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SolidWorks Tip: Move Face
Over the past year, the Move Face tool has become one of my favorite tools in SolidWorks. It was originally introduced as a tool that helps users make modifications to imported bodies (parts with NO feature tree). The feature works so well, I have found myself using it on SolidWorks native models. The Move Face…
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SolidWorks Tip: 3D Sketcher Triad
Have you ever been frustrated when trying to manipulate splines in 3DSketches? I think most of us who have used them have felt that way from time to time. Most of that frustration can stem from the view orientation of the model in relation to the direction that you are trying to manipulate the point…
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SolidWorks Tip: Save As Part
Just because a feature has been in SolidWorks for quite some time doesn’t necessarily mean that it is well known throughout the user community. One great example of this is the Save As Part feature. I’ve found quite a few users over the last few years that were unaware of this handy feature and the…
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SolidWorks 2007: ScanTo3D Part 2
In Part 1 of my review of ScanTo3D, we covered importing point cloud data and converting that data into mesh data using the Mesh Preparation Wizard. In this second installment we will take a look at some surface creation functionality that is also part of the ScanTo3D product. Once you have existing mesh data, you…
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SolidWorks 2007: ScanTo3D Part 1
From time to time, SolidWorks seems to have a knack for pulling off a real surprise with the introduction of a particular feature or product add-in. The addition of ScanTo3D was to me another great new feature that seemed to come from no where. ScanTo3D is a new add-in available in SolidWorks Office Premium 2007…
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SolidWorks Tip: Delete Face
One of my favorite tools in SolidWorks is the Delete Face command. It probably has too many uses for me to list them all here but what I use them for mainly is surface reconstruction in SolidWorks native files and feature removal in imported files (files with NO feature tree). In this tip, I wanted…
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SolidWorks Tip: Chamfer Feature
If you have ever tried to add a Chamfer Feature to multiple edges of a part in SolidWorks, this tip might just be for you. Unlike Fillets which seem to be more commonly used, Chamfers can turn out quite different depending on the direction set in the Chamfer parameters. Edges, Vertices, and Faces can be…
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SolidWorks 2007: Usability Enhancements
And what would Usability Enhancements be? Well, you won’t find this “category” in the What’s New manual. I have grouped together a few enhancements from SolidWorks 2007 which I believe will result in time saved and less mouse clicks for users. The first couple of items on the list involve the User Interface. How many…
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SolidWorks 2007: Splines
Splines in SolidWorks 2007 has received some significant enhancements. There is added functionality as well as changes to existing features that make splines easier to use and control. Let’s start with the changes to the spline handles. First and foremost, splines can now be adjusted asymmetrically as well as symmetrically. Instead of one “Tangent Magnitude”…
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SW2007: Belt/Chain Features
Machine designers will LOVE the new Belt/Chain features in SolidWorks 2007. The days of sketching arcs and lines to simulate a belt could be over for most users with the new features that have been added. Two Belt/Chain Features have been added. One feature allows you to simulate a belt in a 2D sketch environment…
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SW 2007: Boundary Surface
With the public announcement of SolidWorks 2007 last week, several new enhancements related to surfacing were released and demonstrated. This release shows significant improvements in the area of C2 (Curvature Continuous) surfacing tools. One of the tools that provide this functionality is the Boundary Surface command. At first glance, it shares some similarities to the…
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CATIA & SolidWorks
There has been some recent blog traffic regarding Catia & SolidWorks and how the two programs still cannot exchange native data. This has been a hot topic for years now (pretty much since Dassault bought SolidWorks). For anyone that has ever worked with the Automotive or Aircraft industries, this topic probably has the most meaning. …