The Javelin Technologies Blog

DWG/DXF files are still widely used by designers and engineers nowadays.

Layers are very useful in these 2D drawings to distinguish different types of entities.

In SW 2D drawings, there is “layer” tool where you can manually setup different layers, but they are rather time consuming.

When exporting the drawing to DWG/DXF in SW, you can setup layer mapping, so your DWG/DXF files will have correct layers and corresponding colors. Read More »

If you want to create a spiral/helical sheetmetal model, sweep feature + insert bends will not do the job.

You will need to use two different size helix/sprial:

Read More »

Holewizard tool covers most of the hole standards and sizes.  However, if you want to add custom sizes, what can you do?

The “show custom sizing” option isn’t a long term solution.

You can create custom sizing holes by utilizing toolbox.

Click on the link below to download the video.

http://rcpt.yousendit.com/958530073/d1d3d00ed5713d05e545b2633bc9a54f

When you check the reaction forces or the free body forces in the result, and you find that the answers don’t add up correct, or don’t match your hand calc, a quick and efficient way is to plot the displacement with exaggerated deformation.  Show the animation and check contact sets one by one.  Most likely there are some contact sets missing, or improperly defined.  The loads are not transferred correctly, and hence the reaction/free body forces will be incorrect.

If you have tons of configurations of models and you want to upload them to the web for your clients to download, you should try 3DCC (3D Content Central).

To be able to upload the models with multiple configurations to 3DCC, you will need to register for “supplier services”.

Only uploaded models in supplier services will support configurations with pick lists.  Personally uploaded models will not have this functionality.

There is a short video demonstrating how a sample model is created and uploaded.

http://www.javelin-tech.com/blog/?attachment_id=978

The uploaded files are first approved by SW, and then they will be available to download.

If you are like me, upload the files to test the functionality, your “supplier services” may be suspended.  Please make sure the models you upload are for real.

As most of the Windows VISTA users already know, UAC is one of the most annoying features in the OS.

In Windows 7, UAC has been improved, but it can still potentially conflict with SolidWorks Simulation.

In some cases, when UAC is enabled, meshing is fine, but simulation solver is blocked and there is notification at all.

When it happens, you will see a message saying “solver failed” without any reason.

To turn it off:

VISTA: Control Panel -> User Accounts -> Turn User Account Control on or off , and then turn it off

7: Control Panel -> User Accounts -> Change User Account Control Settings, and slide the bar down to “never notify”.