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BOM’s. Bill o’ Materials. That list of parts that moves across the disco floor like only you wish you could. DID I really just compare a BOM to a dance genre we long to forget? Yes, yes I did, and I’m feeling the nostalgic and stomach-churning affects of doing so.
Nevertheless, a BOM provides that dose of stretchy-pants flexibility that makes a drawing filled with isometric views and obscure callouts more understandable, but just setting one up can have you flailing all over the place like when you try to show your co-workers that new move you learned over the weekend. Let’s fine-tune your BOM moves and get that drawing grooving like you mean it.
Continue reading ‘SolidWorks BOM Superstar: 5 Moves to Avoid and How to Groove It’
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It’s inevitable. A hundred models of a screw and they’re all created a different way. I’m telling ya, it’s an open flesh wound just waiting to get infected.
Companies often jump into the 3D modeling fray without laying out an SolidWorks implementation plan. But, even when things are implemented correctly, the details of model creation get ignored. Suddenly, the gangrene set in, people are throwing up yesterdays models, and the productive energy is sucked right out of your design and engineering department. That is gross man.
Here’s an easy approach to stop the rot that plagues typical methods of no design practice or too many design practices. I imagine you have your own tricks too, so hit the comments and tell everyone what you and your company do to take on the task of creating the perfect design practice.
Continue reading ‘Stop the SolidWorks Rot: Simple Tips for Awesome Design Practices’
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The SolidWorks Confirmation Corner. That little island in the corner just tempting you to become a more decisive person. One option, to accept the ensuing fate of the changes you’ve made to your sketch. The other, to abandon all the relations you’ve jacked up.
Do you really… I mean REALLY want to exit that sketch? Think about it and choose wisely, because that sketch change might work… but it might not. Tough decisions for those non-committal types huh? I used it in the past, but since SW08, I have it turned off. What about you?
Do You use the SolidWorks Confirmation Corner?
Other Options?
While there’s not a regular command to exit the sketch that disregards any changes, there are other ways to get out of the edit sketch command, as well as edit feature commands, that may be faster than traveling to the Confirmation Corner. Here’s three that will keep you closer to that cool lookin’ model of yours.
Continue reading ‘SolidWorks Confirmation Corner. Use It? Loose It? Three Other Options.’
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Sometimes, flipping back and forth between a PDF or AutoCAD drawing is enough to make you start humming loudly and spinning in tight circles. That’s ok… when you don’t have to get a drawing out, but when you need to get some concepts going or figure out how things fit together, you can use some good ol’ images to speed up the process.
Here’s some super quick tips to get your from a PDF to a Solid and a method that’s sure to make it more fun.
Continue reading ‘From PDF to Solid: More Fun Using Images to Create SolidWorks Layouts’
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Yes, it happens to all of us. We’re cruising along with the mouse, clickin’ this way and that, and typing some notes with the keyboard. Life is simple. Then, we take our hand off the keyboard for a sip of coffee or a little stretch and… suddenly our finger shoots straight into our eye with a repeated jabbing motion and 2 hours of work are lost as you regain your sight.
A sad state of affairs my friend. We need to get back to keeping that hand on the keyboard. So, while engineer restraining systems are still being developed, here’s a few keyboard tricks you can use in SolidWorks to make sure you won’t be tempted to take your hand off the keyboard and risk permanent ocular impairment.
Continue reading ‘The 7 Best SolidWorks Keyboard Tricks’
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Look, there’s a bunch of things you could do this week, but showering regularly, eating less beef jerky and discovering your unlimited potential for doing cool things with SolidWorks should be at the top of the list, don’t ‘cha think?
I’m finding there’s more and more ways of doing things with SolidWorks that have nothing to do with what I actually model in SolidWorks. But suddenly, I find it helps me with what I do actually model.
So, if you’re completely bored with your role in life and need to shed your creative angst, take at look at these 27 ways to get the most out of SolidWorks that will shake your ever-loving 3-Dimensional noggin’.
Continue reading ‘27 Free Ways to Get the Most Out of SolidWorks This Week’
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Since the dawn of time, man has contemplated the frustrating effects of the big read error icon and has come to the conclusion that, yes, veins can indeed pop out of your head whether your sitting down or standing in a defensive crouch in front of your computer.
Computer errors pretty much feel like being hit repeatedly in the face. Errors in a SolidWorks parts and assembly feel like the repeated face hits but with missing the face and popping you square, and very annoyingly, in the ear.
But look here. There are ways to get rid of those errors quickly and dodge a ton of others that come flying at you.
Continue reading ‘5…No Wait, 6 Tips For Fixing SolidWorks Errors’
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Oh to have ways of creating models faster. Moving your mouse around really fast-like doesn’t help, gripping your neck and squeezing real hard doesn’t help much either. Sometimes, it’s just what you have in your bag o’ tricks that can get you moving along… or in our case, a library of tricks.
In SolidWorks, you may use the Design Library to store everything from common features to standard assemblies, but what it’s rarely used as, is a library of surface features; surfaces that can be used to aid design. This may feel a little soupy if you’re unfamiliar with surfacing in SolidWorks, but I think you’ll be able to pick up some ideas even if you don’t use surfacing.
To explain, picture this example.
Continue reading ‘Create Models Faster with a Library of Surfaces in SolidWorks’
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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! 
Continue reading ‘SolidSmack Mystery Meat: Will SolidWorks Implement Direct Modeling Techniques?’
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Ok, I’m gonna try something here. 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 that’s what we’re gonna do.
First Person to Ask a Question
The first person to add a comment below that asks a question about SolidWorks will turn this post into a 100% grade-A tip for everyone to join in on. All I ask, is that it’s not a question like, why does SolidWorks suck or can monkeys use SolidWorks… this is serious stuff people.
So ask away, chime in if you know the answer, and we’ll see how this goes. If you like it, we can turn it into a regular type of thing on this here blog.
The Mystery Question Is…
UPDATE! Jeff (at 7:22 am CT) asks - “In Photoworks, do many people use both the depth of field and indirect illumination? I find the two don’t work together well- turning DOF on causes indirect illumination to make little difference. I know this isn’t the most exciting question, and maybe a better one will be sparked from this.”
Help him out in the comments!
Continue reading ‘SolidWorks Mystery Tip: PhotoWorks DOF!’
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