Have the Things in your Hands!

Just imagine! What if you become the President of The United States of America? What if you could have a control on stopping the bullet train with 320kph within a second in some chances of critical situation? What if the UNO announces you to monitor the whole nations in the world? Very curious. Let we break it out. In 2013, SolidWorks has introduced one of the biggest assets to the management who handle large Designs. 

We can also say it is one of the most welcome tool that meets our users and management’s expectation. The tool none other than is CAD ADMIN DASHBOARD.

CAD Admin Dashboard would have a collection of details about the process and operations that are carried out in the Design area with respect to the graphical data representations.

Let we have just three simple steps to attain the core capabilities of CAD Admin Dashboard and feel why the users sense this tool as an asset.

STEP 1 CAD Admin Dashboard shall be seen in Customer Portal which is inside SolidWorks website. To access this tool, the user must hold a SolidWorks Customer Portal account. 

STEP 2 SolidWorks Account Tab displays. Login to the portal using your User ID and Password.

If You don’t have SolidWorks Customer Portal Account, please reach your VAR and hold an account asap. It is an added benefit tool.

STEP 3 Once you get Login. Go to References-> CAD Admin Dashboard.

Core Capabilities of CAD Admin Dashboard

Once you complete the above steps (1-3), you will be seeing the complete details of the CAD Admin Dashboard window.

The things which we get here is,

• Account Details Information
• Machine Details
• Lastly Updated Status
• Serial Numbers
• Service Pack details
• Groups
• Actions Taken
• Performance of the Machine
• Session Details

Really interesting right? The complete set of details about the SolidWorks Licenses, recent service packs installed, last updated status with date and time and moreover the performance of the machine hardware memory level and graphics support details. As we seen above, the session details of each designer’s activity [login and logout date & time] shall be taken with graphical form. Once everything noticed, the user can export the required details in EXCEL format.

However, the complete actions which shown above should have a definite source of master key to fetch [observe/monitor] all these details and displays cumulatively in a single window. In other words, there should be some source working behind these scenes. Right? Yes, here is the key. To observe/ monitor the complete set of actions, the designers should,

Open SolidWorks-> Go to System Options-> General Tab-> Enable the check box “SOLIDWORKS CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM” option. This is the master key which helps to capture each and every process in the CAD Admin Dashboard. 

On the whole, I would like to express everything in simple words. “Have the Things in your Hands”. Catch up soon next. Have a great day.

THANK YOU FOR READING!

     

Methods to Effectively Reuse the Design Data

Have we ever imagined how many workman hours we lose in trying to Reuse the Data which is supposed to be saving the time and money instead of losing them? It includes time spent on,

•  Searching right version of the data among many file versions created by our team members.

•  Finding missing references of data.

•  Recreating the File/Folder structure.

•  Maintaining Filenames/Folder names.

The losses may sum up nearly the savings we make from data reuse. Hence it needs a system that is as much effective as possible to ease the pain and improve the Return of Investment spent on maintaining and reusing the older project files. The system we are proposing for this data reuse is SOLIDWORKS Product Data Management. Being a proven data management solution, SOLIDWORKS PDM provides excellent data management and reuse tools like Search tools, copy tree, Branching and Merging.

SOLIDWORKS PDM Search Tools:

The initial time-consuming process in data reuse is running searches for various files and its references. To overcome this SOLIDWORKS PDM provides two kinds of search options – Embedded Search and PDM Complete Search Tool. The Embedded Search is same as we have in windows explorer that runs search for files and folder whereas the PDM Search tool provides a flexible and customizable search options. The Search keyworks can be filenames, folder names, file extensions and meta data combined with Operators like AND, OR & NOT. The SOLIDWORKS PDM Search tool provides a separate window exclusively with,
1. Search Toolbar – provides options like Run, Stop, Delete & Save searches.
2. Search Favorites – lists the frequently made searches and searches added to favorites list.
3. Searches – lists the different default and customized Search Cards based searches.
4. Search in Vaults – lists all the available vaults to make searches in multiple vaults at same time.
5. Search Form – Displays form of selected search card where we can provide search criteria.
6. Results – Lists the files and folders relevant to the search criteria we provided in search form.
7. Tabs – Shows file preview, data card, Version details, Bill of Materials, etc.

Note: The Embedded Search is available both in SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard as well as PDM Professional Whereas the Complete Search tools is available only in SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional.

Copy Tree Dialog Box:

Once finding the right data is a success, the next step is extracting the data without missing any file references and organizing them with proper file name and folder structure. For this, SOLIDWORKS PDM provides a tool called Copy Tree which acts similar to the SOLIDWORKS Pack and Go tool. Here the major difference is Copy tree tool can preserve the folder structure for parent and child reference files with Preserve Relative Path option. Also, PDM features like regenerating Serial Numbers for file Number, replacing file name with Serial Number, File Warnings, Check-in options are available with which projects can be copied and organized as per our requirement. The file versions can be either the version of the selected file or the latest version. Copied files can be developed as a new project without affecting the source data.

Note: SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional has a similar tool called Move Tree which moves the Selected file and entire file structure to the destination location.

Branching and Merging:

Branching a file is like taking a copy of source file to work with for a sustained development period and later merging it with the source file to combine the file as a new version to the source file. This can be done to both CAD and Non-CAD documents. The same source file can be branched many times. The branched files can also be re- branched if needed. The branching and merging dialog box are similar to Copy Tree dialog box with all the options available similarly. In addition, branching dialog box will have a separate test box for providing a name to the branch operation. The branching operation will be recorded to the history of the file so that it can be referenced in future. Merging dialog box will provide no option for destination file location since the files will be merged only to the source file in the source file location. With branching and merging source data can be reused to build a separate project as a version of source project and later if needed both projects can be merged to make the source project as a updated revision. Hence Branching and Merging not only provides data reuse capability but also the older data replacement capability for minimizing duplicate file stack-up inside the vault

THANK YOU FOR READING!

SOLIDWOKRS TECH TIP - SOLIDWORKS PROPERTY TAB BUILDER

The Property Tab Builder is a stand-alone utility that you use to create a customized interface for entering properties into SOLIDWORKS files.

Traditionally, designer's use to modify the drawing template to insert custom property such as Description, Part No, Material, it’s a manual method. so, designers have to modify the custom property or metadata on each time, simultaneously BOM creation is also manual which increases a run time and errors in BOM table. It's also delayed the release of entire project.

Three ways to create a customized interface for property template.

• In the SOLIDWORKS software, on the Custom Properties tab in the Task Pane, click Create now.
• In the SOLIDWORKS software, on the SOLIDWORKS Resources tab of the Task Pane, click Property Tab Builder
• From the Windows Start menu, click All Programs > SOLIDWORKS version > SOLIDWORKS Tools > Property Tab Builder version.

To create the property tab, you will need to first create a new file inside of SOLIDWORKS. A new application window called the Property Tab Builder will pop up. In Property tab builder have three columns.
The left side column is a list of types of properties can be used. Mid column is what will be shown in SOLIDWORKS when the property tab is ready. The right column is the options/settings for each parameter.

Group Box: The Group box is essentially a container that allows you to group the other items.Textbox: This item accepts free-form text and stores it as an associated property.
List: List boxes present users with a list of predefined values that once selected will be stored.
Number: A number box accepts only number inputs to store as a property.
Checkbox: With a checkbox you can have the user select between two predefined values to place as a property.
Radio: Radio buttons allow you to define a selection of up to three predefined values that can be used to show or hide elements in the dialog.

By Assigning attributes to the properties. You will get final Property Box.

To Save the tab templates in the same location as the properties.txt file. You can create multiple templates for each document type. The file extension indicates the template type
➢ . PRTPRP for part
➢ . ASMPRP for assemblies
➢ . DRWPRP for drawings
➢ . WLDPRP for Weldments

This is done the same way you would for your custom templates. But instead you’ll select the “custom property files” in System Options > File locations.

You can see the applied properties in file property in below image.

Property Tab Builder lets you to create your specified properties in a single window and can be share it to all users so that properties can be applied by a single click, resulting in saving design time.

THANK YOU FOR READING!

SOLIDWORKS VISUALIZE ADD-IN TO EXPORT MODELS FROM SOLIDWORKS

SOLIDWORKS Visualize is a standalone software package designed to take 3D CAD data and transform it into photo-realistic images and animations that are ready for print and web in minutes.

The intuitive interface allows even non-technical users to develop rich, life like visual content with ease. With more robust images, internal team members and external stakeholders can quickly select, validate, improve and market their best and most robust design concepts before committing precious time and resources to a product. 

The SOLIDWORKS Visualize Add-in offers four options for exporting your active model from SOLIDWORKS to SOLIDWORKS Visualize. 

To use the add-in, in SOLIDWORKS, click Tools > Add-in and select SOLIDWORKS Visualize.

Export Simple

This option provides you with fastest way to paint and take photos of a model you created in SOLIDWORKS. To achieve faster rendering, it minimizes the number of parts in the Visualize Scene Tree.

Click Export Simple to save a copy of the active model and load it into SOLIDWORKS Visualize using Appearance mode part grouping.

Export Advanced 

This option gives you more flexibility if you update your model often. 

Click Export Advanced to save a copy of your active model with Automatic mode part grouping and Monitor File enabled.

If you have Visualize Professional and the model includes a motion study, the Select Motion Study dialog box lets you save or not save the motion study, or save only the camera motion.

Update 

This option exports the latest version of your active model and triggers an update in Visualize. 

Click Update and confirm that you want to re-import the model into SOLIDWORKS Visualize and update it. 

Save Advanced 

This option saves a copy of your active model and motion studies to a specific location, so you can import the model into SOLIDWORKS Visualize. You can use this option to export the model to other users who do not have SOLIDWORKS installed on their computer. 

Click Save Advanced and specify a directory in which to save the model. If you have Visualize Professional and the model includes a motion study, the Select Motion Study dialog box lets you save or not save the motion study, or save only the camera motion.

THANK YOU FOR READING!

CONTROL THE ACTION OF YOUR ASSEMBLY

Do you want to control the action of your assembly to show different position?

Look no further.

Mate Controller will help you manipulate specific mates that control degrees of freedom for a design. You can edit the positions, save and recall saved positions and mate values. You can also create animations based on the saved positions.

The allowable movement between components should be defined by adding mates to your assembly.

Supported mate types:

o Angle

o Distance

o LimitAngle

o LimitDistance

o PathMate (Distance Along Path, Percent Along Path)

o Slot (Distance Along Slot, Percent Along Slot)

o Width (Dimension, Percent)

Your assembly should include at least one supported mate type.

1. Begin by adding supported manually or use collect all supported mates automatically

2. Define the position by entering the mate values or using the slider and lock the values and add the position using.

3. Add multiple position by specifying the different value for mates.

4. Note that, at any time you can edit the value of the mates in different positions and update.

5. You can also save the positions as a new configuration.

6. View the working of the assembly by using the animation option and specify the time for each action.

7. Save the animation as a video.

With the help of this, you can easily and quickly create and show the working of your assembly to show different positions and actions.

You can communicate precisely how your product should move—and show off how your product works in general with the aid of Mate Controller.

THANK YOU FOR READING!