Are You A SolidWorks Feature Explorer?

I was talking with a colleague the other day and we got in to a discussion about all the great new functionality that has been built into SolidWorks in the last couple of years.
A few questions came up, "Are users of SolidWorks really making use of all that is available to them?" "Do users try out all the new features and incorporate them into their daily tasks or do they avoid new features and stay with the tried and true?"
I thought, these would be great questions for the blog, let’s find out what users think!

My questions for all SolidWorks users;
Are you an Explorer, an Avoider or somewhere in the middle?
What new features have you tried?
What new features do you enjoy?
What new features do you avoid using?
Are there any tasks or features you fear?

If you’re a new SolidWorks user than it’s understood that they are ALL new features.
What has helped you learn the most about new features, a presentation, the Help menu, a What’s New document, a CATI Training class or an education tool like SolidProfessor or the SolidWorks Tutorial?

It would be great to hear your responses to any or all of these questions.

Design Better!

Paul Niedermann

Great News! It’s here! SolidWorks 2008!

SolidWorks 2008 SP0.0 has been released and is now available for download from the SolidWorks website. http://www.solidworks.com/pages/services/downloads.html

I am excited to see this new version released and it has some terrific new features.
There are too many improvements to list them all here but here are a few highlights;

A completely New Interface and new Command Manger is quicker to use and gives your models a more finished and dramatic photo-rendered look right from the start.
SWIFT Instant3D lets you push and pull on model faces, edges, and dimensions Live, without editing features or sketches, this keeps you designing in the graphics window, now you’ll spend even less time going back and forth between the toolbars and your model.
SWIFT DimXpert gives you 3D models that are fully dimensioned for manufacturing as well as automating 2D Drawings.
New powerful Large Assembly Management tools allow you to simplify assemblies without configurations and regardless of assembly structure. The QuickView/Selective Open enables you to open just the components you want to work on without loading other components or subs you don’t want to work with.
Design ClipArt dissects existing CAD data and extracts it so you can reuse it. This function lets you dig down into a model through the search engine, drag and drop features and sketches, right out of existing models and put them to use in your new models.

To learn more see this link, http://www.solidworks.com/pages/products/SolidWorks_2008/SolidWorksOfficePremium2008.html

Or Better Yet come and see all the new features in person at CATI’s Largest Event of the Year!
CATI’s SolidWorks 2008 Discovery and What’s New Events http://www.cati.com/solidworks_2008_launch2.html

Design Better!

Paul Niedermann