Drawings Top Ten list from years past: SWW2012

This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Past Years Drawings Top Ten

SolidWorks World 2012 Top Ten list actually included one drawing specific idea, and one more general idea that affected drawings within its scope.   The odd thing about the Drawings ideas this particular year is that one of them is already addressed, and another is not clear about its intent.  Given the variety of situations surrounding SWW2012’s submissions, I’ll add commentary to each idea for clarity.

SolidWorks World 2012 Top Ten Drawings Ideas

  1. Address Shaded with Edges Bleed Thru issue – This idea made it on to the official Top Ten for SWW12.  It was implemented in SW2014 for parts, assemblies and drawings.
  2. Dimensions should stay where you place them – This idea also made it on to the official Top Ten for SWW12.  However, this idea is an oddity since it is requesting behavior that is already supported by SOLIDWORKS from day one.  Placement and organization of dimensions are controlled by two settings in SOLIDWORKS.  The first setting for model item dimensions is called “Annotation view layout”, and is found at Tools>Options…>Document Properties>Dimensions in the Offset distances area.  This setting places your model item dimensions on drawing views as they are organized in the model.  A second setting was introduced in SolidWorks 2010, called Reduce spacing when dimensions are deleted or edited (add or change tolerances, text etc…).  Yup, that’s the name!  It’s found at Tools>Options…>System Options>Drawings near the bottom of the list.  This setting forces dimensions to maintain assigned offsets.  As you add and remove dimensions, the other dimensions automatically adjust to maintain offsets.  If you don’t need SOLIDWORKS to apply your offsets automatically, then simply turn this setting off.  Here’s an article about this setting when it was introduced.
  3. Don’t show hidden lines in section views and broken-out sections – This idea was half implemented in SolidWorks 2013.  Hidden lines are now automatically turned off for section views.  No setting is available for broken-out sections yet.
  4. Don’t re-size center marks with scale of drawing view or sheet – This idea has not been implemented as of SOLIDWORKS 2015.
  5. Allow multiple exploded views per configuration – Sound familiar?  It was on the SWW11 list as well.  This idea was implemented in SolidWorks 2013.
  6. Drawings: make intersection selectable when dimensioning drawings – This idea was imlemented in SOLIDWORKS 2014.
  7. Ability to create a “purchased” component BOM and “manufactured” component BOM – This idea is very similar to “Ability to Filter BOMs” from the SWW11 list.  This has not been implemented as of SOLIDWORKS 2015.
  8. Drawings: Revision Cloud – This idea was implement in SolidWorks 2013
  9. Dashes should not be allowed at the end of a line – This idea has not been implemented as of SOLIDWORKS 2015.
  10. Parts as references in drawing views – This idea is a good example of a bad title.  From the title alone, it is impossible to really know what this idea is actually talking about. You wouldn’t have a drawing view of a part unless the part was referenced.  The lesson here being, when submitting your idea, please be sure to use a clear title that explains your idea well enough on its own.

The implementation rate for Drawings ideas from the SWW12 list is a bit harder to calcuate, given status of several of the ideas.  However, I’m going to call it 61%: counting #2, counting half for #3 and not counting #10 at all.

Voting has been open on the current SOLIDWORKS World 2015 Top Ten list for a couple of days.  Go there are vote for your favorites.  Vote on as many ideas as you wish!  Just remember, you have to logon to see the ideas and vote for them.

SolidWorks World 2012 Proceedings site is now available ( #fb )

SolidWorks World 2012 presentations are now available for download or viewing on the preceedings website.  Visit http://www.solidworks.com/sww/proceedings/ to access the proceedings information.

Also available there are videos of the General Sessions, Partner Pavilion information and some photos.

SolidWorks World 2012 announces enhancements for 2013

Briefly, here are the announced enhancements planned for Solidworks 2013.   (As noted by Fielder Hiss, other enhancements are also planned.)

– Show Hidden Bodies in Parts

– Assembly Performance Offender

– eDrawings Markup Import

– Quick Section Views

– Revision Cloud tool

– Snapshots in and Doc

– Bounding Box Cut-List Properties

– 3DVIA Composer- new support for multiple cameras

– Quick Pick Document Type-for filter files

– Envelope Enhancements

– Insert Multiple Parts all at once

– Multiple Exploded Views

– Rotate Exploded Part

– Favorites Folder

– Plastic Boss Mount Control

– Cosmetic Thread and Dowel Holes

– Surface Intersect to add and remove materials

– Extrude Multiple Thin Contours

– Equation Entry to enter equations in any property

– Vary Pattern Dimensions

– Previous Release Interoperability (can open 2013 in 2012 as long as running SP5)

– EPDM- collaborate with others

– DraftSight- EPDM Checkout and Copy Sketches

SolidWorks World 2012 Top Ten Enhancement Requests

In a tradition of SolidWorks World, there is a vote for the top ten enhancement requests for SolidWorks.  This year’s list varies a bit from previous a bit more than normal.  There’s a couple reasons. 

First, several items from last year’s top ten was actually included in the next release (some even announced at the show).  Here’s the completed and planned items from last year’s list:

  • SolidWorks should cleanly uninstall itself (Done in the same year)
  • Freeze Features (Done in the same year)
  • Enhanced Equations Input & Editing & Linking (Done in 2012 and added abilities planned for 2013.)
  • File compatibility between versions (Announcement some ability for this is planned for 2013.)

Item number 9 from last year was to keep the Ideas area of the forum open for year around voting.  It should be noted that this isn’t actually a request to improve SolidWorks, but regarding the process to provide input for how to improve it.  It is essentially a vote for the voting process.  Technically, voting for enhancements is available year around via the Enhancement Requests area in the Customer Portal.  The Idea voting system is something fun just for SolidWorks World that allows SolidWorks to have the opportunity to take a yearly snapshot of customer needs. 

Second, the voting system for Ideas worked a bit different this year.  In previous years, voting and submission of ideas was mingled.  This meant that ideas that where submitted early naturally received more votes.  This year levelled the playing field.  All ideas where first collected in the first phase, then voted upon during the second phase.  Ideas that may have been hidden in previous years now got a chance to be noticed.

SolidWorks World 2012 Top Ten Enhancement Requests

  • #10- Thread creation wizard
  • #9- Add lock rotation option to cylindrical
  • #8- Escape key should immediately return control of the interface (similar to request from last year)
  • #7- Dimensions should stay where you place them
  • #6- Ability to control a plane’s front and back side orientation
  • #5- Reduce the bounding box of drawing views to visible components only
  • #4- Address the shaded with edges bleed thru issue
  • #3- Don’t delete your children, dangle them instead (similar to request from SolidWorks World 2010’s list)
  • #2- Mass properties should include the option to automatically put a point a the center of gravity
  • #1- Start using more CPU cores whenever its possible (similar to request from SolidWorks World 2010’s list)

Firsts and lasts and repeats of SolidWorks World 2012

SolidWorks World 2012 saw some firsts and some lasts.  Attendance peak was just shy of 6000, first time attendance reached that level.  Attendance of the CSWP-CSWE Event was well over 800, also a first.  Yet, there’s a last too.  This was the last time the event is for CSWP attendees.

Next year, the special event will only be for CSWEs.  In part, this is in recognition of the success of the CSWP program, where having the Core certification is becoming the norm.  It is also meant to honor the new status of the CSWE.

This is also my first SolidWorks World as an employee.  This means I was very busy with the business of…well, I was working.  This was the reason for my lack of posting articles during the conference.  As mentioned previously, I did frequently update the SolidWorks World 2012 flickr group and the hashtag #sww12 on Twitter.

Along with some first and lasts, there are also some repeats.  San Diego was again a great host city, even covering the conference on a local news station.  We again had an awesome Gaslamp Block Party as the Special Event.  The food was much better this time around.

Birds-of-a-feature is where people of similar interests can enjoy their meals together and have interesting discussions.  There’s been some experimenting with the format of this idea in recent years.  This year, Birds-of-a-feature was returned to the Breakfast and Lunch room, where it seems to work well.  It is no longer limited to just one day, nor just to lunchtime.

The keynote speaker, Tony Fadell (billed at the inventor of the iPod), was announced just ahead of the conference.  Yet, SolidWorks World still managed to have a worthy surprize speaker, Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs!

When looking through the Conference Notebook and Show Program, I discovered that the list of Breakout Sessions started with one of my presentations, Advanced Customization Techniques in SolidWorks within the CAD Admin category.  Ironically, this session was scheduled in the last timeslot of the conference, on Wednesday at  2:45pm.  Of course, there were 214 total sessions spread across 11 timeslots.   I’m not 100% sure, but I believe that’s also a record.