SolidWorks 2010: Already Gaining Amazing Momentum!

Well, it seems that the SolidWorks 2010 is kicking up the usual storm of content online and it really doesn’t need me wading into the afray when you’ve got an army of bloggers who’ve been waiting with baited breath and clammy handed anticipation to give you the skinny since the Beta NDA was lifted a couple of days ago. So, if you’re looking for SolidWorks 2010 news, then perhaps you might check these tasty links:

CHECK IT OUT HERE!

It may be two weeks from now, or it may be two years from now…

Whenever it may be, chances are you will at least need to investigate the merits of using a 3D design tool. 

If you are like a lot of other companies, you may have one or more of the following questions or concerns…

• We’ve been designing in 2D forever, what will happen to all of our drawings?
   
• Many of my key customers require a 2D (AutoCAD) format, how can I be fully compatible?
   
• What will happen if I still need to design something in 2D and I’m using a 3D tool?
   
• Will I have to pay to maintain two systems; 2D and 3D?

For close to 15 years SolidWorks has helped users make a seamless transition from 2D to 3D.  Join us for a short 60 minute webinar where we will demonstrate how SolidWorks tackles these key questions and 2D to 3D concerns.

You may not be ready to move to 3D today, but if and when you do, these will be questions you’ll need to answer.  See how SolidWorks helps 2D users make the transition… and you just might find that it’s easier than you thought.

Join us for a 6o minute webinar on Wednesday, September 2 at 2:00pm to learn more!

Register Here!

File Management ‘Pain Relief’ Webinar

Today’s problems associated with file management are too many to list.  However, PDM (Product Document Management) tools can help bring relief to CAD and non-CAD users alike. 

Have you found yourself in any one of these situations…

• How many files are recreated because someone either didn’t know it existed or can’t find it?
   
• Do you or your fellow users find it challenging to know who else is working on files you may need?  Do multi-user projects become a hassle, when they should be easy?
   
• Do you have complex data storage schemes designed to limit access of files to only certain staff, at certain times?
   
• Are you challenged by the need to provide data outside of your firewall, yet concerned about doing so in a secure fashion?
   
• Does your process make you feel less than 100% confident that manufacturing is always building the proper revision?
   
• Has any recent shift or reduction in resources caused you to struggle finding data that you know exists?
   
• Is your engineering change order process something that takes too long and needs an overhaul? 

Join us for a short 60 minute webinar where we will demonstrate why PDM matters, how it can help, and more importantly why it’s easier than you think.

Date: Thursday, September 3
Time: 2:00 to 3:00pm
Register Here:

Northern Indiana SolidWorks User Group (NISWUG)

When: Tuesday, September 15
Where: Best Western, 444 Pine Lake Avenue, Laporte, IN 46350
Time: 5:00 to 8:00pm

Agenda: Organize & Automate to Keep Ahead

Basic Design Tables Usage

• Organizing Assembly Feature Trees for better performance
• Advanced Design Tables

Ask the Experts

Food and Refreshments will be provided
Please RSVP as food must be ordered in advance and is based on confirmed attendance.

Please RSVP at http://niswug.org/contact.html

Top 10 Enhancements in SolidWorks 2010

10.  3DVIA Composer support for SolidWorks configurations

9. Improved configuration support in SolidWorks Enterprise PDM

8. Event-based motion Simulation

7. Configuration publisher

6. Sheet-Metal export to DXF-DWG enhancemetns

5. Mouse gesture heads-up user interface

4. Multibody support for sheet-metal parts

3. Improved mirror components in assembly

2. Rapid Dimension for drawing detailing

and the NUMBER 1 enhancement!

1. SolidWorks SustainabilityXPRESS!

check out www.dasi-solutions.com/productpages/solidworksWhatsNew2010.html for more information!

SolidWorks 2010 SustainabilityXPress – This is UNREAL!

http://gabijack.com/2009/08/sustainability-xpress-in-solidworks-2010/

SolidWorks 2010 Launch Site Live!

http://www.solidworkslaunch.com/

Michigan Governor Granholm Announces Over 3,000 New Jobs for Michigan!

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has announced that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is helping five companies grow in Michigan and is backing three brown field redevelopment projects. Combined, the eight projects are expected to create 3,070 new jobs (1,453 direct and 1,617 indirect) and generate over $138 million in new investment in the state.

The projects span the upper and lower peninsulas and include a next-generation chemical company focused on manufacturing bio-based materials, a start-up healthcare manufacturing company, and brown field redevelopments that will transform abandoned and contaminated sites into new centers of economic growth and activity.

The Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) board approved state tax credits to win the following projects for Michigan over competing states and countries:

* Haworth Inc. : The designer and manufacturer of office workspace solutions plans to invest $15.6 million to consolidate its wood and wall product manufacturing from its facility in Calgary to its existing facilities in Holland and Big Rapids. The project will create 1,391 new jobs, including 649 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 742 indirect jobs. Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a state tax credit valued at $22.4 million over 13 years to help convince the company to locate in Michigan. The city of Big Rapids is considering abatement valued at $193,000 in support of the project. The city of Holland also is considering abatement valued at $900,000 in support of the project. http://www.haworth.com

* Draths Corporation: The next-generation chemical company that combines microbiological and chemical processes to produce chemical intermediates such as nylon precursors from bio-based materials plans to make a multi-million dollar investment to construct a headquarters housing a research facility and multiple pilots in Delhi Township. The project will create 642 new jobs, including 200 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 442 indirect jobs. Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a state tax credit valued at $5.2 million over 10 years to help convince the company to expand in Michigan over a competing site in Minnesota. Delhi Township is considering an abatement to support the project. http://drathscorporation.com/

* Mossberg Precision Diagnostics LLC :  The start-up healthcare manufacturing company plans to invest $1.5 million to develop new products at a facility in Kalamazoo. The project will create 110 total jobs, including 35 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 75 indirect jobs. Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a state tax credit valued at $817,579 over 10 years to encourage the company to expand in Michigan over a competing site in Indiana. The city of Kalamazoo is considering abatement valued at $86,450 to support the project.

* Bradford White Corporation : The water-heater manufacturer founded in 1881 plans to invest $3.48 million to introduce two new product lines at its facility in Middleville. The project is expected to create 200 jobs, including 88 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 112 indirect jobs. Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a state tax credit valued at $1 million over seven years to help convince the company to expand in Michigan over a competing site in another state. The village of Middleville is considering abatement in support of the project. http://www.bradfordwhite.com/homea.asp

* Wolverine World Wide Inc. : One of the world’s leading marketers of branded casual, active lifestyle, work, outdoor sport and uniform footwear and apparel plans to expand and move its operations in Arkansas to a facility in Big Rapids. The company will continue to invest in its Big Rapids facility to accommodate capacity expansion which is expected to create 532 jobs in the area, once completed. Of the total number of jobs created, 286 are planned to be added by the company over the next 3 years. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 246 indirect jobs. Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a state tax credit valued at $2.5 million over seven years to help win the project for Michigan over the competing site in Arkansas. The city of Big Rapids is considering abatements to support the project. http://www.wolverineworldwide.com/default.asp

Also Charlevoix County, City of Cadillac and City of Marquette

How to Launch SolidWorks – Short Cut!!

Did you know: You do not need to Double Click the SolidWorks Desktop Icon or the Windows task bar icon to launch SolidWorks?

If you Right pick on the Desktop SolidWorks icon and go to properties and activate the Shortcut tab you can add in a HotKey to launch SolidWorks, but you can only launch if you have the desktop active. (No program Windows selected)

But if you Right Mouse on the icon in the Windows task pane and do the same then you can launch SW at anytime.

Toggle Input Dimension Value

This tip is geared primarily toward users who are importing DWG/DXF data to create a new 3D model.  When adding dimensions in the sketch there is an extra click to accept the value every time.  What if you don’t want to change any of the values as you enter them?  There is a setting in Tools-Options under the General category to “Input Dimension Value”.

Do you find yourself doing this often?  If so, we have created a macro which will toggle this option on and off with the click of a button or hot key.  Create a new macro and copy/paste the following text into the Visual Basic Editor.  Then create a new button using the Customize dialog.

Note:  Exclude the bolded text if you don’t want a message to confirm the toggle.

Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
Dim swPart As SldWorks.ModelDoc2
Dim bDim As Boolean
Dim iDim As Integer

Sub main()
Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
Set swPart = swApp.ActiveDoc

bDim = swApp.GetUserPreferenceToggle(swInputDimValOnCreate)
iDim = CInt(bDim)
If iDim = 1 Then
bDim = False
Else
bDim = True
End If
swApp.SetUserPreferenceToggle (swInputDimValOnCreate), bDim

If bDim = True Then
MsgBox (“Input Dimension value has been turned ON”)
Else
MsgBox (“Input Dimension value has been turned OFF”)
End If

End Sub