Symmetry Solutions Blog

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.

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.

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)

New for SolidWorks 2010, SolidNetWork License (SNL) server Activation will be implemented as the standard licensing methodology for global commercial network customers with the SolidWorks 2010 release.

SNL Activation is a natural extension of Standalone License Activation. Activation will completely eliminate the need for network USB dongles, which will greatly streamline the business process, reduce cost, shorten the delivery cycle, and reduce the technical issues caused by the dongle licensing.

For major releases of SolidWorks, upgrading the license manager consists of uninstalling the old license manager, installing a new one, and re-activating the SolidNetWork license.

The license manager for a newer release can distribute licenses for client computers remaining at the previous release as well.

1. Start the SolidNetWork License Manager to verify that no client computers on the network are running SolidWorks.  The License Usage tab shows clients running SolidWorks.

2. Uninstall the old license manager.

3. Install the new license manager and re-activate the SolidNetWork license on the license manager computer. If you are upgrading the SolidNetWork License Manager on a computer that also runs the SolidWorks application, upgrade SolidNetWork license managers and clients before installing any new SolidWorks application service packs on that computer.  If you are upgrading the license manager on a computer that hosts administrative images, upgrade the license manager before upgrading the administrative images.

 

Uninstalling the SolidNetWork License Manager

When upgrading the SolidNetWork License Manager, you must uninstall the old license manager before installing the new one.

1. Start the SolidNetWork License Manager.

2. Verify that no client computers on the network are running SolidWorks. The License Usage tab shows clients running SolidWorks.

3. On the Server Administration tab, under License Server, click Stop.

4. Click OK to exit the license manager.

5. In Windows, open Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.

6. Select SolidWorks SolidNetWork License Manager, click Remove, and confirm the deletion.

7. In Windows Explorer, delete the SolidWorks SolidNetWork License Manager folder. (Typically, this folder is located under Program Files in the SolidWorks installation directory.)

You now are ready to install a new version of the license manager.

 

 Installing and Activating a License Manager

The SolidNetWork License Manager supports multiple license clients. It distributes licenses to clients on the network.

1. Start SolidWorks Installation Manager

a) For type of installation, select the following:

• Administrative Image and Server products

• Install SolidNetWork License Manager (distributed licensing) on this computer

b) For serial number, provide the SolidNetWork License serial number.

c) Follow the online instructions to complete the installation in SolidWorks Installation Manager.

2. To activate SolidNetWork licensing, start the SolidNetWork License Manager.

a) When prompted to activate, click Yes.

b) On the SolidNetWork License Server Information screen:

• If your company uses a firewall, select A firewall is in use on this server.

• Use the default value for Port Number (and for Vendor Daemon Port Number if you have a firewall) or specify the port numbers your company uses. The port number is a TCP/IP port number in the 1024-60000 range, used exclusively by this process. Normally, the default (25734) is suitable and is unlikely to be the same as any other FLEXnet server process currently on the license manager computer.

c) On the Activate Your SolidWorks Product screen:

• Select the Internet or email procedure.

• Supply email contact information.

• Click Next to proceed.

• Internet: Activation occurs automatically. (Recommended)

• Email: Press Save to create a request file, then send the file to activation@solidworks.com. When you receive the email containing the response file, extract the file from email and then click Open to load it. If necessary, you can exit and rerun the activation procedure to open the response file.

3. Click Finish

You no longer need your dongle.  Please send it back to us.

Symmetry Solutions Inc
http://www.symsolutions.com
6860 Shingle Creek Parkway #120
Brooklyn Center, MN 55430

The 2010 Installation Manager has changed again, but in a good way. All of the options can now be found on a single clickable dialog on the Summary page. As you can see from the image below, there is a checklist on the left, which tells you what page you are on. The first three pages are very much the same as in previous years, so I will focus on the Summary page. Here, you have selectable options that can be changed to suit your specific installation needs.

Let’s start with Products. When you select “CHANGE”, it will open that page and you have the option to select or unselect all products available for your serial numbers. If you have a network serial number, the default install will be at a Premium seat, even if you do not have it. So, on the Products Selection page, you can remove the products your license does not cover.

Download Options:  this is for all installs, whether you need to download or not. The options here include “Download” and “Install” for an individual install, “Download Only” to do a full download to share, and “Install Only” if you have already downloaded. You can also change the location to download to, as well as select to conduct a manual download.

Installation Location: This allows you to change where SolidWorks is installed. The default location is C:\Program Files\SolidWorks Corp. It also tells you what the size of the installation is and asks where you want to install from.

Toolbox Options: This tells you that SolidWorks is currently referencing a Toolbox if there is a previous install. It then needs to know what you want to do: 1) Create a new Toolbox, 2) Upgrade an existing one, or 3) Upgrade an existing one in a new location. The option you choose depends on your installation needs. If it is a new install, or you are not sure what Toolbox is, create a new one. If you are upgrading an existing install and removing the previous, just upgrade the existing one. But if you need to keep the previous install and have custom parts in your Toolbox, copy that one to a new location, add a new name and upgrade it. If you need to have multiple instances of SolidWorks on your computer, as I do, put the version of SolidWorks as a suffix to the folder name. For example, I have folders named SolidWorks Data 2009 and SolidWorks Data 2010. I do this for the installation folder as well.

On each of these pages in the lower right corner, there is a “Back to Summary” button. This brings you back to the Summary page, where you can select the next page to change or continue with the install. The button in the lower right will either say “Install Now” or “Download Now,” depending on if you have already downloaded the required data. If it is “Install Now,” it will go to the install page. If it is “Download Now,” it will go to the download page, and then continue to the install page if you are doing both a download and install. When it is done doing the tasks you told it to do, it will go to the finish page. Here it allows you to check for updates, see “What’s New?” or fill out a survey about the process. It also asks if you want to participate in the SolidWorks Customer Experience Program. I do recommend this, as it will send crashing issues directly to the SolidWorks development team. That enables them to see what is causing the crashes and helps them determine patterns of crashes. Also, if you need to send an Rx into Symmetry tech support and are not participating, the SolidWorks performance log does not fully attach.

I hope this information helps make your installation process easier.  If you have questions or need further assistance, we are happy to help. Please contact  Symmetry’s Technical Support Team at:

763-560-8600, option 4

support@symsolutions.com

So you attended a “What’s New?” event and have been waiting patiently for the new release to be available so you can try the new tools.  In hopes of being the first one to download it, you watched the SolidWorks website like a hawk.  As soon as it was available, you installed it and started working with it.  And now, everything is great, the software is faster, more stable, and the new features are making your job so easy you can go to half days.  Life is good…

Oh wait, there might be one little problem.  Remember the little message that popped up when you hit save and said something like “Saving will convert the following files to the current version…”?  You most likely hit the “Yes” button and just moved on.  Well guess what? No one else in your company has the new release yet, so now you are the only one that can work on the files you have saved.  So much for those half days, because now you are going to be making up for it, being the only one in the office that can access the files…

Okay, hopefully this is not what happened. Hopefully, you decided to wait until everyone was ready.  So when is it safe to move to 2010?  Here is a list of items you should consider before you upgrade to the new release:

• Test, test, test!  If you took part in the Beta program you are well on your way to having this step done.  If you did not participate in the Beta program, you will need to install 2010 as a second installation so you can test it on some of your parts.  Make sure 2010 does everything that you need it to do.  Also make sure you are testing on a copy of your files, and not the production files that the rest of the company is accessing.
• Is everyone in your company ready to move to 2010?  Don’t forget other people that may access your SolidWorks files. Like internal departments (Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, Purchasing) and external resources, including vendors and customers.  Let them know that after a certain date you will be sending 2010 files.
• Is your hardware up to date?  Take a look at the system requirements on the SolidWorks website, as well as the Hardware Corner of our blog for  recommendations.
• Is your data backed up?  Make sure you back up all of your 2009 SolidWorks files before you convert them to 2010.  This will be your safety net if something unforeseen happens with the 2010 install and you have to move back to 2009.  Think of the back-up as a second parachute. You don’t plan on using it, but you still want it before you jump out of the plane.
• Is Service Pack 1.0 out yet?  I hear this one all the time. In some cases, users do not want to move to the next release until there are one or two service packs out.  The idea is that if you wait for the first service pack to come out, you will not have to find the bugs yourself, someone else will have already done that.   There are a couple of flaws in this train of thought.  First, SolidWorks releases a service pack as soon as they fix x number of bugs. If no one upgrades until the first service pack, then the bugs will not be found.  If no one installs the software, then no bugs will be found and we are in a catch-22.  Second, the bugs that are found and fixed may not even effect what you do, or there may be a bug that is still in the software that will affect you because you never installed and reported the bug.  My recommendation is to install 2010 SP0 to test and see for yourself if there are any problems with the software the way you use it.  Everyone uses SolidWorks differently, and what you do may not work the way it is supposed to.

Well, those are the top five things to consider when planning on moving to SW 2010.  The main idea here is to plan the move, instead of just jumping into it. 

Next week, Dave will be talking about the installation manager, including a few things to watch out for.

Stay Tuned!