How To Open CATIA, NX and Pro/ENGINEER Drawings in SolidWorks

Today SYCODE released CATIA V4/V5, NX and Pro/ENGINEER 2D drawing file import addins for SolidWorks. Some of you may be wondering why would a SolidWorks user be interested in 2D drawings. The thing is that most large OEMs use a high end MCAD system like CATIA, NX and Pro/ENGINEER. But a majority of their suppliers cannot afford that luxury. And neither do they need all the added functionality. These suppliers mostly use mid range MCAD systems like SolidWorks and are often handed down 2D drawings created from the high end MCAD systems. If these drawings come in DWG or DXF format, well and good. SolidWorks offers all its customers free licenses (three actually) of DWGeditor for every license of SolidWorks. DWGeditor an IntelliCAD variant and it relieves a SolidWorks user from the need of maintaining an expensive AutoCAD seat.

However, if a SolidWorks user receives 2D drawings in the native formats of CATIA, NX and Pro/ENGINEER, then they find themselves in a fix. SolidWorks does not offer any way of opening these native 2D drawings. And that is precisely where the four add-ins that we released today will come in handy. The add-ins are:

• CATIA V4 2D Import for SolidWorks
• CATIA V4 2D Import for SolidWorks
• NX 2D Import for SolidWorks
• Pro/ENGINEER 2D Import for SolidWorks

These CATIA add-ins are not to be confused with the CATIA addins we released the other day. Those add-ins import CATIA V4 and V5 part and assembly files into SolidWorks. These import 2D drawings, which is emphasized by the “2D” in the product names.

With the release of these SolidWorks add-ins SYCODE can finally offer an answer to the question “How to open CATIA, NX and Pro/ENGINEER drawings in SolidWorks?”

2010 SolidWorks Network Installation Changes

You no longer need a License Text File to point to when installing your network! You simply need to activate your serial number!!

Here is a link to a YouTube video that explains exactly how to install:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyTbxKrv5Fo

If you continue to have problems, please contact DASI Solutions Tech Support at techsupport@dasi-solutions.com or call 800-276-6340

SolidWorks Icon on the Windows 7 Taskbar

I’ve been hitting Windows 7 pretty hard and I found an inconvenient thing with the Taskbar Icons.

You might notice that if you Right click the icons that are placed next to the Windows ‘Start’ button, you’ll see a list of Recent Documents and the ability to pin Favorite past files you’ve opened.  You will also see, for most programs, that very same icon stay Highlighted when that software has 1 or more active sessions or windows open…..all of them EXCEPT the SolidWorks Icon.
When you press the SolidWorks icon, it starts another SolidWorks icon at the end of the row.

I’ve tried Unpinning the Shortcut and adding it again from the one it makes on the Desktop during install.  Nothing was making the SW Icon behave the way other that are pinned to the Taskbar work.

Well, to get it to work the same way as other icons, you have to actually browse to the SLDWORKS.EXE in the SW Install Directory and Right Click It.  Select PIN TO TASKBAR.

This SolidWorks Icon will appear properly when SolidWorks is started.  It will also allow you to Pin Favorite recent Files to the RMB list on those same Icons so you can easily start the software and get to a key or recent file very quickly.

This was tested on a Dell M90 running Windows 7 Pro 64bit.

Just thought I’d pass that along.  It’s kinda fun and useful, especially for you demo and training guys out there.

Darin J. Grosser

DASI Solutions Senior Engineer

Wondering What’s New in SolidWorks 2010??

Weren’t able to make it to one of DASI’s infamous 2010 SolidWorks product rollouts??

Have no fear! We’ve been bringing you What’s New in SolidWorks 2010 Webinars since December 2. In case you missed those, we’ve archived them and put them on our website http://www.dasi-solutions.com/webinars.html so you can watch and learn at your leisure!

Don’t forget to catch the final section, Part 4, on December 16 at 12noon. Sign up here!

Get It While It’s HOT!! SolidWorks 2010 SP1.0 EV (Early Visibility) is available for download

This service pack is now available to Subscription Service customers. To download, log into the SolidWorks Customer Portal

3Dconnexion 3D Mice Improve Design Efficiency

Input devices like the SpacePilot, SpaceExplorer, and SpaceNavigator help designers and engineers improve their processes from start to finish. by Jim Romeo | Published November 1, 2009

Your mouse can add another dimension to engineering design. By moving within your design space in three dimensions using just your mouse, your engineering freedom is suddenly expanded.

3Dconnexion’s 3D mice have the potential for opening up the possibilities for design engineers who embrace the technology. To understand the company’s product and its approach to the market, we spoke to Froi Lomotan, director of advanced software technology for 3DConnexion.

What Sets 3Dconnexion 3D mice apart and what do they offer the design engineering community?
Lomotan: 3Dconnexion 3D mice provide an immersive design experience that dramatically improves the design process from start to finish. Unlike traditional mice confined to motion on one flat plane, 3Dconnexion 3D mice enable design engineers to move in all three dimensions simultaneously, using six degrees of freedom.
At the heart of 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice is the controller cap, which makes otherwise complex movements simple and streamlines the entire design process. Unique, pressure-sensing technology allows the cap to become a virtual extension of the designer. Gently pushing, pulling, twisting, or tilting the cap a fraction of an inch enables users to simultaneously pan, zoom, and rotate 3D imagery with complete precision. In addition, a subtle increase in pressure accelerates movement and a decrease in pressure enables users to make intricate adjustments.

Using 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice provides a blended navigate-command flow instead of a linear navigate-command process. The result is a much more natural and intuitive way to interact with 3D content. This includes a streamlined design workflow, reduced interaction with the interface, allowing greater focus on the design, reduced physical fatigue and discomfort, and increased productivity—on average, more than 20 percent 3Dconnexion’s professional series of products include the SpacePilot and SpaceExplorer, and the standard series of products include the SpaceNavigator and Space Navigator for Notebooks.

Are multi-dimensions in engineering software important nowadays? Do some in the industry still not work in 3D?
Lomotan: Multi-dimensions are an intrinsic part of the nature of the work performed by the design engineering community, evidenced by the growing number of applications integrating expanded 3D capabilities and functionality. In addition, applications are growing more complex, underscoring the need for a more intuitive and natural way to interact with 3D content. 3Dconnexion 3D mice enable design engineers to decrease time spent on managing application complexity and allow for more time on the design itself.

However, there is still a portion of the industry that is not working in 3D. And, there always will be. It is not a matter of 2D or 3D—it is a matter of 2D and 3D.
We’re seeing an increasing demand for our 3D mice in 2D environments. Even though it offers six degrees of freedom, providing a consistent interface across multiple applications and environments, both 2D and 3D, is very useful to the design engineering community.

Can you tell us how your product brings efficiency to the designer?
Lomotan: A recent survey found that CAD design engineers are dramatically more productive and efficient when using 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice. A majority of the survey’s 190 respondents said that using a 3D mouse significantly increased their productivity and design performance and made it easier to identify problems, improving the overall quality of designs. More than 80 percent of respondents said that using a 3D mouse increased their productivity, most noting the increase within the first week of using their 3D mouse. In addition, almost half of the respondents stated that their overall productivity increased by 20 percent or more.

While the whitepaper provides additional insight regarding the productivity gains provided by 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice, it is also important to understand how 3D mice work within a typical design workflow.

The controller cap allows a user to zoom, pan, and rotate simultaneously. With a 2D mouse, you typically can only perform two of these functions at a time and an interruption or change in context is required to change to another set of two degrees of freedom. 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice are designed to work in your non-dominant hand. If you are right handed, this would be the left hand. The dominant hand is still used by the 2D mouse for command selection. Using both hands significantly decreases the time between design manipulation and command execution.

Is your product designed to interface with off-the-shelf software and other applications? How important is this for the design engineering environment?
Lomotan: The vast majority of 3Dconnexion’s professional design engineering user base utilize applications that are purchased from resellers or direct from the ISV, not off the retail shelf. However, 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice are designed to work with off-the-shelf software. IMSI’s TurboCAD is an excellent example of this. As is the case with other control and input devices, since there is no industry-standard 3D interface, 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice may not work with all software applications automatically.

In addition, 3Dconnexion’s software development kit (SDK) is free and available on the website at 3Dconnexion.com, including code samples and documentation, enabling developers of 3D design and visualization applications to quickly and easily implement support for 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice. A typical implementation only takes one week.

How can the product be configured for multiple users? Can it be set up for a group as well as an individual access?
Lomotan: 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice are designed for use by a single user, similar to traditional mice. However, they can be easily moved from workstation to workstation as needed.

In your view, what does the design community need in today’s engineering environment and how can software help them get there?
Lomotan: Design engineers and other professionals with similar workflows are typically using complex applications hours upon hours each day. As a result, they are always looking for ways to streamline the design process while increasing the quality of their designs. In addition, the design community needs interfaces that connect them directly to their content. A user interface should ‘drop away,’ allowing direct interaction with the design.

Design engineers also need a streamlined review process where they can verify designs iteratively in less time with as little cost overhead as possible. 3Dconnexion 3D mice significantly improve the design and review process by allowing design engineers to focus on the design itself and not maneuver through the application, making it easier to identify problems or design flaws. This can have a significant financial impact on the product development process, as it helps to ensure that costly changes are minimized in the final stages of design.

More than 80 percent of CAD design engineers surveyed in the “The Economic Payback of 3D Mice for CAD Design Engineers” study believe that using a 3D mouse improved their product designs and indicated that using a 3D mouse made it easier to identify any problems with the design.

Looking forward, where do you see engineering software going and how will 3Dconnexion 3D mice be a part of that?
Lomotan: The growing complexity of 3D applications has generated a need for more advanced navigation and control that cannot be attained with a traditional mouse. As such, the application interface and 3D environment along with the hardware needed to support the complete design process are paramount.

Future applications will continue to blur the distinction between where the application ends and the interface for the 3D device begins. For example, in the future we expect to see design engineers using devices that have application content on them. 3Dconnexion’s goal is to continue to evolve our 3D mice to provide greater comfort, increased control and expanded performance with the latest technologies to continue to help designers interact more naturally and directly with their designs.

Can you give us some examples of what industries and more specifically, some projects that have used your product?
Lomotan: 3Dconnexion 3D mice are used in leading organizations across a wide-range of industries, including CAD, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), digital content creation (DCC) and geographic information systems (GIS).

When you speak to prospective customers, what is it about your product that usually gets their interest and leads to them becoming a customer?
Lomotan: The substantial productivity and design performance that design engineers can gain make a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse a “must have” design tool for today’s 3D professionals. Key benefits for design engineers as they look to enhance their design performance and overall workflow with a 3D mouse include ease-of-use and easy integration into design processes; learning time is minimal compared to the time savings a user can expect to achieve; easier to identify problems, improving the overall quality of designs; help in decreasing time spent managing application complexity and allow for more time on the design itself; reduced physical fatigue and discomfort; and support by more than 130 of today’s leading 3D applications.

Calling All Educators! The CAD Academy Edition No. 3 Has Arrived!!

The CAD Academy Edition No. 3 was developed to prepare students for advanced education and the careers of the new design economy where sustainability is taking center stage.

•  Does your program featuring industry certification for students?
•  Does your mechanical engineering program feature a software title which is requested 12X more frequently by industry employers?
• Does your civil engineering program prepare students with the same resources utilized by United States Army Corps of Engineers and 47 of 50 State Departments of Transportation?
• Does your architectural design program feature a BIM tools which allow for one click energy performance analysis of buildings?
• Does your program feature comprehensive software tools for student to learn sustainability as it relates to manufacturing and building?                                                                                                                                                                               
• Does your program allow for student software downloads, schools to receive software + curriculum updates on demand and instructors access to a learning portal?

The CAD Academy features industry leading 3D engineering, architectural and related design software titles; curriculum which maps to state and federal standards; green + sustainable design tools and learning resources; instructor training + student certification programs.  Today’s student must be able to compete in a global market where sustainability regulation will govern design. The CAD Academy was created to prepare students for advanced education and the job opportunities of the new design economy.

Software Included:  SolidWorks + Sustainability Express; Bentley MicroStation + Learn Server; Graphisoft ArchiCAD + EcoDesigner; A+CAD 2010; Blender & 3D VIA Shape

Program Features:

• Certification – Validation of student industry competencies
• The CAD Academy certification programs provide academic institutions with a proven methodology for effective measurement of program, instructor and student industry competencies. Academic program tracks for mechanical, architecture and civil  prepare students for industry and software certification.  The CAD Academy enables students to develop a digital portfolio to include: resume, certifications, design projects and research completed. Open the doors of opportunity for your students today with The CAD Academy.
• Mechanical Engineering featuring SolidWorks – 12X the number of job opportunities for students
• Everything in our man-made world has a carbon footprint association. Green regulation is impacting and will continue to impact design decisions as it relates to manufacturing. SolidWorks is more than the industry leading 3D mechanical design software it is leading the sustainability movement as it relates to mechanical design with Sustainability Xpress. Sustainable design is more than blue skies, clear streams and green fields it is JOBS! Prepare your students today with The CAD Academy.
• Civil Engineering featuring Bentley solutions – Standard of US Army Corps of Engineers + State Departments of Transportation
• Civil engineering solutions learning is simplified with Learn Server from the Bentley Institute. Learn Server featuring a blended learning approach allows you to prepare civil engineering students to succeed with the software and resources used by The United States Academy at West Point to prepare cadets for advancement into the Army Corps of Engineers. Bentley software is the standard the Army Core of Engineers and 47 of 50 State Department of Transportation. Bentley software is used to create airports, rail terminals, subdivisions, urban complexes, parks, campuses, golf courses, dams, drainage, utility, floodplain projects, commercial buildings, plant and manufacturing sites the world over.
• Architecture featuring Graphisoft ArchiCAD + EcoDesigner – BIM centric featuring Energy Analysis for Green Building
• Sustainable design is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment and services to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability. ArchiCAD is the most powerful BIM solution available for architects and now features EcoDesigner. EcoDesigner provides invaluable feedback on the energy performance of buildings so designers can make educated decisions on energy efficiencies and conformity to regulations. Give your students a competitive edge as they learn how to deliver simpler, smarter and more sustainable designs with The CAD Academy.
• Green + Sustainable Design – 4 million jobs in the United States by 2012
• Sustainable Design will account for an estimated 4 million jobs in the United States by 2012. Green regulation is impacting and will continue to impact design decisions as it relates to energy performance, material selection and manufacture location. The CAD Academy is committed to preparing students for the new design economy where green and sustainable design is center stage. We will accomplish by providing green and sustainable resources used by leading industry professionals the world over.     www.thecadacademy.com/green
• In Network Benefits Program Introduction for Schools
• Starting with the shipping of Edition No. 3 we will be announcing our “In Network Program”. Schools will be considered “In Network” for a 12 month term from their initial purchase or program update. We are not referring to this program as subscription as our program is perpetual. In Network benefits will include access to (4) portals: STUDENT, SCHOOL, INSTRUCTOR and TCA COMMUNITY.

STUDENT Portal Includes: Student Software Downloads, Basic Software Tutorials, Internship Opportunities, Student Design Competitions + Student Portfolio Developer

SCHOOL Portal Includes: Software Title Downloads and Curriculum Updates on Demand

*INSTRUCTOR Portal Includes: Installation + Curriculum Guides, Software Quick Starts and more

*TCA Community Portal: Subscribers will receive key trick and tips from our experts and be able to post questions for our program development team to answer

*All TCA schools will have access to these resources (IN & OUT of Network)

www.thecadacademy.com

www.dfeacademy.com

 

Join Us at the Western Michigan SolidWorks User Group – Nov 10, 2009

Join us at the next West Michigan SolidWorks User Group Meeting for food, networking opportunities, 2 presentations, and SolidWorks giveaways. See details below!

Date: November 10, 2009

Where: Haworth Inn (click for map and/or directions) – Holland, Michigan

Time: 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Agenda::

• Food & Networking
• Nathan Garrett (Cruxtone Product Development) – Reverse Engineering
• Topics covered include intro to reverse engineering, face naming, repairing holes, boundry surfaces, and the use of the deform tool
• Short break (networking)
• Ken Denton (3D Connexion)
• SolidWorks 2010 Roundtable (time permitting)
• Closing & Giveaways

Please send a quick RSVP so we can make sure there is enough seating and food!!

Get the cost of Simulation Professional for the cost of SolidWorks Premium!!

ATTENTION!! 2010 Software Support Changes

Please be aware of some of the important software support changes that are associated with the release of SW 2010.

Operating System Support for SolidWorks, Simulation and PDM Product lines:

• Windows XP – Microsoft officially retired Windows XP in April of 2009. SolidWorks 2010 will continue to support Windows XP (32 and 64 bit versions) excluding operating systems related issues or fixes. This level of support will continue through at least one release following SolidWorks 2010. After that in conjunction with Microsoft’s support policies, only Windows Vista and Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit versions) will be supported.
• Windows 7 – SolidWorks will support the new Microsoft Windows 7 operating system as part of its SolidWorks 2010 release. Right now Microsoft’s published release date for Windows 7 is Oct 22nd. Based on this information the earliest version of SolidWorks 2010 that could support the Windows 7 operating system will be SP1. A confirmation email will be sent out once a final date is determined.

Photorealistic Rendering:

• PhotoWorks Announcement  – Beginning with SolidWorks 2011, PhotoView 360 will be the standard photorealistic rendering solution moving forward. PhotoWorks™ will no longer be available. At SolidWorks 2011, SolidWorks and PhotoView 360 will provide the same rendering capabilities that are now available in PhotoWorks.