CATI Tech Notes

SolidWorks World 2012 Recap

This year's SolidWorks World was attended by over 5600 SolidWorks Users, Resellers, and Partners.

We were joined by Mike Rowe of the Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs.  Mike discussed his experience traveling the country in search of America's Dirtiest Jobs.

SolidWorks World 2012 - Day 1 General Session Update #sww12

Also, we were introduced to a variety of SolidWorks Customers that are doing extraordinary things.  There was a great presentation from the Howe Brothers of Howe & Howe Tech (AKA The Black OPS Brothers).  We saw how SolidWorks Customers Neptune Canada and Quirky(Objet Owner and Enthusiast) are introducing crowd sourcing to help solve their industry challenges.

SolidWorks World 2012 - Day 2 General Session Update #sww12

The week ended with a sneak peak at what is to come in SolidWorks 2013.  Here is a list of the new features and enhancements in the next release of SolidWorks. 

• Snapshots in any doc
• Simulation Sub-modeling
• Bounding box cut-list properties
• Additional 3DVIA Composer Cameras
• Quick Pick Document Type
• Envelope Enhancements
• Insert Multiple Parts
• Multiple Exploded Views
• Rotate Exploded Parts
• Favorites folder
• Plastic Boss Mount Control
• Cosmetic Thread and Dowel Holes
• Surfaces Intersect
• Extrude Multiple Thin Contours
• Equation Entry Everywhere
• Vary Pattern Dimensions
• EPDM Collaboration
• DrafSight and EPDM Integration
• Previous Release Interoperability

SolidWorks World 2012 - Day 3 General Session Update #sww12

Keep an eye out later this year for information regarding SolidWorks 2013 and the 2013 Beta Program.

HELP!!! My feature tree is missing entities in 2012.

Update as soon as possible to avoid this issue.

Important fix included in SolidWorks 2012 SP2 for missing entities in part and assembly FeatureManager after converting data to SolidWorks 2012 format

DS SolidWorks Corporation has detected a workflow that may result in the FeatureManager missing items or having entities listed at an incorrect position in the FeatureManager. This issue may occur with files that have multiple configurations during the conversion of data from a prevision version to SolidWorks 2012 SP0 or SP1. Files created in SolidWorks 2012 are unaffected.

SolidWorks 2012 users are strongly encouraged to upgrade to SolidWorks 2012 SP2 as soon as possible to avoid this issue. A hotfix is also available for SolidWorks 2012 SP1 users and attached to Solution S-058181.

Symptoms: Affected files will be missing entities in the feature tree, such as features and mates in one or more configuration of the model.

Correction: The fix in SolidWorks 2012 SP2 and the SP1 hotfix prevents the issue during conversion. In many cases, the fix can also repair affected files that have already been converted. Once repaired, the issue can not recur.

If SP2.0 or the SP1.0 Hotfix does not resolve the issue with a particular file set, then please collect the problematic SolidWorks files and contact your SolidWorks Reseller for further review.

Today’s Additive Manufacturing Webinar: Injection molding, living hinges, overmolding and more

Join CATI, along with Objet and MachineDesign.com for a free webinar discussing the use of 3D Printers for Additive Manufacturing.

Date and Time:
Thursday, February 23, 2012
1pm - 2pm Central Time
>>Register

Event Highlights:

• Exposing the real range of 60+ materials
• How are companies using these materials for testing?
• See over-molding successes for 3M, Devicix and Sanford.
• How Digital Materials may be your next production part.
• How VistaTek is using additive manufacturing to grow injection molding.

About the Presenter:

Dan Mishek is the Managing Director and Co-Owner of Vista Technologies.  As a 3rd generation manufacturer he has embraced additive manufacturing along with subtractive manufacturing technologies to help guide product development into production.  Dan has been published in Moldmaking Technology, Injection Molding, Manufacturing Engineering, and Time Compression.  He has also presented at the RP&M Show (‘07&’11) and at Mold Making Expo (’07,’08,’11). 

Vista Technologies (VistaTek) was founded in 1996.  VistaTek is a full-service Rapid Prototyping, Rapid Tooling and Injection Molding Service Bureau. Today, this privately held company has in-house capabilities of Objet Polyjet, FDM, High Speed Milling, Mold Making, and Injection Molding.

>>Register

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

Where is the Link Values option in SolidWorks 2012? It's back in SP1.0.

SolidWorks does listen to its customers.
In response to customer feedback, the Link Values feature has been brought back to SolidWorks 2012 SP1.0. Right click on a dimension and pink Link Value / Unlink Value.

Why was it replaced in the first place?
Here's some information on the reasoning to replace this feature and how to take advantage of the new capabilities:

Linked or shared values are used to link two or more dimensions without using equations or relations. Changing any one of the linked values would change the other to which it was linked. SolidWorks 2012 has made things even easier. SolidWorks 2012 provides a completely redesigned dialog box for creating and editing equations, global variables and dimensions. With this update, you can use global variables in the equations dialog / modify value dialog. Global variables are much easier to find, change, and manage than linked values.

How do I use a global variable to link dimensions?
1. Create a global variable Modify dialog box for dimensions. (Note: you can create and display a global variable in the Equations dialog box, but this way is faster.)

Double click on a sketch dimension to bring up the Modify dialog box. By typing the equal sign you indicate to the system that you will start an equation. After the equal sign you can start to type the name of the global variable. SolidWorks does not recognize this as a global variable until you click the small "Create Global Variable" button that appears as you type. As soon as you click on the button, the global variable is created and allows you to edit its value.

To the left of the dimension is a toggle button that shows the global variable or the value.

2. That's it! To set another dimension to that same value, type the equal sign and then pick your new global variable and click the green check mark.

When you change the value of either of these dimensions, both dimensions are changed to the new value because you are really changing the value of the global variable.

How do you remove the link to the global variable?
1. Double click on the dimension to display the Modify dialog box.
2. Click the toggle Global Variable button to show the global variable.
3. Highlight and delete it. Then, click the green check mark.

Neil Bucalo
Technical Analyst
Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

Live From SolidWorks World 2012 in San Diego

Greetings from SolidWorks World 2012. It's day one and already it's looking to be a great conference. Today's general session is just about to begin. Check back throughout the week for the latest news from SolidWorks World 2012.

Http://www.solidworks.com

SolidWorks World 2012 Exhibitor List

Be sure to check out these and other great CATI and SolidWorks Solution Partners at this year's SoildWorks World in San Diego, CA.

Objet - Booth #500
Dassault Systemes - #141
DriveWorks - Booth #324
SolidProfessor - Booth #124
Zuken - Booth #400
InspectionXpert - Booth #741A
Simpoe - Booth #435
3DConnexion - Booth #578
and More!

Check out the complete SolidWorks World 2012 Exhibitor List.

 

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

CATI Presentations at SolidWorks World 2012

Where can you find your favorite CATI SolidWorks Technical Analyst at SolidWorks World 2012 in San Diego, CA?  Giving one of 9 presentations that's where.  We are proud to announce the full line up of CATI and Inflow Technology presenters at this year's SolidWorks World.  Here is the schedule for CATI and Inflow Technology presenters. You can also find this list at http://www.cati.com/sww2012.  Check back after SolidWorks World for instructions on how to download these presentations.

Presentation	Presenter	Day/Time
Allowing SolidWorks to Perform	Adrian Fanjoy Josh Altergott	Monday Feb. 13 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Introduction to Routing	John Van Engen	Monday Feb. 13 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
How To Build and Maintain Effective Design Tables	Josh Altergott	Tuesday Feb. 14 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Welded Structures: From Proper Implementation and Pitfalls, to Drawings	Ketul Patel	Tuesday Feb. 14 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
30+ Things YOU Definitely Missed From Essentials	Todd Werginz John Van Engen	Tuesday Feb. 14 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Chaos vs. Control: The Use of Templates in Your SolidWorks Enterprise PDM Environment	Jeff Barker	Tuesday Feb. 14 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Sharing Assemblies Without Giving It All Away	Jim Krivoshein	Wednesday Feb. 15 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
SolidWorks Enterprise PDM Integration Best Practices	Justin Webster	Wednesday Feb. 15 2:45 PM -3:45 PM
Introduction to Routing	John Van Engen	Wednesday Feb. 15 2:45 PM -3:45 PM

 

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc

SolidWorks Sheet Metal and Flat Pattern View Direction

One of the questions that came out of one of our training classes today is “How does SolidWorks determine the direction of the view layout for the Flat Pattern view it automatically generates?”

So we started looking and trying out different options and here is what we found, prior to SolidWorks 2011 we were unable to specify a Grain Direction in a sheet metal part so the Fixed Face viewed Normal To was the direction for your Flat Pattern. With SolidWorks 2011 SolidWorks added a series of new properties for Sheet Metal parts that a lot of information that is useful for manufacturing. Two of the Properties are Bounding Box Length and Bounding Box Width and because of this SolidWorks now lines up your Flat Pattern view with the Length in the Y and your Width in the X directions, thus for many people not give them the desired view layout. So if you want to change this you can use the Grain Direction, found by editing the Flat Pattern feature, and selecting an edge or sketch line for the Grain Direction (X).

The alternative option is:

1. Select the view to rotate.
2. Select the Rotate View icon found in the Heads-Up Toolbar.
3. Enter the value of the rotation angle.

Tracer Study in Flow Simulation

With the tracer study in Flow Simulation you can quickly simulate a concentration source,surface condensation or evaporation of admixture fluid (e.g. water vapor or toxic gas) in the carrier fluid (e.g air).The assumption being this admixture has little or no effect on the carrier fluid flow.

Examples of tracers in air being : water vapor, carbon dioxide,etc. Any admixture whose concentration is relatively low can be considered as a tracer. This feature is very useful for designing clean rooms.

Rajat Trehan

Product Manager

Computer Aided Technology Inc. 

How Do You Batch Convert Files to the Latest Release of SolidWorks?

With each new release of SolidWorks, the file format is updated to take advantage of the latest performance upgrades, Each time a file is opened that has not been saved in the new release, a message will appear that this is an older file. Customer's continually ask what is the easiest way to convert all their files at once.

The Easy Solution - SolidWorks Task Scheduler
You can create a task to convert files from an earlier release of SolidWorks to the current release.  This optimizes them for the latest software enhancements. You can create a task to convert files on your computer or create a distributed task to run on a group of computers. You must have a SolidWorks Professional, SolidWorks Premium, or SolidWorks Office license to create a distributed task. In general the Task Scheduler should convert all the old version files.

Note: Please back-up all files before converting files. Once files are saved in the latest release, they cannot be opened in an earlier release of SolidWorks.

Click Start - All Programs - SolidWorks Install Directory - SolidWorks Tools - SolidWorks Task Scheduler

1. Click Convert Files on the sidebar, or pull down the Tasks menu and pick Convert Files.
2. In the Convert dialog box, type a title for the task or leave the default.
3. Select the files or folders you want to convert. Simply click the Add File or Add Folder button and select the files or folder to update and click Open. Repeat to select additional files or folders. If you do not want to include subfolders, uncheck Include subfolders. To delete a file or folder from the list, click its number or path, then click Delete.
4. Under Task schedule, set the Running mode (Specifies how often the task runs: Once, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.), the Start time and the Start date.
5. For distributed tasks: Click Network Monitor if it is not running. Select Distribute Task. Click Network Test (recommended) to verify group read and write access to files and folders.
6. Click Options to change conversion options and backup locations.
7. Click Advanced to change the working folder, time-out values, and other options.
8. Click Finish.