SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 312 - State-less CAD

State-less CAD:

This podcast covers the pros and cons of "state-less" systems and cloud-based applications like the ones shown at SolidWorks World 2010.  With SolidWorks World 2011 just around the corner, these are my thoughts, wishes and predictions for the coming conference.  Topics covered:

SWW10 Refresher:

- SolidWorks Connect (formerly known as SolidWorks PDS)

- "SolidWorks V6" - Pros/Cons and questions

SWW11 Predictions:

- Reveal of SolidWorks Connect final product

- More in-depth demos on SolidWorks V6 (beta dates, cost, etc)

Cloud Application Thoughts:

- Power of state-less application (parallels to ChromeOS)

- Endless CPU, RAM, Storage options/configuraiton

- Automation backup and restore

- Live collaboration and versioning capabilities

- Rent Technology

- Local vs hosted cloud apps

Crazy Wishes:

- eDrawings online (maybe inside Connect with live Markup and Measure tools)

- Connect opens for Beta at SWW11

- SolidWorks V6 goes into Beta when SolidWorks 2012 does

- SolidWorks announces mobile clients for iPhone, iPad and Android (like eDrawings or Connect)

With SolidWorks World 2011 now just around the corner, the elephant in the room is SolidWorks in the Cloud.  It was announced at SWW10 and had only 3 or 4 followups from SolidWorks on their blog.  Everyone wants to know details and all have a laundry list of questions to how the desktop version will co-exist with the Internet delivered version.

Every year the first and third days of SolidWorks World reveal the next version of SolidWorks to come and now many of us want to get our hands on these new hosted services to see what they might provide and test their reliability with our data.  I know not everyone is as excited to get their hands on it as I am but curiosity still is brewing among most I have talked to.

After switching to Google Apps for over a year ago and living the cloud-based life for nearly everything non-SolidWorks I can see how a cloud-based CAD might be attractive to some.  I think, if anything, it offers some collaborative and light editing capabilities that could be tapped into from anywhere.  We will have many more answers in just a couple of weeks!

Remember to check out the SolidWorks: Heard! Blog and to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and THE HEaRD!

SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 305 - SolidWorks Walk-Though

SolidWorks Walk-Though:

This podcast covers the new walk-though feature in SolidWorks 2011 and how this new gamer-like navigation tool can be used for presentations.  Topics covered:

- Introduction of walk though

- Walk though workflow (PropertyManager and Navigation Controls)

- Recording options

- Hotkeys and mouse navigation

- Tips and tricks for recording and using SolidWorks as a live presentation tool.

Walk through animations are nothing new to SolidWorks since the introduction of cameras but it has always required some planning to execute.  SolidWorks 2011 walk-thoughs are a streamlined way to communicate a design without having to create and plan out a complex, camera-based animation.

Although you may think about the new walk-though feature as something to make videos, I believe that it can be used more like eDrawings, allowing more in-depth communication.  This allows SolidWorks to take on the role of the presentation tool and not just the presenation authoring tool.

The use of hotkeys and the mouse really bring the PC gamer feel to this new navigation option and gives users the option to make SolidWorks the way to view designs in live 3D virtual reality! ~Lou

Remember to check out the SolidWorks: Heard! Blog and to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and THE HEaRD!

SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 285 - CAD on the Cloud

CAD on the Cloud:

This podcast is a round table discussion with Matt Lombard (Dezignstuff), Oleg Shilovitsky (Beyond PLM), and Josh Mings (SolidSmack) about the pros/cons of a cloud-basd CAD platform. Topics covered:

- What is your description of CAD on the Cloud?

- Pros/Cons of the technology

- What are the real barriors for the common user/company?

- Hosted "Cloud" vs. local server farm

- How players like SolidWorks, Dassault, PTC, AutoDesk, Siemens will address migrating users from local to hosted applications?

- Payment speculation pros/cons for vendor and customer.

- SolidWorks PDS (light collaboration) and the model for hosted add ons to a local application.

Since SolidWorks World 2010 (SWW10) there have been a influx of articles focusing on the idea of hosted 3D parametric CAD applications and how they would all succeed/fail based on today's technology. Many of the major players in the CAD industry are working on various degrees of hosted offerings but most seem to be technology verification projects.

Although many of us have written about this technology, the response from the users who need these tools, in the end, to model geometry, are weary of the transition to a hosted solution delivered via the Internet. It is apparent that there are far more questions that have been unanswered than answered at this point which is why we have not seen anything launched yet.

I want to thank Matt, Oleg and Josh for taking the time and discussing their views on the topic of hosted CAD. We are in a fascinating time in the technology and the promise of more powerful applications with effortless collaboration and maintenance seems almost unattainable in today's market. There is no doubt that applications are moving to the Cloud but is CAD the right product for the move? ~Lou

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SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 281 - 3DSwYm

3DSwYm:

This podcast covers the new social collaboration platform by Dassault Systèmes.  After SolidWorks World back in February, I requested access to 3DSwYm (3D See What You Mean) since I had seen the logo and URL when SolidWorks was showing off SolidWorks PDS (Product Data Sharing). Topics covered:

- How to register

- Building your profile

- Adding others to your network

- Current communities available

- Community environment (Home, Blog, Media, iQuestions, Members)

- Social Integration features

- Refresh on SolidWorks PDS and 3DSwYm's possible contributions.

After the launch of DraftSight, I received a notice that I was accepted into the beta program at 3DSwym (previously called 3dswymer.com which redirects now) and once I created my DS Passport, was able to access this forum like community.  There are currently 3 communities available, 2 of which are open to contribute to and 1 that you can request access to). 3DSwYm is the platform and framework that these communities are built upon.

The DraftSight community in 3DSwYm is currently how users are asking questions and getting support from DS staff on the product.  It doesn't appear that you are able to build your own communities yet but I am anxious to see more 3D applications of collaboration when SolidWorks launches PDS into Beta.  Still no word on when/if that is going to be available in the fall, as mentioned at SWW10.

The interface currently doesn't "flow" very well, making the user go through hoops to add content, in my opinion, however it works on every device I have tried including my iPad and iPhone which is nice.  I would like to see them introduce mobile apps to allow collaboration to follow it's users especially since the move to mobile is where technology is going. ~Lou

Remember to check out the SolidWorks: Heard! Blog and to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and THE HEaRD!

SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 277 - SolidWorks Collaboration Tools

SolidWorks Collaboration Tools:

This podcast covers collaborative tools and options within the core SolidWorks environment. Although these tools are mostly uni-directional, they still offer users ways to communicate their design data more efficiently.  Topics covered:

- Multi-user environment option

- Multi-user binded to Workgroup PDM

- Removal of the old 3D Meeting addin

- eDrawings and markups

- 3D Instant Website and hosted collaboration

- Other file formats (3DXML, 3D PDF, XPS,MTS)

- Presentation Studio & Theme Editor (Download Progressive Die Example PDF)

- Promise of SolidWorks PDS & "SolidWorks V6

Many of us forget the options that we have right inside of SolidWorks for collaborating even though many of them are what I call "half duplex" collaboration, just like email.  The creator sends the content in some form to another party for them to review and make notes and send back.  This is collaboration but only one party can respond at a time.

As engineers we tend to use a flurry of solutions to allow us to collaborate, not only in the design, but also in aspects of manufacturing, documentation as well as other parties internal and external to our companies.  In an effort to move further into "full duplex" collaboration , SolidWorks announced/previewed at SolidWorks World 2010, that development has begun on a tools built on top of Dassault's Enovia platform.  Tools like 3D Live that are built on top of Microsoft's OCS collaboration show the meld of video conferencing, screen sharing and collaborative markup, all within the design environment.  I think Olig Shilovitsky did a great summary of "How To Redefine Collaboration in PLM?", showing exactly where collaboration is heading. ~Lou

Remember to check out the SolidWorks: Heard! Blog and to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and THE HEaRD!