Friday 31 March 2017

Design Work Stopped when Simulation Analysis is Running? Doesn't Matter with this New Feature in SolidWorks Simulation

The What's New 2017 proved with a good set of enhancements for User post processing. One such enhancement is the Off-loaded Simulation in solving the analysis studies. User faces problems related to time consuming process when a large problem is setup for study. This off-loaded simulation enhancement allows the analyst to solve the setup studies on another computer. The introduced enhancement for 2017 is available for SolidWorks Simulation Premium licences, which can be used for Static & Non Linear setup studies.


Steps involved:
  1. Identifying another computer to free up resources for parallel tasks from the user involved system
  2. Solution is run on another computer connected on the same network domain
  3. Coordinator system requires SolidWorks & Simulation Premium license. SolidWorks Simulation Worker Agent to be installed & activated on the network connceted system
  4. Create Static or Non Linear studies on the coordinator machine
  5. Temporary results saved on the other system when the analysis is run
  6. Post processing results viewed in the coordinator system after the analysis is run

Installing SolidWorks Simulation Working Agent
  1. Install & launch the Simulation Worker Agent Program on the network attached computer
  2. Include the SolidWorks Installation files & run the setup on the client machine
  3. In the Summary page during the installation process, in the products Tab, click on "Change"
  4. Select the SolidWorks Simulation Worker Agent for installation process
  5. Launch the Simulation Worker Agent application after the installation process is done
  6. Click on Activate Worker Agent to enable the Status information set to Idle Status

To setup & manage the network simulation, click on the Offloaded Simulation in the coordinator system & manage the network manager to enable the connected network system. During the analysis process, the Intel Network Sparse Solver available for this enhancement in automatically enabled. Under this process, the User is liable to select the corresponding machines for coordinator & for the client machine.

Benefits
  • Time reduction during the validation process
  • Multi tasking design process
  • Free up resources for analysis result files
  • Easy approach for post-processing results


Thursday 23 March 2017

SolidWorks Drawing - Linking Note To Table Cells

We all know that note are an important part of any engineering drawing and help to transfer vital information. One of the problems when dealing with drawings is to keep these note up to date. The best solution for that problem is to automate the process and ask the software to take care of maintaining them. That is what SOLIDWORKS keeps doing every year.

For example:
1. In 2016 what’s new SolidWorks added a facility of linking a note to balloons using a flag note.
2. In 2017 what’s new SolidWorks added enhancement in note, now we can directly link a note to the content of an table cells.


How to link a note to table cells:
The following steps will explain how to link note to table cells.
1. Click note, from Annotation tab.
2. Place the text in graphical area of sheet.
3. Click “Link Table Cell” from Note property dialog > Text Format.
4. Now select the cells from table which we want to link with the note.


The below images will explain the method
Linking note to BOM table
Linking note to Weldment table
Linking note to Hole table

Note:
1. We can also link note to multiple cells in single annotation.
2. If a change occurs to the table cell, either automatically or through manual editing then the note will update automatically.

For example:
1. Fasteners of part number either use material brass or stainless steel can easily link to table cells.
2. Structural member part number whose length can easily link to table cells.
3. Holes of the part refers to the standard size can easily link to table cells.