Creating a Flash Product turn table with SolidWorks Photoveiw 360 images

A while back a customer asked me if SolidWorks could create a 360 turn table animation that you could inter activitly controll on the web. I told the customer that SolidWorks does not out put that, but it can get your about 40 percent of the way there. SolidWorks can output images from a set number of degrees and then dump them into flash or html 5 ( which I know little about).

I found a free template you can use in Adobe flash to import your renderings and make a interactive turn table. Its called "Flash Rollover Template" at www.swiftspin360.com. I created one below.

Have a great one.

Bob McGaughey, CSWE

CATI

How to Unlock the Padlocks in the SolidWorks Customer Portal

We still get asked questions from time to time about the SolidWorks Customer Portal. A common question that SolidWorks users have is about the locked padlock icons. The SolidWorks user enters their user name and password and they are able to login to their SolidWorks Customer Portal account. So, they are expecting to have full access to the features of the SolidWorks Customer Portal. Once they are logged in, however, they see the locked padlock icons and the message, "Active subscription service contract required for full access."

Well, here is the answer from SolidWorks to the question, "Why are there locked icons when I log into my SolidWorks Customer Portal account?"

Answer: If the current version of the SolidWorks software has not been registered in your Customer Portal account, it will display locked icons.

Click on the "Register My Products" link and register your current version of the software.

This easy solution works most of the time, and the padlocks disappear immediately. We have found, though, that it does not work all the time.

Why are many of the links on the SolidWorks Customer Portal account still locked after registering the SolidWorks serial number?

According to SolidWorks, this could occur for the following reasons:

1. If you are not associated to the account which is linked to the serial number or there is a mismatch of information, then the serial number cannot be registered using your Customer Portal account; however, it will appear as if the registration has been successful.

- Please contact Computer Aided Technology, Inc. (CATI) or your current SolidWorks reseller/VAR so that these details can be checked and updated if necessary.

2. The locked icons will also show if you do not have a current/valid subscription support contract with CATI or your current SolidWorks reseller/VAR.
- You will need to purchase subscription in order to be able to access all features. Please contact CATI or your current SolidWorks reseller/VAR for information about this.

3. If you have purchased subscription but did not register the most recent version, the features will remain locked because the subscription is only carried by the active version.

- Please register the most recent version, even if you are not using the most recent version of software at this time.

In conclusion, click Register My Products to unlock the padlocks in the SolidWorks Customer Portal. If that does not remove the locked icons, please contact CATI or your current SolidWorks reseller/VAR to get the issue resolved for you.

Neil Bucalo

Technical Analyst

Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

SolidWorks 2013 Product Information Released Today

SolidWorks announced the official release of SolidWorks 2013.

SolidWorks 2013 includes over 200 new features and enhancements covering the entire range of SolidWorks solutions for 3D design, simulation, technical communication, product data management, and sustainable design to maximize your productivity.

Learn more about Solidworks 2013 at the CATI Design Innovation. 

SolidWorks 2013 Highlights:

• SolidWorks Costing – Allows customers to automatically cost more types of parts, create more accurate quotations, and stay in budget with improved cost data and new APIs.


• SolidWorks Sustainability – Quickly compares the financial impact of raw materials and the environmental impact of a design decision during the development process due to new raw material impact tools.


• SolidWorks Flow Simulation – Takes the complexity out of flow designs by allowing users to visualize fluid flow around multifaceted geometries and more easily compare analysis results between multiple design configurations.


• Conics in Sketcher – Full control over shapes for smooth transitions between existing geometries.


• Intersect Feature – Quickly add or remove geometry without sketching.


• Varying Dimension Patterns – Allows users to save time creating patterns, increase design flexibility, and reduce the number of features needed for models.


• Section View Assist – Speed the creation of production drawings for faster and more consistent section views.


• CAD Administrator Dashboard – Simplify management and troubleshooting of multiple SolidWorks users within a company from a single aggregated view.


• Simulation Sub-Modeling and Incremental Meshing – More accurately perform precise simulation analysis for specific areas of large and complex models faster and more efficiently.


• Network Rendering for PhotoView 360 – Save time with faster rendering of photorealistic images by networking multiple computers to share the computational load.


• Previous Release Interoperability - Collaborate with customers, suppliers, and internal teams with the ability to open SolidWorks 2013 files directly with SolidWorks 2012 (SP5). Users can work more efficiently and improve collaboration and file exchange, reducing delays and easing the transition to the latest release.


• SolidWorks Enterprise Product Data Management Workflow – Route documents and contact users more efficiently to reduce delays and accelerate time-to-market.


• DraftSight/SolidWorks Enterprise PDM Integration – Access DWG files within SolidWorks EPM from the DraftSight user interface, and leverage 2D into the design process. 


• eDrawings - users can measure, select and markup designs from anywhere using a mobile device

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc. 

Solidworks SNL Client License Manager Issues

SNL client configuration
problems

 

Server dies!  - A
network admin’s nightmare. After the stress of building a new server, now it is
time to point the Solidworks network clients to it. Sometimes this is not as
easy as it should be.

Launch the client license manager and enter the new server
name…..this is all it should take.

But after starting Solidworks, it cannot connect to the new
server….WHY?

-This is usually due to 2 reasons:

1. Firewall issue on server. You will need to add the exceptions
below (Windows Firewall config)

There are three things to configure to avoid firewall issues
when using the SolidNetWork License Manager.

- Add TCP/IP ports 25734 and 25735 to the firewall exception
list

- Check "a firewall is in use on this server" and
leave the ports number by default in the SolidNetWork License Manager options

- Add the following programs to the firewall exception list
(lmgrd.exe and sw_d.exe that are stored in the SNL installation folder).

 

2. Permissions issue

After changing the server in the client SNL manager, and
closing it, you will not notice anything in particular. However, re-open it and
you may notice that the old server is listed once again. This is usually caused
by not having the correct permissions to write to the registry keys.

There are 2 ways to correct this. The first is to run the
license manager as admin. Unfortunately you cannot right click on it and select
“Run as Administrator”. You will need to run the .exe file.

The license manager executable is “swlmwiz.exe”  The default location is:  C:\Program Files\Solidworks
Corp\Solidworks\Setup\i386

 

The other way to get around this is to manually change it in
the registry.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FLEXlm
License Manager

Edit the value of “SW_D_License_File” with the new servername (and port)  “25734@NewServerName”

 

This should get you on your way.

Updating to SolidWorks 2012 toolbox... another look.

After some time has gone by and we have a few more service packs to be proud of, I felt we needed one more look. I created this and shared it with my fellow techs during our technical summit this week. Enjoy the Prezi version.:)

 Note: To view the Prezi full screen once you hit play there is a More menu and you can select Full Screen from that menu.

Toolbox Updates on Prezi

John Van Engen
CATI Tech Support

 

If you can draw it, we can print it!

3D CAD continues to grow in capability year after year.  Now so do the 3D printers.  3D printers have taken an attitude that if you can draw it, we can build it.   As long as you can create a room big enough and create enough gantry travel the sky is the limit.   I have recently read an article from Forbes website (http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2012/07/11/airbus-explores-a-future-where-planes-are-built-with-giant-3d-printers/2/) that discussed how Boeing has started to experiment with printing an airplane.  With the composite materials getting better and stronger we will see more and more of this.   If this technology gets good enough, imagine the possibilities.  We can create seamless designs currently not achievable by todays manufacturing techniques.

Ok, so a printer of that scale is not very practicle, or even very imaginable.  Today's printer are getting larger and more complex.  They have successfully printed complete working model airplanes.  http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20737-3d-printing-the-worlds-first-printed-plane.html.  I have also seen articles talking about airlines that are able to use 3D printer to use metal material, and they can print custom replacement parts on the spot.   Now you can get your replacement art in hours instead of weeks. 

What will we see next?  Will you be purchasing a 3D printer for you home?  This is an exciting time for this industry and the technology is changing fast.  Keep your eye on this, beacause if you blink you will surely miss something.  And keep those designs comming.

Utilizing dual monitors

Are you like me and have two monitors? Most Engineers utilize two monitors to optimize their productivity. SolidWorks 2012 allows users to span across both screens and place a separate file in each window to easily work on two things at once. To do this follow the steps below.

 Step 1: In the upper right hand corner you will find the Span displays button. Press this

 Solidworks will now span both screens, like below.

 Step 2: To place a different file on each screen you must tile each file. One to the right and one to the left. These buttons are located in the upper right hand corner of each file.

Once you tile the files your two screens will look like this.

Enjoy

Nicholas Jansen CSWP

CATI – Applications Engineer