Javelin / TriMech Author
Andrew Lidstone, CSWE
Adding EPDM License[s] to an existing SolidNetWork License Manager [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on June 19, 2015
Starting with the 2015 release SOLIDWORKS Enterprise PDM now uses the SolidNetWork License Manager program instead of a license file. If you already are using the SolidNetWork License Manager program for your SOLIDWORKS license[s] you may wish to simply add the EPDM license[s] to the…
Using the Modify Configurations Table in SOLIDWORKS [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on June 17, 2015
For many users, both new and more experienced, working with files with multiple Configurations can get very complicated and confusing, especially if several different variables are being controlled in the various configurations. To help manage this, one thing I recommend to all my students starting…
Using the SolidNetwork License Manager Options File with SOLIDWORKS PDM [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on June 13, 2015
Starting with the 2015 release, SOLIDWORKS PDM licensing is now handled through the SolidNetwork License Manager, instead of through a license file. This has many benefits for PDM administrators, one of which is that it will allow much more customized control over PDM licenses using the…
How to create a SOLIDWORKS Notes Library [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on June 10, 2015
One question that often comes up in SOLIDWORKS training courses is “How do I create a SOLIDWORKS Notes Library for my drawings?”. A catalog of commonly used annotations, including notes, can be created in the SOLIDWORKS Design Library. Step 1: Create a folder in the Design Library by…
Including the PNG Image Background in a PhotoView 360 Rendering [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on June 7, 2015
In a previous article we explained how you can save a PNG file from Photoview 360 with a transparent background, but what if you want the PNG image background included with the higher image quality of the PNG file? No problem. It’s actually a very…
Showing the Descriptions of SOLIDWORKS files in Windows Explorer [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on June 3, 2015
If you are using SOLIDWORKS Enterprise PDM, one very nice feature is that the vault view can be customized to display any of your SolidWorks custom properties in the detail view as you browse your files. However if you are just storing your files in Windows…
How to troubleshoot a missing SOLIDWORKS PDM Add-In
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on June 2, 2015
The SOLIDWORKS PDM Client software can use a number of optional Add-Ins that integrate directly with several different CAD programs. For most users, the most important integration is probably that with the SOLIDWORKS 3D Design software itself. The PDM Add In within SOLIDWORKS is a…
Creating SOLIDWORKS Custom Appearance Files [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on May 13, 2015
SOLIDWORKS installs with a large library of appearance files that you can apply to your models, but you can also create a SOLIDWORKS Custom appearance file from any image you wish. Create a Custom Appearance File To create a new custom appearance file, you need to start…
Contour and Cartoon Rendering with SOLIDWORKS and PhotoView 360 [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on May 7, 2015
You are probably already familiar with the amazing photo realistic renders that are possible using PhotoView 360 in SOLIDWORKS, but what if you want to render a high quality image that looks more like it’s been hand drawn? Well, PhotoView 360 can do that too!…
How to Round Numbers in SOLIDWORKS Equations
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on April 30, 2015
Equations in SOLIDWORKS can be a very powerful tool to automatically calculate dimensions and other parameters in SOLIDWORKS models. However what do you do when you require round numbers in SOLIDWORKS equations? There are two functions that you can choose from depending on your requirements, the int()…
Moving Workgroup PDM Vault [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on April 21, 2015
Moving Workgroup PDM Vault to a new computer is relatively simple. All vault settings, users, groups and the actual SolidWorks files are contained within the VaultData folder, so only that folder will need to be transferred to the new server. Here are the steps for the…
Restore File Associations in SOLIDWORKS [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on April 17, 2015
Starting with SOLIDWORKS 2012 SP4 a new method was introduced for launching SOLIDWORKS files from Windows Explorer. Instead of the files being associated directly to the sldworks.exe program, they are launched through a separate SOLIDWORKS Launcher program (swshellfilelauncher.exe). This is the program that enables the…
How To Enable Xpress Products in SOLIDWORKS
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on April 14, 2015
To enable SOLIDWORKS Xpress Products (SimulationXpress, FloXpress, DFMXpress, SustainabilityXpress, and DriveWorksXpress) in 2015 and newer releases, you will need to obtain a Product Code from the MySolidWorks website. PLEASE NOTE: The product codes are based on your SOLIDWORKS serial number and version of SOLIDWORKS. Users with separate serial numbers…
Restoring the eDrawings Preview in the PDM Vault View
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on April 8, 2015
When previewing SolidWorks files in a SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional or PDM Standard vault view, the files can either be shown as a static Bitmap view, or as a dynamic 3D eDrawings view. However if the eDrawings preview is not working, but the eDrawings software is…
Why do my SOLIDWORKS Drawing dimensions move after I placed them? [VIDEO]
By Andrew Lidstone, CSWE on March 26, 2015
When detailing a drawing, a common complaint for users first starting out with SOLIDWORKS is that dimensions will seemingly arbitrarily jump around after they’ve been placed! It isn’t that your SOLIDWORKS program is trying to defy your commands, the program is following a drawing layout…