Recently, we have been getting a lot of calls from customers doing upgrades to their SolidWorks and Workgroup installations. This is a simple project, unless someone else completed the previous upgrade. If that’s the case, it is still fairly simple but there are a couple of things that can be missed or forgotten. Like the vault Admin tool on the client end, this is not selected for install by default. You will need to make sure it is selected in the products to install. It is a little hard to find if you don’t know where to look.

This screen shot shows what to select so this gets installed with the rest of the SolidWorks on the client. Workgroup is base on the SolidWorks Explorer  platform so it needs these components installed for it to work.

Now the main issue we have been seeing for the server portion is where is the location of the Vault. By default SolidWorks will place this on the root of C but most IT people I have spoke with do not like putting programs there. That is not a problem. If you need, it can be placed on the root of whatever drive you want to use. But ideally, it shouldn’t be buried in any folder, it needs to be on the root. This being said, if you are upgrading the vault and you are not sure where it is, find that out first. Then, when you start the  install you can make sure it points to the correct location. Otherwise the Installer cannot find it and it will use the default location, which is C. Then you will have it installed, but it will be an empty vault.

The screen shot above shows where it will install the vault. It should find the correct location but if it does not, look at the area I have highlighted. This will tell you where it is going to upgrade the vault to. If this is showing C:\VaultData\ and you know it is not there, select “Change”. This opens the area that will allow you to browse to the correct location.

Hopefully this will assist you in a smooth Workgroup Vault upgrade. The screen shots above are from the 2011 SP3 installation manager, so if you are using an older version it may look a little different. The 2011 vault installation uses the SolidWorks IM, while previous versions used the older Windows IM.

I hope this clears up some of the upgrade issues you may encounter. As always, if you run into any issues during an upgrade, our Technical Support team members are happy to assist you.

The SolidWorks Customer Portal is one of your best resources for information and support for the SolidWorks family of software.  From the Portal you’ll have a quick link to:

• Downloads and Updates to update your SolidWorks, Enterprise, and 3DVIA software
• Knowledge Base where you can search for solutions to questions and problems
• Enhancement Requests where you can influence how the software will work in the future
• Fixed SPR list to see what issues have been fixed in the new versions and service packs.
• Forums where you can connect with other SolidWorks users and find solutions to your challenges or help others with theirs
• Certification to find out how to join an elite group of SolidWorks users by becoming certified
• Admin Guides to find the documentation for What’s New, Installation, Administration
• Learning Resources to have access to tutorial files, Administrative Guides, Tech Tips, & other resources

 This is not an exhaustive list of all of the resources but I hope it’s enough to pique your interest.

 Creating an Account

To access the Customer Portal, select the Login link on the top of the SolidWorks home page http://www.solidworks.com then select SolidWorks Customer Portal.

 Login using your existing account information.  If you do not have an account yet you will have to create one.

 To create a member account:

1. Select the Click here to create an account short cut beneath Not a member?
2. Select Customer and enter the serial number.
3. Enter a valid email address, click Next.  As with most forms the * fields are required, the rest are optional.
4. Fill in your first name and your last name, click Next.
5. Enter the account information, click Next.  The account name is the company name.
6. Enter a password and fill in some profile questions, click Next.
7. Then you will be required to accept the “Export Eligibility Requirements” agreement.
8. Once you accept the agreement you will be brought to the SolidWorks Customer Portal.

NOTE: Many of the links in the Self Service area are not available () unless you have entered a serial number that has an active subscription service contract.  You must Register My Products under the My Support section to unlock the links.

Once you’re in, take some time and explore all of the resources.  You’ll probably be surprised at all of the information available to you.

As always, if you have any questions, please give us a call.

Have you ever thought to yourself “Why did the SolidWorks developers do it that way?  It should work differently!”  Or how about “Why didn’t they find/fix that bug before they released the software?”  Or maybe you are in the camp that will never install the latest release of SolidWorks until at least service pack 2 because you are “waiting for the kinks to be worked out”.

Now is your chance to help resolve these issues before they affect you and your design team.  Join SolidWorks 2012 Beta today!  This is your opportunity to impact the quality, performance, and reliability of DS SolidWorks products while getting advanced access to the latest version of SolidWorks.

In addition, SolidWorks 2012 Beta Program includes contests where you can show off your SolidWorks skills and get points and valuable prizes for testing the software.  You can also check out the special competitions!

Download Beta today and start earning points and help shape the future of SolidWorks.

http://www.solidworks.com/beta/beta-terms-accept.htm?ref=%2Fbeta%2Fdefault%2Ehtm&qs=fromrss%3D1

Solidworks has many great shortcuts built into the program already, but you can customize it in a variety of ways to fit your specific needs as well.  If you’re not already familiar with the customize dialog where you can set up your own keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures, this is an easy way to modify your settings and make your modeling operations fly.  You can access the customize dialog by going to Tools>Customize, or right-clicking on any toolbar and choosing Customize from the toolbar list. 

But don’t forget about the Shortcut toolbar.  This is a custom toolbar that pops up right next to your mouse pointer when you hit the “s” key.  With all the fancy mice in use today, one tip is to program a mouse button to the “s” key so you can launch the shortcut bar right from your mouse.  You can customize the shortcut bar by right-clicking on it when it’s visible, selecting Customize…, and dragging and dropping commands from the customize dialog just like any other toolbar.

Also, how many times a day do you use the Ctrl key?  Try programming a mouse button to this key stroke and you simply hold down that button while picking entities that you want to add a relationship between or multi-select.  It will work in other Windows programs, too!

Once you get everything set up the way you like, save your settings with the Copy Settings Wizard.  That way you can automatically apply your settings to any other workstation or new installation.  The Copy Settings Wizard is a tool that is automatically installed with SolidWorks and can be accessed through the Windows Start menu, All Programs, SolidWorks 20XX, SolidWorks Tools.

For more tips on customizing you SolidWorks interface, check out the Customizing SolidWorks tutorial available by going to Help> SolidWorks Tutorials.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard accelerators let you perform 3DVIA Composer commands more quickly than graphical commands.

To create and manage shortcuts, right-click the ribbon and click Customize Quick Access Toolbar. In the Customize dialog box, for Keyboard shortcuts, click Customize.

Note: Single-character shortcuts, such as H to hide an actor, are hardcoded in the application and are not displayed in the Customize dialog box.

Default Shortcuts

Quite a few years ago, I was taking mechanical design classes at a school where they also had an architectural design program. At one point the architectural department had a 3D printer on loan. Many of us were curious and went to investigate this new idea in printing. The machine used paper and it would feed a sheet of paper and glue it to the previous one and cut away the excess according to the file that was read by the software. This idea did kind of intrigue me but seeing I was in the mechanical field, it did not really stay with me. I never did see the final print as it took almost a day to print and I had only a few minutes to see it running. By the time I was able to get back to the machine, the part was no longer in the building.

Okay… let’s jump ahead a few years. At this time, I was working for a company that was looking to get a printer scanner and I was doing some research. Although it had nothing to do with what I was looking for, I ran across some other 3D printers and a new term was being used: rapid prototyping. I looked at what was available then and most were primarily using some sort of plastic in attempt to replace having to have a part machined in a shop. These machines were still not very office friendly. I still thought this was a great idea, but did not get a chance to see more than a sample part. I did some more research but that was put on hold as my company began implementing SolidWorks and I focused on that.

Now my responsibilities here at Symmetry Solutions include supporting our customers that have purchased a Z-Printer. As I continue to compare of all the different 3D printers on the market, I’ve found that the Z-Printer line is the only one that can add true color to the printed models. Most 3D printers are using some sort of plastic but some still use paper and sintered metals as well as ceramics.

The term “rapid prototyping” has kind of fallen by the wayside as these machines are now being used to make working parts. One case I recently saw on SolidSmack.com was a company that was making a car using 3D printing technology. The car is still in the investment stage and it is called Urbee. There are links in the article if you’d like to read more on this project. I have also seen a post were an architect was making a building using a ceramic-based printer. This is a different technology than the Z-Corp printers which use a powder and ink-jet technology. There are many advances taking place in the world of 3D printing. The future appears limitless for this technology-I have even heard speculation on using it to build colonies on the Moon or Mars. You can find out more about Z-Printers and rapid prototyping here.

To be a good simulation engineer, you need to ask “what if” questions. “What if we make this pipe longer?” “What if we change the thickness?” “What if we change the material?” However, if you have a complicated assembly or part, it’s easy to say, “I don’t want to model it again. That took forever.” Well, the solution has arrived: You need to become a better modeler.

Recently, I was introduced to parametric modeling by my partner in crime, Nick B (or #2, as I call him). It took a while before I realized its potential in regards to optimization and these so called “What if” scenarios.

Once a multi-body part or assembly is parametrically driven, changing values become much easier to do.

To illustrate my point, I’ll breeze through the modeling process for the design of a solar thermal unit. With a setup like this, a good engineer will ask questions like, “What if we add pipe passes?” and “What if we make the passes closer together?” If the model isn’t setup correctly, these changes are difficult to make. So, we’ll design with the intention of changing it later.

Let’s get started with the first pass of the copper tube. A sweep is done and the model is dimensioned and linked accordingly.

The next thing to do is create a linear pattern, linking the spacing value with the pass width and iteration values.

We then create “plane 1,” normal to the right plane and define its spacing with an equation, relating the number of pass iterations with the pass distance.

Plane Distance = (# of passes)*(pass distance)

At this point, the reason for the plane might seem unclear. However, the protective box and heat sink will reference this plane.

We then create merged pipe extensions using linked values while referencing the default right plane and plane 1.

When sunlight travels through the glass opening of our solar panel, only a small percentage of sunlight will actually hit the pipe. So, we need to create a heat sink which will capture radiation from the sunlight and transfer heat via conduction to the copper tubing. We’ll do this by creating a single sheet metal piece with linked values, then pattern it with linked values and equations.

Heat sink iterations = (# of passes)*2 +1

The next step is to create the protective box and glass cover. The geometry is defined using existing relations, similar to what we’ve already done.

Now, if I change values, like the number of tube pass iterations or tube space distance, the entire model updates automatically. This will come in handy when running optimization simulations and playing with other what if scenarios.

Back in the olden days (Windows XP) many of us were told to turn off all of the graphical bells and whistles to free up more resources for SolidWorks. So if you’ve upgraded to Windows 7 you might still think that’s what you should do. Well come to find out, in Windows 7 you want to use one of the cool desktop themes (called Aero) if you want SolidWorks to work at its best. Using basic themes disables some 3-D graphical acceleration that SolidWorks uses.

Microsoft calls this the “Aero desktop experience.” According to Microsoft: “You can enjoy visually appealing effects and appearance and also benefit from better access to your programs.” If you want to read more about the Aero experience go to http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/What-is-the-Aero-desktop-experience.  There is a great explanation about the visual effects and switching between programs.

To check to see if you are currently using an Aero theme, right click on the Desktop and select Personalize. Scroll down and you will see a group called Aero Themes. Select one of those or go online and download one of the many other themes available and enjoy!

There’s a general mindset with most of us techie types out there that new is always better. People stand in lines to be the first get the next new smartphone. They brag about having some brand new 12 core super computer.  Your car still runs on gas? You need something NEW! Well, when it comes to SolidWorks, sometimes brand new is not the way to go.

The main example of too new is with your graphics card drivers. Sure, everyone knows that having really old graphics drivers can cause issue with SolidWorks. If you run into graphics problems, running an RX to check your drivers should be the first thing you do. But hopping onto the NVIDIA or ATI website and getting the newest driver can cause issues, too.

SolidWorks tests each new driver the companies put out and eventually certifies them for use. That can take time though. Your best bet for getting the correct, current certified driver is through RX. When it checks your drivers, if there are new ones it will usually provide a link to download the newest certified driver. If it doesn’t, you can find them at:
 http://www.solidworks.com/pages/services/VideoCardTesting.html

The certified drivers are usually the way to go, but in rare occasions even those are “too new.” If your computer is having a problem hanging when trying to close files, you might want to try rolling back your drivers to one version previous. Occasionally the graphics card doesn’t release some of the graphics data and SolidWorks hangs. Rolling back sometimes fixes that.

Next time you’re having graphics issues, remember: cool new things are great, just make sure they’re certified!

Take pride in your work. You make a difference.  People listen to your designs.