Javelin / TriMech Author
Andrew Lidstone, CSWE
Automatically clearing Copy Tree data variables in SOLIDWORKS PDM
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on May 23, 2016
An existing file set can be duplicated, perhaps to be re-used as a starting point for a new project, within the SOLIDWORKS PDM Vault using the Copy Tree command. However an issue that may come up is that the source files that the Copy Tree…
How to manually set a SOLIDWORKS PDM File Revision
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on May 19, 2016
If you needed to bring a file into a PDM Vault that already had an assigned revision level, it used to be a very time consuming process to match up the revision information with the vault database. In SOLIDWORKS PDM 2016 however, this is now much easier…
How to create a SOLIDWORKS Hole Wizard Favorite
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on May 17, 2016
If you frequently use a particular Hole Wizard hole, instead of re-entering the parameters each time you launch the Hole Wizard command, you can save those settings as a Hole Wizard Favorite. Each Hole Type can have it’s own list of Hole Wizard Favorites. Creating a SOLIDWORKS Hole…
Using Pack and Go Vs Copy Tree with SOLIDWORKS PDM
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on May 13, 2016
One question that we often receive from users who have begun using SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard or SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional is whether to use Pack and Go or Copy Tree when copying files? Our answer is quite simple, if your files are located in a SOLIDWORKS PDM Vault…DON’T USE PACK…
SOLIDWORKS 2016 Sheet Scale Control in Status Bar
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on February 18, 2016
Starting with SOLIDWORKS 2016, working with drawings is a little easier. In previous versions of SOLIDWORKS, the Status Bar showed the current sheet scale in Drawings, now in 2016 the sheet scale can be controlled from the Status Bar. The popup sheet scale list allow users…
Why a SOLIDWORKS PDM Administrator needs to get CERTIFIED
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on December 28, 2015
SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional (formerly called Enterprise PDM) is NOT simple plug and play software. Once the software is deployed within an organization, it must be properly maintained by a qualified SOLIDWORKS PDM Administrator. This individual is responsible for ensuring all maintenance tasks are properly executed, updating…
SMG File Preview is not displaying in SOLIDWORKS Enterprise PDM?
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on October 27, 2015
The preview pane in the SOLIDWORKS Enterprise PDM file explorer has the ability to show a dynamic preview of SMG (SOLIDWORKS Composer) files, just like SOLIDWORKS files. If the preview is not working, there are a few possible causes, these troubleshooting steps will help you…
SOLIDWORKS PDM Add-In Task Pane Customization [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on October 26, 2015
The File List area of the SOLIDWORKS EPDM Add-In provides lots of valuable information about the active file in SOLIDWORKS. By default there are columns showing information such as “Workflow State”, “Checked Out By” and “Version” as well as “Revision” information. But these columns can…
How to Manually Activate a SOLIDWORKS Network License
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on October 21, 2015
If the server running the SolidNetWork License Manager is not connected to the internet then the software can be activated manually through email. Here are the steps to activate a SOLIDWORKS Network License manually using e-mail: Step 1: Launch the SolidNetwork License Manager and on the…
Resolving Issues With Re-Attaching SOLIDWORKS PDM Vault Views
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on October 20, 2015
If you have had to remove and re-attach a SOLIDWORKS PDM Vault View on a client computer, you can sometimes encounter an odd Status value which will block you from being able to complete the process of recreating the view: “Attached; Missing Information“. This is…
How to change the SolidNetWork License Manager Communication Port
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on October 19, 2015
The default ports used by the SolidNetWork License Manager are 25734 and 25735. In some cases though these ports may already be in use. If that is the case, the port used by the SNL Manager can be changed easily through the activation options. Change…
SOLIDWORKS EPDM Quick Info Icons [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on October 12, 2015
The SOLIDWORKS EPDM Quick Info icons provide you with a lot of information concerning the status of the file currently active in SOLIDWORKS. These Quick Info icons are displayed next to file names in the “File/Variable” column for parts and assemblies, as well as in the…
On Demand SOLIDWORKS PDM Training now available in MySolidWorks
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on July 7, 2015
MySolidWorks Training contains a number of excellent self paced training videos explaining how to perform many common processes for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional and Standard users. Presently there are 19 lessons available, including fundamentals such as: SOLIDWORKS PDM Windows Explorer Interface SOLIDWORKS PDM Log In/Log Out SOLIDWORKS PDM…
Backing Up PDM Databases Automatically with SQL Server Agent
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on June 23, 2015
Proper backups are an essential part of data management. For SOLIDWORKS PDM, there are two key elements that must be backed up to ensure that data is safe, the vault archives, and the vault database. The vault archives are copies of the actual files stored…
How to Perform a Telnet Test [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on June 21, 2015
When troubleshooting connectivity issues for some SOLIDWORKS products, such as the SolidNetwork License Manager, SOLIDWORKS Workgroup PDM or SOLIDWORKS Enterprise PDM, it’s possible that a ping test may succeed but the communication may still be failing. A Telnet Test can be very useful in such…