SolidWorks World 2014 | SolidWorks 2015 Reveal

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SolidWorks World general session day 3 is typically all about the next feature set in the traditional version of SolidWorks.  This year SolidWorks 2015 was the focus and the Product Marketing group performed another skit, as they have since 2007ish, and this year it was a parody of Batman called CADMAN!

The skit was entertaining and corny but they showed off some good stuff to come in the next build of SolidWorks.  These are all on the live blog with pictures of many of these new features. Below is a list of what was shown....

  • Split command now cuts surfaces (SolidWorks)
  • Define asymmetric fillets - set face fillet bias (SolidWorks)
  • Switch pattern from a feature to a body pattern without deleting and redefining. (SolidWorks)
  • Render region tool - draw a box over the screen and render it within the model (PV360)
  • Midpoint line tool - draw a line from midpoint and it auto relates (SolidWorks)
  • Convert spline to Style Spline without replace or delete (SolidWorks)
  • Segment lines with auto-split, co linear relationships and equal length (SolidWorks)
  • Rectangle tool has orthogonal construction lines with new options (SolidWorks)
  • Weldment cut list uses weldment details for the folder description (SolidWorks)
  • SolidWorks Costing now works on SolidWorks Weldments (SolidWorks)
  • View results while Simulation is still solving (Simulation)
  • Ducting feature and wire raceways inserted similar to piping (SolidWorks Routing)
  • Width mate now supports geometry limits.  This is similar to PhysicalDynamics so it detects surface to surface contact. (SolidWorks)
  • Chain pattern - allows alignment to a curve and relationships can allow motion (SolidWorks)
  • Profile Mate - Mate two faces and SolidWorks automatically aligns the surfaces coincident and the center of the profiles are also aligned. (SolidWorks)
  • Open part from drawing in same orientation (SolidWorks)
  • Break View works in parts and assemblies then leverage in drawings.  Works for isometric views too! (SolidWorks Drawings)
  • Angular dimensions can use many model edges to avoid creating construction geometry. (SolidWorks Drawings)
  • Zone lines for drawings (SolidWorks Drawings)
  • Decimal rounding options in Document Options
  • Layer Printing - control print access to specific layers (SolidWorks Drawings)
  • SolidWorks Inspection integration inside of SolidWorks.  It can read many aspects of the drawing like tolerances and other aspects to auto build inspection reports.  This tool also runs outside of SolidWorks and can do OCR (Optical Character Recognition) of PDF and TIFF Files. (SolidWorks Inspection)
  • SolidWorks Enterprise PDM Web2 - A server-side web client that can run in any browser and has mobile specific views for phones and tablets.  It also can call up eDrawings mobile from the device for viewing and markup. (SolidWorks EPDM)

In addition to this list, Neil Cooke also talked about a few things that would be available for users in 2014 as well.  The first was an integrated task pane in SolidWorks, Draftsight and eDrawings to access the 3DExperience communities as well as a new 3DExperience dashboard that will give users a cloud drive that is accessible from SolidWorks, Draftsight, Mechanical Conceptual etc, and allow users to share content to members of their teams.  They also show a complete web based version of eDrawings as well.  

No details to whether this was part of your SolidWorks subscription or if it would come at additional cost.  As details come available, I will update this post.  ~Lou

SolidWorks 2013 Reveal at SWW12

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SolidWorks World general session day 3 is typically the reveal of the next major release of SolidWorks products.  For the past 5 years or so, SolidWorks has presented this in a skit where the guys in product definition will show segments of the new features with some humor.

This year's skit was a parody of "Back to the Future" called "
Back to the Feature" where Marty, Doc, Bif and even a camio of Jon Hirschtick, the founder of SolidWorks.  They should have a video up soon and I will post more pics once that is out.

Here is a quick list of what was revealed in SolidWorks 2013: (listed in order of reveal)

Segment 1:

- Show Hidden Bodies in Parts (parts)

- Assembly Performance Offenders with assembly visualization (assemblies)

- eDrawings markup imports into Drawings (drawings)

- Quick section views (parts/assemblies)

- Revision cloud - a markup tool in Drawings (drawings)

 Segment 2:

- Snap shots in (like in LDR) in any file (parts/assemblies)

- Sub models for Simulation - chop out a focus area to reduce mesh model and is associative to full model (Simulation)

- Bounding box cut-lis creation (parts)

- Multiple camera (3DVIA Composer)

- Multiple camera location on the timeline (3DVIA Composer)

 Segment 3:

- Quick filter in File Open (parts/assemblies/drawings) 

- Envelopes can be any part or assembly and then toggle (parts/assemblies)

- Envelope parts can have phantom lines in drawings (drawings)

- Envelope parts are hidden in upper levels (assemblies)

- Insert multi components at once - Window or CTRL selection in open dialog then drops one, place, drops the next, place etc. (assemblies)

- Multiple explodes in each configuration (parts?/assemblies)

- New favorites folder - acts like Windows favorites (all)

- New mounting boss options and stored in favorites (parts)

- Toggle cosmetic threads or have the graphic threads (parts/assemblies in Options)

- Find common thread types - In interference detection (assemblies)

- Hole wizard has dowel holes 

- Insert dowel annotations in drawings

Segment 4:

- Surface intersect to remove and add - can do both operations cut and up to face (parts)

- Thin extrude supports multiple contours (parts)

- Equation entry everywhere - Even in the PropertyManager (all)

- Vary pattern instance dimensions - can adjust the dimension values per instance (parts)

Segment 5: 

- Collaborate with others  - hover over username tp chat, email call (EPDM)

- DraftSignt integration (EPDM)

- Copy/Paste from DraftSight to SolidWorks - copies into a sketch (parts/assemblies)

- 2012 SP 5 will support backwards compatibility - will open SW2013 but frozen (all)

- Backward compatibility with Configurations - SW2012 could "see" the body and configurations from the future version (all)

- Backwards compatibility supports updates - if changes are made in 2013, the referenced files in SW2012 SP5 will update any visible attributes to impact the geometry and visual effects. (all)

Although SolidWorks has uploaded a lot of videos, I am still waiting for the videos to come out. I will post an update of pics if they publish the video.  

Things we did not see:

Well mobile and SoildWorks V6 platform did not make their presence at any of the SWW12 general sessions and I hope they have plans to share that information soon so we can all get an idea of what that will be like.  Fielder Hiss, VP of Product Management came out and made sure to clear a bad rumor up:

 

 

SolidWorks 2013 looks good and some interesting cool features are coming that are additions to part and assembly modeling which I like to see.  I do believe that viewers and collaboration tools on mobile or the web are needed in the SolidWorks portfolio.  Time will tell. ~Lou

SWW11: SolidWorks 2012 What's New Reveal

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SolidWorks World general session day 3 is known as the "Reveal" since as long as I can remember this is the designated day that SolidWorks shows off some new enhancements that will might make it into the next major release. So far there are two posts that I have seen that give a good list of the features revealed and they have a good number of screenshots as well:

- Rickyjordan.com - Ricky Jordan

- CadFanatic.com - Brian McElyea

For the past 3 or 4 years now the R&D group has used a comedy sketch to spice up the presentation of the new features and this year the parody was from the show COPS, called CAD COPS.  The sketch was funny and the features were being shown at a pretty fast rate so I focused on writing down as many as I could.  After reading through a few other peoples notes I think this might be the complete list of what's new in SolidWorks 2012.

Fundamentals:

- Pin commonly used files in the Recent Documents dialog (also works for folders and in the File Menu)

- Unit Switcher in the lower right of the status bar.

- Freeze Feature (shown at SWW10 but didn't make the cut for SW2011)

- Tab key to hide (Feature from 3dvia Composer)

Sheet Metal:

- Sheet metal flanges has an option "Parallel to base flange" instead of vertex (great for angle changes in the flange)

- Reference the outside tangency to drive flange length stays the same (helps for closed corners)

- Redesigned Forming tools UI for simple placement/flip and utilize configurations.

- Flat Patten feature has a new "Features to Ignore" for unfolding.

- New Swept Flange for complex features and it will flatten.

Dimensions & Equations:

- Placement of diameter dimensions in a sketch will lock into diameter mode.

- New Equation Editor UI showing much more detail including Category, Dimension, Ordered View, and Recent variables used with equations in RED when errors are detected.

- Equation Editor automatically solves equations in the order needed and not by the order entered.

- Equation Editor allows pulldowns of ALL dimensions instead of having to dynamically select from the active model.

- Equation Editor now utilizes the measure tool to create reference dimensions on the fly.

 Drawings:

- Exploded views from the View Palette in the Task Pane

- Now can add the exploded view from the Right Click menu or the PropertyManager (no longer in properties and have to then select the check box).

- BOM creation no longer requires pre-selection

- Balloons and be inserted with Auto Balloon and now sequenced (selecting which balloon will be balloon 1 and the sequence will rebuild around the part. BOM will also update)

- Magnet Lines can be used for alignment of annotations like balloons, notes etc.  (from 3dvia Composer)

- View Labels (like section and detail) will be reused if that sequence is removed. (past would use the next label counter even if the previous was deleted)

- Centermarks can be automatically inserted at any time for an entire view not just on view creation.

3dvia Composer:

- Per pixel lighting (more realistic rendering)

- New Compass helps orient and change the appearances of the model.

- BOM highlighting (like in BOM SVG output) works dynamically on hover.

Evaluation Tools:

- New Costing Tool analyzes the model and determines cost by MFG process involved, setup costs.  Tool has a template builder (like property tab builder) and can utilize quantities and other variables to accurately determine model take offs.

Simulation:

- Motion Simulation now supports motion sensors

- Motion also has optimization (these enhancements were the Design Study functions for FEA now in Motion)

Collaboration:

- New File Open option called "Large Design Review"

- LDR is basically Quick View/SpeedPak/Lightweight in one UI.

LDR give great performance while still having the ability to:

- Create or Reuse Walk throughs

- Zoom and Pan smoothly

- Full interactivity of the FeatureManager Tree

- Use the Section tool

- Open Parts or Sub Assemblies for editing, Save and update the Large Assembly.

As you can see the list was pretty long and the R&D group rattled them off quickly but it looks like a cleanup release to smooth the edges and complete some of the existing features in the software.  Users want improvement to existing functionality and less brand new functions so this seems to be a response to that. One thing to keep in mind though, none of these features are guaranteed so take this list with a grain of salt! ~Lou