Functionality overshadowed by interface flap

It must be frustrating to be a programmer who worked on some of the great functionality added in 2008. All of the publicity has gone to the interface disaster rather than to the useful stuff. It may be hard to prove from the 2008 publicity to date, but there have been changes other than the interface in SW2008. Here are some of my favorites.Scan To 3D

If you work with point cloud or mesh file data, the changes to Scan To 3D in 2008 are a must. The 2007 version of the software was pretty weak. It may have been released just so they could tell investors it was released, because it didn’t do much for users. The 2008 version is functional. Some of the functionality added includes merging meshes, getting an intersection curve between a plane and the mesh, and many improvements in the quality of finished surfaces.

 

FeatureManager filter

The FeatureManager Filter may be the most useful improvement in 2008. It is just the area next to the funnel image above the name of the part in the FeatureManager. When you start typing in it, it sorts through the features in the FM or the parts in the assembly tree. It can sort on a lot of different types of data including custom properties of parts, or feature descriptions. This tool is fast and easy to use, and will save you tons of time when looking for stuff. This is a great example of what can go right in SolidWorks. As I understand it, the credit for this function goes to Jim Wilkinson. Thanks, Jim! I use this one frequently.

 

Spline on Surface

 

Sometimes you just have to do it. You don’t want to because you know it’s gonna hurt, but you do it anyway. Sometimes you can’t avoid drawing a spline on the curved face of a part. In 2008 it still hurts, but it hurts a little less. With 2008 you can now sketch across edges between faces with a Spline On Surface as long as the edge is tangent or c2. Don’t ask why, sometimes you just have to do it. I’m glad its there. It’s not just feature bloat, it’s a useful function.

Cosmetic PatternsFor those sheet metal perforators out there, put that Geometry Pattern option down, and step back from the mouse! Cosmetic Patterns are now available as Real View options. Of course that means you have to have the hardware to use RealView and put up with some of its less savory quirks, but its an option.

Split Lines

 

This is one I haven’t tested out yet, but if its true, it will be huge. Split Lines used to completely rename all of the edges of faces that they split, and could really cause havoc if you rolled back a part and applied a Split Line. The What’s New says that doesn’t happen any more. Great news if it is true!

 

Insert and Mirrored parts

Have you ever created a mirrored part and then wished that you had the ability to copy the features and break the link to the original? No, well listen up anyway, this might still be useful. The image on the left shows the PropMgr for the Mirror/Insert Part feature. They are really the same function, but the Mirror feature adds a Move/Copy Body feature at the end of the feature list. Interesting and magical use of the Move/Copy since I didn’t know it could mirror.Anyway, the image in the middle shows the result if you keep the inserted part linked to the parent, and the image on the right shows what happens if you break the link. Of course the REALLY big news here is that you can bring over sketch data instead of just solids and surfaces and ref geometry. These are important functionality additions.

Split Part

The Split feature has been much maligned. It had some problems that made it sometimes blow up some of your parts. No big deal really, you’d just lose all of the features in parts that started from a Split. Anyway, one of the 250 new enhancements turns out to be a massive bug fix that required reworking this function significantly. I’ve done some basic testing to make sure the feature works, but I haven’t actively tried hard to break it, so I’m not 100% on if the goal here has been accomplished or not. The problem with this was that using Split to make an assembly from a set of solid bodies was just far too convenient to ignore.

They have left us some room to grow with this feature, though. One of my favorite enhancement requests is to be able to split surfaces as well as solids. Always whining about something, huh?

Weld Beads and Sheet Metal

How many people have I heard ask for this?!? Finally! I haven’t worked with it much myself, but it still sounds great.

What are your favorite new (non-interface) enhancements?

0 Replies to “Functionality overshadowed by interface flap”

  1. When I do a seminar I spend the time to create content. If I get paid I still retain copyright on the presentation and content – I get paid for my expertise. The huge problem I have with SolidWorks World is that it is a massive undertaking in terms of time and cost for non USA residents to go and given that our subscription costs and purchase costs are far higher than in the USA think the very least SolidWorks could do is provide the conference content to paid up subscription users. What is the big deal here? The people making the presentations are generally there to share best class advice or to promote their businesses. Surely they don’t mind sharing with all the users?

    Many of us on the SW forum have asked SW to upgrade the forum and subscription site with more information. As far as I can see this has not been done apart from a few Cosmos videos. All the other stuff is sales material that you can access anyway from the main home page. So my point is, what’s in it for us subscribers? Like I say at the very least ALL the content from the SWW conferences should be available……maybe if the presenters all got together and said to SW they will only present IF the content is made available to subscribers that would be the best option?

    ****

    Kevin,

    Your final question is exactly what I’m going to do for next year. Someone else suggested it as a part of the poll. I’m going to ask presenters to “opt in” to a presentation sharing option here on my blog. The creators retain copyright, but the presentations are shared free of attendance restrictions, allowing people to view and use presentations provided that the original credits are left intact.

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