SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 317 - Post3D

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Post3D:

This podcast covers the 3D immersive collboration tool introducted by Dassault's CEO Bernard Charles at SolidWorks World 2011.  Topics covered:

- Post3D Overview

- Getting started

- Creating a 3D post

- Inviting Users

- Options and controls

- Collaborative options

- Uploading 3D content to your post

- Overall thoughs of "Second Life for CAD"

Post3D was debuted at SolidWorks World on Day 1 by Bernard Charles and Jeremy Luchini of Let's Go Design and they gave a demo of the Ultimate CAD Chair with another person from a remote location (told to be China).  The demo looked alright but I wanted to log in and tool around to see exactly what is involved to create this "immersive" design review.

The setup was actually very ease, uploads were simple to do and navigation and model placement didn't take that long.  It is an interesting way to share and collaborate with others. Although a bit corny at first, the introduction of the avatar more importantly shows you their visual perspective so you can interact in ways that you would when physically standing in the room with them.

Post3D seems to take the recently retired tool SolidWorks 3D Instant Website and takes it to a new level with 3D being the environment as well as the design and adding a true collaborative layer with chat, comments and a single point, 3D workspace.  It is in technical preview right now so the folks at 3dvia are very interested to hear your experiences and your feedback, so get to testing! ~Lou

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

SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 315 - SolidWorks World 2011

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SolidWorks World 2011:

This podcast covers all the options to follow what is going on at SolidWorks World 2011 which starts tomorrow morning. Topics covered:

Blogs to watch:

- SolidWorks
- SolidSmack
- Ricky Jordan
- Dezign Stuff
- Deelip
- CadFanatic
- RockSolid Perspective
- SolidWorks Heard (Live blog at solidworksheard.com/live-coverage)

Video:

- SolidWorks YouTube Channel
- Videos tagged SWW11
- SolidWorks Heard Tv (occasional streaming)

Photos:

- SWW11 group (tag sww11)

Twitter:
- #SWW11 (SolidWorks World 2011 hashtag)
- #SWWTips (tips from SWW hashtag)

FaceBook:
- SolidWorks Facebook Page

SolidWorks World has transformed over the years with the Internet so there are many places that you can virtually experience the conference. I will begin live blogging tomorrow morning at 8:15am CST which will be a timeline of events, stream of photos and other twitter correspondants as well as any audience members that would like to ask questions.  We will make it interative so it will be fun!

I will also be taking live notes in either Google Wave (publically published so you do not have to log into Wave) or Google Docs (which I will publish for download).  Since I will be going from breakout to breakout, I might parse them into mulitple documents so everyone can pick and choose.  Remember, if you want to have a certain breakout covered, send me a message any way you like and I will try to get there!  ~Lou

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

SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 314 - January Tech News

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January Tech News:

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

SolidWorks Blog:

SWW11 - Partner Profiles:
- Open Mind Technologies - HyperMill for SW
- Solido - desktop 3d printer sheet layer/glue/score
- 3D QuickTools - Quick Press - die design
- Camtek GmbH - OptiCAM for wire EDM
- AMV - SteelWorks (a steel design, drawings and BOM tool)
- ATR Soft - CustomTools custom property management and ERP/MRP link (awesome picture)
- Geometric Technologies - DFMPro and CAMWorks
- Delcam - CAD CAM products for manufacturing and inspectio
- Z Corporation - Rapid prototype and scanning technology
- Barry-Wehmiller International Resources - an engineering consulting arm in St. Louis 

Five Questions Friday:
- Mark Gibson, Principal Interface Design Engineer at SolidWorks
- Maria Sakar, Vice President and Co-Founder

SolidWorks Organization:
- An update on the organizational changes at SolidWorks - Jeff Ray moves to DS, Bertrand Sicot assumes CEO

Let's Go Design TV
- Project 2 is launched - Multi-sport practice cage

Tech Alerts:
- SolidWorks Enterprise PDM 2010 Service Pack 5 is available for download
- SolidWorks 2011 Service Pack 2 Early Visibility is available for download

 
SolidWorks World 2011:
- Live General Session coverage - Sign up 
- Not attending? Send your breakout coverage requests to me!

Welcome to 2011! Lots of prep news heading up to SolidWorks World 2011 in San Antonio, Texas! The biggest news of the month is the announcement of Jeff Ray leaving the CEO position and heading to a newly created position for Geographic Operations at Dassault Systemes.  The move will relocate Ray and his family to France, where he will work with country managers worldwide to "streamline customer experience".  Bertrand Sicot, previously SolidWorks' VP of Sales, is going to be assuming the position of SolidWorks' CEO.

I am anxious to head out next weekend to SWW11 mainly to see the faces of those I only see at this conference as well as to get more information about the future builds of SoildWorks and their other "High-altitude moisture-based" offerings that debuted last year at SWW10.  Remember to submit your request for coverage if you are not attending and sign up for the reminder for the live blogging of the General Sessions.

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

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

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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 310 - December Tech News

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December Tech News:

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

SolidWorks Blog:

- SolidWorks World Partner Profiles on SolidACE, Trace Software, Objet, Zuken, ATI, SolidProfessor.

- SWW11 Internet Correspondent - Good friend of the show, Michael Lord!

- 5 Questions Friday with Charles Culp, Michael Lord, and Jeremy Singley

- Let's Go Design launches new challenge: Multi-sport practice cage

Tech Alerts:

- SolidWorks 2010 SP5 is available for download

- SolidWorks 2011 SP1 is available for download

- SolidWorks Enterprise PDM 2011 SP1 is available for download

SolidWorks Community Blogs:

- Enterprise PDM notification via Gmail - SWH:Blog

- eDrawings Browser Conundrum - SWH:Blog

- The (Un)Official CATIA to SolidWorks Translator - SolidSmack

- Enterprise PDM Upgrade, Lost 'sa' password - SWH:Blog

- Windows7 x64 file performance boost - DDi Tech Center

SolidWorks World News:

- SolidWorks Top 10 Ideas (login required)

- Apollo 13 Heroes Headline SWW11

- Win a Blackjack lesson with Jon Hirschtick

- Live coverage options from SolidWorks Heard

2010 is winding down and the tech news for December is finally here! This month is usually busy as well since SolidWorks World 2011 is right around the corner and SolidWorks, customers and vendors are all gearing up for the event.

This year the SolidWorks blog has been doing Partner Profiles, which is a great way to introduce them to the community prior to the big event.  One of the gems of SWW in general is the Partner Pavillion.  As a user I get so wrapped up in the General Sessions and breakouts and never spend as much time as I want in the Partner Pavilion.

This year I am interested in hearing from those of you that are unable to get a ticket to San Antonio, Texas and what areas/events you would like me to cover while I am there.  I am planning on live blogging the general sessions and some of the breakouts but would love to hear from you on what breakouts you would like coverage of.  Check out the agenda and let me know what sparks your interest. If you can't go, we will bring it to you! ~Lou 

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

SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 295 - September Tech News

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September Tech News:

This podcast covers the SolidWorks and CAD industry news that broke since the middle of last month.  Topics covered:

SolidWorks Blog:

- Let's Go Design: Steel vs. Aluminum (Asheen's perspective)

- SolidWorks 2011 "What's New" videos

- SolidWorks & Tech Pioneers

- Curbing Energy Demand at the Source

SolidWorks 2011 News:

- SolidWorks Launch site

- SolidWorks World 2011 Connect page

- SolidWorks 2011 blog coverage

- Ricky Jordan

- SolidSmack

- SolidWorks Legion

- Jeff Mirisola

- RockSolid Perspective

- Dezign Stuff

SolidWorks Tech Alerts:

- SolidWorks 2011 Beta 3 shipped (August 23)

- SolidWorks Enterprise PDM 2011 Beta 3 shipped (September 1)

- SolidWorks 2011 B3 fixes VPN issues for SolidNetWork License Manager (SNL)

Industry News:

- 15 year anniversary of SolidWorks 1st seat sale

- DS 3dvia.com ships 3dvia Mobile HD for iPad

- Autodesk ships AutoCAD for the Mac ($4K)  (Draftsight for Mac around the corner (Free))

- Vuuch 3.0 ships

- Deelip talk to Jeff Ray about SolidWorks 2011, The Cloud and DraftSight

We are in the final weeks of SolidWorks 2011 beta testing and with the NDA lifted, the news is flooding in about new features to come.  The quantity of posts on 2011 features seem to be down from previous years but the coverage is still there.  SolidWorks 2011 launch site is live and video posts are going up on the SolidWorks blog regularly.

The CAD industry overall seems to be full of new product launches and technology advances, even some news on CAD on the Cloud. Deelip Mezenes talks to Jeff Ray, Matt Lombard stops blogging (for now), and 3dvia brings 3D to the iPad.  Another busy month of tech news without any slowing in sight! ~Lou

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

SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 287 - August Tech News

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August Tech News:

This podcast covers the SolidWorks tech news that broke since the middle of last month.  August tends to be a slow tech news month but with beta releases coming out and SolidWorks World registration open, the selection of topics grew.  Topics covered:

SolidWorks Blog:

- SolidWorks World 2011 Registration now open

- SolidWorks World 2011 Hotel Deals

- CRN names Sabine Gossart, VP Worldwide Channel Marketing & Sue Evans, CEO of SW reseller MCAD in "Most Powerful Women of the Channel"

- SolidWorks World 2011 Call for Presentations (Selection gets you in free!)

- SolidWorks, Boy Scouts of America, and the Inventing Merit Badge

- 5 Questions Friday with Robbie Liotta of SolidWorks 

- Submit your design of the 2012 Summer Olympic torch!

- 6 More Excel tips from Darren Henry

Tech Alerts:

- SolidWorks 2011 Beta 2 available for download

- SolidWorks EPDM 2011 Beta 2 available for download

- 5 iPads added to Beta 2011 Prize pool

- Nearly 19,000 views on SolidWorks 2010 SNL and VPN issues

Other News and CAD Blogs:

- 3D graphics performance rundown (Deelip.com)

- Design Intent definition (Dezignstuff.com/blog)

- SolidWorks World 2011 Online? (Dezignstuff.com/blog)

- Dassault's focus on CAD or Gaming? (Dezignstuff.com/blog)

- DraftSight shows up under "Free 2D tools" on SolidWorks website

- Updates and clients for THE HEaRD

- Details about Microsoft's record "Patch Tuesday" (Don't forget to patch!!)

We are right in the middle of beta testing the next release of SolidWorks and Beta 2 just went live, leaving us all digging for bugs.  August is usually a bit slow for tech news but with details now out about SolidWorks World 2011 in San Antonio, Texas and lots of stories among the blogs, we had quite a bit to cover.

Good topics out there this month at both Deelip and Dezignstuff blogs, especially around the comments.  Deelip, a developer of 3rd party plugins to many CAD applications in the market and took his unique access to all these platforms to do a comprehensive comparison of graphics performance.  A ton of videos and great detail of what the various platforms offer.  

Matt over at DezignStuff also had some posts that sparked great banter in the comments around design intent, an online version of SolidWorks World and where Dassault's focus lies.  Dassault's interactive division, 3dvia, has a number of tools for social interaction, gaming, and other artistic tools that was questioned by Matt and some readers of where their focus is and should be.

Beta is still under NDA but that will probably open up in the next month or so and we will begin the flood of coverage, outlining all that is coming in SolidWorks 2011.  We will be doing the famous "What's New Series", brining an audio version of what is to come once that NDA is lifted. ~Lou

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