Category: News

Twitter chatter on Monday’s article about using ASME

The article from last Monday entitled To what extent should a company comply with ASME standards on their drawings? generated a fair amount of Twitter chatter.  Here’s my rather vane attempt to organize these interesting discussions to share.

@fcsuper: To what extent should a company comply with ASME standards on their drawings? http://goo.gl/fb/7jkqF #solidworks

@SeanDotson: @fcsuper Well said. We “tweak” it to fit our needs as well. [link]

@DevonSowell:  @fcsuper comply with ASME? 100% but none do, 13 yrs 44 clients, haven’t see any comply or come close, Mil contractors the closest [link]

@DevonSowell: @fcsuper same client ” I want the minimum amount of Engineering to make and ship our products” [link]

@Edsonius: @DevonSowell @fcsuper some clients don’t want change so compliance from what they’re used to doing means spending $ to be current=#ignorance [link]

@fcsuper: @SeanDotson I cover that tweaking briefly in my #sww11 presentation too. Opened some eyes, I think. [link]

@fcsuper: @DevonSowell those clients may or may not pay more in the long run. It really is about finding min necessary for some companies. [link]

@solidmuse: @DevonSowell @fcsuper If we had to comply with ASME 100% we would be out of business. It is that simple for many companies. [link]

@fcsuper: @Edsonius @DevonSowell i am seeing a move towards compliance, but many smaller companies (who mite benefit most) don’t understand value [link]

@JeffSweeney: @fcsuper It is harder for them to get and see the ROI [link]

@fcsuper: @solidmuse @DevonSowell what areas of #amse do u find burdensome. [link]

@fcsuper: @JeffSweeney yup…I know that from experience. [link]

@Edsonius: @fcsuper @DevonSowell value comes with the cost of being bit on the buttocks (for u @SteveOstrovsky)  ‘cuz of non-compliance – #changeishard [link]

@DevonSowell: @solidmuse @fcsuper If we had to comply with ASME 100%… I agree Anna, so do my customers [link]

@DevonSowell: @fcsuper @solidmuse what areas of #amse do u find burdensome, me none. My clients don’t see the value of compliance, and I see their point [link]

@SteveOstrovsky: @Edsonius @fcsuper @DevonSowell Here here. We don’t need any non-compliant buttocks walking around. [link]

@fcsuper: @DevonSowell @solidmuse I am curious what u thought cuz I know #solidworks is not 100% compliant w/ #ASME [link]

@DevonSowell: @fcsuper @solidmuse #solidworks is not 100% compliant w/ #ASME it should offer that, don’t you think? [link]

@fcsuper: @DevonSowell u’d think that should be something they’d want. [link]

DraftSight ends Beta; general release announced!

The big news from Dassault Systemes today is that they just announced the general release of DraftSight for Windows.  DraftSight is a no-cost 2D CAD application for CAD professionals, students and educators which allows them to create, edit and view .dwg files.  The very long beta release of the Windows version has ended with an impressive 400,000 450,000 downloads (as of 5:00PM ET on February 22, 2011) from the DraftSight website.  In a conversation I had with Aaron Kelly, Senior Director of DraftSight at Dassault Systemes, he stated that this number is “a lot more than we expected.”  He added that the total number of full DraftSight activations is over 95,000.

Language support

Also according to Kelly, since the beta 3 release, the DraftSight user interface has simultaneously supported 14 languages at once (English, German, French, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish, Korean, Polish, Russian, Czech).  As of today’s general release, DraftSight will now also support these languages in the Help file, meaning that DraftSight is now fully localized (all 14 versions will be released at once for each update).

DraftSight is community driven

Free support, training and enhancement requests may be conducted through the DraftSight online community, based on Dassault Systemes’ SwYm online collaboration and social innovation platform.  SwYm communities have profiles, blogs, micro-blogging, “iQuestions”, wikis, media sharing spaces (data, audio, video, and even 3D), status updates, and more all within one online user interface.

Other updates in the general release

API support for DraftSight is now available, for a fee.  This enables users to write add-on programs for DraftSight in C++ and other supported programming languages.  The addition of Command Variables Enhancement allows users to set and change system variables directly from the command line.  Aaron Kelly adds, “we fixed a bunch of bugs that people reported”.  He also stressed the value the user base in improving DraftSight.

Service options

DraftSight offers a variety of support options, including no-cost community support (mentioned above), as well as fee-based Premium Services that may include telephone and email support, network licensing and access to DraftSight APIs.  There is now the Education Premium Service for educators which includes curriculum materials, network licensing and telephone and email support.

Hidden SolidWorks Commands – compiled by Scott Baugh

SolidWorks Help file is notoriously unhelpful at times.  It has evolved over the years to improve its usefulness.  However, there are still many under-documented functions within the Help file or commands that are completely undocumented.  One day in January 2011, Scott Baugh asked a sincere and innocent question in the SolidWorks area on Eng-Tips.

Does anyone no (sic) where I can find a document with hidden SW commands. There are some key strokes and commands in SW that are not always listed in the help, or if they are they are overlooked very easy (sic).

From there, a long thread of comments grew.  Someone mentioned that users can print out a list of keystroke assignments.  This isn’t what Baugh was looking for. 

Then, the list of “hidden SolidWorks commands” began as people submitted commands they felt were obscure or impossible to find in the SolidWorks Help file.  It wasn’t long before Baugh offered to compile the list into a document.  At first, the idea was to build the list in a discrete document.  However, Deepak Gupta suggested GoogleDocs. 

From there, Baugh built the list of “hidden SolidWorks commands”.  There were three types of items added to the list:  commands that are truly undocumented, commands that are under-documented (full functionality isn’t described), and commands that were too hard to find within the documentation.

Baugh then brought the topic over to the SolidWorks Forums, where the discussion further exploded.  SolidWorks staff chimed in to address several points, but also to learn.  Jim Wilkinson provided several detailed responses to help bring clarity to the conversation.  Through his efforts, he also discovered several areas where improvement to the SolidWorks Help file is needed. 

The Hidden SolidWorks Commands list is now a treasure of numerous golden nuggets.  It’s not long, yet it can take awhile to fully explore.  Check it out.  If you have any further suggestions, feel free to leave a comment here, or in either the SolidWorks Forum thread or the Eng-Tips thread.

Hidden SolidWorks Commands

What’s New? for SolidWorks 2012 (a most tasty & complete list from SWW11 )

2012Some say the world will end in 2012.  There are a lot of books being rushed to market right now that make some amazing claims about what’s going to happen just 22 months from now (Dec 21, 2012).  SolidWorks Corp seems gleefully oblivious to all of this hoopla, as they have put a lot of effort to bring new capabilities to SolidWorks 2012.  Here  are some highlights.

There’s a few generic user interface capabilities to be added:

  • A pushpin function will be added to allow users to put choice drawings, models or assemblies in a quick access flyout menu.
  • Users can now switch between units of measure via a selection tool added to the status bar.
  • A new command filter search will be added to allow users to search for SolidWorks commands on-the-fly (has opposed to stumbling around the Help file).
  • Selecting an item in the graphics view will highlight it and zoom to it within the feature tree (finally!).

Sheet metal will see several improvements:

  • Users will be able to choose faces to ignore in flat patterns.
  • Swept flange feature will be available.  They will be flattenable.
  • Tangent Flange position function.
  • Users will be able to set flanges parallel to a sketch.

Improved equations dialog boxBig news about equations:

  • Improved equation editor, with solve order and sort.
  • Global variables are now editable via the equation editor window.
  • Auto-rebuild for immediate implementation of changes.

On drawings:

  • BOMs will be insertable without having a pre-selected view.
  • Exploded views will be an option in the View Pallet.
  • Balloon order sequencing will be available, with the ability to number around a view from any start location.
  • Magnet Lines!!! (someone at SolidWorks Corp. was listening)
  • Unused View Label letters will be automatically reused.
  • Ability to add center marks to entire view.

Assembly will have a new Design Review mode that allows users to open and explore large assemblies without all the overhead lag.  This function will include the ability to conduct walk-throughs.

In an apparent extension of functionality added with SustainabilityXpress, SolidWorks 2012 will give users the ability to conduct manufacturer part costing.

New motion sensors will be added for actuator forces, baring loads and travel limits.

And now, the much hyped changes to be made in SolidWorks 2012:

  • Feature Freeze (they are going to try implement it again).
  • Complete Uninstall, with new options that allows for more control.  Also, uninstall function will be available from Admin Image.
  • Files will be cleared from memory when they are closed.
  • Dual monitor support will allow SolidWorks to span across two displays in a logical manner.

SolidWorks Live Buildings announcement

At SolidWorks World 2011, a new AEC product was announced.  It’s called SolidWorks Live Buildings.  It is a 3D conceptual design tool focused on integrated planning and early cost estimation for building design.  SolidWorks hopes that this new tool will improve collaboration between architects, engineers and builders. 

SolidWorks Live Buildings is based on the ENOVIA V6 online platform.  The interface should look familiar to current V6 users.  The product will enable any team member to access models from anywhere and anytime.  According to SolidWorks,

There is no need to transfer large data files via email or FTP sites. Since everyone has access to the same model, there is no chance of working on the wrong version of a project.

The presentation of SolidWorks Live Building was impressive.  Its easy of use was demonstrated on SolidWorks’ future headquarters.  Stairs, walls, cubical clusters, doors, and stair tools were all added quickly.  They also showed off a sundial feature which tracks the sun’s position and time of day (or night) to change shades and analyse lighting.

SolidWorks is planning general availability for the second half of 2011.

More about Bionic Builders

IMG_0556In a previous article, I mentioned stunt expert Casey Pieretti and engineer Bill Spracher on their show, Bionic Builders.  In his presentation during the Tuesday General Session of SolidWorks World 2011, Pierretti declared, “I don’t want to be enabled; I want to be super-enabled.”

Later, at the press conference that followed the General Session, I asked Pierretti and Spracher if they thought about making everyone super-enabled.  Pierretti said they thought about the broad range of possibilities but focused on prosthetics for amputees.

Additionally, Pierretti and Spracher are trying to make prosthetic limbs that are inexpensive as possible.  Medical insurance wouldn’t even apply to the types of prosthetics they produce, nor would it need to if the cost is in the right price range.  One thing that has helped reduce costs is the standardization of the pyramid fitting.  The standard connection also makes marketing prosthetic limbs easier.

I’m glad to see this topic getting this type of attention.  One thing I would like to see on Bionic Builders is something similar to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, where they could dedicate one of the stories in each episode to help a new person who has a need for a special prosthetic.  That would be great!