitor, whether with a desktop or laptop computer.  If having to do so, then you are sure to benefit from the Design Library of the Task Manager. Being both simple to setup and simple to modify as needed, the Design Library allows easy access to the Windows folders of your choice, without ever having to leave SolidWorks. Additionally, the workflow to using the Design Library eliminates the repetitive menu clicks of browsing for and inserting existing models, blocks, or annotations.

For example, suppose you have a folder of CAD models specific to a project, and another folder of common hardware CAD models.  By adding these two folders to your Design Library, the folders are now readily available to select.  When a Design Library folder is selected, the lower file view window provides icon imagery where the size can be adjusted to personal preference with a simple right-click menu selection. Although the Design Library only provides visibility / access to parts, assemblies, blocks and annotations, it does conveniently allow for drag and drop capability, saving time and effort in the design process.

Learning a new method or workflow always takes a measure of confidence that the initial effort in setup will bring real benefit. Utilizing the Design Library is just another example of that. Easily overlooked, it is especially helpful if you only have a single monitor to use with designing. By simply taking less than a minute to arrange, the Design Library can yield tremendous gains in finding the models you need quickly and efficiently, without ever having to leave the SolidWorks environment. 

The only question you might have after setting up and experiencing the advantage of using the Design Library to access folders is...  what will do you do with your added free time?!

Parasolid and D-Cubed... still the popular choices for 3D CAD software development

Owned by Siemens PLM Software, the 3D geometric modeling kernel known as Parasolid® and the CAD, CAM, CAE and PLM librariries of D-Cubed™ have been a popular choice among CAD software developers. These components are widely recognized as world leading and while used in Siemens products, are also licensed to many of the leading independent software vendors (ISV's), including SolidWorks. Their legacy of use continues with a new generation of cloud-based applications currently being developed by the likes of GrabCAD and the startup OnShape Inc.

Earlier this month, the announcement that GrabCAD had licensed Parasolid created a bit of a stir in the CAD community. So much so that they were impelled to issue a blog post explaining they were not developing a CAD system, but rather were simply pursuing development improvements of cloud-based PDM within the framework of Workbench. As it has already proven to be an effective collaboration tool, the viewer capability of Workbench will no doubt be enhanced by utilizing the Parasolid geometry engine. 

Within the past couple of years, OnShape Inc. too has been in the news in terms and intervals indicative of genuine growth. Numerous reports have well explained that the company's foundation includes the original pioneers and leaders of SolidWorks. Not surprisingly then, with a pattern reminiscent of early SolidWorks, this new enterprise began with a vision and determined entrepreneurial spirit. Here is an interesting timeline of key dates in its development thus far:

• November 2012: Belmont Technology incorporated @ Delaware USA
• founders include Jon Hirschtick (Chairman), John McEleney (CEO), Heung-Wing "Tommy" Li (Technical Lead), Dave Corcoran (VP Development), Scott Harris (VP Product Definition and UX), and Axel Bichara (Board Member)
• posted hiring for those skilled in distributed cloud-based architecture, rich web application development, and server infrastructure
• December 2012: secured $9 million in venture capital funding.
• April 2013: leased 4,930 sq ft of high-visibility first floor space at the One Alewife Center, Suite 130 @ Cambridge, Massachusetts USA
• April 2013: with 13 employees, added $25 million in funding earmarked to ramp hiring and to continue the development process
• January 2014: renamed OnShape Inc.
• homepage lists the team as including top engineers from the CAD, data center, mobile and streaming media industries
• posted hiring for marketing interns as a unique opportunity for anyone interested in the software industry, inbound marketing, as well as getting involved with an organization at the ground level
• February 2014: licensed the Parasolid and D-Cubed technologies

It's exciting to consider that OnShape may bring something refreshingly relevant to the CAD community, albeit perhaps anchored to Parasolid and D-Cubed. As SolidWorks users know well, having a great CAD software package is an important impetus to design.  So what will these original founders of SolidWorks and their team develop in this day and age with the current trends in technology, their collective knowledge and experience, an awareness of opportunity, and a clean slate?  We will simply have to wait and see.

Increase SolidWorks productivity... in four key areas

Rather than charging into the next CAD assignment, take a moment to reflect how your time and effort is being used when managing multiple clients. Have you encountered recent modeling or drawing experiences where you thought to yourself "I know there's an easier / faster way to do this, but I'll set that up later"? Instead of improving the situation however, many just continue with the same tried-n-true mouse clicks they're accustomed to. If that has been your experience, then setting aside a small amount of time to address these four key areas should yield noticeable benefits toward increasing your efficiency and effectiveness with SolidWorks, and especially when managing multiple clients. 

Templates

• Develop Part, Assembly, and Drawing templates specific to a client as soon as you begin a project
• For these client-based templates, be sure to arrange:
• the preferred 'Unit System', including number of decimals or whether to use fractions
• the 'Hide/Show Items' to your preference
• the Drawing 'Title Blocks' to feature the clients name and/or logo
• Leave the Custom Properties of Part, Assembly, and Drawing templates blank
• If not mapped already, ensure the System Options are arranged to include any needed templates in the Default Templates and File Locations > Document Templates settings

Custom Properties

• Utilize 'Property Tab Builder' to create 'Custom Property' templates for Part, Assembly, and Drawing files
• separate part templates can be developed for both designed components and for common hardware
• use the 'Task Manager' pane to easily assign and edit the Custom Properties for each file type

User Interface and Customization

• Add commonly used 'Command' icons to the 'Main Toolbar' or the 'View (Heads-Up) Toolbar'
• locate these in positions that minimize mouse travel (i.e.: place a 'close file' icon next to the 'save icon')
• Utilize 'Context Toolbar'
• Utilize 'Mouse Gestures'

SmartMates

• When building assemblies, simply press and hold [Alt] + select entity, then drag to mate model geometry
• Press [Tab] to flip alignment, if needed

Of course, these are just four of the many aspects of SolidWorks that can aid in improving productivity. Easy to implement into a routine if you haven't done so already, these four areas should yield noticeable improvements toward managing multiple clients efficiently and effectively.

Infinite Skills... video training for SolidWorks

Brushing up or enhancing ones skills in SolidWorks has an inherent value that makes the effort worthwhile.  The difficulty in doing so however, is oftentimes more about having the right time and circumstances than it is about desire.

(c) Infinite Skills, Inc.

Not to be overlooked then is Infinite Skills and their Video Based Training for SolidWorks. Their free YouTube shorts may be just what many are looking for to clarify or build greater understanding on a variety of SolidWorks design and modeling techniques. 

Understandably, these free SolidWorks video tutorials only address the basics associated with each theme, but should be enough to provide a measure of understanding toward a modeling technique that you may not have used before, or bring back to memory what you may have simply forgotten.

Based in Oakville, Ontario Canada, Infinite Skills also carries priced training materials for an impressive and wide array of computer software and IT training needs, including several specific to SolidWorks.  Clearly, Infinite Skills is serious about providing effective visual training, and their SolidWorks YouTube shorts are a fine way to experience this first hand.

Sketch quickly and accurately in SolidWorks... with Grid / Snap

Understandably, SolidWorks users generally prefer defined sketches to ensure the stability of their CAD model.  However, when it comes to initially sketching splines for example, oftentimes an early or preliminary sketch may be comprised of both defined and undefined points.  This mixed approach lends itself well to developing a working sketch while still retaining some flexibility to manipulate the sketch as desired.

Another and perhaps more flexible approach toward developing a preliminary sketch however, could be to set SolidWorks System Options and Document Properties to enable Grid and Snap.  An often overlooked carryover from 2D CAD systems, the Snap-to-Grid method provides a convenient means for quickly drawing a sketch with relative accuracy, while also leaving the entire sketch free to manipulate.

The preliminary spline sketch shown here is an example of a sketch type that lends itself well to the Grid / Snap approach.

Spline sketch utilizing SolidWorks Grid / Snap option setting

By setting the Document Properties - Grid/Snap - Major and Minor grid spacing options to a preferred measure of detail, the ability to easily snap sketch points with accuracy and proportion quickly becomes evident.  

So the benefit of using the Grid and Snap options is really during the initial development of a sketch.  Rather than early on, going back and forth editing dimensions simply to tweak coordinates, the Grid and Snap options allow a user to save time and effort before committing to defined dimensions.  

Later, when it becomes readily apparent and prudent, the sketch can be defined with dimensions.  With the sketch then defined, the Grid and Snap options can easily be disabled.

Epigrid... on the forefront of Cloud-Hosted EPDM

Recognition as to the benefits of a product data management (PDM) system is growing among many SolidWorks CAD users.  Higher-end PDM systems such as SolidWorks Enterprise PDM however, are often out of reach for most small businesses or independent CAD users.  In effect adding insult to injury, not only is the high cost of EPDM software an obstacle, just supporting such a system requires a real working knowledge of information technology.   So what solutions are available to bridge the "wants versus needs" gap inherent with current CAD PDM packages?

One company that has addressed this niche is Epigrid.   As to why he started the company, Chief Technical Officer Chad Garrish states "I saw a hole in the market between what engineering wanted, and what IT could really give them."  Founded in 2012, and based in Suwanee, Georgia USA, Epigrid provides affordable cloud-hosted EPDM.  Combining their experience in engineering data management along with server, network and  cloud management, Epigrid has made their services, vault configuration, and support flexible and scale-able to any sized group or budget. 

Notably, Epicure's approach to security reinforces they have a real grasp on what CAD users need in a hosted PDM service.  The importance of security is evident by their arrangement of privately hosted architecture, multiple layers of advanced security methods, constant data protection, HIPAA-compliant data centers, and disaster recovery center.

Epigrid also demonstrates an openness and transparency that is refreshing among young startups.  Chief Information Officer Lewis Halski warmly invites those interested to view their FAQ videos, and to call or email with questions.  With short to-the-point videos that reflect IT sensibility, and all the EPDM cloud-hosting tools one could ask for, Epigrid is on the forefront in providing a unique service that addresses a real need among many CAD users.

The 2012 financials for SolidWorks...

Dassault Systemes North American Headquarters

The 2012 financials for SolidWorks indicate continued growth and momentum

Many SolidWorks users are keenly interested in the goings on of the company and where the software may be going both in the way of further development and new direction.  To gain a sense of the current business health of SolidWorks, it might be helpful to look at the company as it has grown over the years and what the current Dassault Systemes 2012 financials reveal*.  In summary, most will find that SolidWorks is, well... very solid.

History and milestones

A brief review of the history of SolidWorks shows continued growth both from within and from acquisition.

• 2013  +2M licenses sold @ 26% commercial / 74% educational; Announced upcoming release of SolidWorks Mechanical Conceptual
• 2012  Added SolidWorks Plastics and SolidWorks Electrical to portfolio
• 2011  Bertrand Sicot as CEO; Added SolidWorks Costing to portfolio; Dassault Systems creates the American Campus in Waltham, MA  USA; Updated logo
• 2010
• 2009 +1M licenses sold @ 34% commercial / 66% educational; Added Sustainability to portfolio, Updated product names
• 2008  Acquired Priware, incorporated CircuitWorks, Significant IU enhancements
• 2007  Jeff Ray as CEO; Acquired Seemage; Added 3DVIA Composer to portfolio
• 2006  Acquired Conisio, Added PDMWorks Enterprise to portfolio
• 2005
• 2004
• 2003
• 2002  Added PDMWorks Workgroup to portfolio from Design Resource Technology, Inc
• 2001  John McEleney as CEO; +118k licenses sold, Acquired Structural Research and Analysis Corporation; Added Simulation to portfolio, Updated logo
• 2000
• 1999
• 1998
• 1997  Acquired by Dassault Systems @ $310M
• 1996
• 1995  Shipped first seat of SolidWorks; Headquarters in Concord, MA USA
• 1994
• 1993  John Hirschtick as CEO; Founded in Waltham, MA USA dba Winchester Design Systems

SolidWorks Licenses

As regards SolidWorks licenses, a notable statistic that stands out is the ever growing percentage of education license sales over commercial, currently at a 2.8:1 ratio.

Another is the software reaching the milestone of 2 million licenses sold. However, this statistic should not be construed as the actual number of current users as SolidWorks infers. It's simply the total number of licenses sold since 1995.  A much better barometer of the health of SolidWorks is the number of licenses or seats sold each year, as this graph indicates.

SolidWorks Revenue

The 2012 key figures delivered by Dassault Systemes indicate that within their total revenue of € 2,083.3M, SolidWorks software provided € 403.2M, or 19.3%.  Generally speaking, SolidWorks has routinely contributed at around 20% over the years since being acquired by Dassault Systemes in 1997.  So not much has changed there.

What has changed is the profitability.  Whereas SolidWorks sales generally mirror the overall economic trends, the revenue generated by SolidWorks is showing a steady increase.

SolidWorks Headcount

An clearer indication of momentum within SolidWorks is the employee headcount.  While it has shown moderate increase over the years, in 2012 it jumped significantly from 848 to 1,015.  One can only speculate as to what all that extra effort is going toward, but SolidWorks Mechanical Conceptual would seem to be at least one reasonable choice.

In conclusion, the statistics indicate that SolidWorks continues to provide a viable tool that CAD consumers appreciate.  Certainly, as technology and leadership shape SolidWorks from within, it seems well positioned within the framework of Dassault Systemes 3DEXPERIENCE Platform to continue pressing diligently toward their goal.  A goal of gaining an ever increasing share as the CAD software of choice among the worldwide design community. 

* data and information derived the Dassault Systemes Annual Report 2012 and SolidWorks Company Fact Sheets

Certified in Solidworks... to be or not to be?

From its inception, the Certification program for Solidworks has served as "a benchmark to measure your knowledge and competency with Solidworks software".  There have been significant refinements to the program over the years and at present there are a variety of levels and areas of interest as outlined on the Solidworks Certification site.  Each year at Solidworks World, candidates are allowed to take either Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA), Certified SolidWorks Professional (CSWPCORE) or any of the Certified SolidWorks Professional Advanced Specialist exams.  The current program then certainly encourages consideration for anyone looking to assess or promote their skill with Solidworks.  Along with the sample exams provided by Solidworks and information found in The Solidworks Blog, searching online can also reveal a number of articles that address general exam content and collectively this information may serve well in preparing for a successful exam.

(c) DS Solidworks

One benefit of Certification in Solidworks is that it demonstrates proficiency due in part to the time constraint imposed by an exam.  While there is certainly nothing new to be found in an exam, a users competency in the software is revealed in the ability to model and navigate through the test criteria decisively.  In this regard, most users could certainly attain the desired results with a good working knowledge of the exam set and given enough time.  A Certification then clearly validates a users ability to attain the desired results effectively and accurately.

Solidworks has a very respectable arrangement to the Certification program, being both accessible and a fair representation of the software.  Whether Certification affords a secular advantage is mixed, as it may for some and may not for others.  Regardless of this, simply by recalling or contemplating your first impression of Solidworks and how it may have affected your secular goals, perhaps the most notable benefit to gaining Certification in Solidworks is the milestone and significance of genuine personal achievement. 

Here are a few recommendations for taking a Solidworks Certification exam:

• ensure you have a stable internet connection
• if available, use a dual monitor arrangement to view both the Solidworks program and the VirtualTester Client simultaneously
• have a folder location already prepared and easily accessible in which to save the models you create, and those you may need to download for an exam
• ensure you have an adequate window of time and an environment free of distraction
• endeavor to read questions and view images carefully and thoughtfully

Add a logo to a SolidWorks drawing... the smart way!

The capability to add a logo image into a SolidWorks drawing template has been around for some time, and is certainly a recommended method toward presenting a professional drawing.  However, you may want to take a few minutes to reconsider whether the standard method of inserting a logo graphics file is really the best method. 

Granted, it is relatively easy to insert a JPG or PNG file into a drawing sheet format by means of using the Insert > Picture command, but these types of graphics files do not translate very well when a SolidWorks drawing is saved into DXF or DWG format.  Oftentimes, the logo image relocates to an obviously unintended area of the drawing, and the file size becomes noticeably larger.

So what are the alternatives to inserting a logo graphics file?  Well, if a company logo utilizes a common font, then simply inserting an Annotation in the proper font should work seamlessly.  But when a company logo is unique or includes a colored graphics image then a little pre-work may be necessary.  In this scenario, you will want to use various SolidWorks Sketch and Block tools to transform the original logo image into a SolidWorks Block.

The Block can then be filled-in by applying Area Hatch/Fill, and selecting the Solid option in the Area Hatch/Fill - Properties.  You may notice that the fill color is black, and yes... as Henry Ford is credited and paraphrased as saying, "You can have any color as long as it's black."

Depending on the logo block design, you may have several regions to fill.  Therefore, just apply the Area Hatch/Fill command individually to each of the regions or areas, as desired.

Once the Block has been sized and saved in its final form, it can then be easily inserted into a drawing sheet template.  The obvious advantages will become apparent:

• the block will translate easily when the drawing is saved into DXF or DWG format
• the file size of SolidWorks, DXF, or DWG drawings will remain very reasonable making file management and the sharing of files much more efficient
• the need for color toner when printing drawings will have been reduced or eliminated

So there are definite benefits by simply taking the time to convert a logo into a Block.  The result is a stable SolidWorks drawing template, far better than excitedly rushing to insert a logo image and then overlooking the ramifications of having done so.

SolidWorks Appearances - Get Real with Pantone Colors

It is one thing to develop an impressive SolidWorks model or assembly, but how much greater an impression a design takes on when it is visually rendered!  As many have found, SolidWorks Appearances is a valuable property that can quickly enhance the visual presentation of models and assemblies when you don't have a pressing need to go full-blown with PhotoWorks or PhotoView 360.  In particular, the use of Color Swatches in the Appearance properties allows for conveniently assigning colors at the part or assembly levels, using either the RGB or HSV color model systems.

(c) Pantone, LLC

Now if you have performed work in the consumer products industry, you have probably gained an awareness that many companies use design language that references the Pantone Color Matching System (PMS).  This is because Pantone has established itself worldwide as a leading color system standard.  A drawback for a SolidWorks user who is trying to use color swatches however, is that to determine the RGB of a Pantone requires that you have access to a Pantone Color Guide. These various Pantone Color Guides provide a direct correlation between a specified Pantone and RGB / HTML / CMYK color models.  The difficulty is that the Color Guides are expensive and who really wants to spend a lot for something that is ... well, for appearances only!  So is there another way to determine the Pantone to RGB correlation?

Yes, the Pantone site has an excellent page that while primarily designed for cross referencing Pantones, also provides the associated RGB values as shown in the image.  It just takes a few easy steps to find...

1. On the Pantone homepage, go to menu item "helpCENTER" and select "Color Cross-Reference" from the drop-down list
2. On the "myPANTONE x-Ref" section
• Select your known Pantone Color Guide
• Select your known Pantone Color
• Select an X-Ref Pantone Guide (any choice will do)
3. Click the ZOOM icon located between the color swatches
4. A new overlay window will open displaying a larger comparison image, and here you will see the RGB, HTML, and CMYK of the Pantone color

So, a very convenient and no-cost method to derive the RGB values of any known Pantone color.  The specified RGB values can now be easily applied to your SolidWorks Color Swatch pallet for creating visually appealing appearances that conform to your clients Pantone color standards!

SolidWorks World 2012 Presentations now online

The SolidWorks World 2012 Presentations are now available online.  Held in San Diego, California USA during February 12-15, SolidWorks World once again contained a meaningful array of topics relevant to beginner, intermediate or advanced users.

(C) DS SolidWorks

The searchable main Categories include:

• CAD Administration
• Customer Success
• Data Management
• Design Automation
• Design Communication
• Design Validation
• Education
• Modeling Essentials
• Productivity Tools

These online presentations provide an excellent no-cost opportunity to build or enhance your SolidWorks CAD skills throughout the year.

SolidWorks V6... Someday... Maybe?

The software capability needs among SolidWorks users are as varied as the users themselves, and over the years many of us have grown and developed our CAD skills alongside the development of the software.  If 2011 Dassault Systemes license growth is any indication, then it is still very apparent that SolidWorks continues to provide a valuable CAD package that delivers on a broad range of MCAD applications.

That said, speculation remains as to the direction the software is going.  From the record of SolidWorks World 2012, we should expect a typical release to 2013 and anticipate a next generation option of choice sometime in the future.  Some are relieved.  Others are disappointed, as many have eagerly anticipated the SolidWorks V6 platform as an alternative choice.

Software as a service (SaaS) has been around for a while now, and there are a variety of CAD developers that have tested the waters.  SolidWorks itself has n!Fuze and has no doubt learned much from the foray, but the question still remains... will we ever see SolidWorks V6?   Someday... maybe.  Patience and propriety is not a quality of all, but it does have merits when executing a successful product launch.  Perhaps that is what we are experiencing with regards to SolidWorks V6, where getting it right the first time would be critical to its acceptance and success.

There are certainly many who for very understandable reasons simply could not operate their CAD services without the current on-site software license arrangement.  For such ones, file and software security is mission critical.  For others, CAD files are developed, delivered, and they move on to the next client assignment.  For these, paying for CAD software as a service would be most convenient and cost effective, including the additional benefit of access to the current SolidWorks release every time you went online, free of any need to manage upgrades or service pack releases!

Some years ago the thought of banking and purchasing goods online was just an idea.  When it became a reality, people were legitimately concerned and skeptical about security and accessibility.  After all, very few things are as important as one's personal finances.  In response, the banking industry has shown it is possible to successfully and securely provide transactions involving proprietary information online.  The same skepticism is apparent regarding the SolidWorks V6 platform.  It shouldn't be surprising to know that during the recent SolidWorks World 2012 conference, it was shared that the company is working out how to best bring this option to fruition.  What would be surprising however, is if SolidWorks failed to develop a successful SAS choice... someday... maybe?

Build your SolidWorks Toolbox... with free CAD models

SolidWorks Toolbox is a library of standard parts that can be fully integrated with SolidWorks Premium or SolidWorks Professional.  While essential for some SolidWorks users, it is also regarded as complicated and inconvenient by others.  The great divide is due in large part because Toolbox requires installation and configuration.  So is there a way to generate common toolbox-type models and avoid having to build and manage the Toolbox add-ins and configurations?  Apart from Toolbox, what alternatives are available to SolidWorks users for creating standard parts and fasteners?

Today, in addition to SolidWorks 3D ContentCentral, there are a variety of online vendors that readily provide common use CAD models for free.  As these vendors are well aware, this is a service that is provided to drive awareness of their products, and ultimately their sales revenue.  For the SolidWorks user, downloading free CAD files can be a very efficient method of generating these toolbox-type or vendor specific files, thereby averting the Toolbox installation and configuration scenario entirely.

Here is a brief and varied list of some reputable sites providing free CAD models for download:

McMasterCarr | Reid Supply | SolidComponents | TraceParts | GrabCAD | Molex | 3DCADModel | ThomasNet 

It would be benefical to have a File Management technique already in mind prior to downloading your files, and after downloading you might also choose to edit the Property fields to your preference.  A practical suggestion is to arrange your SolidWorks Design Library to view and access your new personal Toolbox directly from the Task Pane.  Like many, you too may find that taking advantage of free CAD models will oftentimes save you hours to days of work, while you build a personal SolidWorks Toolbox without the burden of installation or configuration.

Packaging Design with SolidWorks​?... or The Box Builder

Have you ever considered that SolidWorks can be used for packaging and box design?  While it does lack some of the more intuitive aspects of packaging, the sheet metal feature set contains basic principles that easily translate to packaging design, albeit with some minor setting modifications.  Having developed several box designs utilizing SolidWorks, it is apparent that merging product design with packaging design is a natural fit in the product-to-market flow.  I have mentioned to SolidWorks Corporation on several opportunities that developing a packaging application similar to sheet metal would make for an interesting facet of the software and could potentially further extend and bridge SolidWorks into packaging engineering departments.

(C) The Box Builder

Recently we have seen SolidWorks enter the foray of cloud applications with n!Fuze.  However, while it does seem that SolidWorks is looking further into cloud based opportunities, we probably won't see anything dramatically pushed out that could potentially upset the current customer base.  In the meantime as Dassault Systemes continues to expend energy promoting 2D DraftSight, other companies are taking advantage of the apparent 3D CAD attention deficit gap.  With a dedicated focus on 3D structural packaging design The Box Builder is a company that has embraced structural packaging CAD with an eye firmly on the cloud.

Based in Asteasu, Guipúzcoa, Spain, The Box Builder team has developed an incredibly easy-to-use online 3D CAD solution utilizing ModelMaker that combines design quality, a versatile library, and a user-friendly interface that doesn't require prior training.  Developed on ASP (Application Service Provider) cloud hosting technology, you do not have to buy the application, but rather you buy the right to use it through weekly, monthly or annual licenses.  This makes for an ideal arrangement in many ways.

The benefits range from those who might need it solely for short-term contract work, to a company simply desiring to free itself of IT dependent software setup and support (routinely needed with traditional in-house workstation or server licensed software), to anywhere in between.  Designs are able to be exported on common formats (CF2, PDF, EPS or DXF), and the designs are securely and confidentially saved within user arranged folders so that they can be recovered, used and redesigned as often as desired.  With direct savings in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and gains in Return on Investment (ROI), The Box Builder might well be the best choice for online structural packaging design currently on the market!

SolidWorks Installations - What's in the works?

In the present atmosphere of being e-connected and with growing cloud based application acceptance, SolidWorks is investigating the feasibility of whether their customers would be interested in downloading all SolidWorks based installations.  This foray into potentially altering their standard delivery method of annual release upgrades from the shipment of boxed disks to that of downloads, seems on the surface to be a worthy topic for investigation.

In addition to the single license client, SolidWorks is looking into whether larger groups could even get by on receiving one disk for the entire group.  In all practical terms, transitioning to downloads for all SolidWorks based installations and upgrades makes practical sense.  The cost savings potential to SolidWorks and the environmental benefits appear obvious.  What isn't obvious however is what the client may be losing in ways that are yet unknown or unforeseen.

As technologies develop, we oftentimes experience greater dependency on many levels.  Considering the serious price extended for a licensed seat of SolidWorks, are you one who would want to keep a physical disk for any potential needs that might yet be unanticipated?  Or are you comfortable accepting an ever growing dependence to online connectivity?

SolidWorks Users have the opportunity to weigh in on this theme by means of the SolidWorks Usage Survey for Q2 2011.  In this manner, clients can communicate their current methods and installation preferences, which should facilitate and aid in steering any upcoming decisions.

Free STP IGS STL viewers ... from ideaMK

Of course SolidWorks can readily open STP, IGS, or STL file formats. However, if you simply want to see what a STP, IGS, or STL file entails without going through the extra steps of importing, then a CAD viewer can a great tool for quickly providing the visual design information you need.

(C) ideamk

If you routinely receive non-SolidWorks file formats such as STP, IGS, or STL, then you may benefit from the free CAD viewers now being provided by the up and coming software development team of ideaMK.  Based in Ohrid, Macedonia, ideaMK is displaying the business and marketing savvy that it takes to make a reputable name for oneself.  While offering their skills in a variety of capacities such as custom software programming / development services, off-the-shelf computer software development, web design; eCommerce and online marketing solutions, their approach to providing viewer freeware is to be commended. This is especially so because the list of freeware they make available is quite extensive.  Along with the CAD viewers mentioned, they also provide a variety of additional viewers for file types common to the graphics world.

All of this speaks volumes about a seemingly small company with sincere aspirations.  It is a clear and strong indication that ideaMK has a business model that involves a conscious measure of giving back to the business community.  Sure, there may be intrinsic motives involved in providing viewer freeware, but if anyone in the CAD community benefits from their support, then we should have good reason to be appreciative.

SolidWorks n!Fuze... cloud based file collaboration

Online sharing and collaboration for CAD designers and engineers may become easier with the SolidWorks Add-In application entitled n!Fuze, soon to be available in a public preview / beta launch.  Intended for smaller-sized companies looking to collaborate in the design process, SolidWorks n!Fuze delivers on all fronts of concern for the typical designer.

(C) DS SolidWorks

Developed on the ENOVIA platform, n!Fuze allows for sharing and collaborating designs and ideas securely with anyone you want, inside or outside of your organization, wherever they are.  That mix includes SolidWorks users and those who don't use SolidWorks.  As an Add-In for SolidWorks 2010 and 2011, n!Fuze is cloud-based and integrates seamlessly with no additional IT support, servers, or central administration to be concerned about.

While it should not be considered a PDM system as in the sense of Enterprise or Workgroup PDM, it does carry beneficial collaborative features that address the unique needs of the design process. These include commenting with files and projects, managing versioning of files, and illustrated dependencies in assemblies.  The arrangements of n!Fuze include a one month free trial, with monthly subscriptions available for purchase through the 3DStore.  Subscribers can then invite non-subscribers to collaborate for free, and all support will be from a community based forum.  Online storage capacity starts at 15GB, with an additional 50GB available for purchase.  As advertised n!Fuze looks to be easy to buy, easy to use, and accessible instantly from anywhere!  Sales presentations aside however, SolidWorks users are eager to see if this most recent foray into cloud based applications will prove to be a practical and reliable solution to design collaboration.

DraftSight 2D & Autodesk 123D... the new free market of CAD?

An interesting business dynamic is taking shape in the world of CAD these days, and it all is coming down to nothing, literally. Or shall we say, free!

Free CAD software is nothing new, however it typically is synonymous with low-end use and far removed from the major arenas of engineering or manufacturing reputability. That has changed in recent months. Earlier this year Dassault Systemes made available the general release of DraftSight, the free 2D CAD program intended to free the captive audience of Autodesk. Now Autodesk has announced they will soon be releasing Autodesk 123D, a free 3D CAD program that may be intended to break the bonds of loyalty evident in the world of 3D. Both business approaches seem to be built upon the age-old battle hardened precept of 'divide and conquer'!

Understandably, each developer is touting the capabilities and possibilities of what their respective software may accomplish. Also to be taken in stride is that those capabilities are somewhat limited due in part to the software being free. What isn't apparent just yet, is how this cost free aspect will shape the software decision making process for product development, say in three to five years. For the sake of this article, we will focus on how this changing landscape may affect a CAD business owner and entrepreneur.

As any SolidWorks CAD license holder can attest, the yearly expenditure for an annual license renewal is a cost that we simply anticipate and accept without much grumbling, since there is no room for negotiation. You either renew to the latest release thus minimizing your expenditure, or get left behind and place yourself in the position of paying the additional first time cost all over again when buying anew. For those with company departments where license fees are multiplied by the number of seats required, the cost burden is obvious! So as a CAD business owner, what if you could reduce your annual software expenses to zero and still more than adequately satisfy your client needs? Would you? Probably, if you could (1) quickly become adept with the new software interface, (2) ensure file compatibility with other major CAD platforms, and (3) manage your files effectively.

For any number of reasons, most CAD users can relate to their loyalty to a particular CAD platform, and that loyalty has been leveraged successfully for some time. So will we begin to see CAD software loyalty yield to the desires and sensibility of a free market approach? Will we see some measure of migration of CAD users crossing over the demarcation of SolidWorks / Autodesk simply because of the cost advantage that being free affords for either the 2D or 3D camps? Perhaps so, and it's not really too difficult to imagine. Especially so when taking into consideration that many small CAD business owners would jump at the opportunity to see their annual budget for CAD software drop from their ledger! Then again, loyalty might just keep many of us grounded until both ample evidence and simple economics prods us from our comfort zone.