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 316 - SWW11 Product Announcements

SWW11 Product Announcements:

This podcast is a summary of the new products that were announced by SolidWorks at SolidWorks World 2011. There were more product announcements in 2011 than any other SWW I can remember. Topics covered:

- SolidWorks CEO says "ALWAYS a Desktop Version!"

- SolidWorks n!Fuze announced early on SolidWorks Blog

- Post3D - Life-like Immersive 3D Collaboration

- SolidWorks Live Buildings - AEC Building Design tool powered by Enovia Online Platform

- SolidWorks n!Fuze iPad app announced (available later this year)

- DraftSight iPad app announced (available later this year)

- What's New (revealed) in SolidWorks 2012

SolidWorks World 2011 was one of the best venues, best speakers, most vast breakouts and by far the most product announcement packed SWW I can remember.  This was my 10th SWW and I can say it was one of the best of all time.  Despite the great training, most people probalby remember SWW from the speakers, collegues and new product annoucements.

SolidWorks World Day 1 typically has a few little tid bits but Day 3 General Session is the day that everyone waits for so they can get a sneak peak of the next version of SolidWorks.  This year SolidWorks announced 3 new products, all of which were not desktop apps but web-powered apps running on Enovia V6 platform.

Unlike "SolidWorks V6" and "SolidWorks PDS" from last year's SWW, SolidWorks n!Fuze, Post3D and Live Buildings are already products that are in beta (n!Fuze & Live Buildings) or released already (Post3D).  I am anxious to do more testing and will follow up with a review of this new era of online CAD products. ~Lou

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