If you’re looking for a way to help you stand out to potential employers or would like to prove your valuable SolidWorks skills to solidify your current position, check out SolidWorks’ wide range of certification exams.  Here’s a link:  http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/mcad-certification-programs.htm

The CSWA (Certified SolidWorks Associate) and CSWP (Certified SolidWorks Professional) exams have been offered by SolidWorks for some time as a way for users to certify their expertise.  Increasingly, we are seeing employers listing these certifications as part of the requirements for available positions.  In more recent years, SolidWorks has added further certifications for working with some of the specialized tools in the program, such as Sheet Metal, Weldments, Surfacing, and Mold Tools.  In addition, the Certified SolidWorks Expert (CSWE) was introduced last year.

The cost for the exams varies from $149 for the CSWE, to $99 for the CSWA and CSWP (which can be purchased in three $33 segments), to just $19.95 for the specialized exams (Click here for more info:  https://store6.esellerate.net/store/checkout/CustomLayout.aspx?s=STR6391639620&pc=&page=OnePageCatalog.htm). 

If you’re a current subscription customer, however, you will be allowed to take a CSWA or CSWP certification as well as one of the specialty exams for free!  (check out this link:  http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/subscription/Certification_Offers.html). 

One note about the CSWE:  SolidWorks does require that you have achieved the CSWP and 3 other specialty certifications before you will be allowed to prove your “expert” skills. 

All certification exams are given online and on your time, so you can download the test and take it on your system whenever you feel ready.  When you pass, you’ll receive a printable certificate as well as logos to use on business cards or emails and you also have the option to have your name added to SolidWorks’ directory of certified users (https://www.virtualtester.com/solidworks/branding/user-portal/user-portal.html#).

So what do you need to know before taking on one of these exams?  SolidWorks’ website does a pretty good job of highlighting what is included in each exam, but I can also give you a couple pointers: 

• Take the sample test
  • Most exams offer a sample test to help you prepare and recognize if there might be some areas you want to brush up on…

• Review your training course manuals
  • All of the skills that you will be tested on are included in the training course manuals that SolidWorks provides us to train you to be proficient users of the program.  I’ve even noticed questions on some of the exams could have practically been taken right from the book!  If you have any questions about what courses would be recommended for any of the certification exams, contact our tech support team and we’ll help guide you. (support@symsolutions.com or (763)560-8600 option 4)

• When taking the test, plan ahead
  •  Look over all the questions in a segment of the test before you start your model.   Generally, the same model is used for several questions.  If you build your design intent appropriately into the model from the start so it can be easily changed, it will make your life a lot easier

Good Luck!

Rebekah Haag 

As a rule, I do spend a bit of time each week browsing through other blogs about SolidWorks. I find things in these blogs that are relevant to some of my support cases. Some of them are focused on SolidWorks and some highlight other software and design tools as well. Below I have compiled a list of the ones I frequent, including some that are for specifics like PhotoView/PhotoWorks. If you have others that you follow, please leave a comment with the link to share with all of our blog readers.

http://www.fcsuper.com/swblog/ From a group of SolidWorks experts

http://www.solidsmack.com/ From Josh Ming

http://blogs.solidworks.com/solidworksblog/ From SolidWorks

http://www.dezignstuff.com/blog/ From Matt Lombard author of the SolidWorks Bible series.

http://www.deelip.com/ From Deelip Menezes

http://robrodriguez.com/wordpress/ From Rob Rodriguez PhotoView/PhotoWorks

http://designsmarter.typepad.com/devonsowell/ From Devon Sowell PDM

If you use the Complete Search as the basis for your search card, you may want to change the default value for some of the check boxes like “Display Folders” or “Search all versions.”  The method to do this is not clear in the Administration Guide for 2011 and isn’t explained in the Help.  It’s not hard, just hard to find!

1. Open the Card Editor and open the search card.
2. Go to the Card menu and select Default Values.
3. In the Default values window, select “Click here to add variable.”
   Scroll down and select the variable such as Find Files, Find Folders, or Search Previous Versions.
4. Click in the Value column and enter 0 to uncheck.
5. Repeat for any other variables.

A rubber band stretches over a can.  Simple, right?  But when the rubber band is half the size of the can, simulating that sort of expansion over a large body becomes an enormously complex task.   It was day one of Advanced Non- linear Simulation Training in Chicago.  By the dumb expressions on our faces, Jandra Novak, our Czechoslovakian instructor, knew that we were stumped.  “Try this.” He said.    

We watched as he proceeded to silently work.  We all leaned forward and closed our laptops.  He entered values into the software.  No words, just numerical values.  It’s a language we all speak.  

Without getting into too much detail, simulating the rubber band going over the can was not possible.  The size difference was too great for any simulation software to handle.  What Jandra did, was simple.  He shrank the can and placed it in the center of the rubber band.  Then, he made the can grow.  The rubber band expanded as it came into contact with the can.

To any non-super-nerd it was all just numbers.  But to us, it was physics.  Glorious physics.  (It’s as close to reading the code from The Matrix as I’ll ever get.)  

He clicked “Run” and we waited.  

As we reviewed the result, I leaned back in my chair and had only one simple thought:  I understood everything that just happened. 

I’m smart.

As I walked into O’Hare,  I grabbed my ticket and looked down.  C33.  Gate C33, I thought.  For those of you who have never been, O’Hare is one of the largest airports in the country.  Getting to gate C33 was no small chore.  It took 3 miles of walking to get to.  As I reached the end of the terminal, I read C30, C31, C32.  No C33.  Confused, to say the least, I asked, “Excuse me miss, where is gate C33?”  

“Let me see your ticket,”  she replied.

I passed it across the counter.  I watched her type for what felt like an eternity.  

“C33 is your seat number.  You’re 5 miles away from your gate.”   

Defeated, I plopped down in gate 32.  I leaned back and had only one simple thought:  I’ve got a lot to learn.

-Nick Luyster, Applications Engineer (Simulation)

Having problems opening legacy assemblies that had parts saved internally? If you’re getting the “Unable to locate the file…” error referencing a temporary folder, your problem might be in the naming!

In SolidWorks 2009 and prior, you could rename the entire extension of the virtual component saved within the assembly.  For example a virtual part named “[vpart1^assembly1]” could be renamed to “[Vpart^Assy]” or simply “[vpart].” It was also possible that while doing a Pack and Go, the assembly would be renamed, but not the virtual component. Starting in 2010, this was changed so that only the “part” portion of the name could be changed. A virtual component named “[vpart1^assembly1]” can only have the “vpart1” portion renamed, while the “^assembly1” will always be the same as the assembly it is stored in.

If the legacy file you’re trying to open in SolidWorks 2010 or newer has had the assembly portion of the component renamed, it will not recognize it as a virtual component and will try to find the file. To get the file to open properly in 2010 and later, you will have to go back and open the part in 2009 and find the virtual part. Any parts shown with brackets such as [vpart] will need to be renamed to have the full current assembly name after the carrot. If you assembly is named “assy123” the virtual component needs to be named “[vpart^assy123].” Save the assembly with the renamed component. Now your assembly should open properly and recognize the virtual component!