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.

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!

When you Restart your computer it’s considered a “warm boot”.  Performing a Shut Down is referred to as a “cold boot”.  During a “warm boot” power to the memory chips is not completely lost as it would be on a “cold boot”.  Therefore, if you want to ensure that memory on your system is completely flushed, Shut down your computer and wait approximately 30 seconds before rebooting.  On a system utilizing SolidWorks, it’s recommended that you perform a cold boot daily.

OK, this blog is not a rant or rave – it’s just a gentle push to get you technophobes out there to learn how to be comfortable using your computer. So here goes…

• A pilot knows how to take off and fly but didn’t think he needed to learn how to land. He figures gravity will take care of it.
• A surgeon didn’t bother learning anatomy. He figures he’ll just dig around and eventually find your appendix.

These aren’t going to happen, thankfully, but the idea is no different than if you don’t learn how to do your job completely because you haven’t learned how to use your computer.

I’ve been involved in teaching people how to use software for over twenty years. Back in 1988, the majority o f the people in my class had never used a computer before. That was understandable. But that’s not the case today. Your computer is probably a critical part of your job and it’s as important as a pilot learning how to land or a surgeon learning anatomy. If you can’t use one of the tools of your job you cost the company money.

Fear is usually the main reason for not learning how to be comfortable using your computer. Some important things you need to know if you do something wrong:
1. Your computer will not blow up.
2. You won’t take down your company’s network.
3. You won’t take down the electric grid.
4. You won’t start WW III.

If you’re not comfortable using your computer and getting around in Windows you can:
• Take a class – you should be able to find a free or inexpensive class at your local school or library.
• Read a book – There are lots of books available like the “for Dummies” series or “The Complete Idiot’s Guide” series. These are written for people who aren’t experts but need to learn. Ask at a book store or the library.
• Check out the internet – OK, I know. You can’t use a computer now, so how can you check the internet? Well, there are people to help you –coworkers, family, friends, or a librarian.

Remember you don’t have to learn HOW a computer works; you just need to learn how to USE it.

Hi everyone – we have a very popular lunch and learn webinar archived for our active subscription service customers regarding the very latest in hardware and a peek at what’s coming soon. Registration and acknowledgment of subscription service is required.

Here are the URL’s that are used in the webinar. Enjoy!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y99mD_A1uug

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/workstation-graphics-charts/SPECapc-SolidWorks-2007-Overall-Score,123.html

http://www.hardcorecomputer.com/ProductConfigurator_productReactorX.aspx

http://www.solidmuse.com

http://www.develop3d.com

http://www.tomshardware.com

http://www.anandtech.com

http://www.xbitlabs.com