Author: Ricky Jordan

  • SolidWorks Tip: Context Toolbar in Sketches

    SolidWorks Tip:  Context Toolbar in Sketches

    SolidWorks 2008 brought about many changes in the user interface.  One of the additions to the UI that has spurred some comments from users (both positive and negative) has been the Context Toolbar.  The Context Toolbar appears when you right click OR left click on certain entities within the software.  (The right click options consists…

  • FREE SolidWorks World Exhibit Hall Only Passes

    Here is your chance to experience PART of SolidWorks World this year for FREE! If you register with this code, SWEX08119, you will receive a complementary Exhibit Hall Only pass ($199 value). This pass will allow you admittance into the General Session and Exhibit Hall only. That is still QUITE A DEAL!! See you in…

  • SolidWorks World – Two Weeks Away!

    SolidWorks World – Two Weeks Away!

    First and foremost, Happy New Year to everyone!  I hope all of you had a great holiday season! Two weeks from tomorrow, I leave for SolidWorks World in San Diego, CA.  Needless to say, I can’t wait!  This year’s event is shaping up to be quite a show.  Tonight I sat down and started hammering…

  • SolidWorks 2008 Upgrade

    SolidWorks 2008 Upgrade

    Well, one of the reasons you haven’t heard much from me the past week was due to my preparations for our upgrade to SolidWorks 2008 at Dynetics.  Every year I try to pick a time where we are wrapping up some major projects and have had ample time to test the software prior to implementation. …

  • Mouse for SolidWorks?

    Mouse for SolidWorks?

    One might think it would be easy to pick out a mouse for use with SolidWorks, but when it comes to me, I hasn’t been for quite some time.  For the last couple of years, I have had to sacrifice comfort for function. My first “favorite” mouse was the Intellimouse Explorer 3.0.  I got my…

  • SolidWorks For Dummies: 2nd Edition

    SolidWorks For Dummies:  2nd Edition

    SolidWorks for Dummies, 2nd Edition was recently released by J Wiley Publishing.  The 2nd Edition has been updated to include all the changes in the software up through SolidWorks 2008. The book was authored by Greg Jankowski and Richard Doyle.  Richard called me up last June and asked me if I wanted to be the…

  • SolidWorks 2008 Service Pack 1 is available

    I just happened to check the Customer Portal today and saw that SolidWorks 2008 Service Pack 1 has just been released.  Some of you out there may have been waiting to upgrade until SP1.0 is out.  For those of you in that group, it’s upgrade time!  I put up a post in October of last…

  • SolidWorks Tip: Adding a Mate in 2008!

    SolidWorks Tip:  Adding a Mate in 2008!

    Here is a great little tip-off for those of you using SolidWorks 2008.  With previous versions of SolidWorks, you may constantly find yourself venturing from the graphics area towards the Assembly Toolbar or CommandManager everytime you wanted to add a mate to a component in your assembly.  The Edit/Add Mates command is available in the…

  • SolidWorks World 2008: Less than two months away!

    Maybe it’s just me, but things sure have been moving FAST lately.  SolidWorks World is less than two months away!  I’ve finally gotten all my travel plans solidified.  I’ll be arriving Friday night January 18th and will be there all the way till Thursday morning January 24th. My participation this year will be a bit…

  • A GREAT Enhancement Request

    It’s not often that I post references to enhancement requests directly, but I have to make an exception with this one. Fellow Blogger Lenny Kikstra has a Blog Post describing what I think would be an excellent enhancement request for a future release of SolidWorks.  In case you missed my first link, you can check…

  • SolidWorks 2008: “FINALLY!” Features

    SolidWorks 2008:  “FINALLY!” Features

    With every release of SolidWorks there are always a few features that automatically invoke the user to shout “FINALLY!” when they see it for the first time. These features are often very simple changes which can save the user time or features that may have been long overdue making it into the software.  I’ve identified…

  • SolidWorks Tip: Normal to Cylinder?

    Here is a little gem of a tip that I just discovered.  (Even after 10 years use I still find little things like this from time to time.)  Select a cylindrical surface in a model.  Invoke the “Normal to” command and the view will instantly be normal to the axis of that cylinder!  This can…

  • CB Model Pro – First Cut

    CB Model Pro – First Cut

    Yesterday I posted some news about a new program that had been added to the SolidWorks Labs website called CB Model Pro.  Tonight I had my first chance to sit down a play with it a bit.  I must say I’m pretty impressed with what I see so far! First and foremost, you REALLY have…

  • New Modeling Tool at SolidWorks Labs!

    New Modeling Tool at SolidWorks Labs!

    SolidWorks Labs has posted a free beta of a modeling tool called CB Model Pro.  It is a direct manipulation freeform modeling tool.  It was developed by the creators of Cosmic Blobs.  I have already downloaded it and will be posting more on it soon.  Check out the website to learn more about it. Stay…