Articles by: Rod Mackay

Rod has been using 3D CAD software for over 25 years and has trained thousands of designers to use their CAD systems more effectively. Rod is the Javelin Webmaster and is based in Ottawa, ON., Canada.

Always Show the Solid Bodies Folder

SolidWorks FeatureManager System Options

Accidentally hiding solid bodies within a part file is a common source of confusion, leading to the inevitable question regarding why the user is unable to see the part. A SolidWorks part file can consist of multiple individual bodies – each of these bodies can…

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Why Sustainable Design?

Worldwide awareness of environmental issues has never been more acute. Consumers are increasingly considering the environmental impact of products they buy. They’re not just looking at recyclability. They want to know about materials used and how the product was made. Manufacturers, in turn, are trying to respond to that growing demand. What it means to you As an engineer or product designer, you have the power to dramatically alter how we interact with our environment. The question is how. Many designers don’t know about the life cycle assessment (LCA) process or how it could guide them to more sustainable designs. Others may think the process is too complex and time-consuming, or is someone else’s responsibility. Learning about designing for the environment now will put you…

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Adding Fasteners to your assembly with a SolidWorks Feature Driven Pattern

If you don’t have access to SolidWorks Toolbox Smart Fasteners then there is an alternative method to quickly add fasteners to your assembly. To add fasteners first insert the required fastener part, then apply a SolidWorks feature driven pattern which utilizes a pattern feature of an existing part located in your assembly. Watch the following demonstration video from SolidWorks to see an example:

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DraftSight 2D CAD Software is an alternative AutoCAD FREE Download

AutoCAD FREE Download DraftSight

Are you looking for a 2D CAD product? Need an AutoCAD Free Download? Have to maintain your library of 2D AutoCAD® drawings? Or simply want to save the money you are planning to spend on upgrading your AutoCAD licenses? Then you should try DraftSight, a professional-grade,…

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PlantWorks 2010 now available

Javelin’s Plant Design and Layout add-in product for SolidWorks has been updated for SolidWorks 2010. PlantWorks allows for rapid 3D layout generation from furniture layouts to full machine layouts in your facility for proposals, photo renderings, and fly-through animation. Using PlantWorks and SolidWorks visualization tools you will be able to provide early visibility of your proposed plant solution. Check out this demo to learn more about the product. Interested in PlantWorks? Learn more about the SolidWorks Add-in here: http://www.javelin-tech.com/plantworks Or click here to request a quote for the product

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PropertyLinksXpress is a FREE SOLIDWORKS Add-in to manage your Drawing Title Block

PropertyLinksXpress

About a year ago we released a FREE SOLIDWORKS Add-in product called PropertyLinksXpress to help our customers organize their custom property data and allow them to easily populate their drawing title blocks. We are now happy to announce that over 1,000 SOLIDWORKS users are now using the…

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Create SolidWorks configurations quicker and easier with DriveWorks Solo

Many designers and engineers waste countless hours modifying existing designs for customer requirements. Often this is a tedious operation that can result in many errors or omissions. Also, it may be done too quickly in order to provide a quote for your Sales department. DriveWorks Solo can reduce this problem by automatically generating variations of an existing design, create detailed manufacturing drawings, and a quote for each new custom design variation required.

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SolidWorks Sustainability wins Design News Golden Mousetrap Award 2010 for Innovation and Creativity

A top design industry publication has named SolidWorks® Sustainability software as one of the most innovative products of 2010. The editors of Design News magazine chose SolidWorks Sustainability as a Golden Mousetrap Award Best Product winner based on its ability to help designers create more environmentally-friendly products. SolidWorks Sustainability helps users determine their designs’ carbon footprint, energy consumption, and air/water impacts. Read the full press release to learn more

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Customer Design: Coalescing Oil and Polishing Filter Housing Platform

COP filter housing platform

Here is a clever green design for separating oil from water. The two stage oil separation system was designed by another of our green customers – Douglas Toombs of Maple Leaf Environmental Equipment, based in Brockville, Ontario. How does the product work? The two transfer pumps draw oily water…

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