Imported Files – Turning Surfaces into Solids

Problem – Many times when you import a customer’s part or assembly and it opens as a part that has a ton of surfaces or it may open as a multi level assembly and each of those parts is made up of surfaces.  The file that I chose to work with was an assembly that when imported into SolidWorks opened as a part file by setting some of the import options. The Feature Stats for this part show how the rebuild time is effected by having to look at all 697 surfaces.

Files like this can pose several problems as you start to work with them. The first problem is file size; the current file is 5mb. Next when you put several parts that are built like this into an Assembly they can start to bring your performance to a slow crawl in no time, drawing performance and view display will also be effected. Lastly if you need to make any modifications to this imported file it will be difficult because there are no solid bodies to work with. Also you will notice all of the colored edges in the part this is because we have a System Option on to show edges of open surface in a different color.

  

 

Solution – Reduce the overall number of surfaces in the model and try to create a model that is made up of a single or multiple Solid Bodies. In the attached PDF are the steps that will guide you through the process I took to create a file that was made up of a single surface. I have also attached the part files for you to use as a reference. 

Overall on this part it took me about 30 to 45 minutes to get the final result but the overall reward is the time it will save you later in the design process of not having to wait around for your drawing or assembly to open or rebuild.

 

Download Imported Files-Turning Surfaces into Solids

 

Good Luck

Josh Altergott

CATI Support Manager

SolidWorks Simulation in vertical industries!

I believe we understand how Simulation helps in traditional mechanical industries. But who else is using this technology? How has their experience been? What value is being added to their work environment? Would it make sense to have a series of blogs on people and their industries? Each unique in environment but using the same tools to excellence.

 This has always intrigued me, how people from different walk of engineering use same tools to make their designs better. I have seen people shorten their design cycle time, reduce scrap and offer better guarantee. I hope to post a series of articles exemplifying how people are doing this. In a utopian world people would co-operate and would not shy  parting with details. Let's see how my quest turns out.  Wish me luck!

 

Rajat Trehan

Product Manager - Design Validation

Computer Aided Technology Inc

SolidWorks X64 running Photoworks

   

SolidWorks has just made public that they have uncovered an issue with SolidWorke X64 running Photoworks.  I want to be clear which version of the software are effected.

SolidWorks 2009 SP5  x64

SolidWorks 2010 sp1  x64

SolidWorks 2010 SP2  x64

This problem exists when you enable the Photoworks add in and the active SolidWorks session is already using more than 2gb of virtual memory.  The result of the issue could include damage to the SolidWorks installation, the operating system, program files, and data files.

Here is the bulletin with more info. Includeing links to the hotfixes.

http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/CustomerBulletins.html

 

Thanks,

Keith Schaefer

2010 Installation Quirk?

Things on support at CATI always come in waves. It like death and taxes – something that you can always count on. This being said in the last couple weeks we have been busy with installation questions and the usual interface change and functionality questions. But I started to see a trend. I will always consider something to be a trend after I see 3 calls within a 2 week period.

I don’t know what is triggering this but I have seen some installs not checking the sub folders in the Design Library, Forming Tools folder as “Forming Tools”. With Solidworks in order to have something act as a “forming” tool for sheet metal parts the folder either has to be “checked” or the form tool that you create needs to be saved as Form Tool with the extension of .sldftp. These topics are all covered in the Sheet Metal class offered by CATI.

If you’re forming tools sub folder is not checked as a form tool folder you will get this message.

At this point you might be confused and call support. But first before you do that go to the CATI blog and search to see if they have as solution to my issue so I can be more effective in my job and get things done faster and better!

First make sure that the top level folder is checked as a forming tools folder. This is a “RIGHT CLICK” thing.

Next make sure that all the sub folders inside the top level are also checked as forming tools folders.

This is where I have seen issues on the default installations not making the entire sub folder list checked as well as the top level.

Hope this helps!

Todd Werginz

Simulation Professional : Are you ready ?

Often we ask people, "what constraints they face while adapting a new technology or process?" The usual suspects stare in face :, training, confidence, ability to accomodate their engineering environment etc. SolidWorks Corporation is trying to address all these by giving users an opportunity to try Simulation Professional software for 30 days. To make sure, end users are getting results there will be support offered . I am hoping you do not let this opportunity slip. There are many areas where Simulation Professional can help ....

Assembly Simulation - Study interaction of parts under applied loading. Study design efficiency and reduce material and prototyping costs. Study effect of both loads and material choices on product performance.

Mechanism Simulations - Study physics based motion, based on mates, driving motors and inertia of components.

Compare and Optimize Design Alternatives - Determine best design option by comparing strengths, life, cost and weight. Perform comparison and design modifications with Solidworks environment.

Simulate Natural Frequencies - Predict and control your products natural modes of vibration to avoid potentially damaging resonant frequencies.

Simulate Heating or Cooling  - Simulate heat effects, fluid flow, thermal- structural interactions, and radiation effects.

Simulate Drop tests - Save time and cost by reducing number of physical tests. Define drop height, surface and orientation. Perform realistic collision simulation between parts. Visualize resulting contact.

Fatigue - With Simulation you have the tools to evaluate and improve part or assembly that must withstand rigors of daily operation. Also, find design life of the product.

With so many applications fitting your design group, it would be great to see the product in action.

So join us for a webcast on January 19th.  After the webcast you will receive an access code to take advantage of your 30 day trial of one of the most comprehensive design analysis tools available. You will also have access to support portal resource which will empower your 30 day experience as you begin to use Simulation Professional.

Rajat Trehan

Product Manager - Design Validation

Computer Aided Technology Inc.

Imaging Rules to survive Zombie................ I mean Sales Land.

November, I was approached by SolidWorks to give a presentation at SolidWorks World. People that have worked with me know I enjoy rendering and animation, so that’s the route I’m taking. “25 Things you need to know about getting images from SolidWorks,” is a lofty attempt to get 15 years of imagery on to power point celluloid and into your heads. This talk is for the beginner so if you have no idea what a pixel is don’t worry I’m going to cover that. But most important is discovering what you can do with your SolidWorks designs to get great looking images. We’re going to walk through several real world examples and take them to the next step. Below is our first step, entitled “Rules of Sales Land”

So the situation….Sales Person comes up to you and asks for an image of the project you just finished. You say, “Sure when do you need it by”. Sales Person hands you a flash drive and says, “Now I have a meeting”.  So the thought, “Oh Crap” comes to mind. But after a long few seconds of the out stretched flash stick and the “crap Crap CRAP” running through your head, you take the device and plug into your machine. You open the design in question and go file menu and do a save as jpg. Passing the drive back to the Sale Person with a smile, you go back to your work, praying he or she doesn’t appear for a couple of weeks. But just like a bad penny they are back that afternoon with, the question, “Why does this print look so bad”. Handing you the piece of paper, it does look the same word that was running through your head earlier.

Rule number #2 of Zombieland…. I mean Sales Land; always answer a request with a question. Going back to that instant with the flash drive dangling in your face like a rotting corpse, you should ask, “No Problem, but what do you need it for”. He would have told you, “I need a full page print of this to go with a proposal.” With that bit of very important information you know you won’t have enough resolution with just a SolidWorks screen shot.  Going for your utility belt, SolidWorks 2009 (because you haven’t done the upgrade to 2010 yet) you open a new drawing file. Inserting that same view on to a drawing, you now have the ability to control the resolution of my image.

That is just one of the situation we will discuss at Chicago Users Group meeting on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 from 5pm to 8pm at the DES PLAINES Campus of Oakton Community College, in ROOM 1610. I will also be giving this talk at SolidWorks World 2010 in Anaheim, CA on Tuesday February 3^rd.

 

Thanks,

Bob McGaughey, CSWP

CATI

 

Oh, and while someone in this blog is mentioning muppets, Is Al Roker the father of one Bunsen Honeybew of Carnegie Melonhead University?

The Trials of Beaker

Well, as I mentioned before, Beaker's been through a lot in his efforts to help us build our SolidWorks World presentation "Modeling Methods and Environment Configuration for Optimal Performance".  (It's a long name, I know)  The efforts of Beaker have given us some great data and some hair loss.

First, some of the great data:

We were able to somewhat quantify the 
effects of using external references, at least in our environment.  What we did was put 30 different locations in reference documents in reference file locations of system options and turn on search file locations for external references.  Now 30 locations may seem like a lot for some users, but I once saw a company that had 75 different locations in there.  The difference in load time of the assembly was significant.  It took ~3X longer to open the assembly. (Your results may vary)

Second, Hair loss:

I have also been pulling my hair out in an effort to get quality data comparing RAID arrays for modeling purposes.  This isn't going well and as of this afternoon I actually lost a 1TB Hard Disk to the battle.  After attempting to run a test comparing disk access speeds of a single disk versus a 2 disk RAID 0 (SolidWorks not included).  The single disk that had my OS on it would no longer boot. (Part of the reason I'm writing this article is that no one in my office wants to hear me complaining about it anymore.)  I still have not gotten what I would consider valid data from RAID configuration tests and it's not from a lack of trying.  Software RAID from the Windows OS, A third party RAID controller, and the built in RAID controller that comes with my T3400 (Beaker), have all generated suspect data.

If Beaker gives me anymore grief like this I might just pop a cap in his monitor!

The next step is exciting.  As soon as I reload the #$^% OS, I'm going to run the benchmark with a single Solidstate hard drive.  I can't wait to see how this helps.  After that I'll make another run at RAID 0 but with the Solidstate drives.

I'll keep you all posted.

Adrian