In NEWS

First seat of SolidWorks, SOLD! …15 years ago, today.

4 Mins Read

Well, just look how time oozes suspiciously right past us. SolidWorks 2011 launched last week, but you may not have known there have been 15 years of enhancements before it.

Today, September 6th, 2011 marks the 15th anniversary of SolidWorks selling the very first seat of their 3D product development software. Over 1 millllliooooon seats have found their way into the talented, and not so talented, hands of people around the world since. It just so happens we found the guy who laid his hands upon that first seat and asked him a couple questions.

In 1996, Bill Townsend took a chance with a then unknown 3D modeling software. Here’s what the CEO of Barrett Technology had to say.

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In RESOURCES

How to Go From 3D Model to Online Game With 3DVia Studio

1 Min Read

Yeah, you spend your days modeling food dispersal system for fish hatcheries, but your evening activities tell a different story. Let’s just say people should think twice before challenging you to 5-day Mario Kart Marathon.

Perhaps, as you’ve sat in silence waiting for the next installment of the Halo series to come out, you’ve wondered how you could bring 3D models from a 3D CAD program to a game program. No? Well, you should have wondered, because it’s possible. You’ll use a free program called 3DVia Studio to get it done.

Here’s the video which shows how you would go about doing it using a model from SolidWorks. But, it could be done with any 3D modeling program.

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In ROCKIN

Celebrate Good Times, Jellybeans and 3D Buckyball Intensity

1 Min Read

September 4th is a special day. It’s the zero day anniversary of the day I figured out that it cost less to get a full salad and full soup, instead of two half salad, half soup “Deals”. Soup and Salad ON ME.

It’s also the 25th anniversary of the Buckyball, a spherical Fullerene created using jellybeans and toothpicks by some creative scientist back in 1985… the same year Goonies came out. Google is celebrating the occasion with a 3-dimensional interactive buckyball graphic on the Google home page.

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In SMACKDOWN

Friday Smackdown: Slosh Popper

1 Min Read

It’s all about absorbency. If you find one with six paws and an orange belly, you’ve got a keeper. But watch it! They’ll soak these links right out of your head. Alexandr Melentiev – Alexandr creates amazing world art.. amazing. Right-click, view image on his site to see large versions. If Historical Events had Facebook…

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In REVIEWS

SolidWorks 2011: More Features, Faster Design, Fewer Beatings

17 Mins Read

Blow the beet juice out of your mouth. This week SolidWorks 2011 is launched. We could ask the same questions we did last year and we could also bore 1/4-20 screws into our head. We will do neither. What we want to know is one thing, is 2011 better.

Is it better than 2010? Does it have better options? Does it have better performance? We’ll answer that. We’ll take a look at the best new features and smack a “Best New Feature award” on the ones you’re sure to use and spray virtual malice on the stuff that could be better.

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