SolidWorks rented 70 tour busses to haul us out to the Las Vegas Racetrack. Food, music, and racing -- well, sort of. The promises made by the racetrack marketing department didn't match the experience...
I did the drag race, winning in a red Audi TT. I think the color matters, because I beat my competitor, whose Audi TT was blue. Speed at the end of the 1/4-mile was just over 93mph. While driving a TT is kewl (first time in my life), they were the coolest of a motley set of rental cars. With automatics. And GPS systems. Sigh. The other other vehicles, such as the Dodge Magnums barely made over 70mph. Where were the Corvettes promised by the raceway marketing?
Over at the race oval, there was an chicane course (?) where we got to drive cars hard. Well, if a rental Kia can be driven hard. It was fun to have had to chance to drag race, something I'd never otherwise get to do. Too bad about the let down.
More later...
The SolidWorks Dating Game
Blogged live from the second row of the press section at the keynote in SolidWorks World!
Introducing SolidWorks 2007 is the SolidWorks Dating Game. The puns are horendous. But info is flowing out on the new software:
Balloons now link to any attribute, not just part numbers.
Leaders automatically provide full datum information
Chamfers and fillets are automatically noted in leaders, and double leaders can be created.
Sketch blocks allows animation in 2D, such as pulleys and cam systems. Multiple motion paths can be linked together.
A graphical palette shows previews of all views. Just drag and drop them into layouts.
Adding dimensions to layouts makes them space apart automatically; no crowding.
Dimenions can be easily dragged around, while still attached to their parts.
COSMOS now handles beam elements, including those with welds.
New SWIFT technology does a true tolerance stackup. Tolerance expert ensures tolerances are correct.
Tell Swift where the critical tolerance, the other tolerances are adjusted automatically.
The minimum and maximum tolerances are shown graphically.
Optimization in COSMOS Express...
A goal like "minimum factor of safety" is calcualted automatically.
SWIFT automatically fillets the entire model at once. FeatuerExpert applies part lines automatically.
In sheetmetal design...
Unfolding automatically displays the bend lines.
Edge flanges can be applied to curved eges, which can also be unfolded.
Making parts concentric: the new MultiMate command puts gears and shafts together in a single click.
Freeform for pushing and pulling surfaces.
Specify control points for moving surfaces.
Mesh preview helps see the modified shape.
Sharing data...
Missing features are generated automatically thru Toolbox.
New rack and pinion mating links rotatary motion with linear travel.
Copy Design gathers all files needed to transmit a design by email, etc.
New belt command wraps belts or chains around pulleys and idlers; can specify fixed distances.
Convert centerline to a belt object. Move a pulley and the belt actuates the others.
Focus of SW 2007 is in four areas"
* 2D
* Product design
* New design tools
* Ability to design new products.
Software is still in alpha, will be signing up beta users through a contest, and will ship this summer.
Next Year
Next year SolidWorks World 2007 is back in Orlando.
Oops, they just changed their mind. Orlando was mentioned several times earlier in the keynote, but now the official announcement is for New Orleans, Feb 4-7, 2007.
The new features are neat. This whole swift thing and the TolExpert and the others are sure to be a hit.
But what's with the lack of coffee at SWX World? Sheesh!
Posted by: Rob | Jan 26, 2006 at 07:04 AM
Wow, what else could be thought up to put into this already great software? 2007 in New Orleans will bring about some much needed monies to help rebuild the local economy. Solid Works has a heart too. Great.
Posted by: Corporal Willy | Jan 27, 2006 at 03:54 PM