Our April 14th meeting has come and also has April 15th We had 29 in attendance at the Dynetics HQ building with Ricky Jordan our president presiding. And thanks to Richard Hall for trying out a new food choice (pizza does get a little old doesn’t it!) Ricky talked briefly about the upcoming SWUGN Summit event near us, this time taking place in Doraville GA(NE side of Atlanta) at the Holiday Inn NE Atlanta on Tuesday, May 19th. For those unfamiliar, this is a great event hosted by SolidWorks and led by Richard Doyle. Registration is only $40 and includes breakfast and lunch plus a full day of technical training. It is very much like a full day of breakout sessions at a SolidWorks World event. Follow the links on the SWUGN website (http://www.swugn.org/) to register online.
ModernTechMechanical (http://www.moderntechmech.com/)has created an “Engineering Stimulus Package” in conjunction with the SolidWorks Engineering Stimulus Package that is available to help currently unemployed engineers. This basically provides displaced engineers and designers with FREE SolidWorks 3D CAD software, training, Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA) certification opportunities, and job placement services.
Richard Hall talked briefly about the new look at 3D Content Central and how useful this great CAD source is. If you haven’t visited this site before it is well worth a look see. http://www.3dcontentcentral.com/default.aspx
Brian McElyea then presented on SolidWorks Workgroup PDM. Basically don’t think of this as something for more than one computer/engineer. It is a fantastic tool for file management, and product data management even on a single computer. The sytem keys on meta data and using notes you can build design history tracking that makes it very simple to retrieve previous versions. So you can think of it as a versioning system (i.e. unlimited configuration system) that allows you to go back to any previous design stage. PDM is not restricted to just CAD file/design. You can use it with any type file that you want to manage and control versions and version history. By using the PDM system you don’t have to manually create and store multiple folders and multiple models. The PDM system manages this for you. SolidWorks Workgroup PDM is included in SolidWorks Professional and Premium. If you have a need for PDM for a large group or for multiple site locations and want the ability to control all aspects of your file/design managment then the separate Enterprise PDM version is what you need.
Next up was our NASWUG RSA president Gary Hall presenting on DimXpert. Gary did a warm up of this at the previous RSA meeting so he was fine tuned for this one. Just to reitierate from that meeting, DimXpert differs from Autodimension in that it recognizes patterns and countersink holes and it produces predictable results. For example with Autodimension you typically get unwanted dimensions that have to be selectively deleted. Whereas with DimXpert when you select an edge only the feature represented by the edge is dimensioned. A word of caution with patterns: if a hole pattern was not created as a pattern of Hole Wizard holes then any changes made to the model do not update the hole callout. DimXpert is not just for native SolidWorks parts. Gary walked through this example using an imported model, selecting specific datums and then applying DimXpert. This is a great tool for those that have a need to produce manufacturing drawings.
Thanks to Brian and Gary for outstanding presentations. And just a note to all members. Anyone interested in presenting on a topic should contact Ricky Jordan. We always get outstanding presenters from the SolidWorks community and sometimes don’t realize the wealth of experience within our own group.
The North Alabama SolidWorks Users Group (NASWUG) is proud to announce our April 2009 meeting! The meeting will be held on Tuesday April 14, 2009 from 5:00pm to 7:30pm at the Dynetics Corporate Headquarters Building.
Come join us for a two GREAT presentations that you DON’T want to miss! Brian McElyea will be on hand to give a presentation on SolidWorks Workgroup PDM. If you haven’t yet experienced the advantages of using PDM software, this is a must see. There will also be a Q&A session for current PDM users who may have questions.
NASWUG-RSA President Gary Hall will also be on hand to give a presentation on the advantages of using the DimXpert functionality inside of SolidWorks. This is one of the most underutilized features in SolidWorks. Gary gave this presentation earlier this year at the NASWUG-RSA meeting and it was an instant hit! Gary has updated the presentation to include enhancements to this functionality in SolidWorks 2009.
Dinner will be provided along with LOTS of Door Prizes to be given away at the end of the meeting.
What a great location for SolidWorks World 2009. Orlando weather was fantastic and as always too much to do in too little time. It really is hard to decide between what presentations and what events to attend. Unfortunately we are all back to the daily grind I expect but at least with renewed enthusiasm. We held our 2nd meeting of the year with our NASWUG-RSA group at Redstone Arsenal with 28 in attendance. Ricky Jordan began the meeting with announcements then covered Twitter and who in the group is using it followed by a detailed “Sneak Peak” at SolidWorks 2010. Here is a link to Ricky’s blog and the 2010 quicklist http://www.rickyjordan.com/2009/02/solidworks-2010-the-quick-list.html For those that have attended the SWUGN Technical Summit in Nashville the past two years, it will be held in Atlanta this year. Watch Ricky’s blog and the NASWUG website for upcoming details.
Gary Gall, president of NASWUG-RSA took over with a presentation on DimXpert and GD&T with respect to manufacturing drawings. DimXpert differs from Autodimension in that it recognizes patterns and countersink holes and it produces predictable results. For example with Autodimension you typically get unwanted dimensions that have to be selectively deleted. Whereas with DimXpert when you select an edge only the feature represented by the edge is dimensioned. A word of caution with patterns: if a hole pattern was not created as a pattern of Hole Wizard holes then any changes made to the model do not update the hole callout. DimXpert is not just for native SolidWorks parts. Gary walked through his example using an imported model, selecting specific datums and then applying DimXpert. This is a great tool for those that have a need to produce manufacturing drawings. Thanks Gary for a great presentation.
It’s been a while since our last NASWUG-RSA meeting but I’m happy to report we are back and better than ever
The North Alabama SolidWorks Users Group (NASWUG) would like to announce our February 2009 NASWUG-RSA meeting. The meeting will be held on Thursday February 26, 2009 from 11:00am to 12:50pm on the grounds of the Redstone Arsenal. The meeting will be held at the Prototype Integration Facility (PIF) located just behind Building 5400 off Martin Road.
NASWUG-RSA President Gary Hall will be on hand to give a presentation on the SolidWorks DimXpert and its uses with GD&T. Also included will be a look at the MANY benefits of Mate References.
The meeting is open to all SolidWorks users who have their own pass to get on the grounds of the Arsenal.
Lunch and door prizes will be provided.
To RSVP, click on the link below and fill the form. Don’t forget to hit “Submit” when you are done!
You will receive a confirmation e-mail upon submitting your RSVP.
Don’t miss your opportunity to network with fellow SolidWorks users, gain valuable information, get free food, and pick up some cool prizes! See you there!
We started the new year with 34 in attendance at our January meeting at the Dynetics HQ building. As I write this, I am making last minute preparations to attend SolidWorks World 2009 in Orlando. We welcomed 6 new members in attendance. Ricky Jordan, NASWUG president, began the meeting with announcements and comments about the upcoming SWW2009 and also about SolidWorks Labs new additions. Some of the new additions include Tagger, Treehouse, Collada Export, and Presentation Studio. For more details visit the SolidWorks Labs site, http://labs.solidworks.com
Ricky presented on Custom PCB Design. This was a warm-up for his upcoming presentation at SWW. The presentation highlighted concepts and processes, and specific SolidWorks features useful in PCB Design and collaboration as well as some “gotchas” of which to be aware.. And that folks is the key …“collaboration” You have to closely collaborate with the electrical design folks in a back and forth iterative process. For the mechanical aspects it is important to specify only those requirements to make the interfaces work, leaving as much leeway as possible for the electrical design and layout. For those with SolidWorks Premium, you know you have CircuitWorks and other subscribers have CircuitWorks Lite. At the conclusion, Ricky asked for feedback positive and negative. Good job, Ricky!
Gary Hall mentioned that the NASWUG RSA group is looking forward to starting up their meetings again at RSA, probably near the end of February. That’s all folks … see you in Orlando and if not there at the next NASWUG meeting.
The North Alabama SolidWorks Users Group (NASWUG) is proud to announce our January 2009 meeting! The meeting will be held on Tuesday January 27, 2009 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at the Dynetics Corporate Headquarters Building.
Come join us for a presentation on Custom Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Design using SolidWorks. This is the presentation that will be given by NASWUG president Ricky Jordan at SolidWorks World 2009. It covers recommended processes and feature demonstrations in the development of Custom PCBs in SolidWorks. This presentation covers pre and post ECAD layout. ECAD layout itself is not performed in SolidWorks.
You can read a little more about the presentation HERE.
Dinner will be provided along with LOTS of Door Prizes to be given away at the end of the meeting.
RSVP for the event today by following the link below to sign up on our online registration form.
Another successful NASWUG year wrapped up in style. Our year end meeting benefited from two very interesting and informative presentations. Jim Wilkinson, Director of User Experience for SolidWorks, provided an insight into the development process for SolidWorks usability and SolidWorks User Interface Customization. The stated goal of Jim’s team is the User Experience mission. So just what is the “User Experience mission”? In a nutshell, it is everything that goes into providing a SolidWorks experience that continuously improves upon Ease of Use, Ease of Learning, and Product Consistency. Where does SolidWorks get its customer input? Glad you asked … each and everyone of us, the users, have direct input into the process with such things as enhancement requests, bug reports, phone calls with the VARs, customer visits, surveys, user forums, etc. Many factors come into play as to what is included in the final decision to make changes to the User Interface. For those of us involved in rapid prototyping, the process seems familiar. Prototypes begin with paper layouts that can be reviewed quickly and easily, followed by a flash simulation, and then a prototype release that gets the scrutiny of a focus group of users. This focus group is representative of all SolidWorks users and from a user viewpoint probably the most important. After Jim educated us on the interest and effort that SolidWorks puts into providing us with a good CAD user experience, he then walked through several examples. Many thanks to Jim for a most rewarding presentation.
Next up was Bruce Holway, the Manager of Product Definition for SolidWorks. Bruce brings 17 years of experience in the CAD industry to the table. The Product Definition team he manages is responsible for developing new functionality specifications in SolidWorks. Bruce presented on Using Blocks and Layout Sketches for Mechanism Design. Now some of us may already use sketch blocks to produce quick concept layouts or at least have completed the block exercise in the SolidWorks tutorial. But Bruce takes this idea to a new level. He showed us how sketch blocks can be used to quickly produce parameters for mechanical mechanisms to achieve a desired physical motion. Next was probably a very little used method of Layout Based Assembly Design. This method begins with a new assembly. On creation, click on the “Create Layout” button on the Begin Assembly Property Manager. This opens a 3D sketch from which you can create various blocks of the intended mechanical mechanism. This method allows you to switch back and forth between top down and bottoms up design. You can create, edit and delete parts and blocks at any point in the design cycle without any history-based restrictions. A great presentation, Bruce.
Ricky Jordan briefly reminded everyone about SolidWorks World 2009 coming up in February. To save time and avoid duplication here, meeting announcements are published on the NASWUG website. Thanks especially to Ricky for being the driving force for what this writer feels has been our most successful year yet. And our group would not survive if it were not for the valued support of our VARs, ModernTech Mechanical, MLC CAD, Concepts in Production and particularly the financial support of SolidWorks for the free food each meeting. As before we had some great year end prizes including our grand prize a Harmony Universal Remote Control from 3D Connexion who sponsored our year end event.
Here’s hoping each and every one of you have a great Christmas and holidays and we will see you back in January. Ricky will be presenting on circuit board design and circuitworks which is a warm-up for his presentation at SolidWorks World 2009 in February.
At the meeting tonight I promised to post a link to a page that lists SolidWorks users on Twitter. Below is a link to a post that Josh at SolidSmack is keeping up to date. Josh also lists other folks from the CAD Community that are also on Twitter.
The North Alabama SolidWorks Users Group (NASWUG) is proud to announce our 4th Annual NASWUG Year End meeting! The meeting will be held on Tuesday December 2, 2008 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm at the Dynetics Corporate Headquarters Building.
We are excited to announce that we will have TWO excellent speakers in attendance from DS SolidWorks Corporation.
Jim Wilkinson, who is the Director of User Experience for SolidWorks, will be giving a presentation on User Interface Customization. Jim manages the usability/user interface team as well as documentation and localization teams for DS SolidWorks Corporation.
Bruce Holway, who is the Manager of Product Definition for SolidWorks, will be giving a presentation on Using Layout Sketches for Assembly and Mechanism Design. Bruce has 17 years experience working in the CAD industry in various technical positions. The Product Definition team he manages is responsible for developing specifications for new functionality in SolidWorks.
Stay tuned to the NASWUG site and if you are an e-mail subscriber, watch your Inbox closely as we are getting closer to announcing the details for our 4th Annual NASWUG Year End Meeting.
We should be back at our normal meeting location and the meeting will be sometime in November or at the latest the first week of December.
