Matt Lombard has a POLL about access to the presentations at SolidWorks World 2008. Right now, all the presentation materials are behind a login.  Theoretically only attendees of SWW8 have access to it. Do you agree with this? Once the poll is closed, I’ll state my opinion here.
Jumping Toolbars, Cadman! (Toolbar changes not saved)
With SolidWorks 2007 and prior, most commands are available through on-screen toolbars. These toolbars are highly adjustable, both in content and placement. Sometimes, their adjustability in placement can cause issues that may make it seem as though SolidWorks isn’t saving toolbar placements. In my experience, SolidWorks does a good job at saving placements of toolbars. The issue many have with saving toolbar placement is often related to the fact that SolidWorks allows the same toolbars to be placed in different locations for each document type (drawing, model and model assembly).
It should be noted that some people do experience a real problem with toolbar placements not being saved. This problem is caused by a corrupt install or registry. To correct this issue, use regedit.exe to rename/delete the SW registry key (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks). This allows SolidWorks to establish a new registry key, and hopefully eliminate the corrupt information. (Note: this will clear all Solidworks settings, so use this method with caution.)
But, before that method is attempted, try this less drastic method first. As stated above, sometimes the issue is caused because different document types are using the same toolbar, but that toolbar is in different locations for each. This causes them move around when switching between document types. As they move around, they push other toolbars around too. Each time this happens, they can cause toolbars to shift into even more different locations. The solution is to have a drawing, model and assembly all open at the same time, then switch back and forth between them to see what jumps around. Adjust locations of the toolbars with each document type active. Switch back and forth from that document type to the other types. Do this for each of the three document types. Keep doing this until all toolbar locations are stable, no matter which document type is open, and to which document type is switched.
Then here’s the most important part: exit SolidWorks normally. It is the exiting of SolidWorks that saves the toolbar placements. The process can take about 5 to 30 minutes.
A side note, if SolidWorks crashes at any time after toolbars are changed, but before exiting normally, any changes to the toolbars will be lost! This is important to note, it is it a third reason why toolbar changes aren’t saved.
Blog Squad Aboard
Perusing the Blog Squad sites, I have found an interesting point. A lot of us seem to be travelling in some fashion or another recently. Mike Puckett is in Europe. Jason Raak was on a road trip. Rob Rodriguez is somewhere nice. Josh’s Solidsmack recently had a naked day (OK, this isn’t a vacation for Josh, but kinda one for his blog :-)). Speaking of the blogs themselves taking vacations, it appears that Matt Lombard’s blog took a vacation from him in a major meltdown. Oh, and a few of us (who shall remain nameless) haven’t posted anything since early March or even February. :-)Â
calloutformat.txt not calloutmethod.txt
I would just like to note a quick correction to a couple of earlier articles. When modifying how SolidWorks callouts internal threads on drawings, the file to modify is calloutformat.txt, not calloutmethod.txt. Thank you to “Brain” to catching this error.
The affected articles are:
Drill and Tap; and calloutformat.txt (Part 1)
Drill and Tap; and calloutformat.txt (Part 2)
I apologize for any confusion the original error may have caused.
The example files uploaded to Lorono’s SolidWorks Resources were correct all along: SW 2005 and SW 2007. By the way, if someone has a 2008 (or any other) version they would like to make available on the resources website, please contact me with your file.
Jon Hirschtick and the movie 21
I didn’t realize what I was hearing when I witnessed Vic Leventhal’s presentation at the Tri-Valley SolidWorks User Group (T-VSWUG) kick-off meeting. He made a comment about Jon Hirschtick (co-founder of SolidWorks) and the movie 21 almost in passing.
I made my own little presentation at this new SWUG to support the new group at its kick-off meeting. I have my own article about the meeting. Gabi Jack (another Blog Squad member) happened to record Vic Leventhal’s presentation. This single act has turned out to be at the center of recent buzz in the SolidWorks community about the new movie 21. Vic Leventhal mentions that Jon Hirschtick was part of the MIT Blackjack team and that he used money earned from that effort to start SolidWorks.
I ask a question that has already been answered in a rather spectacular way. “Was Jon Hirschtick, co-founder of SolidWorks, part of the former MIT Blackjack team that the movie 21 is about?” Jason Raak at RockSolid Perspective asked this question in a recent article on his blog. He mentioned how he studied Mrs. Jack’s video of Vic Leventhal’s speech. He also linked to another source that made the connection in a news article. And, he disclaimered his comments about the link between the movie and Mr. Hirschtick by saying he hadn’t heard from him about this matter.
Well, the very first comment to his article is Jon Hirschtick himself responding with an undeniable confirmation that he was indeed involved in the MIT Blackjack team! Assuming this comment is actually from Jon Hirschtick, this is prolly the best comment that has ever been placed on any SolidWorks community blog. If it wasn’t for that comment, I wouldn’t have even wrote this article. I invite anyone who hasn’t seen the RockSolid Perspective article to go HERE now to check out Mr. Hirschtick’s comment.
Material Database help
I am trying to update my material database for all of you to use.
I have not had much time to look up material info and some special materials I’m having trouble looking them up, so I’m asking for help.
If you have a material that you would like me to add, please email me the info as needed in IPS (inch, pound, second) units. (It’s easier for me to add all of them per one unit)
The format I need is per the following example:
1. Classification – Aluminum alloys
2. Material name – Alum 2011
3. Texture – machined\brushed\cast\etc
4. Other texture/color info that is special.
Physical properties example
EX “Elastic modulus” value=70326525952.00000
NUXY “Poisson’s ratio” value=0.330000
ALPX “Thermal expansion coefficient” value=0.000023
DENS “Mass density” value=2823.349854
KX “Thermal conductivity” value=142.100006
C “Specific heat” value=962.780029
SIGXT “Tensile strength” value=379211648.00000
SIGYLD “Yield strength” value=296474560.00000
Attached is an example screen shot of what the material properties look like within SolidWorks.
Thank you.
Update Alert! The new materials database is ready. Please see this article for details and download: ctopher’s SolidWorks Material Database.