Three major announcements from Manish Kumar about SOLIDWORKS future, from the stage of 3DEXPERIENCE World 2025
Dassault Systemes CEO Pascal Daloz talks about the Gen 7 future to enhance human know-how with new 3D UNIV+RSES.
Then, three new announces from Manish Kumar, SOLIDWORKS CEO, came at rapid-fire from the main stage at 3DEXPERIENE World 2025.
The Future of Manufacturing starts now, and SOLIDWORKS is leading the way. First announcement from Manish Kumar is the New Age of efficiency, innovation and success with SOLIDWORKS!
Manish then announced AURA, which is a new IP secure AI as a virtual companion on the platform, which learns from you, teaches you, and performs tasks for you.
Finally, SOLIDWORKS will launch their first solution for CPQ this summer. It allows customers to build a portfolio of highly configurable products, use them to quickly generate accurate quotes, and streamline their sales process.
The unofficial kick off for 3DEXPERINCE World has become the annual CAD Monkey Dinner. This is an event held at an interesting location near the center of activity for the World conference. It happens on the Saturday evening before the conference. This year, we converged on Pitch 25, a soccer focused sports facility and bar. There was karaoke too.
3DEXPERIENCE World 2025 has nearly a full schedule of DraftSight sessions! Time to go!
3DEXPERIENCE World 2025 is about a month away in Houston, TX at George R. Brown Convention Center. There’s a variety of sessions available. This includes a full catalog of DraftSight presentations and discussions. You can build a nearly full schedule each day of the conference with just DraftSight topics.
Day 1
All of this starts on February 24, 2025 (the first full day of the conference). After the General Session, at 11AM you can join the DraftSight Keynote in General Assembly B auditorium. This presentation will be hosted by Manish Kumar, CEO of DS SolidWorks Corp.
Later that day, at 5:15PM you can attend DraftSight for the AutoCAD User in room 351. This session will cover the similarities between DraftSight and AutoCAD, including AutoLISP, UI, batch printing and more. Also covered will be similarities with SOLIDWORKS.
Day 2
The first session on Tuesday (February 25, 2025) at 11AM will be DraftSight: Explore 2025 features, BIM integration and xDraftSight. This session will introduce the new features released for 2025 to “revolutionize your 2D CAD workflows”. Special attention will be given to new BIM integration and xDraftSight.
After lunch at 1:30PM, you’ll be able to attend DraftSight: Enhancing Industry Collaboration with the 3DX Ecosystem. This session will discuss how this amazing application can be used in collaboration with advanced 3D solutions like CATIA and SOLIDWORKS, providing a robust platform for detailed schematics, technical drawings, and design documentation.
Tuesday has a full schedule with more sessions, all in room 351.
DraftSight Unlocked: Tips, Tricks, and Time-Saving Secrets at 2:30PM
DraftSight: Everything a CAD Manager Needs to Know at 4PM
DraftSight: Ask the DraftSight Team Anything at 5:15PM
Day 3
Wednesday (February 26, 2025) sees a shift in gears with a hands-on session at 8AM, called DraftSight: xDraftSight Hands-on. I know that name sounds like a sequel for an action movie, but this session will put you at the helm to try out an important new tool that allows you to use 2D CAD functionality on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Since this is a hands-on session, space is especially limited. If you haven’t already signed up, you may still have a chance to join if there are no-shows by the start of the session.
At 9:30AM, you’ll have a chance to show the world that you’ve got skills in DraftSight with the Certification Exams! (Check availability before you go.)
At 11:30 will be the DraftSight LIVE Closing Session to recap all the great things you learned during your time at World. Also, Steve Brazier is the Keynote speaker. Steve Brazier is a globally recognized tech analyst and the visionary founder of Canalys, a leading global tech analyst firm. Steve is renowned for his dynamic presentation style, cutting-edge insights, and bold, forward-thinking analysis. Are you ready to evolve? In an era where AI is reshaping industries and redefining roles, adaptability is no longer optional—it’s essential.
Retrospective
It’s been a long time since I covered DraftSight topics. This old article from 2011 has some images of the original interface. A lot has improved since then.
Check out all the new enhancements and xDraftSight at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2025! I hope to see you there!
Things to do in Houston, TX before and after 3DEXPERIENCE World 2025!
Before 2023, I’ve never been Houston, TX. It’s long been on my list of places to visit customers. In June 2023, I finally travelled to this great city where I visited several customers and presented at the local user group. In early 2024, I again found myself in town, this time to visit extended family. Well, it’s 2025, and I am again (again) travelling to Houston. This time is for 3DEXPERIENCE World 2025 (#3DXW25)!
If you are also attending 3DXW25, here’s a list of things you can do in Houston before or after the event. As always, none of these places or sites are endorsed. This is just a list of interesting things to see and do while visiting.
Buffalo Bayou – Including Buffalo Bayou Park, Downtown area, and a 10-mile stretch between Port of Houston Turning and Shepard Drive. The Galleria – “Luxurious shopping destination”. Post HTX – Shopping center, art exhibition, views of the city and much more. Chinatown– Incredible and thriving area of Asian culture, including the Dunhaung Plaza and Sterling Plaza. East End of East Downtown (EaDo) – Neighborhood with tons of places to dine and explore just East of Downtown.
Enjoying the region
Galveston – Coastal town with a rich history. Brazos Bend State Park – State Park with 37 miles of trails, fishing and other outdoor activities. Sam Houston National Forest – About 50 miles north, with hiking, camping and exploration of nature Fredericksburg – Quaint town; see a different side of Texas with craft breweries and eateries, including German influences and Tuscany-like landscapes.
Interesting facts about Houston
Houston has the largest downtown tunnel system in the US (and it is air conditioned!).1 It was founded on August 30, 1836, by brothers Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen.2 The first public television station in the US began broadcasting in 1953 from Houston.3
See you in Houston, TX at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2025!
In a surprising twist, 3DEXPERIENCE World 2024 Top Ten is loaded with ideas for the topic of MBD. What does that mean?
Several years ago, 3DEXPERIENCE World Top Ten Ideas moved from a custom system to 3DSWYM. That could be the end of one era and the start a new. But, this year, there’s something else going on.
The big surprise for Top Ten Ideas for 3DEXPERIENCE World 2024 is that over half are SOLIDWORKS MBD requests.
What is MBD?
MBD is the abbreviation for Model-based Definition. As a concept, MBD is the practice of providing product definition directly upon the 3D model within a 3D CAD environment. MBD includes the application and use of annotations and metadata that specify requirements for the product. MBD also includes methods for display of specifications, and their use for both human and machine consumption. Although engineering drawings may still be used in a limited manner, MBD does not require drawings, and may actually preclude their use.
MBD Loaded Top Ten
3DEXPERIENCE World 2024’s Top Ten List
Six of the Top Ten list are related to the SOLIDWORKS MBD product or at least MBD practices for functionality within the SOLIDWORKS. Additionally, one other item is drawings related.
Example of challenges in this list
MBD ordinate dimensioning is interesting because the international standards do not provide any standard method for such to appear in an MBD environment. I’ve personally contacted ASME about this gap, only to be told that ASME standards already address the concept. ASME standards do not address the concept, nor do they even hint at anything that could address it. In particular, ASME Y14.41 does not address the concept at all, but for all matters of product definition, it defers to ASME Y14.5. ASME Y14.5 specifies ordinate dimensioning only within this drawing environment, and doesn’t provide any clues on how to address such within an MBD environment.
So, when customers request tools such as MBD ordinating dimensions, the SOLIDWORKS R&D team has to fall back to the customers themselves to determine how to implement such functionality. Do customers expect all of the annotations within an ordinate dimension scheme to be on the same annotation plane regardless to the form of the product? Or, do customers expect annotations to always appear attached to the feature that they define? Do all customers want the same result?
Even with linear dimensions, things can be confusing from particular orientations.
Even though this dimension scheme is based from two common faces, in this orientation linear dimensions are not clear. Display issues compound with ordinate dimensions.
It seems that ordinate dimensions are not a top priority for some in the mechanical engineering field, especially since other dimension schemes are supported. But, this is an issue which is important to SOLIDWORKS customers.
So much MBD!
Support for MBD ordinate dimension scheme is an example of why these issues are not so easy to solve. A lot of investigation and forethought is necessary. Solutions are available. We just have to be diligent to provide the right solutions for SOLIDWORKS customers.
Even still, it’s incredibly surprising to see not just one MBD topic in the Top Ten list, but six! There was a time when this topic was a pariah. Interest in the topic is definitely expanding quickly, and suddenly too.
Solutions for MBD are not just available in SOLIDWORKS and its MBD addin. 3DEXPERIENCE platform as the Manufacturing Definition Creator which includes xDrawing.
xDrawing allows the user to simultaneously create product definition within the drawing or MBD environments by utilizing the concept of single-source-of-truth. Annotations and views created in the MBD environment can be added directly to the drawing environment. Annotations and views created in the drawing environment automatically update the MBD environment. Changes made to annotations in either environment automatically update in both.
R&D team at SOLIDWORKS definitely noticed all of the MBD related items in this year’s Top Ten list! It tells the team that they are on the right track in their efforts to create powerful products in support of MBD workflows; bolstering their drive to continue such support.
Dallas! Yup, 3DEXPERIENCE World 2024 is going to be in Dallas, TX. It’s a first, and not really a first. The first 3DEXPERIENCE World in Dallas, yes. But, upon the incarnation of SOLIDWORKS World, Dallas is well-travelled land, having been held here in 2016 and 2019.
Even though we’ve been here before, things change over time. Some would argue the world is a different place now. As such, this things-to-do list for Dallas is updated. Also, you might’ve noticed that the list returns to SolidWorks Legion, as least for this year. It’s been on the Corporate Blog for a number of years. However, the Corporate Blog has an abundance of user-centric content planned for World this year. I hope you look forward to their posts as much as I!
As always, none of these places or sites are endorsed. This is just a list of interesting things to see and do while visiting Dallas.
Greenville Avenue – Lots of shops, restaurants and late evening fun. Galleria Dallas – upscale shopping mall West Village – uptown shopping district Downtown Dallas – downtown entertainment district with several parks and shops, restaurants and arts. Deep Ellum – “Texas’ destination for arts, music, culture and innovation since 1873”
Dallas is currently the ninth largest city in the US with a population of nearly 1.3M.1 The frozen margarita machine originated in Dallas.2 The ATM machine was patented in Dallas by Don Wetzel after experiencing frustration with long teller lines at his bank.3
