SolidWorks World 2012 Top Ten Enhancement Requests

In a tradition of SolidWorks World, there is a vote for the top ten enhancement requests for SolidWorks.  This year’s list varies a bit from previous a bit more than normal.  There’s a couple reasons. 

First, several items from last year’s top ten was actually included in the next release (some even announced at the show).  Here’s the completed and planned items from last year’s list:

• SolidWorks should cleanly uninstall itself (Done in the same year)
• Freeze Features (Done in the same year)
• Enhanced Equations Input & Editing & Linking (Done in 2012 and added abilities planned for 2013.)
• File compatibility between versions (Announcement some ability for this is planned for 2013.)

Item number 9 from last year was to keep the Ideas area of the forum open for year around voting.  It should be noted that this isn’t actually a request to improve SolidWorks, but regarding the process to provide input for how to improve it.  It is essentially a vote for the voting process.  Technically, voting for enhancements is available year around via the Enhancement Requests area in the Customer Portal.  The Idea voting system is something fun just for SolidWorks World that allows SolidWorks to have the opportunity to take a yearly snapshot of customer needs. 

Second, the voting system for Ideas worked a bit different this year.  In previous years, voting and submission of ideas was mingled.  This meant that ideas that where submitted early naturally received more votes.  This year levelled the playing field.  All ideas where first collected in the first phase, then voted upon during the second phase.  Ideas that may have been hidden in previous years now got a chance to be noticed.

SolidWorks World 2012 Top Ten Enhancement Requests

• #10- Thread creation wizard
• #9- Add lock rotation option to cylindrical
• #8- Escape key should immediately return control of the interface (similar to request from last year)
• #7- Dimensions should stay where you place them
• #6- Ability to control a plane’s front and back side orientation
• #5- Reduce the bounding box of drawing views to visible components only
• #4- Address the shaded with edges bleed thru issue
• #3- Don’t delete your children, dangle them instead (similar to request from SolidWorks World 2010’s list)
• #2- Mass properties should include the option to automatically put a point a the center of gravity
• #1- Start using more CPU cores whenever its possible (similar to request from SolidWorks World 2010’s list)

Author: fcsuper

As a drafter, mechanical designer and CAD engineer, I've been in the mechanical design field since 1991. For the first 8 years of my career, I was an AutoCAD professional. I utilized AutoLISP and many other AutoCAD customization features to streamline drafting activities for 6+ drafters and designers. I authored several custom functions, one of which was published in the March 1997 issue of Cadalyst Magazine. Since 1998, I've been used SolidWorks non-stop. I've worked to utilize the SolidWorks' user environment to simplify drafting and design activities for 20+ engineers. I've created this website to provide current information about SolidWorks from a variety of contributors. More recently, I am now employed by Dassault Systemes as SOLIDWORKS Sr. Product Definition Manager to improve drawing, annotation and MBD related areas. View all posts by fcsuper