Mythical creations

This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Mythical Specifications

Engineering sometimes calls for the use of the specification called unattainium.  In other words, at times there is just no easy way to find the balance between design requirements and reality.  Other times, someone isn’t knowledgeable enough to make certain specifications, so they come up with specs that may sound right, but aren’t real.  Anyone ever run into a set of parts that were designed with all the mating features being line-to-line?  How many of us have searched high and low for a “black alodine” finish?  Another mythical metal finish is “clear hard anodize”.  I’m going to cover some of these points in future articles.  For now, I’d like to see other misspecifications that people have experienced in the engineering field.  Please comment about what you’ve seen.

What silly drawing workarounds are you using?

Melissa Appel, DS SolidWorks Product Definition Specialist, started an engaging forum thread on the SolidWorks Forum.  She invites SolidWorks users to answer the question:

What are the silliest workarounds you use in drawings, and what is the actual goal?

To date, there are 124 responses.  Most comments cover one or more particular cases where a silly workaround has to be used in order to acheive desireable results.

There are many topics covered.  Several comments are about well covered (and mostly resolved) topics, like the elimination of the Dimension Palette.  There’s a few solutions to problems some users experience.  Other topics cover little problems, like the fact that a user is forced to double-escape from the Ordinate Dimension command before a new set ordinate dimensions can be started.  Then there are big topics, like the fact that SolidWorks doesn’t provide any method to break dimension extension lines around other leaders and extension lines (unless they are actually cross through an arrow).

There’s a lot of good information in the forum thread, but I’m sure there are a great number of topics to cover!  Check our the forum thread and add your own or comment on existing topics.

Label Views +

[This article is outdated.  The macro is no longer available.  SOLIDWORKS has enhanced view label capabilities in subsequent releases, starting in SOLIDWORKS 2014.  Please see current SOLIDWORKS Help for more information.]

If you have ever needed to add a label to a standard drawing view, you know it takes a few steps to get it to look like the section view labels.
Maybe you’ve added a note but accidently had the wrong view selected. Now when you move the view the note doesn’t move with that view. I hate that, and it takes time to fix.
Have you ever wanted to add some text to a balloon so that if you move the balloon the text moves with it? That’s done with the Group tool, but why not make it automatic?
All of the above is made easier with the revised Label Views macro.
Label Views is designed to help you quickly add formatted text to existing SolidWorks Views or replace an existing View Label (if desired), also automatically group text to existing Note Objects.
SolidWorks does not provide View Labels for Standard Projected Views. Label Views can add formatted text, to any SolidWorks View.
Label Views can replace-hide the default (mono-format) SolidWorks Section/Detail View Labels with multiple formatted text. However, the new Notes are “dumb” SolidWorks Notes and will NOT update if the Document Annotations format or the View Scale is changed after the Note is created.
Label Views can automatically group new text to existing Note Objects. This can allow you to keep the SolidWorks automatically updated Labels and add grouped text to it.
The “Model Links & Symbols” buttons provide a list of Model Links and Symbols you can choose from to add to the Note text. You can alter these lists to suit your needs by editing this open source macro.
This version is a complete rewrite of the code (all previous functionality is preserved, except saving User Preferences in the Windows Registry).
The .zip file contains LabelViews.swp for SW 2007 and LabelViews.dll with all the folders & files for SW 2010 32-bit.
Label Views (3.01) is available at http://sw.fcsuper.com/index.php

Thanks

Senseless Sunday: fruitville

 

 

  • If a raisin is dropped into a glass of fresh champagne, it will float and sink over and over.

 

  • From 1923 to 1969, Illinois had a law making American their official language[1].

 

  • After Canada and Mexico, Russia is the nearest neighbor to the United States, via Alaska.  In the middle of the Bering Strait, Russia’s Big Diomede Island and the U.S.’s Little Diomede Island are only two miles apart.  “I can see Russia from my house.”

My Journey with SolidWorks

It’s almost 5 yrs now since me and SolidWorks are playing together and happily growing. SolidWorks is more like a friend to me other than just CAD software. I cherish my time working with SolidWorks. I never know the tool I started using 5 yrs back will give network of SolidWorks gurus. It’ll be better to call them as friend. And I feel the list will keep on increasing. I would like to thank SolidWorks for being a part of my life.

I just wanted to share my little journey with SolidWorks with you all. A journey which is to go miles and miles, with both me and SolidWorks improving.

My first encounter with SolidWorks

It was year 1999 and I was in third year of my college. We were trained to work on AutoCAD only till that time. Computers were mostly new for us and we hadn’t had much exposure of other stuff we can do with computers. One of my friend got a video of a colorful box rotating. That was first 3d model I had seen. I was overwhelmed with joy just a child does when he gets a new toy to play. Wow was the word came out of my mouth. Without looking at the complete video, I immediately bombarded my friend with questions.

Did you make it? How you did it? Can I do it?

His answers were mostly NO but I was still excited and wanted to know more. Then I asked him if he know how it had been done. He told me that this all has been done through SolidWorks 98. He was sure that I’m still going to ask more so he told me that even he hadn’t much idea about SolidWorks. He said he only know that there is lot of cool stuff we can do in the software. I was still in thoughts that SolidWorks must be some kind of animation software (just like making movies). That day I made my mind that someday I’ll learn the software and do some cool stuff.

We passed out of the college, got into the job. The industry was 2D dominated. Most of the companies were using AutoCAD for their design work. With the year passing I was building expertise on AutoCAD but still that dream of 3D thing was in the mind. I started making 3D models using AutoCAD commands. Though the results were cool but still I wanted to do more.

Years passed like anything and I changed my job from Design & Development engineer to Tool Room head. I have been always fascinated with machines and love their aura. But I know there is something else I have to do apart from just a machine shop guy. I look around and got in contact with IDSPL, a SolidWorks Channel Partner and a Value Added Reseller. When they came to know about my zeal, they offered me to join their technical team. I had no reasons to reject the offer as I can see my dream coming to life. So it was mid 2005 I got my real encounter with SolidWorks and started with 2005 version. And from then onwards it just like a friend to me, helps in doing lot of cool stuff. And best ever gift from SolidWorks is the network of friends I have made in these years. I’m really thankful to all the SolidWorks geeks who have helped me to gain some expertise on the tool and SolidWorks team for their continuous support.

Growing with SolidWorks

SolidWorks has been improving years over years with new versions, adding new features, options and lot of other cool things, thus making a life easier not only for design people but lot of other communities. I’m sure there are many users out here who would admire this it has improved a lot over years and trying to give the users the best technology

Animation and rendering have always brought excitement to me. I see and talk with lot of SW experts and get to know more and more. With lot of improvements in Animator, I’m able to make animation in very simple ways for which I had to spent hours. And similarly with the introduction of PhotoView 360, I’m sure people like me who are beginners in the rendering thing, can easily learn the techniques as this tool is so simple to use. I’m excited for the release of SW2011 though I hadn’t had the chance to have hands on the Beta and Pre Releases because of some other priorities

Are you Exhausted

Thanks for your time for reading my story. I know that was way long though a short but never ending journey with SolidWorks. Hey wait the story doesn’t end here, you’ll have to read more. For your time I would like to tell you about the gift for you in the box; “Two SolidWorks Student Edition software”! Yes, you read it right and don’t need to read again. SolidWorks has sponsored to give away “SolidWorks Student Edition software” for the two best comments being made on this post.


Still hungry for more? Ok, you can also win prizes by taking part in the

But what is SolidWorks Innovation Day Virtual Event?

Last year Dassault Systèmes (DS) SolidWorks Corp. announced the first Solid Works Innovation Day virtual event. The event offers a brand new and exciting experience for SolidWorks community and is an industry first for CAD users in the Asia-Pacific region. The event was launched thinking of people like me who are not able to make it to SolidWorks World or similar events because of many reasons. The idea was to connect SolidWorks users and experts who are spread all over the world on a single platform so that they can share their knowledge and gain more expertise.

Some of the highlights of last year event

  • Through this virtual experience platform, attendees can choose over 40 different sessions from an action-packed agenda.
  • Speakers include CAD industry veterans, DS SolidWorks key executives, and product and technical experts.
  • Event was available in three languages; English, Simplified Chinese, and Korean, To better address the cultural and language diversities in Asia-Pacific region.
  • Attendees were able to connect and chat with one another. This gave the opportunity to share knowledge and gain expertise.

Moreover the event gave a feel like we are in an event similar to SolidWorks World. There was presentation on lot of tools by SolidWorks as well as its partner’s products. The best thing was the tips and tricks and finally the technical question session where a user can ask their questions regarding SolidWorks and talk about new development in the tool, features, etc. All the presentations were available to user even after event was over so that if anyone has missed any session, he/she can take it at a later stage.

Similarly this year also the SolidWorks Innovation Day Virtual Event will be hosted in same manner it was done last year. The SolidWorks Innovation Day Virtual Event will start on November 1st 2010. Registrations are already open for the event. So go and get yourself registered

The early bird prize for registration this year is new 8GB iPod Nano!

I hope some more prizes are being sponsored like last year.

The prizes offered last year were

The prizes offered this year are

  • First Prize: Ipad 32GB WIFI (1 Winner)
  • Second Prize: HP Netbook (Mini 210-2015tu PC) (2 Winners)
  • Third Prize: Ipod Shuffle 2GB (5 Winners)

    • Apart I hope to see lot many changes (new stuff) in the event as there is quite improvement in the tool and lot other partner products have been developed and used over the year which help to reduce your design cycle in a way or other. So if you have missed the event last year, I would strongly recommend you not to miss this year.

    Here is sneak peak on the agenda for this year.

    Choose Join the SolidWorks Innovation Day virtual conference, November 1-3,2010.  Through this online venue, you can attend the conference anytime you prefer, right from where you are! Each day, you will be able to view new exciting videos on the platform. At the end of the three days event, most popular videos will be available on the platform for you!  So, remember to come back every day to check out on the latest presentations!

    Also if you like to feature your design on the event or have some cool tips/tricks to share with fellow SolidWorks users, SolidWorks AP Community would like to hear from YOU! Write us a short description about yourself and insert 2 of your rendered images. Download and complete the user profile template from http://files.solidworks.com/ap/ve2010/community.pptx and send it to lxyi@solidworks.com. Stand a chance to win some of the prizes! What are you waiting for? Go Register and submit your design too. Who knows you can be one of the lucky winner!!

    Finally just want to tell you again to share your experience with the SolidWorks like

    “How do you actually find out about SolidWorks and started using it? What version was it then? How SolidWorks has helped you in your career growth? Any other cool story with regards to SolidWorks. Whatever you want to share, simply post in the comment area and take away “Two SolidWorks Student Edition software”

    This is not the end of story. You can still win a coupon for taking CSWA exam for free. There are 10 coupons to be win, so hurry up and share your experience with SolidWorks and become a winner.

    Please add a comment to this post here to participate

    Follow LetsG0Design on Twitter for every new updates!!

    Thanks for your time to read my story. Hope to hear about your experience with SolidWorks.

    SolidWorks question: why does opening a part cause others to open too?

    Have you ever opened a particular SolidWorks file that caused other SolidWorks files to automatically open as well? This can be very frustrating if you want to open a signal part, but then 5 other parts load with it.  Most people who encounter this behavior figure out that there are external references that link the files together.

    Over the years, I’ve seen people give several types of responses for this behavior in SolidWorks. Some people simply live with the undesired behavior. Others may say, “the file is corrupt,” or “there’s a bug in SolidWorks.” Some people spend hours trying to resolve the cause of the behavior without success (me being one of them, many, many, many years ago).

    The answer?

    SolidWorks is doing what it is supposed to do when you open one file, and then other external referenced files open automatically with it!  This is intended behavior.  It is also behavior that you can control at the system level.

    There is a setting in System Options that allows you to tell SolidWorks how to handle external referenced files.  It’s at Tools pulldown>Options…>System Options tab>External References.  At that screen, the fourth line from the top says, “Load referenced documents:” followed by a drop-down field with the following choices:

    • Prompt – ask the user before opening referenced files
    • All – open all referenced files every time
    • None – never open referenced files
    • Changed Only – only open referenced files if there is a change

    As far as I have seen, Changed Only appears to be the SolidWorks default choice for this setting.  To tell SolidWorks not to open external referenced files, change this setting to None. Save the setting by clicking OK button.

    loadextrefs

    That’s it!  I know, this seems like such a simple solution for something that may have been particularly frustrating.