Category: News

eDrawings Pro for iPad is here! ( #edrawingsforipad )

Overview

The official name of the new app is eDrawings Pro for iPad from SolidWorks. This new product release brings core eDrawings Professional functionality to the iPad.  In addition to viewing, you can now inexpensively markup native SolidWorks files on a mobile device.  Additionally, permissions (such as the ability to measure) that are saved into eDrawings files via SolidWorks are respected in this mobile version.

User Experience

Similar to eDrawings for iPad, when the app is started, you are presented with a menu of models and drawings. There is an area of sample models and an area for your files, called “User Files”.

The sample files provide good cases to try out new eDrawings Pro for iPad functionality. The User Files area lists any files which you have added to your iPad to view in eDrawings Pro.

When you open a supported 3D file, you can rotate, pan, zoom in and out, zoom fit, zoom home (last view when file that was saved). Same as eDrawings for iPad, this Pro release can Play a model by transitioning between different views of the model.

While eDrawings Pro for iPad remains in memory, leaving and returning to the app will maintain settings and view orientation of the file that was left open.  This can potentially save a fair amount of time.

There has also been several incremental improvements too, such as an improved docking panel to allow quicker access to drawing sheets, configurations (models and assemblies), and components (assemblies).

Measure

You can now measure models in eDrawings formats where permission has been allowed by the SolidWorks.  When entering the measure tool, you are presented with the Measure cursor.  Simply tap and drag the cursor over the geometry you wish to measure, then tap again to select the highlighted element.  Tap and drag again and select a second geometric element to measure the distances between two elements.  The results will be very familiar to users of both eDrawings and SolidWorks.

Similar to the desktop version of eDrawings, filters are provided to speed up the element selection process.

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Sneak Peek of SolidWorks 2013: Auto-Dimension While Sketching

From the SolidWorks Blog:

While SolidWorks has had the ability to add dimensions while sketching for some time, SolidWorks 2013 makes it a whole lot more intuitive. Now, when you enter dimension values while sketching, SolidWorks will automatically add it to the geometry.

Sneak Peak of SolidWorks 2013: Routing along existing geometry

From SolidWorks Blog:

In SolidWorks 2013, The Auto Route tool includes an option to create a route based on existing geometry. To route along geometry, specify a start point, one or more planar faces, and an endpoint in the Auto Route PropertyManager. Routing automatically creates a route from the start point to the end point that runs parallel to the faces. You can specify the distance between the route and each planar face.

2013 Sneak Peek from SolidWorks Blog: Center of Mass

From the SolidWorks Blog,

SolidWorks 2013 won’t be officially unveiled until September 10, but over the next few weeks, we’ll be giving you sneak peeks at a few of the new features we’ll be shipping this fall. And here’s the first.

In SolidWorks 2013, center of mass is a selectable entity in drawings, and you can reference it to create dimensions. In a drawing, you can create reference dimensions between center of mass points and geometric entities, such as points and edges.

 

 

Recently found in the SolidWorks Blogospere

There is a number of good articles that have popped up recently in the SolidWorks blogospere.  Here is a selected set of particularly interesting finds:

Enjoy!

eDrawings for iPad from 3DS SolidWorks ( #edrawingsforipad )

Overview

The official name of the new app is eDrawings for iPad from 3DS SolidWorks.  This initial release is a great app with a lot of potential.  For the first time, you can inexpensively open and view native SolidWorks files directly on a mobile device.

The app provides many of the familiar and fun functions from the eDrawings family.  It is useful to quickly and conveniently communicate 3D CAD files to locations and environments were PCs and printed drawings just aren’t practical.  It also provides an great method to view SolidWorks files for customers that do not use SolidWorks, from the shop floor to a corporation’s CEO.

User Experience

When the app is started, you are presented with a menu of models and drawings.  There is an area of sample models and an area for your files, called “User Files”.

The sample files provide good cases to try out eDrawings for iPad functionality.  The User Files area lists any files which you have added to the iPad to view in eDrawings.

When you open a supported 3D file, you can rotate, pan, zoom in and out, zoom fit, zoom home (last view when file that was saved).  Similar to other eDrawings applications, the eDrawings for iPad app can Play a model by transitioning between different views of the model.

Assemblies

For assemblies, you can highlight individual parts from the Components tree.

Configurations are also supported. Selecting a particular configuration from the Configuration tree will immediately display it within the graphics area.  It is very easy to switch between configurations.

Assembly explosions are viewable from the Explode Assembly button.  Individual configurations can also be separately exploded.

Highlighting parts from the Components tree is also available when viewing the assembly as an explosion.  This makes it very easy to identify parts in the graphics area when browsing through an assembly.

Just as with the desktop computer, larger files consume more device resources.  If you wish to view a large assembly, you may wish to close background processes if your iPad resources are stretched thin.

                                                            

Disclaimer – Though this article was not reviewed by SolidWorks, nor its parent company Dassault Systemes nor any other entity, the author of this article is an employee of Dassault Systemes and is internally familiar with eDrawings for iPad.  As such, this article should not be understood as being from an uninvolved and neutral third party.

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