SolidWorks Legion

Future of Enterprise PDM

In a recent article, I expressed concerns about the current state of PDM, especially for SolidWorks. There were particular questions posed regarding the long term outlook for Enterprise PDM. The concern is that Dassault Systemes’ plan for PDM solutions may be different than SolidWorks Corp. If that is the case, the Enterprise PDM may not be viable long term solution.

My worries where not allayed in a recent presentation by Noam Ktalav of Dassault Systemes (DS). He was asked about where Enterprise PDM fits into the DS product offerings. His answer didn’t fully address the question. Instead, he talked about Enovia and its scalability. Needless to say, official word regarding Enterprise PDM from DS is very mixed.

Jeff Ray offers insight on this topic

This prompted me to contact SolidWorks Corp for a clearer picture, as least from their perspective. Jeff Ray, CEO of SolidWorks Corp, was able to provide some interesting insights. He exclaimed that statements from DS about Enterprise PDM are mixed. Ray did offer hope that something is being done about this.

[There is a] very intensive effort between SolidWorks and Enovia for a clear road map.

SolidWorks Corp is working hard to lay out a clear plan for its customers. Ray discussed the need for a long term strategy. SolidWorks Corp does not want to force a decision on customers that may eventually lead to a dead end. This would bad for SolidWorks Corp, bad for reputation of individuals who relied on the solutions offered by SolidWorks Corp, and bad for the companies that implemented those solutions. Instead, Ray declared,

We need to give people a scalable answer.

Ray then stated that he wants to optimize the user experience and “hide the plumbing” of the software. He doesn’t want to let technology get in the way of the user experience. He elaborated that users shouldn’t have to be IT experts or even require extensive reliance upon IT departments just to manage their data.

So, a solution that will address Enterprise PDM’s place in the DS universe is coming. As to the when and in what form? Answers will be forthcoming soon.

And what of SolidWorks Workgroups PDM?

During my interview with Ray, I also asked about SolidWorks Workgroups PDM (aka PDMWorks). He clarified that development of the application has hit the limits of the technology behind it. It is not worth the effort to continue to extensively develop the application further. He stated that SolidWorks Corp will continue to support Workgroups PDM and any customers that choose to use it, but that the limitations of the application need to be clearly explained.

SolidWorks 2010 Deleting Dimensions

This information was previously posted as part of another article, to which Vajrang Parvate (SolidWorks Corp Sr. Manager, Drawings Development) replied with an additional helpful hint. I’m reposting as a separate article to highlight the information.

Deleting Dimensions behavior

SolidWorks has a new user-selectable behavior when a dimension is deleted. If the user deletes a dimension or even just removes text from a dimension, SolidWorks has the ability to automatically realign the spacing of the neighboring dimensions to get rid of gaps caused by that deletion. The user has the option to turn this ability on by going to Tools>Options…>Document Properties>Dimensions to select the Adjust spacing when dimensions are deleted or text is removed checkbox.

Undoing the deletion

From Parvate:

…When the “Adjust spacing when dimensions” checkbox is checked and SolidWorks moves in dimensions after one is deleted, two commands are added to the undo stack : one for the deletion of the dimension and another for the movement of the rest of the dimensions. So hitting Ctrl-Z will undo the deletion in two steps.

Interpretation of Limits (ASME)

Some might look at the limits of a tolerance zone as non-absolute, but is that correct? ASME standards tell a different story for Interpretation of Limits.

When reading tolerances on engineering drawings, one of the finer points that comes up during Quality inspection is how to interpret tolerance limits. Some might look at the limits of a tolerance zone as non-absolute.

In other words, if a feature measures 14.004, but the upper limit specified on the drawing is 14.00, then one might be inclined to accept the part because 14.004 can be rounded to 14.00. However, according to ASME Y14.5-2009 (and any earlier versions), this is false reasoning.

All limits are absolute. Dimensional limits, regardless of the number of decimal places, are used as if they were continued with zeros.

The example given is similar to this: 12.2 means 12.20…0 (zero to infinity).

So, with that clear statement, interpretation of limits is always absolute. A measurement of 14.004 is a nonconforming part if the upper limit is 14.00. This is important, as it eliminates ambiguity and the opportunity to fudge with the numbers in a way that can affect quality and even product definition over time.

SolidWorks 2010 Multiple Materials in Multibody parts

In the SolidWorks 2010 Beta 2, there was only one entry in the What’s New file under Parts. It is a rather modest statement regarding the fact that each body within a multibody part can now be assigned its own material.

You can assign different materials to individual bodies in a multibody part. The material assignments are used by mass properties, drawing section views, and SolidWorks Simulation.

That’s it! That’s all the Beta 2 What’s New file said. It didn’t even say how to add material to different bodies! (Beta 3 did add some information, but not a lot.) Even the embellishment regarding where the material information is used doesn’t do this new capability any justice. Think about it! Are you kidding me?! SolidWorks now allows us to give a different material to each body within a multibody part! Composites can now have material information included in the part file! No more guessing, estimating, averaging out properties! No more funky assemblies to try to get around the previous limitation! For example, the user can now model a part and its coating in one file to accurately run FEA simulations!

OK, so how does one add material to each of the bodies within a multibody part? A general material can still be specified in the same way as before. RMB click on the Material heading within the FeatureManager of the part, then choose Edit Material. This will assign a material to the overall part. The steps are just a little different to assign material to a specific body. LMB click on the Solid Bodies folder. RMB click on the body which will have the different material, then pick the material for that body. When complete, the Solid Body will have its material listed underneath within the Solid Bodies folder.

SolidWorks 2010 Borders within Annotations

SolidWorks move towards quality has affected many areas in SolidWorks 2010, including annotation functionality. One of particular note is the fact that borders around text can now be added within an annotation note!

The following example has borders added to text using only this new method. No <> tag symbols where used:

Access to this functionality is in the same place as before, under the Border heading within the Note PropertyManager. The only difference is that the border selection now responds to highlighted text within the affected Note. In fact, it only responds to highlighted text now.

Because of this new functionality, some behavior has changed with making flagnotes. As of Beta 2, notice that they will no longer directly attach to a leader unless they are round (Circle border). Some may like this, others may not. Another behavior that might need to be taken into consideration when using these borders is that spacing between lines may be affected, as also shown in the example. Also, this functionality is not supported within dimension callouts.

SolidWorks World 2010 early registration offer ends soon!

There’s a special deal that can allow SolidWorks World 2010 attendees to save $200 on registration. It’s the Early Bird #1 special offer. Instead of paying $995, people who register early qualify for the price of $795. For those who are already planning to attend, this is a good reason to register sooner. For those who are on the fence about attending, this discount could make the difference. To take advantage of the offer, one must register by October 9. Hope to see you there!!!