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We all know and love SolidWorks for its modeling capabilities, but I’m often surprised by how many users are not aware of all the other functionality that comes along with the SolidWorks package.   Not only do you have the suite of SolidWorks, eDrawings, DWGeditor, and PhotoWorks, there’s also a variety of additional tools that can help make life a lot easier.   If you go into your Windows Start menu in the lower left corner of your desktop, go into All Programs, SolidWorks 20XX, (SolidWorks 20XX SPXX), SolidWorks Tools, you’ll find a few of these valuable resources.

Here’s a summary of how they can help you work more effectivly with SolidWorks…

Copy Settings Wizard:  Allows you to save out all your custom settings in SolidWorks including System Options, Toolbars, Keyboard shortcuts, and Menu customizations.  That way if you create a new installation, get a new machine, or need to work on a different system, you can easily apply all the settings that you’ve grown accustomed to.  This wizard will save out a *.sldreg file that you simply double-click to restore your settings to any installation.  This also comes in handy to standardize several SolidWorks installations to all have the same settings, such as file locations.

Property Tab Builder:  If you add custom properties to your SolidWorks files and feel like this process gets a little redundant, this tool is for you.  The Property Tab builder allows you to build a custom designed user interface to help automate creating that property information.  You build a template that can consist of text boxes, pulldown lists, number fields, checkboxes , and radio buttons.  Then users can access this template in the task pane at the right side of the SolidWorks interface.  You can predefine values or have fields dependent on user input. After filling out the form, SolidWorks writes to values to the custom or configuration-specific properties of the file. Here’s an example…

SolidNetwork License Manager:  This tool comes into play if you have network licensing at your location.  It can tell you what licenses are available and who currently has licenses in use.  This is also where you define the server location where the licenses are deployed from.

SolidWorks Network Monitor:  You can use this tool to share the task of converting all of your SolidWorks files to the latest version.  You schedule the task to convert files on a coordinator computer and allow several node computers on the network to perform the task as well so you can complete it in a fraction of the time.

SolidWorks Rx:  A very valuable resource for troubleshooting.  We use this tool in tech support quite often to have users complete one of the Rx functions: Problem Capture.  This allows you to “capture” an issue you may be experiencing in SolidWorks and even record a video if appropriate, and then send us a zip file package that will include information about your settings, system configuration, and event logs.  But this tool is also an important resource for users to take advantage of.  Some other functions of the Rx include a System Maintenance tool that will clean out all your temporary directories that Windows and SolidWorks might write to.  These directories can build in size over time and significantly slow your system.  You can use the Rx to schedule this maintenance to run on a regular basis to keep everything running smoothly, or periodically you can manually go in and run the maintenance yourself.  There’s also a Diagnostics page where you can take a look and make sure your system is configured correctly for using SolidWorks.   The most valuable information you’ll find here concerns the video card and driver information.  Using a graphics card driver that is certified for your system configuration is vital to get optimal performance in SolidWorks.

SolidWorks Task Scheduler:  This tool can be used to schedule tasks to be automatically run on your system.  Some of the things that are available include converting files to the latest version, printing multiple files, exporting or importing multiple files, tasks associated with Workgroup PDM, if in use, and much more!  Check it out!

Toolbox Settings:  This is the same configuration tool that you can access through SolidWorks to make any changes to your toolbox settings.

If you’d like any more information on using these tools, feel free to contact Symmetry Solutions Technical Support Team at 763.560.8600 option 4 or email us at support@symsolutions.com.

Were you unable to attend SWW this year? While nothing truly substitutes for attending the conference and networking with 5000 SolidWorks users, resellers and employees, you CAN view the presentations online.

Videos and PowerPoints from most of the presentations given at SolidWorks World 2010 are now available online to anyone with current subscription service. You must have a Customer Portal login to download/view the presentations.

http://www.solidworks.com/swworld/proceedings/proceedings_presentations.htm

HP and Lenovo have begun shipping new mobile workstations that offer exceptional performance and mobility at affordable prices. Lenovo has also announced, but is not yet shipping, a new high-end ThinkPad for power users. Finally, Dell has also introduced new lower cost Intel Dual Core Processor i5/i7 options for their top end Precision 6500M.

HP Elitebooks

The HP Elitebook 8540w delivers a superb balance of performance and portability. Featuring a 15.6″ widescreen display and nVidia Quadro FX 880M graphics, the 8540w supports processors ranging from the dual core 2.4 GHz Core i5 520M to the quad core 1.73 GHz Core i7-820QM and can be configured with up to 16 GB RAM. They’ve even managed to fit a dedicated numeric keypad into the motherboard – very unusual for a 15″ notebook. HP is currently offering a nicely configured system with a 2.66 GHz dual core CPU (with a maximum Turbo Boost speed of 3.33 GHz!), 4GB RAM, and 320 GB hard drive for $1,679. Higher end configurations can easily top the $3,000 mark, but that is a fair price to pay for such a thoughtfully designed system.

For global engineers requiring even greater mobility, HP has introduced their thinnest and lightest mobile workstation ever, the HP Elitebook 8440w. With a starting weight of under 5 lbs, the 8440w sports a 14″ widescreen display, nVidia Quadro FX 380M graphics, and the same range of Core i5 and Core i7 processors as the larger 8540w, but the smaller system is limited to 8GB RAM.

Lenovo ThinkPads

The ThinkPad w510 may not be as sexy as the Elitebook 8540w (no dedicated numeric keypad) but it offers great performance, up to 16GB RAM, and a 15.6″ widescreen display at an aggressive price point. Lenovo forgoes the cheaper dual core CPUs and offers only industrial strength Intel Quad Core Processor i7 CPUs – up to the 2.0 GHz Intel Quad Core Extreme Processor i7-920XM. I put together a very nice system with a 1.7 GHz Intel Quad Core Processor i7 820QM CPU, 8GB RAM, Quadro FX 880M graphics and 320GB hard drive for under $2,100 – more than $1k less than comparably configured Elitebook 8540w.

Lenovo has announced, but is not yet shipping the high-end ThinkPak w701. With a 17″ display, nVidia Quadro FX 2800M/3800M graphics and choice of Intel Quad Core Processor i7 CPUs the ThinkPad w701 will offer exceptional performance. If money is no object, Lenovo offers a dual screen version and the option of an integrated Wacom digitizer for creative artists.

Dell Precision M6500

Introduced in December, Dell’s Precision M6500 was the first Core i7 based mobile workstation and still tops the wish list of many engineers. Unfortunately, pricing of Dell’s flagship mobile workstation put it out of reach for most. Dell is now offering lower cost Intel Dual Core Processor i5/i7 options for the M6500, but “lower” is a relative term. A Precision M6500 with a 2.66 GHz Intel Dual Core Processor i7-620M CPU, 4GB RAM, 320 GB hard drive and nVidia Quadro FX 2800M graphics still adds up to over $2,800 and the dual core models are limited to a maximum 8GB RAM.

Who wins this round?

The Lenovo ThinkPad w510 delivers the best peformance for the price, while the HP Elitebook w8540w gets kudos for incorporating a dedicated numeric keypad in a 15″ notebook. The Dell Precision M6500 is a true powerhouse for those who can afford it.

SolidWorks can sometimes crash in 32-bit (x86) Vista environment when trying to create a reference plane, using convert to sheet metal, or using convert entities. The issue may occur if a user has multiple installations of SolidWorks on the PC, and does not follow best practices for installation locations. The root cause is related to .NET Framework which is integrated into Vista. Please download the attached zip file which contains a EXE file that will fix the .NET problem. To apply the EXE perform the folling steps:

1. Download ungen.zip
2. Extract the .EXE file to a location which can easily be navigated to from a command prompt
3. Open a command prompt as an administrator (Start -> All programs -> Accessories – right click on Command Prompt and choose “Run as administrator”
4. Use the “cd” command to change to the directory where the EXE was extracted to.  Example: cd “C:\ungen” (if the EXE is extracted to C:\ungen)
5. Type “ungen.exe” and press Enter, then wait for the process to finish
6. When it is complete, start SolidWorks and test to see if the crash is resolved.

SolidWorks has issued a critical alert for 64-bit systems that are running 2009 SP5, 2010 SP1, and 2010 SP2. It is a bug in the PhotoWorks program and it is recommended to not use it until the hotfix has been applied to your system. The hotfixes are available for download and a service pack will be available shortly. The downloads for the above mentioned service packs have been removed from the SolidWorks web site and will be replaced by 2009 SP5.1 and 2010 SP2.1 when they become available.

SolidWorks 2009 SP5 (x64), SolidWorks 2010 SP1 (x64), and SolidWorks 2010 SP2 (x64) have been temporarily removed from the SolidWorks Downloads pages due to the technical issue listed below.

An issue with PhotoWorks has been identified in 64-bit versions of SolidWorks 2009 SP5, SolidWorks 2010 SP1, and SolidWorks 2010 SP2 in which the SolidWorks installation, the operating system, program files and data files may become damaged or unrecoverable if the PhotoWorks add-in is enabled when SolidWorks is running and the SolidWorks process is already using more than 2GB of virtual memory.  These service packs have been removed from the web site as a precaution in order to prevent the risk of damage to customers’ systems under these circumstances.

This problem does not affect 32-bit versions of SolidWorks; hence all 32-bit Service Packs are still available for download. Furthermore, SolidWorks 2010 SP0 (x64) is not affected, nor are SolidWorks 2009 SP4.1 (x64) and earlier Service Packs of 2009. Please note also that this issue only pertains to enabling the PhotoWorks add-in and has no effect on the use of PhotoView 360 for renderings.

All customers with PhotoWorks on a 64-bit operating system with SolidWorks 2009 SP5, 2010 SP1, or 2010 SP2 MUST apply this hotfix.

Hotfix instructions:

 Select the version to hotfix from the links below. (Note: SolidWorks cannot be running when the hotfix is applied):

- SolidWorks 2009 SP5

- SolidWorks 2010 SP1

- SolidWorks 2010 SP2

SolidWorks Help is terrific – IF you can find what you are looking for.  With the new online Help in SolidWorks 2010 you can use the Google search engine to easily find the information you need.   Simply add 

site:help.solidworks.com

to your search term.   For example:

extrude site:help.solidworks.com

Try it.  It works pretty well.

Rick Chin, Director of Product Innovation, is looking for customer input on his next project. Go here to complete his survey: http://blogs.solidworks.com/solidworksblog/2010/01/what-should-rick-chin-work-on-next.html

There is a problem in 2010 for automatic updates for administrative images. SW 2010 SP0 installation does not update automatically after upgrading Admin Image. This issue only affects Installation Manager-based administrative images; no other images are affected by this. The problem is due to the swspamanger.exe installed with SolidWorks on client machines failing to check and install the latest Installation Manger/Administrative Image.

The workaround for updating client machines is to deploy the service pack similar to deploying a new administrative image (i.e. ask users to browse to the \StartSWInstall.hta). NOTE: The person responsible for deploying SolidWorks, often a system administrator, should not send the .HTA file via email as the paths will not be recognized; instead the system administrator should send a shortcut/link to the .HTA file so it runs directly from the administrative image folder.

The issue will be resolved in SolidWorks 2010 SP2. Please note the fix will not be implemented until SP2 is installed (i.e. the automatic update won’t work until going from SP2 to SP3). To upgrade to SolidWorks 2010 SP2, the same method described above must be used.

There is also an issue when trying to update an install as per the work around when there is an admin image install of 2009. The only way to get this to work is to remove the 2009 install.

These two issues are covered under SPR 530079 for the auto update and SPR 530818 for the 2009 image install. They are both slated to be fixed in 2010 SP2.

There are several reasons why you may need to find the internal volume of your design:  the amount of oil needed to fill a gear box, the volume of a tank with a pump, heater, or other items inserted, or the fluid volume of a bottle or jug.

The process is easy and quick.

Preparation

Part (Can be a multibody part): No preparation necessary.

Assembly: Save the assembly as a part including all components.

Create a box around your model

Start a sketch that completely encompasses your model on the left, bottom, and right side.  The top will be the “fluid” level.  In the case of the gear box, I want to find the entire interior volume so my sketch completely encloses my model.  And since I know one of your standard planes goes through the middle of the part (remember to try and be symmetrical to the planes) this sketch will be on that plane.

Now do a midplane extrude to completely enclose your model.  Make sure to uncheck Merge result.

Combine

I now have 6 bodies in this file: 5 from the original assembly and the one that I called oil, which will eventually represent the interior volume.

Select the body that is the “fluid”, then hold “Ctrl” and select the other body (bodies).  Right click and select “Combine.”  You want the Main Body to be the “fluid” and everything else to be the Bodies to Combine. 

We are going to Subtract the “fluid” (the rectangular block) from the gear box.

Click the green check mark.  A dialog box will appear. To select the Bodies to Keep – click on Selected bodies, then check Body 2.  We want to keep just the interior fluid.   

What remains is an exact shape of the interior.

Check the mass properties to get the volume which can then be converted to whatever units you need.  In this example, the volume is 72.46 in³ which converts to 0.31 gallons. (multiply by .00433)

Recently, we’ve had several customers recognize a slight quirk in SolidWorks 2009 SP5 and SolidWorks 2010 SP1.   There was a change made to how the Edit Referenced File location dialog box works, but the directions on how this tool now functions were not included. 

To open a file with a new reference you can go to File>Open, and hit the References… button in the Open dialog.  In previous releases users could double-click the filename in the table to browse to a new file to reference.  In these 2 specific versions, you now have to hold the Ctrl key down while double-clicking – but careful!  You must double-click within the cell, but not actually on the text within the cell.  Since this new behavior is not exactly intuitive, and any indication that the functionality had changed was omitted, a hot fix has been released to restore the previous behavior.

The hot fix is attached to Solution S-045011 on the SolidWorks Knowledge Base (accessible through the Customer Portal).  Or contact us here at (763) 560-8600 option 4 or support@symsolutions.com and we can provide it for you.