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SolidSmack Mystery Meat: Will SolidWorks Implement Direct Modeling Techniques?

Published
by
Josh
on May 7, 2008
in SolidWorks Mystery Tips and SolidWorks Tips
. Tags: , , .

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Well, last weeks mystery tip about PhotoWorks DOF. I get a bit of emails asking questions about SolidWorks and alot of them are really good questions that I’d love to turn into posts. So once again that’s what we’re gonna do.

First Person to Ask a Question
The first person to asks a question about SolidWorks in the comments below will turn this post into a 100% grade-A topic for everyone to join in on. All I ask, is that it’s not a question like, why does SolidWorks suck or can eyes really pop out of their socket… this is serious stuff people.

So ask away, chime in if you know the answer, and we’ll crank out another topic that will send people home to their families in a pleasant mood.

The Mystery Question IS…

UPDATE: Steve Calvert ask… “Will Solidworks follow Siemens (UGS) with more direct modeling techniques or are we just stuck with history based modeling?”

Whoa Steve, you are opening up all sorts of debate! :)

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Viewing 7 Comments

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    Josh, will Solidworks follow Siemens (UGS) with more direct modeling techniques or are we just stuck with history based modeling?

    Steve
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    Steve... Read some info on Dassault's new V6 platform. There could be some interesting news coming out soon. SolidWorks has been a little longer this year in making the Beta (2009) available. Don't know what this means really, but it could be due to some bigger changes in play... CB Model Pro and Cosmic Blobs are the direct modelling stuff that SolidWorks has been playing around with for years seemingly trying to get everything right before its added to the core platform of SolidWorks. I think given all these pieces of info, we can read between the lines as to what is coming next. I think an important question would be if Dassault and SolidWorks head in this direction, then how quickly with AutoDesk scarf up SpaceClaim...
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    Don't know about the integration of direct modeling anytime soon but the inside word from my VAR is that 2009 is going to be a housekeeping update. SW has become a processor/memory hog over the years because they have been concentrating on functional and interface enhancements. 2009 won't have any huge noticeable changes to the end user but it should be a lot leaner and meaner.
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    I don't think the direct modelling will come very soon to SolidWorks - unless SolidEdge receives the same Synchronous tech that NX gets. I would expect some things to filter down to SolidWorks from the V6 platform, though - just how soon? I have no idea. Here is some info on some tools in V6 that do direct editing. CAD vendors have been working on this stuff for years - it hasn't simply happened overnight like the press releases make it feel. Seems like once one company announced the capability, they all had to jump to announce they have or will have it soon too.

    V6 Info
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    It's been being added for a while- Move (and rotate) faces, replace face, etc. But those end up being features in a history-based tree. I think the hard part is trying to combine the non-history based tools that can be handy sometimes with the history based tools that are useful other times. The prize for the first company to do that right (no guarantee that Siemens will) is that everyone will copy it. Some prize :)
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    I think in the near future, hybrid modeling(a mixture of history base and direct edit) will be widely used and that's the marketing point for all the CAD vendors including SolidWorks.

    CAD kernel like Parasolid will become more flexible to allow user switching in different approach and modeling technique.

    I believe end user will be happy to see more user-friendly interface and intuitive way of editing methods like push/pull/drag.

    Since a hybrid modeling approach will be adapted easily by all the CAD users, so eventually SolidWorks , as a leader in mid-range CAD market, it'll adopt the new concept of direct editing and integrate into its core function.
    Soon or later you'll SolidWorks announce a new technology which can improve your speed 200x times faster. haha
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    Check out Al Dean's article on the subject - Synchronous Technology

    If you've used any of the DM type modelers, you'll most likely be frustrated with making changes and "locking things down" dimensionally. If Siemens is what it looks like it's going to influence things. For SolidWorks I think it's good that they have implemented types of Direct Model and seem to be watching the fray that is going on currently. But also, think of this, what if SolidWorks introduces some new modeling capabilities without all the hype an marketing terminology?
 

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