SOLIDWORKS
Building on the previous article about adding a decal and masking the background, there are occasions where we need to take masking a step further to get the desired result. I’m going to add another decal below my Javelin decal. This is the same procedure of right clicking in the open area and clicking Add Decal. Browse for the required picture and select the face. I’m going to position and size this to match the previous decal. Back to the Image tab and the Mask Image area. We again want to remove the background and just have the text on the new decal. The option we did last time was to select Use Decal Image Alpha Channel, but that doesn’t work. We can do a Selective Color Mask. Here we can click on the eye dropper and select the background. This usually works out but this time we have some…
Longtime Windows users are likely familiar with the debilitating effects of even a single Windows Registry key becoming corrupted. SOLIDWORKS is by no means immune to such a situation. Perhaps you may have experienced some of these effects before. SOLIDWORKS showing only the splash screen and not actually launching, toolbars missing unable to be retrieved, and a number of other bizarre and seemingly random errors can all be symptoms of a corrupt registry key. You may be able to correct this by resetting SOLIDWORKS Windows registry entry. Resetting the registry will cause any settings or customization currently in place to be undone, reverting SOLIDWORKS back to a fresh, default installation. WARNING: Please be very careful when editing or deleting any entries in the Windows Registry as changing the wrong entry can lead to major issues on your system. Note that Javelin is not responsible for any changes that you make to your system,…
Generating a new Flow Simulation project brings up the default analysis tree. The SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation Input Data Folder by default only includes Computational Domain, Fluid Subdomains, Boundary Conditions, Goals and Mesh. These are the most common selections when setting up the study. If you are constantly adding other features found in the CommandManager or menus, you can include these in the SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation Input Data Folder. For example Heat Sources could be advantageous to electronic designers. To customize the options, right-click on the top of the study tree and select Customize Menu. Here you can select or deselect Input Data Folder items. The selections will be saved for future projects.
Spending too much time on prototyping and attempting physical tests? Use a SOLIDWORKS Simulation Package to virtually test your design! With SOLIDWORKS Simulation, the virtual testing environment makes validating your design a breeze. If you think about how much time and cost goes into prototyping and setting up physical tests, virtual simulation is done on the spot and is fully integrated with SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD. Validation can happen with just about every application: structural, automation, product design and much more! SOLIDWORKS Simulation is available in three packages: SOLIDWORKS Simulation Standard SOLIDWORKS Simulation Professional SOLIDWORKS Simulation Premium Each package is filled with time and cost saving features. The following matrix is a high level look at the features and capabilities of the three SOLIDWORKS Simulation packages: SOLIDWORKS Simulation Standard Starting with the standard package, you are able to complete linear static analysis which includes the fixtures to fix the model and many different…
Why use a Configurator? The ability to configure, price and quote easily has become essential for manufacturing companies of all sizes, in all industries. We’ve all seen, and probably used, some kind of sales configurator. They’re now widely used by many recognized brands as a way of cost-effectively offering configurable products. Configurable products are becoming the norm and many companies are seeking a configure, price and quote (CPQ) solution that can help them to meet the increasing demand for custom products and gain a competitive edge. Take the Lead with DriveWorks CPQ DriveWorks configurator software enables businesses to set up a configurable 3D CPQ solution that engineering and sales teams can use. DriveWorks allows manufacturing companies to gain all the benefits of digital selling. CPQ solutions are built on rules, workflow, user interface and integration. These are the core technologies that have underpinned DriveWorks since the software was first introduced to the SOLIDWORKS market…
Is it the Correct Time for Me to Upgrade? Customers upgrade their SOLIDWORKS licenses for any number of reasons. Those reasons may be identical to the reasoning that another company or organization chooses not to upgrade. As the old adage goes “If it ain’t broke – don’t fix it”, and this approach by and large works for many customers who do not have need of the latest feature-set available within the very latest releases. Eventually there comes a time when an upgrade does need to occur, in many cases this is due to the end of life support for operating systems or other complementary software that may be on your workstation. If you DO find yourself in a spot and needing to make a considerable leap between versions of SOLIDWORKS, here are a few questions to consider: Do I need to have both versions of SOLIDWORKS installed on the same…
The release date for the new Star Wars® feature film “Star Wars:The Last Jedi” is just around the corner. We thought we would celebrate the best way we know how, making Lightsabres in SOLIDWORKS Visualize! By utilizing some techniques like the Visualize add-in for SOLIDWORKS, you can get a fast and great looking render in no time. In the video below, we will show you how to get a SOLIDWORKS model of a Lightsaber into Visualize while taking advantage of some camera features, and even the new area lights capabilities in SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional 2018. Benefits of SOLIDWORKS Visualize SOLIDWORKS® Visualize (formerly known as Bunkspeed) is a product which provides a suite of standalone software tools that combine industry-leading rendering capabilities with design-oriented features and workflows that enable easy and fast creation of visual content for designers, engineers, marketing, and other content creators. SOLIDWORKS Visualize Standard is included with SOLIDWORKS Professional and…
SOLIDWORKS Plastics: Leveraging Smart Data for Optimal Plastic Part Design & Manufacturability [LIVE WEBINAR]
Are you a Plastic Part Designer, Process Engineer, and/or an Injection Mold Designer that needs real world answers to the following questions? Has my plastic part design been optimized to ensure optimal cycle time? How can I reduce tooling costs, lead time and eliminate tooling revisions? How can SolidWorks Simulation Technology leverage my Scientific Molding process? SOLIDWORKS Plastics brings injection molding simulation directly to the designers of plastic parts and injection molds. You can evaluate the manufacturability of your parts and molds at the same time you design for form, fit, and function. With more than 30 years of experience in plastics training and consulting, Andy Routsis, joined by the SOLIDWORKS technical team, will teach you how to address plastic part design challenges from both business and engineering perspectives; including topics such as the importance of gate type and location, steps to reduce mold lead times and optimize cycle time, and how you can predict…