When it comes to configuring that ideal computer for your 3D design needs, every last little bit of power can help. However, when you’re working within a set budget, the challenge of swapping some components for others can become a tedious task that sometimes feels more like rocket science than a ‘fun’ build project. Earlier…
If you’ve been looking for a way to keep those SolidWorks muscles strong going into 2015, then you’re in luck friend. For this week and this week only, industrial design video training site cadjunkie is offering the entire SolidWorks 101 course for free (normally $39) using the following coupon code: happyholidays. The sub-two-hour course starts…
For anybody who’s been wanting to get the most out of their 3D scanner or smartphone 3D scanning app, the new MODO for Repotology series from industrial design training site cadjunkie is just for you. For the low price of $39 ($14 for cadjunkie Premium members), this downloadable video series includes everything you need to…
If you’ve been on the fence about whether to purchase MODO 801 or not, you have until Friday (12/19) to purchase the software package for 40% off of its retail value, which would bring the cost down to $897.00 (normally $1495.00). Discounted as part of a MODO Flash Sale, the steep discount is almost unheard…
For anybody who’s been wanting to get the most out of their 3D scanner or smartphone 3D scanning app, the new MODO for Repotology series from industrial design training site cadjunkie is just for you. For the low price of $39 ($14 for cadjunkie Premium members), this downloadable video series includes everything you need to…
Looking for something to keep your design engineering muscle strong this weekend? For anybody who has been wanting to get the most out of their 3D scanner or smartphone 3D scanning app, then the new MODO for Repotology series from industrial design training site cadjunkie is just for you. For the low price of $39…
Well, we’ve waited long enough and now it’s finally here. For anybody who has been wanting to get the most out of their 3D scanner or smartphone 3D scanning app, then the new MODO for Repotology series from industrial design training site cadjunkie is just for you. For the low price of $39 ($14 for…
EvD Media’s very own resident industrial design pro Adam O’Hern (he of Cadjunkie fame) has been busy as of late figuring out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. Thankfully, he’s also been channeling that sugar rush into developing scripts for our favorite CAD programs and hacking existing…
EvD Media’s very own resident industrial design pro Adam O’Hern (he of Cadjunkie fame) has been busy as of late figuring out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. Thankfully, he’s also been channeling that sugar rush into developing scripts for our favorite CAD programs and hacking existing…
As 3D printing finds its way into solving a myriad of problems ranging from more traditional product development methods to more recent medical applications, there is one trait that leaves much to be desired: the ability to create multiple high-quality prints in a short amount of time. While the recently-announced Multi Jet Fusion Technology from…
Next time you’re at a big-box store such as Target, take a moment to walk down their toothbrush and toothpaste aisle. Pretend that you’re being hired to do some qualitative research into redefining the oral care experience. Now back out. The oral care industry is a confusing one–one where they are trying to meet the…
We can’t believe that we missed this one pre-Halloween…but it’s just too dang good to not put out either way. Originally conceived of by Stephen Endersby, a Product Manager over at SolidWorks, this zombie-themed SolidWorks Simulation activity effectively helps you learn the basics of simulation in SolidWorks while testing zombie attack survival strategies. In this…
Back in May of 2014, Luxion released their much-anticipated Keyshot 5 that saw a host of improvements to their popular rendering package. Among other new features included the popular ‘Perspective Matching’ option for accurately placing a model in a scene and the introduction of Keyshot Cloud to further enable the Keyshot user community to instantly…
It’s no secret that the ‘urban bicycle’ is a hot topic in bicycle design circles. With the rising popularity of the recent Oregon Manifest–an annual nationwide competition that pairs design firms with small bicycle fabricators to create the ‘ultimate’ urban bicycle–along with a host of bike-related infrastructure developments, urban cycling is on the forefront of…
Each week we’re sharing a new tip with you here on the ‘Smack to help elevate your CAD game to a new level. Our goal is to mix up the weekly tips to cover a wide variety of ground for using CAD effectively as a product design tool. Some weeks might feature basic form-building exercises…
Each week we’re sharing a new tip with you here on the ‘Smack to help elevate your CAD game to a new level. Our goal is to mix up the weekly tips to cover a wide variety of ground for using CAD effectively as a product design tool. Some weeks might feature basic form-building exercises…
Each week we’re sharing a new tip with you here on the ‘Smack to help elevate your CAD game to a new level. Our goal is to mix up the weekly tips to cover a wide variety of ground for using CAD effectively as a product design tool. Some weeks might feature basic form-building exercises…
Do you know why its called “Complex Surfacing”? Because its complicated! I have spent several years specifically working with complex surfacing inside Solidworks. For awhile now I have been working on concept cars, motorcycles, consumer products and general ‘shape-y’ type stuff. I love the parametric design process, and I deal with all aspects of Solidworks…
Each week we’re sharing a new tip with you here on the ‘Smack to help elevate your CAD game to a new level. Our goal is to mix up the weekly tips to cover a wide variety of ground for using CAD effectively as a product design tool. Some weeks might feature basic form-building exercises…
If data portability is so annoying, what format(s) are we talking about here? We asked what formats people use when sharing data with 1) collaborators, 2) clients, and 3) fabrication shops. The results were generally unsurprising, but lead to some interesting conclusions.
Each week we’re sharing a new tip with you here on the ‘Smack to help elevate your CAD game to a new level. Our goal is to mix up the weekly tips to cover a wide variety of ground for using CAD effectively as a product design tool. Some weeks might feature basic form-building exercises…
As time goes on, we are quickly seeing an ever-changing job market. Many employers are looking for new designers with additive manufacturing skills in their bag of tricks. Along with new technology comes new opportunities, and in our realm of 3d design that means instant gratification, well pretty close anyways. These days, you can set…
The ‘Hump Day Hot Tips’ series from our industrial design training site cadjunkie has been off to a great start after three weeks of looking at splines in SolidWorks. This week, industrial designer Adam O’Hern takes a look at how to avoid inflections and gain better control over your splines using the most common spline…
We all have lived through those excruciatingly painful moments when a knob of cold, hard butter refused to spread easily on a slice of bread. Whose fault is it – the cold butter, the clumsy knife, the bread or your will to have a buttered slice? To satisfy such whimsical cravings and more, DM Initiatives…
As part of the new ‘Hump Day Hot Tips’ series from industrial design training site cadjunkie, industrial designer Adam O’Hern has been looking at various methods for connecting two buttery-smooth splines in SolidWorks. This week features a new method that some of you who have been using SolidWorks 2014 might already know about: the Style…
EvD Media’s very own Adam O’Hern has been busy concocting various new awesome sauce CAD tutorials over at cadjunkie. The industrial design video training site features hundreds of videos ranging from SolidWorks and MODO to Rhino and Adobe tutorials. In this new mini-series, Adam will be answering your burning CAD questions as well as presenting…
There are five things I want after designing a part–a damn part, damn fast. 3D printing was suppose to be the revolutionary technology that made all our manufacturing woes go away, speed the whole process up and leave machinists in a wake of plastic fumes and corporate laughter. DMLS still holds high hopes for production…
As the sweat beads drip across my sun-scorched face, my mouse hand quivers and cracks in the cruel dry heat. “This was a bad plan.” I think to myself. “Setting up an outdoor office in the middle of the Mojave looked good on paper, but the reality is rather different.” If only I’d been wearing my bracelet, this never would have happened.
We’re workin’ on something pretty smokin’ for The Smack this week, and in the process we put together a quick tutorial. Check it out on MCADForums. While you’re there, consider posting a question or something so we can make fun of it help out. Have fun kids.
When it comes to rendering a 3D model, there are generally two directions one could go in: a drag and drop solution or a fine-tuned custom solution with more dials and knobs than a 747 cockpit. Full-stack programs such as MODO offer the latter for those who are particular about every last measurement of fresnel,…
Implementing a fully digital drawing workflow from end to end is a desire of many companies. The digital workflow should be divided into two categories: the workflow for drawing creation and the workflow for drawing consumption. During the creation process, a digital workflow improves collaboration, improves communication between the designers and engineers, ensures data is…
We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where digital pens will allow design museum visitors to create and share their own product designs, a world where Virtual Reality headsets can be made from cardboard, how do we find the next ‘big thing’? MakerGalaxy…
Leave it up to industrial designer Adam O’Hern and his industrial design training site cadjunkie to sharpen those SolidWorks Ninja skills. Released today, the new and improved course pages for the SolidWorks 101, 201 and 301 series are the perfect way to stay on top of your SolidWorks skill set. Featuring projects including a robot…
We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where indie rock bands can offer on-demand 3D printable band merchandise for their fans, a world where high-quality makeup can be manufactured in one’s home…how do we find the next ‘big’ thing? MakerGalaxy is a show…
Having been President and CEO of Dassault Systèmes (parent company of SolidWorks) since September of 1995, Bernard Charlès has seen better than most how much the 3D software—and software in general—landscape has changed in the last twenty years. From the transition of industrial designers increasingly adopting CAD engineering tools into their workflows to the concept…
If the comments board on the recent Mechanical Conceptual SolidSmack post is any indication, SolidWorks has a lot of passionate users that want to stick with the brand…but feel uncertain about the pricey new 3D Experience structure. While SolidSmack will most certainly be the first to report back to you with any updates on the…
We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where we can interact with empty space, a world where we can 3D print our own shower curtain rings and bionic ears, a world where we’ll be sending people to space for vacation, how do we…
With 70% more customer presentations than the previous year, you would be hard-pressed to not find something interesting at Dassault Systèmes’ 2013 North America Customer Forum—a sort of showcase of how users and companies are using Dassault Systèmes’ software for various applications. From the impressive keynote speakers who dove into the future of STEM education…
Today I received a friendly email from my local SolidWorks VAR, ending with a gentle nudge: “****THERE IS NO GRACE PERIOD FOR DECEMBER RENEWALS, ANY DECEMBER RENEWAL RECEIVED AFTER DECEMBER 31ST WILL AUTOMATICALLY INCUR A REINSTALLATION FEE – NO EXCEPTIONS.” Ahhh, the sweet taste of extortion in the morning. SolidWorks 2014 is upon us, friends,…
This week we stopped by the Dassault Systèmes headquarters outside of Boston, MA to talk with SolidWorks CEO Bertrand Sicot about what we can expect from SolidWorks 2014 and other SolidWorks products as we approach the new year. We’ll talk with Bertrand about everything from what’s new in SolidWorks 2014 to what we can expect…
For those of you who have implemented the new Power Surfacing plug in for SolidWorks into your toolset, your work has no doubt taken a more organic route. For those unfamiliar with the plug in, Power Surfacing allows you to design complex freeform Class A surfaces in SolidWorks without the headache of patching trimmed surfaces…
If you’ve been looking for a way to keep those SolidWorks muscles strong and your History Tree Zen operating at it’s prime, consider the newly-released SolidWorks 101 Course from acclaimed industrial designer Adam O’Hern (AKA ‘the cadjunkie’). Unlike other industrial design tutorial series, Adam keeps the long, awkward pauses out and the intensity full throttle…all…
There’s an interesting infographic exploring the Depths of Cloud Storage put out by 3DVIA. It’s framed from “a 3D Designer’s perspective” or rather, from the argument in favor of cloud storage. It’s a great illustration and nothing that’s directly pushing 3DVIA products or services, but it brought up a question… What in the wide, wide…
One of the more exciting announcements to come out of SolidWorks World 2013 this year was the addition of an augmented reality-based update to SolidWorks’ popular eDrawings iOS app. What has been a go-to solution for many designers looking to present their models easily to clients and other designers in an easy-to-carry solution has now…
Creating delectable looking food and drink items in solid modeling software like SolidWorks may not be your routine, but it is possible and if you ever need to drench either with dew or a generous amount of condensation, there’s a quick, painless, highly repetitive (click, click, click) method for applying water droplets to the surfaces…
As if SolidWorks World 2013 couldn’t have been any more bangin’–it was. We got the chance to sit down with the guy who is controlling the future of your favorite CAD package like a gypsy with a crystal ball….Mr. Bertrand Sicot! In our video interview, we talk with Bertrand about what it’s been like as…
As previously reported by SolidSmack, the Power Surfacing for SolidWorks plug-in was bound to be a game changer for anybody looking to add a little more fun to their modeling workflow. Paul McCrorey of McCrorey Digital gave a presentation at SolidWorks World 2013 last week on using this powerful new plugin–specifically through giving us two…
Well, the dust has finally settled from all the excitement in Orlando this year as thousands flocked to the fifteenth annual SolidWorks World at the Dolphin Hotel at Walt Disney World. Between the amazing guest speakers (Art Thompson, Technical Project Director for Red Bull Stratos for example) and exciting announcements (Mechanical Conceptual, Augmented Reality eDrawings),…
SolidWorks World 2013 is firing on all cylinders with Dassualt Systems launching a new site to kick off the user event, My.SolidWorks. It integrates the Netvibes (content curation) and Exalead (search functionality) that Dassault systems acquired over the years. This is the first we’re seeing it pushed out on a more community level, especially on…
EvD Media’s Adam O’Hern has been keeping our cadjunkie members busy with his latest SolidWorks tutorial series centered around developing a product from scratch with consideration to working within teams of engineers, graphic designers, and of course, industrial designers. What better way to start the first month of the new year than with some fresh…