Drawings Properties explained

When linking properties in drawing notes, it can be overwhelming to determine where exactly a specific property comes from. Below is a descrption of each property callout and where that property is read from.

$PRP Evaluated from: Current document

$PRPSHEET Evaluated from: Model in vew specified in sheet properties(by default, the first view inserted into the drawing.

$PRPVIEW Evaluated from: Model in the drawing view to which the note belongs

$PRPMODEL Evaluated from: Component to which the annotation is attached

(information gathered from SolidWorks Essentials 2010 Manual)

My Top 5 SolidWorks Shortcuts

So you have been using SoidWorks for a while and you think you have an efficient system to get things done quickly, but you wonder if you really are using all the shortcuts that are available out there. Here is a quick list of my top 5 Time saving shortcuts for everyday use.

5. "F"- Zoom to fit. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen cases where a user, maybe even myself, has added a mate in an assembly or rotated a part and seemingly lost the entire thing. Sometimes we get a little overzealous with the scroll wheel... by using the "F" key your model will magically appear in the center of your screen.

4. Automatic tangent arc- this is something that is commonly used in many types of models. first, while active in the line command, click to place the first point of your first line. Then, click and release to place the second endpoint and automatically start the next line. At this point you may either hover over the previous endpoint, or type "a" for arc to activate the tangent arc command. Once the second point of the arc is placed, the line command automatically comes back.

3. Space bar- the spacebar will bring up all standard and named views such as Front, Top, Right, etc. The great thing is that this menu pops up on you screen wherever your mouse pointer is at the time the space bar is pressed. From here, you simply need to double click on the desired view.

2. The shortcut toolbar- This fully customizable toolbar is FANTASTIC! It is environment specific. So, when in a drawing you are presented with drawing related commands, when in a sketch you are presented with sketch related commands and so on... To activate this toolbar, simply type "S" for shortcut and an on-screen popup will appear next to you mouse pointer. To customize what appears here, right click within the toolbar and the only option will be to "customize".

1. This contest for number 1 and number 2 was a very close call, but Mouse Gestures prevailed. The main reason being that you can add the shortcut toolbar into the mouse gestures menu if you so desire. Mouse gestures are activated by holding down and moving your right mouse button (versions 2010 and later). A wheel will appear and you simply have to mouse over the command you desire to activate it. This is also environment specific, and may be customized through the customize dialog to include 4 or 8 divisions in the circle as well as the contents per environment.

The biggest reason to start using these shortcuts, is to eliminate the time your mouse pointer spends away from the model. You will be surprised the productivity increase you will see once you start training yourself to leverage these shortcuts.

Until next time...

Drawing View Scale

There is a new enhancement to SW2011 that people have requested from time to time. You can now display the scale of a view if the view scale is different than the default drawing scale. In the past, you could only do this for detail, section or auxiliary views.

You can go to Tools/ Options/ Document Properties/ View Labels/Orthographic and check the box for "Show label if view scale differs from sheet scale." Some of you have been asking for that for a while, and now it is hear.

One more drawing view tool that is nice is the ability to use the 3D Drawing View tool. Previously that was just there to temporarily rotate the view to select a difficult edge or something, but now you can actually change the view orientation without having to go back to the part or assembly model and create a new named view. Nice time savings!

Just remember....don't be afraid to read the SW2011 What's New file (HTML or PDF) that is found in the Help pulldown. There are lots of "SW gems" hidden in there that are quite handy.

Until next time..... Let's Go Design!

Tony

What is REALLY New in SW2011?

So, SW2011 SP0 has been available since October 18th, but the Beta and Pre-Release versions have been around for a while. I am not sure how many people read the ~200 page What's New PDF that is available with every release, but that is kinda my job to know. It is a nice tool to read thru when doing Beta testing (not sure how many of you do that either), but also to prepare for the What's New Roll-Outs that we put on in the different cities around our territory. I have done a few here recently and it is always interesting to see what people get excited about and the items that they don't need.

When 2008 came out and the user-interface changed, the people that I thought would love the enhancements...didn't really care for them and vise-versa. We had a 2010 What's New about a month ago for a company that was just upgrading to 2010 because of SAP restrictions, but I ended up showing things that they had missed from the previous two releases too!

For 2011, there are some nice enhancements for Simulation and 2D simplification that will be very nice if you have that need. The Defeature tool will be nice for those that were using the approach to save an assembly as a part and remove detail so models can be put on the web and all the interior detail removed so that people can't "borrow" the designs. The new Walk-thru tool is nice (if you need that), but we could do that with different methods in the past. A new way to calculate un-folding of sheet metal parts is nice. You could just have used different bend allowances for each bend, but how many people do that? I just talked to a company that doesn't want to give flat patterns to their vendor and they are making them calculate them.

The tools to auto-arrange dimensions at the drawing level is huge, but in the events that I have been at, I showed the dimension widget that will place the dimension above and below the drawing view and move the other dimensions out of the way caught the attention of several people. That was there in 2010, but it still got a lot of interest. I had several people want me to explain Mouse Gestures again because they didn't understand it. I also try to show "Show-Hidden Components" while in the assembly. I think that is huge, but it has been around for a while and people still don't know that it is there. The Isolate command is great around the assembly level too.

So, what is REALLY new? I guess if you missed it, something from 2007 could be new to you. Don't be afraid to ask what something is if you see it in the menus and don't know what it does. We always say that people tend to find one favorite way to do something even if a new and better way is available.


Let's Go Design!

Tony

No, My equation syntax is not invalid!

Ever seen the message that says your syntax is invalid for that really brilliant equation you just came up with? Well, assuming that you have checked it closely to be sure that is is indeed input correctly, you may be dealing with a corrupted file. The file that deals with your equations is called "swvba.tlb". You may not have ever known it was corrupt if you hadn't tried to add an equation, but worry not! There is a painless solution.

In order to remedy this bugger, follow the simple steps below.

1. Stop the SolidWorks process
2. Search the local hard drive, where SolidWorks is installed, for the file called "swvba.tlb"
3. Delete all that are found
4. Turn off any anti-virus/firewall that may be active (you may need to log in under a different user if you are not a system administrator)
5. Restart SolidWorks

The SolidWorks installer will automatically regenerate this file -from KB solution S-028801

See...relatively painless...

Be sure to check back often for other tips, tricks, FAQ's, and other generally cool information about the SolidWorks product line.

Simulation Essentials E-learning

Do you abhor travel for training? Don't get stressed-out: this might be for you. Try the Live-instructor, web-based Simulation Essentials Class. There are class "sessions" once a week, spread-out in small, bite-sized packets over a four week period. You stay at  home or work- watch and listen, and participate.
Due to popular response, we have scheduled classes through the end of the year!
Brochure, schedule, and sign-up information.
Thank you for recommending us! -Tony Botting

SolidWorks World 2011

Don't miss out on the discount pricing for SolidWorks World 2011. If you register before October 29, you will save $200.

This conference is a great event to learn, network, and talk with other SolidWorks users from around the world. It is in our backyard this year, at San Antonio's Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center on January 23-26 2011. Check back for more information about where you can find the Texas Engineering Systems team at the conference. We hope to see you all there!

Click here to visit the SolidWorks World 2011 Web page

Sketch on an image

When using a picture for the purpose of tracing, it works best to insert a sketch picture. In order to do this, open a sketch on the appropriate plane. Then, choose sketch tools from the tools menu."Sketch picture" will appear in this list. You will be able to re-size your image once it is inserted into the sketch. This allows you to maintain aspect ratio if desired. The supported file types for these images are:
1. .bmp
2. .jpeg
3. .tiff
4. .gif
5. . wmf
6. .png
7. .psd

Want SolidWorks 2011 to be Better?

Sign up to be a Beta tester today. All you need is to be a current subscription customer with a customer login to get started. Visit https://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/subscription/betaprograms.htm today. You can even earn points to win cool prizes! Have fun, and help make SolidWorks 2011 better.

SWCADJOCKEY

Design Tree Folders

Greeings from behind the keyboard.....

Have you ever wanted to "clean up" your Desgin Tree but just didn't know how or know it's possible. Well then, you're in luck...take a look at this typical Design Tree above. You will see three different images. To simply the Design Tree we can group like features such as bosses, cuts, and fillets. To do this simply ctl or shift select the features you would like to group and right mouse button click and choose "ADD TO NEW FOLDER". Have a great day and if you need technical support please contact support@texasengineering.com

Brian Ross

Greetings from behind the keyboard....



Let's talk about SolidWorks activation...BEFORE you uninstall SolidWorks off your machine make sure to transfer the license. To do this, click on the help pulldown menu and transfer license. This will return the license to the SolidWorks activation server so your software can be installed on another machine...it's fast, simple, and even painless



Q: When do I need transfer the license off my machine? A: If SolidWorks is not going to be used on that machine in the future.



Q: If I'm upgrading from SolidWorks 2009 to SolidWorks 2010 do I need to transfer my license? A: No, this is not needed



I hope this answers a couple of our most common questions on activation. Check back with us weekly as we will be continually updating our blog. If you need technical support please contact support@texasengineering.com



Brian Ross

Resizing Shortcut Toolbar (S Key)

If you are attempting to resize the shortcut toolbar (S-Key) and are unable to, it maybe that you are running solidworks on your secondary monitor. This is a know issue that has been reported to Solidworks development under SPR #390779.

The workaround for this is a rather simple one. Simply move Solidworks back into your primary monitor and re-size the toolbar.

Are you planning on Installing 2010 and would like more information on how to do this?

If so the following link has all the info you would ever want to know about installing 2010 and more. Everything from how to install a single seat of Solidworks to deployment of multiple seats using administrative images. Just follow the link below, or from your Solidworks customer portal account select Technical documentation / Administration guides / Solidworks Installation and Administration Guide.

http://files.solidworks.com/Supportfiles/SW_Installation_Guide/2010/English/install_guide.pdf

Is your Cad workstation still using Pentium 3 processors?

Some of you may still be using older Cad stations with Pentium 3 processors especially if you had Dual processors. If this describes your workstation, please note that Solidworks 2010's core modeler is built on having the P4 processor instruction set or higher available. Solidworks 2009 was the last version that included the libraries for P3 class processors.

Installation Issues and .Net framework

Are you having issues with your Solidworks installation and receiving errors about .Net framework? The issue may be in the Microsoft .NET framework installation. To correct this issue:

1. go to add remove programs and remove any .NET framework installations listed.

2. use a registry clean up utility that will clear any old registry entries. There are several applications that will do this several of them are even freeware. The reason this step is listed is that the registry sometimes retains information even after the application is removed. If this step is not done then there is potential that one of the old registry entries will be used instead of the correct entry which could result in still having the same symptoms even on a "new" install.

3. using your Solidworks DVD. Browse to the folder PreReqs/dotNetFx and run the install dotnetfx3.exe (for 32 bit installations) or dotnetfx3_x64.exe (for 64 bit installations)

Where in the World is the VaultAdmin Tool?

You are your company's SolidWorks Workgroup PDM administrator. Every time you install a new service pack of SolidWorks, your SWPDM VaultAdmin tool is missing. To correct the issue, you can browse to your SolidWorksExplorer.msi file in the swexplorer folder of the SolidWorks service pack download. Run this msi file and modify your SolidWorks Explorer install. You will want to do a custom install and pick SolidWorks Workgroup PDM VaultAdmin.
To prevent this from happening the next time you install a service pack using the Installation Manager, you can pick which products to upgrade.

You can now pick to install SolidWorks Workgroup PDM VaultAdmin with all of your other products to install.

Accessing Dimensions From Multiple Features

In order to have access to multiple feature's dimensions at the same time, RMB on the Annotations folder in the Feature Manager Design Tree. Then, select show feature dimensions. This will display all of the dimensions in the model at once so that they are easily selected for use in equations.

Save as and update references

In order to save the components of an assembly and update the references of each new part name in one easy step, simply choose file->save as-> then click on the references button. In this dialogue box, if you choose "more options" you can add a prefix or suffix to all components in the assembly that are selected in the list. Then you can choose the file location for the new files. This will update all the references while creating copies of the components.

FIles of type dropdown

SolidWorks should remember the last filter that was applied in the Files of type" drop down box when a file was opened. If you choose all files as the filter, next time you choose file open it will revert back to the last SolidWorks file type that was chosen. However, if you choose "SolidWorks files" and open a document, it will show all SolidWorks file types next time you choose file open. The trick is to change the files of type dropdown to whatever you would like it to start from, then actually open a document from the list.

Simulation Premium Course, Jun 9 &10, Houston

We hold Simulation "Premium" courses quarterly. This particular course is two days and covers nonlinear static behavior such as: what happens when your model starts to yield? How far can you continue to yield the material until it rips open? Another nonlinearity deals with rubber gaskets and sealing issues. How do you know for sure the O-ring will deform or squish correctly and fill-in all the gaps? You can conduct a cross-sectional view in the SolidWorks Simulation, and determine the forces required to make that seal work correctly.
We have a PDF brochure at: http://www.texaseng.com/trainingdesc.cfm.
Click on "SolidWorks Simulation Premium -Nonlinear". Thanks for reading and have a great week! Anthony Botting