Register for CATI's SolidWorks 2012 What's New Webcast

Join us December 14th from 2pm-3pm Central TIme for our SolidWoks 2012 What's New Webcast.  SolidWorks 2012 is the 20th release of the industry leading 3D CAD software. With SolidWorks 2012, you’ll experience faster design, a more continuous workflow, shorter development times, and more efficient collaboration.

>>Register

New Features(Partial List):

• Costing Tool


• Large Design Review


• Magnetic Lines and Balloon Enhancements


• Feature Freeze


• Enhanced Equation Editor


• Command Search


• Motion Optimization

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

Radical SolidWorks Workarounds for Fillet, Draft, and Shell

For the August installment of our CATIpult webcast series, we are honored to have special guest presenter Ed Eaton, Sr. Industrial Designer with DiMonte Group.  Ed is well known in the SolidWorks community and has contributed presentations for SolidWorks World.

When:
August 11, 2011
12pm-1:30pm

Register Here

Radical Workarounds for Fillet, Draft, and Shell
Shell, Draft, and Fillet are entirely reliant on the faces of the model they are applied to. This presentation discusses how these applied features actually 'think' and why they sometimes deliver surprising results (or no results at all). We will discuss how models can be re-structured to improve the success of these applied features and deliver predictable results.  When that is not possible, we'll discuss extreme tactics that can always be used to beat those applied features into submission to get the model we need.

Learn more about DiMonte Group at http://www.dimontegroup.com

Register Here

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

 

Shortcut Bar AKA the "S" key

SolidWorks has really put in a lot of effort in the past couple of releases to minimize mouse travel and increase productivity.  One of the tools that they have added to help do this is the shortcut bar.  This shortcut bar is basically a tool bar that can be pulled up by hitting the “s” key on the keyboard.  It opens up right beside your curser eliminating the need to drag your mouse to the top command manager.  The best part about it, it’s completely customizable.  It is also context sensitive and can be pulled up in parts, assemblies and drawings.  Depending on what mode you are in, it can be modified to suit your modeling practices.  

To modify this shortcut bar, you need to first pull it up.  The “s” key is the default key to do this.  Once it is active, simply right-click on the toolbar.  The only option you get is “customize”.  Notice that it is the same menu you use to customize all other toolbars.  Simply drag the icons you wish to add onto the toolbar.  If you don’t like the default “s” key to bring up the shortcut bar, this too can be customized.  Go to the keyboard tab and search for “shortcut”.

 

Below is a screen shot of what mine looks like in sketch mode.  Because you can extrude directly from a sketch, I have added the extrude boss and cut icons among others.  Notice that the extrude cut icon is grayed out.  Just like the normal toolbars, SW will automatically gray out features that are unavailable.

 

Another shot of the shortcut bar in part mode…

 

Now go out and customize your "s" key...

 

Nathan Brunner, CSWP

Technical Analyst

Computer Aided Technology, Inc.