SOLIDWORKS 2013 Video Series

There is no secret that I am delighted with the new enhancements introduced by SolidWorks 2013. I explored the new functionality quite a bit during the Beta period and I was pleased to notice that most enhancements were picked from popular user wish-lists posted on SolidWorks Forum, discussion groups or speciality blogs.

Today I am starting a new pet project. I intend to create and post one video tech tip a day, introducing my favorite new toys from SolidWorks 2013. There will be more than 30 videos in total and this number will most likely grow as I discover more delighters in the new version.

There are over 200 new enhancements in this version of SolidWorks. I made a preliminary list of my favorites and, in no particular order, I will show you why I like them.

1. Conic Curves!!!!!
2. Flat View – Feature Tree!
3. Sub-Folders in the Feature Tree
4. Input equations when you define features!!!
5. Assign units to global variables!
6. Can save global custom views (requested by formed Inventor users)
7. History in the Measure Tool! – great for comparing values in different configurations
8. Point to Point Measure! (long time request)
9. Open File Filter (Top Level Assembly is a great time saver!!!)
10. Previous release interoperability (unique among all major 3D parametric modellers)!!!!!
11. Assembly Visualization – Fully Mated (long time requested)!
12. Assembly Visualization – Component Image Quality (find out what components slow you down)
13. Assembly Visualization – Save/Load Styles! – like a template
14. Lock/Break all External References for all components of an assembly
15. Multiple Exploded Views in a configuration (long time requested) -> smaller file size due to less configurations
16. COM (Center of Mass) becomes an entity that can be placed and referenced on a part, an assembly or a drawing and updates in real time!!!!! (long, long time requested)
17. You can replace a component with another having the same name (different folders) (popular request)
18. Swept Cut Assembly Feature!!!
19. You can finally control the file size of multiple configuration files
20. Convert Drawing View to Sketch!!! This opens the possibility of having Quasi – Mirrored Views at the drawing level only. I do not have to create a mirror part or configuration just so I can show it in an ISO view for reference!!!
21. Watermarks in Drawings (Notes behind the sheet)
22. Hole Wizard supports Dowel Pins!!! They are automatically recognized as such in drawings and the symbol can be inserted automatically
23. Can finally link (easier) cutlist properties to notes and balloons!!!
24. Leakage Browser in Flow Simulation!!!
25. Copy/Paste Appearances (long time request)
26. Network Rendering for PhotoView 360!!!
27. Multiple contours for Thin Extrudes!!! (it worked in surfaces, now it works in solids)!
28. The defeatured file is now parametrically linked to the original!!! Now we can really use the Defeature tool!!!
29. Create, Modify and Manage Geometry with the Intersect Tool!!! Boolean workflow on steroids!
30. Multibody Library Features!
31. Show Hidden Bodies at part level!!! Huge time saver!
32. Varying Dimension Patterns – Automate your Design with ease!!!!!!!!!!
33. 3D Bounding Boxes for bodies
34. Incremental Meshing in Sim Pro!
35. Submodeling in Sim Pro!
36. CAD Admin Dashboard
37. Push un/installs from Admin Images
38. Parametric precision between Drawing and Model (might not be exactly what I want in some cases, but step in right direction)
39. Insert only Model Items with a tolerance
40. New Section View interface
41. Centermarks & Centerlines can be assigned to a default layer
42. Better access to layer controls for entities
43. Can search through Options – a great time saver.

On the other hand, you have probably received invitations to attend the 2013 Launch Events in Toronto, Cambridge-Waterloo and Ottawa. I hope you will consider it a great opportunity for free 2013 training delivered by Jake and Alex, free lunch (who doesn’t love that?) and multiple chances to win valuable prizes.

I attended these events in the past as a customer of Javelin and later as an employee of Javelin and I was always amazed how good Alex and Jake are as presenters. Not only they pick the perfect examples to showcase the new functionality, but they know how to deliver an impressive quantity of information in just half day, in a clear and professional manner, keeping the audience captive and excited throughout.

Of course I cannot compete with Alex and Jake and it is not my intention to do that. The fastest and best way to get up to speed with SolidWorks 2013 is without a doubt attending the Launch Events.

That being said, starting tomorrow, come back here every day to watch a new video on what I like the most about SolidWorks 2013.