SolidWorks:HEARD! - Episode 443 - Beta Test Checklist

Beta Test Checklist:

This podcast covers the how to get the most out of SolidWorks' beta program.  Every year they launch SolidWorks Beta in the summer so we are getting close.  Have you every beta tested before?  Learn how to get the most without messing up your production setup.  Topics covered: 

- Introduction to SolidWorks' Beta Testing

- The Dos and Don'ts of BT

- Rules of thumb for install  

- Beta FAQ and Tips

- How to roadmap what matters

Every year SolidWorks launches the next release around the middle of June, opening the doors for those who dare to see what the next major release has in store.  It is well known that the first rule of Beta: "Don't talk about Beta!" however reporting issues and joining the community in the beta forum can add an interesting angle to your experience.

Over the past 5 or so releases, SolidWorks has done a good job to keep the installation of Beta separate in the installer but there are still some "gotchas" that you need to be aware of, especially if there is mission critical systems and data sets in the mix.  Ensuring that shared technologies or aspects of your other products that my use shared resources like eDrawings are in the clear before letting the beta install fly.

Usage patterns can be very hard to break and making a testing plan by looking through the What's New when beta is announced is key to getting the most out of the beta program.  With a roadmap of what to test and a separated install, the risk is lowered and uncovering the new technology can begin!  ~Lou

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SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 394 - Beta Season Begins!

Beta Season Begins!:

This podcast covers the lauch of SolidWorks 2013 beta program and how to get the most out of this early testing release.  Topics covered:

- How to get signed up and testing

- Improvements to this year's beta program

- What the prises are for squashing bugs

- Other challenges of this year's beta program

- Best practices

Let me guess. Your company has just rolled out SolidWorks 2012 after months of you hounding them and now SolidWorks 2013 is out for beta!  Yep, it happened again! I know the feeling but there might be a few things worth testing in the next release to keep the hounding going.

SolidWorks officially launched beta last week and it is available for download from the customer portal to begin testing.  Beta testing can take a certain user that is willing to take the plunge and figure out a way to parallel test the next major release of software while still getting the work done that pays the bills.  Sound fun?  If not, beta is probably not for you but this is the time of year when we get to live on the bleeding edge of CAD tech and pressure test this thing.

Looking through the what's new document should be your first stop and in this show I will outline the resources available to you for testing 2013 beta.  There are a number of enhancements to not only the software but also to this program to make it fun but easy to submit bugs for prises.  As I said before, it is not for everyone and some believe this should be done by SW themselves.  The answer is they do, it's called Alpha and the stuff we find is beta can be best tested by those who actually use the software.  So dig through the What's New, get a road map together and start testing.  See you in the forums. ~Lou

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SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 348 - September Tech News

September Tech News:

This podcast covers the SolidWorks and CAD-related tech news that broke since mid-August covering the SolidWorks Blog, various tech alerts and other industry news.  Topics covered:

SolidWorks Blog:

- Green Design Contest comes to an end

- Customer reactions to SolidWorks 2012

- SolidWorks Veterans on SW2012

- Let's Go Design resumes with Episode 4

- 3DVIA Composer V6R2012 Rendering Enhancements

Tech Alert:

- SolidWorks 2012 Pre-Release 1 is available for download from the Customer Portal

Support Monthly FAQ:

- Not out yet but will cover next show...

SolidWorks 2012 News:

- Pre-release testing

- Release Notes

- Layout for this year's What's New series

This past month the SolidWorks camp has been busy prepairing for the pre-release of SolisWorks 2012 with a barriage of blog posts titled "SolidWorks Veterians on SolidWorks 2012".  It is interesting to hear from many familiar faces, all of which have been around the product as long as I have...or longer.  One of the posts that grabbed my attention was a tribute to the past 20 releases of SolidWorks starting with the first release in 1995.  Each year had a bulleted list of the top 5 or 6 featues that were added in each release, 13 of which I have shown to customers in our rollouts.

Although this is the first year I didn't get a chance to install any beta builds, I have read through the what's new 3 times and feel a bit distant.  One of the things that makes a new release new to me is finding the new things or approaches that were not there in previous releases, which you can only find using the beta.  Now that Pre-Release is out, I will try to get some time in and find more of the "easter eggs" in the product.

The What's New Series wil start next week and I am thinking of chaning the format a bit and organizing things in a better category coverage to make listening selection easier.  I am still working out the details on the format but suggestions are welcome too! ~Lou

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

SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 335 - SolidWorks 2012 Beta

SolidWorks 2012 Beta:

This podcast covers the news around the recently launched SolidWorks 2012 beta site, changes to the beta program and how to best prepare for beta testing SolidWorks line of products. Topics covered:

- Beta 2012 launch page

- How to get notified when beta goes live

- Installing beta in parallel

- How to make the most of your time with Beta

- Contest prizes and details

- 2012 Beta program improvements

So just as soon as you get SolidWorks 2011 installed and deployed throughout your company, BAM, SolidWorks 2012 Beta is knocking on the door again! Yes we are entering "beta season" and SolidWorks 2012 is the next major version to be launched in fall and so the call goes out to those of you who can't wait to get your hands on latest and greatest.

This year SolidWorks has not only added enhancements to the actual software but they have also responded to the feedback from those of you who submitted feedback of our to improve the beta program itself.  Let's face it, you want to test beta but submitting bugs and spending time typing up reports is not fun.  This time around there will be some streamlining to that process as well as better mechanisms to report bugs effectively.

Although there are some who may not want to dive into the unknown of beta, those that do also can, and should, partake in the beta conversation happening over at the SolidWorks Forums.  This is a community of like-minded beta-testers who share their findings and ask interesting questions. Sound fun? Get signed up! ~Lou

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

SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 290 - SolidWorks 2011 First Impressions

SolidWorks 2011 First Impressions: This podcast is a discussion between Josh Mings of SolidSmack and myself discussing the overall first impressions of SolidWorks 2011 publicly since SolidWorks lifted the beta NDA. Topics covered:

- General overview on the type of release 2011 seems to be

- Defeature tool and common uses

- Assembly features and weld prep

- Global variables in a text file

- Performance and display enhancements

- System requirement changes and XP's soon to be exit

- Installation improvements and background downloading

The buzz around a new SolidWorks release has changed so much from 10 years ago now that the Internet is in play. The VAR rollout events used to be the place people went to see what was being launched but now you can go to http://solidworkslaunch.com and get the rundown, not to mention the 50 or so blogs that will also post updates and screenshots.

Now that DS SolidWorks has lifted the embargo on SolidWorks 2011 Beta, the flurry of posts and reviews has begun. Josh and I talk mainly on how SolidWorks 2011 seems to be staying the course of performance and tuning existing features. SolidWorks 2011's What's New PDF seems to be about 40 pages shy of last year's so it appears to be scaled back. I think as long as bugs get fixed and performance increases, adoption will be high.

Personally, I have a list of files and features that I try to perform that have had issues in previous betas from year's past and 2011 was the first in a long time that some basic functions didn't give me issue at first glance. I have also, unofficially, noticed that a list of long lasting bugs that I have reported were closed so maybe this is an indication that 2011 is digging into the SPR list and addressing as many as it can. ~Lou

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

SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 282 - SolidWorks 2011 Beta

SolidWorks 2011 Beta:

This podcast covers the launch of SolidWorks 2011 Beta program and how to get involved in the testing of the beta builds of the next version of SolidWorks.  Topics covered:

- SolidWorks Beta Program Introduction

- New Integration into the SolidWorks Forums

- Getting signed up

- How to participate

- Getting a plan for beta testing

- Installation and guidelines

- Contests and prizes

Well it is that time of year again.  Time to dust off your testing skills and dig into the newest beta build of SolidWorks 2011!  As a disclaimer, not every user is going to care about testing SolidWorks and some go as far as to get upset about testing the software for free.  Beta testing, in general, is not for everyone and it does take a certain breed of user to desire using software that is not yet released just to see what is to come.  If you are of this "breed" then SolidWorks is dangling the beta carrot for you.

Beta testing at SolidWorks has been surrounded by contests and prizes for years, however for most users this is not the draw.  It is the thrill of the hunt to find easter eggs, try new features and test if this release addresses past issues.  Another important part of participation is getting involved in the discussions in the beta forms since that is the only place to discuss your experiences.  Beta testing comes with an agreement to an NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) so the first rule of beta is we can't publicly talk about beta.

Remember SolidWorks 2011 beta is not production ready in any stretch of the word so make sure you install it as a new install, separate from your production setup and data sets.  Make sure you have an exclusive/disconnected copy of your data and a roadmap of goals for testing.  I hope to see you all in the beta forums over the next few months and happy testing! ~Lou

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