SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 339 - SolidWorks n!Fuze

SolidWorks n!Fuze:

This podcast covers the final launch of SolidWorks n!Fuze which had been preannounced 2 times over the past 2 years as SolidWorks PDS (Product Data Sharing) and SolidWorks Connect respectively.  Topics covered:

- Re-introduction of n!Fuze and the SwYm Community interface

- How to get signed up for an n!Fuze trial

- Installation and usage of the SolidWorks Add-in

- Use and plugin installation for the n!Fuze Web Portal.

- Prequisites for n!Fuze Add-in and Web Portal

- Quick overview of the n!Fuze release notes

- Pricing

Since SolidWorks World 2010 the SolidWorks community has been introduced to the promise of hosted applications, one of which was first shown as SolidWorks PDS.  Around July 2010, news via the blog squad, had talked about the continued development of the PDS product, code named Connect.  This then took us to SolidWorks World 2011 where n!Fuze was pre-announced on Sunday before SolidWorks World had begun.

n!Fuze went into beta around April and then again in June but both were very private beta which did make it a bit hard to test with other users.  On July 1 SolidWorks put n!Fuze up on the DS Store as a released product for purchase but also allow for a 30 day trial (no credit card need).

In this episode I try to outline the details of both the SolidWorks and Web experience in order to get people interested in the trial.  I think the need for this service is growing however the experience is somewhat forign to the masses.  SolidWorks' n!Fuze project manager, John Ellisworth, is asking for feedback so I suggest if this is a product you believe could solve communication problems, get to the trial and give SolidWorks feedback, good or bad.

As far as the mobile options for this service, an iPhone and iPad app should be out "later this year" and other platforms are to follow.  ~Lou

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

SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 334 - n!Fuze Beta Testing

n!Fuze Beta Testing:

This podcast covers the pending service offering from SolidWorks built on the 3DSwYm platform from Dassault Systemes.  Topics covered:

- Overview of n!Fuze the service

- Client types (web, SolidWorks and iPad)

- "What we pubically know" about n!Fuze (UI, pricing model and storage options)

- Outline of n!Fuze vs other online storage/collaboration tools

- Concerns, hopes/dreams!

This past week I was informed that Beta 3 had begun and that it was going to be invite only and about a week long.  With the promise of a public beta to follow, I wanted to talk about this service and what information we do know pubically about it and what it's goals are as a service.

Back in April we had a SolidWorks User Summit and SolidWorks and I shared a lot of details about the product, what the experience was like as well as some of the pricing and option model that will be offered at first release.  Hosted, version controlled repositories are nothing new (Dropbox, Box.Net, Google Docs) but what is unique about n!Fuze is the understanding of the associative model and tree structure.

I look forward to digging into the service again this week but the unfortunate thing about testing early is the pool of testers is small.  The phase of beta will allow outside invites so if you are interested in testing n!Fuze with me, send me an email and I would be happy to invite you to help me out.

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

SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 320 - SolidWorks n!Fuze

SolidWorks n!Fuze:

This podcast covers the first hosted solution announced at SolidWorks World 2011 called SolidWorks n!Fuze.  The product is currently in private beta but public beta will be starting soon! Topics covered:

- SolidWorks n!Fuze, what we know

- SolidWorks TaskPane UI

- SwYm/Web UI

- Storage (SW BLog) / Cost (SolidWorks Legion) 

Interum Solutions:

- SolidWorks Collaboration with Dropbox

- SolidWorks Collaboration with Memmeo GDrive powered by Google Docs

SolidWorks n!Fuze, which was announced at SolidWorks World 2011, is currently in private beta and under NDA so I am not able to share my direct experiences but I wanted to pull together the details that have been publically announced and how the feature set of this new hosted offering will have.

Public beta should be starting here shortly but for those of you that are wondering how to get some of this functionality with available services on the cloud now, I share two I use.  With services like Dropbox and Google docs supporting versioning, using these services as "non-destrictive" editing is very appealing.  Sync, on the other hand, is automatic with Dropbox and can be with Google Docs via Memmeo Connect.  Using these services with SolidWorks in the TaskPane via the file browser can bring similar functionality.  

Although pricing has not been officially announced, there is probably going to be a "convience fee" of having n!Fuze since it understands things like configurations, file associativity and integration of comments all inside of SolidWorks.  I look forward to more options and details about the service once public beta gets underway. ~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!