Category: News
SolidWorks World 2010: International Travel
The event is called SolidWorks World because it is the international convention for SolidWorks. Attendees are from many countries. The SolidWorks World website has special information to help the international traveller, available on its international travel information page. It includes passport and visa information. There is also contact details for those who require an invitation letter for a visa.
SolidWorks Labs: Watchit Widget
SolidWorks doesn’t just make CAD software. They also make Yahoo! Widgets. One cool widget from SolidWorks Labs is Watchit Widget. This widget tracks when changes to watched files. When Watchit detects a change, it populates its window with information about that file. This is useful in environments where two or three CAD users are sharing files in a single network folder. I think this is the intended use. As a bonus, this widget is also good for CAD Administrators who want to make sure network locations for support files are kept intact, as it not only tracks files, but also whole folders. The admin can track if additions are placed into the Materials Database folder (say from materials downloaded from Matweb.com). Such notification would allow the admin to then take that file and incorporate it into the company’s material database. It would also allow the admin to detect if some user has “accidentally” modified the SolidWorks template file.
Note, it might seem that this sort of application works best if placed in a corner in the “second” monitor of a dual monitor computer system.
Richard Doyle is looking for first-timers
Ok, Richard Doyle, leader of the SoilidWorks online community, didn’t say he was “looking” for folks who will be attending their first SolidWorks World in Jan 2010. He does have a message for first-timers, including useful advice and links. However, I’m sure he would appreciate comments from people who are planning on attending their first SolidWorks World. As for Richard, he has attended every one.
SolidWorks 2010 Save Mod Docs notice
With SolidWorks 2009 and any previous versions, when the user clicks on the X (exit) in the upper right corner of the SolidWorks window and they had a lot of modified files open, they would be presented with notice after notice asking if they wish to save, don’t save or cancel. It was very annoying. And, it was also nearly impossible to understand the relationships between the files being asked about.
SolidWorks 2010 has introduced the Save Modified Documents window. Now, when the user goes to quit SolidWorks, they are presented with a well organized window that shows all visible documents, with detail on how they related to each other.
The window offers the user several choices: save all of the modified documents, selectively save modified documents, don’t save documents, and the all important cancellation of the action to quit SolidWorks. (Sometimes when one sees what they are about to quit on, they will need to cancel the quit.) Oh, and don’t forget that Help button! 🙂
With this new window, the task of quitting SolidWorks is now quicker and more predictable. I think this going to end up being on of these functions we will take for granted very quickly (forgetting just how annoying previous versions where in this).
SolidWorks World 2010 correspondent quest
Just announced yesterday, SolidWorks is conducting a contest to find a worthy person to act as their Official Internet Correspondent at SolidWorks World 2010. The winner of the contest will be loaned a camcorder to use to document their experience at SolidWorks World 2010 on a blog and Youtube (and associated Tweets too)!
The decision as to who wins the contest will be made November 13. I would like to ask everyone to vote for our very own Chris Saller (if he accepts the nominations he has received already). Unless someone has a more clever idea, I say just vote for Chris by commenting on the article linked here.
Have fun!!!