Apr 27
Starting with the release of Windows Vista and continuing with Windows 7, Microsoft has included Aero themes with the several editions of the operating system, from Home Premium up to Ultimate. The Aero themes are intended to provide a more aesthetically pleasing interface (apparently Aero stands for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective and Open … I thought they chose the name because it was a cool word …). The themes give a “glass” like translucency to the Windows interface, as well as using live icons and new animations to enhance the user experience (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/What-is-the-Aero-desktop-experience). This however requires a significant amount of resources when compared to the old Windows Basic themes. As a result many tech bloggers have recommended shutting off these themes to improve system performance.
If you are using SolidWorks however, DO NOT TURN OFF AERO THEMES!
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Nov 07
One of my favorite features in Windows 7 is the ability to find files, launch programs and access Windows tools from the Windows Start Menu.
By pressing ctrl-esc on my keyboard I can quickly access “Search programs & files” without always having to click on the Windows Start Button.
Sep 09
Improving Large Assembly Design Step-by-Step Guide
I finished reading over the Labour Day weekend the latest edition to the Step-by-Step Guide series that SolidWorks has been publishing over the last couple of years. Their newest book is titled “Improving Large Assembly Design using SolidWorks” and was released just a couple of weeks ago. When I received the notice from my good friend at SolidWorks, Michel Cloutier, I immediately ordered a couple for our support team to review and to have as a resource, and I just had to read this!
I’ve since read it cover to cover, and I’m impressed. The authors of this guide did a fantastic job hitting on all the key topics from the impact of hardware setup to how different mate types can impact rebuild times. Coming from a design background involving the design of very large and frequently complex assemblies, I know very well the best practices of large assembly design to maximize performance and usability as the design evolves. I am frequently consulted on this topic. Now I can say, “I know a book you have to read!” Kudos to the training department at SolidWorks – nice work on this guide.
SolidWorks end users have been waiting for a guide like this for many years and I will be recommending to any customer that does anything with assembly designs large or small, as many of the concepts and practices are applicable to everyone.
It’s a $70 investment well spent.
To review the topics covered, the table of contents can be reviewed and copies of the guide can be purchased via our web store.
Jul 25
When you double click SolidWorks files within Windows Explorer do they open up in a new, separate instance of SolidWorks from the one you have open?
If they do, then this is one of the symptoms that some with is wrong with the windows file associations for the SolidWorks file types.
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Jun 20
This post is regarding one of those topics that I repeat daily when speaking with our customers -> temporarily disabling any Anti-Virus & Anti-Spyware applications that may be protecting your system.
Before any corporate IT personnel read this and start feeling faint, allow me to clarify………We are speaking of temporarily shutting down the Anti-Virus applications in terms of your installation of SolidWorks. More specifically the need to disable the Anti-Virus or Anti-Spyware if there are modifications or changes to the setup that involve the SolidWorks installation utility.
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Apr 26
You may have noticed that Windows 7 x64 is now the recommended operating system for SolidWorks 2010 and 2011 (http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.html). In a recent poll, Windows 7 x64 was reported as the most common operating system that SolidWorks users have chosen to install on.
What makes Windows 7 x64 and SolidWorks such a good combination?
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Mar 02
Windows 7 SP1 was recently released by Microsoft. If you consider upgrading your machine in the next couple of months, please read this article first:
SolidWorks and Windows 7 SP1
Aug 13
Typical computer power users, including us gaming geeks, CAD engineers/designers, and the like, need to know what is happening when our computer decides to punish us unexpectedly with a process hanging, or running out of RAM.
To troubleshoot these issues, we instinctively open task manager, find the process, and end it. The task manager is a good tool, and it gives a bit of upfront information. However, new to Windows 7 is the windows Resource Monitor, and it is a tool that any power user cannot live without.
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