The American Heritage dictionary defines a utility as:

(yū-tĭl’ĭ-tē)
n., pl., -ties.

1. The quality or condition of being useful; usefulness:
2. A useful article or device.
3. A public utility.
1. A commodity or service, such as electricity, water, or public transportation, that is provided by a public utility.

In SolidWorks, the utilities add-in available with seats of SolidWorks Professional or Premium can be very useful indeed!

SolidWorks defines Utilities as “a set of tools that lets you examine in detail the geometry of a solid model, and make comparisons to other models”.

With everything from automated tools to simplify your models to geometry comparison between separate files; these tools can give you valuable insight into your designs and give you the information you need to be successful.

Take some time to get familiar with SolidWorks Utilities by checking out this link:  http://help.solidworks.com/2012/English/SolidWorks/swutilities/SolidWorks_Utilities.htm

Everyone knows that .pdf files are a great, simple way to communicate documents electronically. Most SolidWorks users are aware that you can create .pdf documents from SolidWorks. Did you know you can create Adobe PDF documents with embedded 3D models? You can convey complex 3D designs to all of your partners and clients no matter what tools they use. This allows the recipient to do things such as rotate, pan and zoom the SolidWorks model inside the pdf document. They can also do things such as change background colors and display styles as well as several other functions.

Now a simple right click inside of the Adobe Reader with the .pdf open and you are working in 3D.

When Toolbox parts are saved out as separate, unique files, they retain information about their parentage.  It’s called a Toolbox flag.  In the past it usually didn’t cause a problem but in SolidWorks 2011, a setting was added that could potentially cause your saved parts to be replaced with standard Toolbox components.  You can tell if a component has a Toolbox flag by the bolt icon showing in the Assembly tree.

The new setting tells SolidWorks to always look in the Toolbox location for Toolbox components.   Uncheck this setting and SolidWorks should find your parts correctly.

The best solution, though, is to turn off the Toolbox flag on your components and turn them into regular SolidWorks parts.  There is a program that is installed with SolidWorks that will do this.

1. Go to C:\Program Files\SolidWorks Corp 2011\SolidWorks\Toolbox\data utilities and look for sldsetdocprop.exe
2. Double click on the executable file.
3. Make sure the Property State is set to No under Set Document Property.
   Check Part Files.
   Select either Add Files… to select individual files or Add Directories… to select an entire folder.
4. Click Update Status.
5. To verify the status of a file after running the program, select a file and click Show Selected property.

If you have any questions, please give Tech Support a call at 763-560-8600, Option 4.

Mirrors can be your friends and your enemies both on the wall and in SolidWorks. If you’re making a part that’s symmetric, mirroring can save you a lot of time building matching features on both sides of the part. However, if you don’t do things correctly it can lead to lots of nightmares.

The biggest complications can stem from the base sketches of your part. Mirroring in a sketch is handy to create symmetric entities, but why not just mirror the feature instead? As a general rule, the more entities you have in a sketch, the more chances you’re giving your model to go wrong. Everything might be symmetric when you start, but if you go back in and edit something later it could all blow up.

Another headache can be due to how you’re defining your features. Mirroring “Blind” features is usually no problem. If you start using more advanced definitions like Up to Vertex, Up to Surface and the like the mirroring the feature may not work because it can’t find the appropriate geometry or extends to the wrong place to really be a “mirror.”

Some features like fillets and chamfers are really picky about the geometry they’re made with. If you try to mirror them, and the faces they’re being mirrored to aren’t exactly the same, they will likely fail.

There are so many ways to have issues! Why not just skip all of them? The solution: Mirror Body. Skip all the headaches of trying to mirror sketches and features and just model half your part, mirror the body and be done. Less sketch entities, less features and less hassle. If you want to ensure total symmetricity that’s your best way to go.

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.