Having Trouble Downloadings SolidWorks 2012 SP3

Many users who have attempted to download SolidWorks 2012 SP3 have run into an error message: "Could not connect to the SolidWorks server to determine which products you are entitled to." This is a know issue and is not a problem with your licensing. First, verify that you have a working internet connection. If you have verified that everything is working, it is likely that Solidworks is experiencing a high volume of traffic on the download servers. Simply try the download again at a later time. If you are still experiencing problems you can contact tech support for additional troubleshooting steps.

SolidWorks TolAnalyst

So here’s a solution for those of you who don’t like figuring tolerance stack-up information with a slide ruler and an abacus.  Introducing SolidWorks TolAnalyst.  TolAnalyst is an add-in utility which is provided with SolidWorks Premium.  This feature allows you to perform tolerance stack-up analysis and quickly determine the effects that tolerances have on parts and assemblies.  Information such as maximum/minimum worst case tolerance stack-up can be quickly obtained.  TolAnalyst will take into consideration all of your DimXpert manufacturing dimensions and generate graphical information about your designs.  Here’s how to use this powerful feature:

After the add-in has been turned on, open the assembly that you want to analyze.  By choosing the DimXpert Manager tab you can easily add in a new study.  Then select the two faces that you wish to analyze the dimension between. 

The next screen prompts the user to determine the assembly sequence.  By choosing the order of how these parts go together, SolidWorks will then be able to determine the stack-up work flow.

The third step allows you to apply additional constraints or mate conditions to the DimXpert dimensions.  Assembly mates in SolidWorks are geometry based whereas constraints in the TolAnalyst are based on the DimXpert dimensions themselves.  This is how the tolerance values are recognized and then calculated.

The final screen displays the stack-up results.  Choosing any of the contributors in the lower box will result in an actual dimension being displayed from the corresponding part model.  You can edit tolerances direct from the assembly, or you can open the part model and make edits there.  Each time you make an edit, you can click on the Recalculate button to see instant updated results.  It doesn’t get any easier than this!

So if you are looking for a really easy tool to use for your tolerance stack-up analysis, look no further than TolAnalyst!

 

Brian Reel
Applications Engineer
Computer Aided Technology, Inc.  

Register for the May SolidWorks Webcast Series

An in depth look at designing complex products: Workflow Opportunities with SolidWorks DATE May 4th, 2012 Learn from our experts how the SolidWorks product portfolio seamlessly integrates the process of designing complex products from concept through production, to the end user. Optimize designs for performance, manufacturability and even environmental requirements Analyze design iterations at the earliest stages of product development Avoid time consuming and expensive re-tooling work Minimize manufacturing cycle times while maximizing molded part quality Get your products to market even faster In this webcast you will see how SolidWorks Solutions enhance your ability to design complex products. How SolidWorks tools will help you predict & optimize manufacturing performance at the earliest stages of the design process – reducing your risk exposure on expensive tooling – while improving the quality and performance of your product and related deliverables. Please join SolidWorks local technical experts for this 3-part complimentary Webcast as we introduce our family of solutions and outline benefits of our products for your business needs. When registering, remember to list CATI as your SolidWorks Reseller!   Friday, May 4th - 12 PM ET/11 AM CT Presented by: Matt Derov Territory Technical Manager, Simulation This presentation will cover how SolidWorks users can use SolidWorks Plastics to facilitate Plastics part design all within the SolidWorks and Windows interface. Highlights include: Injection molding Simulation State-of-the art meshing Optimize multi-cavity and family mold layouts and feed systems Assist in selecting materials help to create “greener” products   Friday, May 4th - 1PM ET/12 PM CT Presented by: Jeff Osman Area Technical Manager In this one-hour webinar, we will see how SolidWorks can not only save time by creating injection mold splits along with mold base components, but also achieve a higher fidelity solution. The knowledge gained from using SolidWorks can then be used throughout the design process in order to optimize the performance of your design. Highlights include: Create cavity core splits Assembly visualization Seamless integration with outside vendors for communication SolidWorks Costing to help predict overall project cost                                        Friday, May 4th 2 PM ET/1PM CT Presented by: Elton Smith Territory Technical Manager Creating instructional information for plastic part design with with 3DVIA Composer Technical documentation is often an afterthought to most design and engineering environments. This makes it difficult to create quality documentation while still meeting project deadlines. With 3DVIA Composer you can create the technical documentation in accord with the engineering data. The end result being more accurate and thorough documentation without consuming time that would otherwise lead to delays in project completion. In this webinar we’ll show examples of maintenance instructions used in a mold tooling environment. We’ll also show the creation of user manual materials that would ship with a consumer product. Whether you’re involved in the initial design, or downstream manufacturing; 3DVIA Composer offers a unique and compelling way to create the much needed technical content. Injection mold tooling maintenance instructions User manuals for consumer products

 

Showing SolidWorks Simulation Results in 3dVia Composer

I was with a group of users the other day and the question came up, “Can I show stress results from SolidWorks in Composer as a view.” My first thought and others in the room was no. Then the hamster in my brain woke up and started spinning the wheels.

 

1. What is important to user to see?
•  Deformation?
• Color Plot?
• Maxium Stress location?
2. What outputs from Simulation can I leverage?
3. What inputs from Composer will give me most of what the user wanted.

Answer #1
User: “ I want them all”

Answer # 2
Eprt (eDrawing 3d results file)
Bmp (Bitmap 2d image)
Jpg (JPEG 2d image)
vrml (3d results file)
xgl (3d results file)
zgl (3d results file )

Answer #3
Out of those files about vrml was the winner.

Big Problem #1
Composers does not bring in the color of the faces from the vrml. Composer can only bring in textures from 3dxml

Redneck Work Around #1
SolidWorks can open VRML files with color and it can save 3dxml files. We have a winner. So perform your analysis and save the results plot as a VRML file. Then open the file in SolidWorks and save the files as a 3dXML

 Have fun,

Bob McGaughey, CSWE

Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

SolidWorks Hidden Tools Webinar: Automating SolidWorks with DriveWorksXpress

Are some of the parts and assemblies you work on the same but different?

If you have SolidWorks - you already have DriveWorksXpress, the Design Automation tool for SolidWorks.

Learn how to use it in this FREE Online Training Session

When:
Friday, May 18, 2012
9am-10am Central Time 

>>Registration Link
                         ***When registering, be sure to list CATI as your SolidWorks Reseller

Topics Covered:

1. Project Set Up

• How to capture the SolidWorks parameters you want to control


• How to create a simple form to specify your products


• How to build rules that link the form inputs to the captured parameters that control your designs

2. Project Run

• How to run a project to generate new parts, assemblies and drawings to create new variations automatically

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

 

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc. 

Creating a SolidWorks Part and Assembly template with reverse isometric view

I was in the good city of St Louis, MO yesterday and had a great question asked by a gentleman there. “How can I easily create a Reverse Isometric View I need to do that more times than not.

So Here is how you go.

1. Open a blank SolidWorks Part/Assembly file.


2. Hold Control Key and hit the 2 key on the top row of the keyboard. (This will put you in the BACK view)
   


3. Hit your SPACE BAR key ( This brings up the orientations box)


4. Single Mouse Click on the word FRONT in this orientations box.


5. Click on UPDATE STANDARD VIEWS on the orientations box. ( This will make the current orientation the Front view.


6. Double Click *ISOMETRIC (You’ll notice the triad in the bottom left will be in a different orientation


7. Hit your SPACE BAR key


8. Click on NEW VIEW the orientations box (This will bring up Named View Dialog)


9. Name the new view REV ISO
   


10. Click on RESET STANDARD VIEWS the orientations box (This will reset the view to normal)


11. Go to File Save As


12. Change the Save As Type to Part Template


13. Save you new Template


14. 

Have fun,

Bob McGaughey, CSWE

Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

Installing SolidWorks - But I am an administrator…NOT!

Staring with Windows Vista (now of course Window 7), there has been much confusion of what having administrative rights really means. Prior to Vista, being part of the administrators group was all it took. This is no longer the case anymore….but why??

3 letters  -  UAC
Most of us are aware of this by now, but what is it really doing??

User Access Control

User Account Control (UAC) helps prevent unauthorized changes/access to a computer by asking privileged password. When a user designated with elevated privilege logs on to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008, two access tokens are issued: a full access token and a filtered standard user access token. The filtering process removes the administrative privileges and disables the Administrative group Security Identifiers (SIDs), resulting in a filtered standard user access token. The standard user token is then used to start the Windows desktop (explorer.exe) and all subsequent child processes. Consequently, all applications run with the standard user token by default and only when an administrator with granted privileged permission can run specific application with a full access token. These internal processes happens in an Windows 7 and Windows 2008 operating systems to provide you with extra security so that you can make sure what you doing before it applied into operating systems.

When you log on to a computer, it verifies with Microsoft Active Directory RID master about your roles/privileges/authority in an Active Directory infrastructure and provides you with necessary pre-defined attributes assigned in Microsoft Active Directory and Group Policy Object. For Example: Domain Admins, Schema Admins, Enterprise Admins, Account Operator, Administrator, Power Users, Domain users, users, Cert Publisher and many more. If you log on to a standalone computer, Windows 7 and Windows server 2008 still verify with local account policies whether you are a power user, administrator or user.

The Credential Prompt (asking username and password)  and consent prompt (allow/disallow user to perform a task) are two components of UAC. Even though if you are a member of domain admins or administrator you will ask your consent to perform task like changing date/time, modify registry, running application, modifying any OS related tasks. A standard user can perform installation task in windows 7 and windows server 2008 unless user is part of Admin group.

How to get around this?

1. Turn off UAC (this is not recommended for obvious reasons)


2. When installing programs, use the “Run as Administrator” option by right clicking on the .exe file.

When installing SolidWorks, to make sure you have full admin rights, exit out of the installation manager when it auto starts.
Navigate to your DVD/Installation folder and locate the “setup.exe” file.
Right click and select “Run as Administrator” – this will launch the installation manager with full admin rights.

This will hopefully correct installation issues due to a lack of rights.

 

 

CATI now guest blogging on the SolidWorks blog

Recently CATI was presented the oppertunity become a guest blogger for the SolidWorks Blog. CATI will have a new blog post every month on or around the 3rd Wednesday of each month.

The article that we posted this month is titled SolidWorks Intdent One Tool with Unlimited Uses and highlights 3 different ways that the Indent Tool can be used for everyday projects.

We will continute to keep everyone updated when our new articles become available on the SolidWorks Blog.

Thanks,

Josh Altergott

CATI Support Team Leader

Register for a SolidWorks Plastics Webcast

Join us on April 19th from 9:30am -10:30am(CT) for you first look at SolidWorks Plastics.  SolidWorks Plastics brings easy-to-use injection molding simulation directly to the designers of plastic parts and injection molds. It simulates how melted plastic flows during the injection molding process to predict manufacturing related defects on parts and molds. You can quickly evaluate manufacturability while you design, to eliminate costly mold rework, improve part quality, and accelerate time to market.

When:

Thursday April 19, 2012
9:30am-10:30am Central Time 

>>Register Here<<

Topics Covered:

• Predict fill time


• Optimize gate location


• Air traps


• Weld lines


• Short shot


• Temperature distribution


• Pressure distribution


• Balance runner systems


• Family mold layout

 

 

Jim TeDesco
Computer Aided Technology, Inc. 

Nesting Solutions For SolidWorks Webcast: SigmaNest, SolidNest, and SolidTube

Join CATI and Cimtronics Midwest on April 25, 2012 for a Nesting Solutions for SolidWorks Webcast. This  presentation is an introduction to Advanced Nesting, CNC Programming, and Manufacturing Solutions for SolidWorks Fabrications.

>>Register for this event.

Highlights:

• Efficient Automatic Nesting Increases Material Utilization, Reduces Waste, Reduces Remnants


• Advanced Tool Path Routines Increase Machine Productivity by Reducing Cycle Times


• Minimizes Programming Time (Better Use of Resources)


• Software Systems Integration Reduces effort, Reduces costs

Date and Time:
April 25, 2012
10am-11am CT

>>Register for this event.

Learn more about Cimtronics Midwest

Sign Up for a SolidWorks Certification Workshop at Pittsburg State University

The PSU Department of Engineering Technology is pleased to announce the following workshops focused on SolidWorks® certification.

These workshops will prepare attendees to pass the Certified SolidWorks® Associate (CSWA) exam, industry-recognized proof of your SolidWorks® expertise – a skill that businesses seek out and reward, and are available for skill levels from beginner to advanced. Upon successful completion of the CSWA exam you will receive an electronic certificate and personal listing on the official CSWA directory.

	4 - Day Introduction Workshop	2 - Day Advanced Workshop
Dates/Times	May 21-24, 2012 9:00am - 4:00pm or July 16-19, 2012 9:00am - 4:00pm	June 4-5, 2012 9:00am – 4:00pm or July 12-13, 2012 9:00am - 4:00pm
Course Topics	Sketch entities, tools and relations Boss and cut features, fillets and chamfers Linear, circular and fill patterns Dimensions, feature conditions, reference geometry and assembly mates Mass and material properties Drawing sheets, views and annotations Introduction to CSWA Exam format Practice exams Review with Certified SolidWorks® Associate faculty	Review of part modeling and modification Review of assembly creation, mates and modification Introduction to CSWA Exam format Practice exams Review with Certified SolidWorks® Associate faculty
Cost	$600/person	$400/person
CEUs	2.9	1.4

Contact David Miller (p: 620-235-6115, e:dmiller@pittstate.edu) or Greg Murray (p: 620-235-4384, e: gmurray@pittstate.edu) to register.

Workshops are open to the first 25 registrants; minimum 5 registrants per session. Registration deadline is 2 weeks prior to start date of the course. The registration fee for either workshop includes all course materials, one voucher for the CSWA exam to be taken at the conclusion of the workshop, a printout of the CSWA certificate upon passing the exam and a course completion certificate.

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

SolidWorks 2012 Uninstall Changes

SolidWorks 2012 Uninstall Changes 

How many times have you uninstalled a program though Windows Add/Remove programs only to find it seemed that it really just removed it from your programs menu? The program’s directory and files are still there & furthermore, it did nothing to remove any registry keys.

Solidworks has addresses this issue with 2012 uninstall changes. Now, during the uninstall process you will have an “advanced options tab”

 

 

These new options help tremendously in a cleaner uninstall.

 

April DriveWorks Headstart Webinars - Register Today

Are your designs the same but different? If so, register for a DriveWorks Head Start Webinar to learn how to automate the process of design changes with DriveWorks.  

DriveWorks Solo and DriveWorksXpress Head Start Webinars aim to give you an overview of DriveWorks and what YOU and YOUR COMPANY can achieve with it.

Just 60 minutes of your time today can save hours of time in the future!

When registering, remember to list CATI as your SolidWorks Reseller.

DriveWorksXpress Headstart Webinar - April 3, 2012 10am-11am CT - Register
DriveWorks Solo Headstart Webinar - April 4, 2012 10am-11am CT - Register

 

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc. 

SolidWorks Plastics

SolidWorks today announced a new tool called SolidWorks Plastics. SolidWorks Plastics provides tools that help manufacturers validate and optimize the design of plastic parts and injection molds.

What is the big deal?

Optimal process settings are critical to influencing the cost, quality and productivity of plastic injection molding. The main trouble with injection molding is to have a box of good parts contaminated with scrap. For that reason process optimization studies have to be done and process monitoring has to take place. To have a good part come out of the mold the following issues are typically investigated:

- Fill phase: this can be optimized by varying screw turns per minute and back pressure. Variation of time needed to reload the screw gives an indication of stability of this phase. Injection speed is another critical factor in the fill process. Varying injection speed changes the material damage (shear rate).

-Gate location : A good position will help prevent lack of material to fill the cavity or popularly known as short shot. Injection speed and pressure will also need to be studied to prevent short shot.

- When mold and/or material temperatures are low, the material is cold when the melt front meets, so they do not bond well. This leads to developing a Weld line, also referred to as Knit line. Fill time and pressure need to be studied to reduce or eliminate weld lines.

-If the pressure applied in packing stage is low, or cooling time is too short it can lead to localized depression or Sink Marks on the part. Pressure applied and cooling time is studied to ensure sink marks are minimized.

These are just some of the issues part and mold makers need to worry about before they have a working injection molding process. Typical trouble shooting process would entail industrial CT scanning of mold. Also, multiple trial and error cycles at the machine. These are both expensive and time consuming.

SolidWorks Plastics simulates how melted plastic flows during the injection molding process to predict manufacturing related defects on your parts. Once the defects are identified, they can be easily minimized or eliminated by making changes to part design, mold design, plastic material, or processing parameters. This is all done in a friendly SolidWorks environment.

Tune in for more on this exciting new tool from SolidWorks.

Rajat Trehan

Product Manager

Computer Aided Technology Inc.