When it comes to configuring your workstation for SOLIDWORKS, how do you know what to prioritize? Does the size of the GPU matter more than the clock-speed of the CPU? Does your workflow change what’s important? Working at Lenovo, it was important to understand how you as a SOLIDWORKS user need answers to these questions…
Sponsored by That crust around your 3D modeling joints? Don’t worry. That’s the sign of EXPERIENCE. But we’re about to chip those crusty bits away. We’ve been modeling more or less the same for decades–some use solids, some use polygons, some do it sitting, some do it standing. But, it’s always been US telling IT…
Sponsored by Let’s say you sit down in your office chair, it absorbs you back to 1992 where a mustached salesman in a mauve shirt smiles and starts pelting you with hard drives. What a nightmare… And exactly how I feel about the process of evaluating 3D CAD software. I’ve been through it multiple times,…
Brought to you by We’re super excited to be teaming up with Lenovo to bring you an exclusive webinar for SolidSmack readers! If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the internals of your computer and specifically what is needed to power 3D CAD software, you won’t want to miss this! Save my…
Presented by The future of making things—that’s what Autodesk University is all about. As the preeminent conference for designers, engineers, architects, and makers of all stripes, AU is the place to share knowledge, learn about the latest trends and technologies, and build connections. This year, the future of making things comes into new focus with…
Sponsored by So you’ve got the concept model and a 3D printer that prints buttery smooth prints. But how much time do you have to tweak it to get the right clearance when working with assemblies or sliding components? This can be a grueling process or a glorious process. But, it depends on the approach…
Sponsored by Your days are spent looking into each other’s eyes, sometimes you even meet up over lunch, and if you push the right buttons, mmm-hmmm — hot, steamy 3D geometry, baby. You hear that? It’s the sound of love, CAD LOVE… or the sound of your software crashing for the fifth time today. Toss…
Presented by I’ve been going over What’s New in Fusion 360 and realized there are few things I need to know more about. Working on a model recently, seeing what people have created using Fusion 360 and a backlog of Instructables projects, pushed me to explore a more efficient ways to fill my braincase with…
Sponsored by Siemens PLM. “Large Assemblies” can be difficult to define. For some it’s a 100 part assembly, for others it’s 1000 parts, and still others it can be 10,000 parts and gigabytes of data.
Sponsored by Xometry is a one stop shop for manufacturing on demand and produces custom parts through a nationwide manufacturing partner network. Xometry capabilities include CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, 3D printing and urethane casting. The Xometry online quoting experience is available as a free Add-In within SOLIDWORKS! “The Add-In is all about efficiency,” said…
Sponsored by I’m not sure what you think when you hear the term ‘precision manufacturing’ but when I saw the 7+ axis micro-machining capabilities of Swissomation, I was completely floored. They take precision to the ultimate level. The company has over 70 years of experience working with some of the largest manufacturers in the U.S.…
Presented by Anyone involved in product development knows there’s constant pressure to get to market faster. However, success often comes to, not necessarily those who get to market faster but, those who are able to iterate and innovate faster. For that to happen, companies across every industry need tools that promote rapid discovery, decisions and…
Presented by I know, I know. I sealed off simulation with the 5 reasons I would use Simulation in Fusion 360 months ago. You thought we were all done with that. Well, you were wrong, Mwahaha! After that article, Autodesk released an update to Fusion 360 with so many Simulation features it could make a…
Presented by The health of the world’s oceans is rapidly degrading, but how can we protect what we can’t see? San Francisco nonprofit, The Hydrous, is tackling this challenge head-on, and in doing so, they’re opening up access to the hidden treasures of the world’s oceans to all. The team is combining its passion for…
Sponsored by Quoting and ordering custom parts from within SOLIDWORKS just became easier and faster than ever. The Xometry Add-In for SOLIDWORKS allows designers and engineers to get seamless instant quotes and a manufacturability feedback within a single integrated CAD workspace. “The Add-In is all about efficiency,” said Xometry’s Director of Project Engineering, Greg Paulsen.…
Presented by Throughout all the years (decades? yeow!) I’ve use 3D modeling software, I can’t think of a time where I didn’t use some type of in-context assembly design. Not building out a design like that gives me the shakes – I honestly can’t grasp how to get accurate fit and function without it. “That…
Presented by If you want to find out what Autodesk is up too, Autodesk University is the place to be each year. Last week that happened… yep, I just checked and we were in fact at AU last week. It was a bit of a blur, but I know two things for certain, nay THREE…
Presented by Here we are, 2016, and as you know, SolidSmack likes to look at what’s pushing product development ahead. Well, to look forward, it helps to look back… unless there’s a large bear, then you just want to skip the reminiscing and jump forward, hastily. We’ve got time, no bears, and a hefty dose…
Presented by You don’t have to wait for quotes any longer. The new Xometry SOLIDWORKS Add-In gives you instant pricing and manufacturability feedback on your CAD file directly within SOLIDWORKS. It’s dead simple to use and the handy “Production Guide: Designing Early for Custom Manufacturing” gives you all the tips on designing your parts for…
I’ve been a long time SolidWorks user, but I knew I wanted (ahem.. needed) to learn another 3D modeling software. That’s when I started looking at Autodesk’s Fusion 360. The features that highlight its capabilities and differentiates it is what this series set out to do. They’re features that expand beyond 3D modeling and show…
Presented by In seismically active, emerging nations that have suffered through devastating earthquake damage, rebuilding communities doesn’t just end with repairing homes, schools and other community structures – it ends when a foundation has been laid for a safer, more prosperous community. Unfortunately, many rebuilding efforts are based on routine cookie-cutter procedures that are incapable…
Presented by The O’Jays. Remember those guys? Probably not, but I guarantee you’ve heard their most popular song, For the Love of Money. Two chords and a repetitive five-word phrase later, and you’ve got a song stuck in your head for longer than you want. Those could easily be five reasons integrated CAM matters to…
Presented by Well, well, well. We have quite a cocktail coming together here. We’ve poured in some Fusion 360 part modeling and assembly features, and squeezed in a little simulation. Now it’s time to add that dash of collaboration. On the CAD capability excitement meter, this gets about a two. The geekiest of the…
Presented by For those who have visited, it’s slightly difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes Amsterdam such an attractive city. No matter how you describe it, though, few cities are capable of melding that old European charm with the attributes of a modern metropolis quite like Amsterdam can. It should come as little surprise then,…
Presented by Here we are. Part 4 of this epic exploration of Fusion 360. If you remember our first post, we are working our way through five aspects of Fusion 360 that, which Autodesk suggests, makes it more than CAD. To recap in a sentence, it all revolves around the idea of Fusion 360 as…
Presented by It’s time to talk about everyone’s favorite topic. Mating. (You two in the back stop snickering.) We’re in part three of our under-the-covers *snicker* peek at Fusion 360 and this time, we look at Assemblies. Over the years we’ve passed along tips and tricks, best practices, and overall bad-assery when it comes to…
The Onshape guys think Part Studios set them apart from other multibody CAD systems. I’ve been skeptical. After a few weeks of testing, I have some thoughts.
Presented by Two weeks ago we did the unthinkable. We taped back our eyelids, slapped on some CAD spandex (that exists right?) and launched a series of articles on Fusion 360. It’s finally time we took a deeper dive into the toolset and explore: Part Modeling, Assembly Modeling, Simulation, CAM, and Collaboration. This week, we’re…
Presented by You have to hand it to Autodesk, they wiggle their marketing nose and out pops some brand spankin’ new content. I caught their latest What is Fusion 360? video, where they show Fusion 360 doing collaboration, freeform modeling, animation, rendering, simulation, CAD and CAM, claiming, “it’s not any one of those things –…
Presented by Once upon a time we shoved pounds of paper into binders and carted them off to the conference rooms for design reviews, sifting through them under bad lighting and a hazy caffeine buzz from coffee that was clearly past the expiration date.
Presented by We’ve given you a quick overview of Onshape, but wow, there is so much more. More than I thought actually. It’s hard to keep up when they’re releasing new features every three weeks. But that right there, that is just one thing that makes Onshape such a powerful 3D modeling platform.
Presented by “No way” you say. “Cloud services aren’t ready for prime time. They’re not secure/fast/reliable/full-featured enough for my business.” Let me tell you why you’re wrong.
Presented by Collaborating with CAD data sucks. In fact, you told us it’s the third most annoying thing in CAD back in late 2014. Onshape wants you to think they’ve solved it. Have they, really? Let’s think this through.
