Interview with Alin Vargatu

If you have been to the SolidWorks forum, you have probably learned something from Alin Vargatu. The depth and breadth of his knowledge of the software has impressed me since I first was aware of him, probably 7-8 years ago. This year I had my publisher contact him as a technical editor for the 2018 book. I can say that Alin has contributed a lot of information, especially about the new features since 2013. The value of the book is greatly expanded due to his input.

Even in this interview, I find myself learning things about him. I appreciate Alin answering my questions and offering other information where I didn’t know what to ask.

I have to say that I really love his power user Challenges, as we used to have modeling challenges here several years back: The puffy house, cinderella’s slipper, propeller, planes, surfboard, fades, spoon, bottles, wavy edge, faceted shapes, mannequin, handles, triangular dome, and others. These remind me of some of the challenges Alin has been holding, aside from the fact that he offers better prizes than I did.

I grew up in north eastern New York state, about an hour from Montreal. What do you like most about Quebec and Montreal? (I learn something immediately here – Alin is from Toronto, not Montreal!)

I live in Toronto, Ontario, but I love Montreal, which I visited several times. In a way, it is similar with Manhattan: an island, therefore a limited space, where people created a unique place, hard to compare to any other city in North America. Whenever I go there during summertime, I skate (in-line skating) on the Formula One Track, take lazy strolls along the St. Laurent River and visit as many museums as I can. In Montreal people seem to work hard and play hard. There are all kind of festivals, all summer long. My favorites are Just for Laughs festival, The International Jazz Festival and Montreal Cirque Festival.

Montreal is quite different, not only from the rest of Canadian cities, but also from the rest of Quebec. That being said, I visited several other places in Quebec and I love everything I saw. If you have a chance, visit Quebec City; is an easy way to teleport in a European environment.

(Yes, I’ve been to Quebec City. Big change of pace from a typical American city. Montreal is also one of my favorite cities to visit.)

What are the main industries in the area you work with?

The Greater Toronto Area has a population of 6.5 Million people. It is the second largest financial center in North America and is home to over 40% of the Canada business headquarters. We generate over 20% of the Canadian GDP.

We have companies in any industry you could name. As a Javelin consultant, I have been fortunate to have access to unbelievable places, witnessing manufacturing processes that science fiction writers have not imagined yet. From office furniture with built-in AI functionality, to huge forestry machines which could strip a mountain clean in one day, cut and sort all the lumber to size, to machines that build tunnels in mines, to sophisticated cameras that could spot a fly on the Moon (if flies would fly there someday), to bottling lines where 30,000 bottles are filled and corked every hour, to the streamlined shapes of racing bikes (we have the best brands in the world as customers), to hyper-fast custom electrical harness design, to huge architectural projects, and many, many more. I have seen a lot.

What is your favorite part of working for a reseller?

Reading my previous answer, you probably figured out that this is my dream job! If I win the lottery tomorrow, I will continue doing what I am doing (don’t tell my boss).

Working for Javelin is quite a different experience, compared to a typical workplace. There are no politics. For an AE, the only thing that matters is the customer. It is hard to explain, but I do not have to please my managers, I do not have to please my colleagues in sales, I do not have to please the owners. There is only one person who must be satisfied, and that is the customer. For me that simplifies everything. It is much easier to focus on what is important, if only one thing is important.

I love being constantly exposed to and amazed by human ingenuity. Not only I get to see wonders of design and engineering, but I get to meet and work with the creators of these fantastic products. Plus, I get to solve unique modeling riddles. I have also gotten addicted to the feeling of accomplishment when, after working with these amazing engineers and designers, the solution we tailored together works.

We must remember that no one is paid to use SOLIDWORKS. CAD is just a tool! For my customers is imperative to identify workflows that fall in one (or more) of these categories: Repetitive, Time Consuming, or Frustrating. Sometimes they can find such a problem on their own, other times they only have a goal (e.g. meet deadlines, or double productivity, or eliminate costly errors), but don’t know how to get there. Many times, when working to solve a specific problem, we identify several others which end-users had accepted as normal limitations of the software. Imagine the surprise they experience learning that, with a minor change in their modeling technique, maybe incorporating a new tool, or using an old tool completely different than what the developer intended it for, they can eliminate 90% of the steps in a given workflow.

Describe what you had to do to get your Elite AE certification.

The Elite certification program at SOLIDWORKS evolves every year. There are more and more products offered by SOLIDWORKS and AEs must learn fast. When I received my Elite award back in 2011, in addition to getting the CSWE certification, I had to pass other exams, not available to end-users. Had to prove that I could troubleshoot problems, knew inside-out the latest tools available in the software, and also got decent Simulation (FEA, Motion and Flow), EPDM and Composer knowledge and skills.

Since then, many other exams were added, covering CAM, Visualize, PCB, Inspection, Plastics, Electrical, MBD, Presentations skills and more. Mike Puckett and Avelino Rochino are working hard to develop the program even further.

There is one problem with the Elite award. You can get it once in your lifetime. Our colleagues in sales, if they are good, have the chance to receive every year many awards. The technical people can get only the Elite AE once. So, when people are wondering what motivates AEs to contribute to the SOLDIWORKS community, on the forums, blogs, YouTube, the answer is simple: passion. There is no award for Forum participation or technical blog posting.

Oh, let me qualify this statement: at SOLIDWORKS World there are awards for digital content, but they go to flashy videos containing funny songs about SOLIDWORKS. Not sure how much one could learn from such a video, but somebody at SOLIDWORKS seems to like them.

What type of modeling do you like best?

A simple, or simplistic answer is that I like clean models, which can tell their own story from beginning to end. I used to be crazy about following and promoting so called best practices.

Since I switched from doing the work of a typical AE (tech support + standard teaching) to that of a consultant, I changed my mind quite a bit. If you give me a model right now and expect me to list everything that is wrong with it, I might surprise you by coming back with many questions.

I learned the hard way that for any “unconventional” model, there is a reason behind it. Because of that, it is important to have an open mind and fully understand why the user chose a certain modeling solution. Most of the time there is a compelling reason for it.

It does not mean the modeling technique could not be improved, but most of the time is not something that should be completely discarded without understanding their logic.

As a designer, I am attracted by models with complex shapes. Modeling such objects requires more thinking ahead than anything else. Is like chess, you need to plan your moves well in advance. From setting up reference geometry, to sketches, to curves, to building faces, to ensuring that the topology is valid, clean and the shape is “pleasing”, but functional. And, if you want to raise the difficulty level to the max, add the requirement that the model is robust to resist reasonable changes. Add configuration management to the list, and you have everything that SOLIDWORKS users love and hate at the same time.

When you see people posting on the SW forum, what are some of the biggest misconceptions you think people have about the software?

The fact that SOLIDWORKS’ development has stagnated. Considering that SOLIDWORKS developers took great pains to ensure that techniques used 20 years ago are still valid, it is easy to believe that what one mastered 20 years ago is still the optimal way to use the software. I see this belief expressed by veterans not only on the forum, but also when I first visit my customers.

Let’s take as an example what you and I discovered during our collaboration on your book, Mastering SolidWorks. We could not help but notice how much the software evolved in the past 5 years. Many of the enhancement requests you submitted back in 2010-2013, have been already implemented. SOLIDWORKS has always been good at actively listening to its customers. End-users just need to make their voice heard.

There is always a fine balance in assuring software stability and adding new features. It is quite interesting to look back in time and see how the same users clamored for one or the other. Back in 2008-2010, with a big change in the code for appearances, the introduction of multibody sheet metal parts and a few other new features, the software became quite unstable. As a result, many users asked SOLIDWORKS to stop adding new features until the bugs are reduced significantly. And guess what, SOLIDWORKS did exactly that. There was no new major geometry generating feature added to SOLIDWORKS from 2008 (boundary feature) to 2013 (intersect feature), and this was how SOLIDWORKS 2012 became one of the most stable release ever. And… surprise-surprise, the same users who wanted stability were now asking what they were paying subscription for, since there was nothing new added to the software. I remember reading an excellent article on Dezignstuff around that time, with a long list of enhancement requests authored by you.

Since 2013, SOLIDWORKS started an ambitious program of adding new features and recoding the software. Think about the substantial change in the file system that reduced the file size in half in 2015, or the user interface change in 2016-2017 (and I am not referring to the new color scheme). Think how many new sketch tools (conics, style splines) have been added to the software. Think about the huge work done on fillets in the past 4 releases. Think about the improvements to the FeatureManager design tree. Don’t even get me started about the huge improvements in patterns. All these enhancements contributed to a decrease in stability that was evident in 2016 and early 2017.

The cycle restarted again last year, spearheaded on the forum by Dennis Dohogne and Rick Becker, who started the ONE and TWO movement (fix bugs and increase stability). They were so successful, that SOLIDWORKS invited them to Waltham for a meeting with the whole Product Development team. The result was an impressive shift in how the new code is written and tested, along with a greater share of resources dedicated to rewriting the base code of SOLIDWORKS. Many of these improvements in stability have already been implemented in SW 2017 SP5.0 and SW 2018 SP1.0, with more added in 2018 SP3.0 and 2019 B1.

(Do you remember the Three Amigos visit to Concord back maybe 15 yearss ago? History plays the hits over and over.)

What do you think are the best kept secrets in SolidWorks – great functionality that is underused or mostly unknown?

After working with thousands of end-users, I became convinced that most are overwhelmed by the multiple options available in getting anything done in SOLIDWORKS. Users need to find a way to get from point A to point B. Most of them, once they found a way to get the job done, when having to repeat the task, they will follow the same steps, because it worked the last time. Unfortunately, most of the times, the first solution is not the most effective. That can become very expensive when considering repetitive workflows that are employed by multiple users in the same team.

Think about a task as common as applying mates. I have recently observed, in separate one-on-one sessions, a whole team of power-users applying mates on large assemblies. For their manager, they seemed very fast and effective. Their mice were flying all over the screen, the keyboard was pounded continuously. My eyes, though, noticed something different. A lot of zooming in/out, panning, rotating, adjusting, accessing the FeatureManager design tree, all with limited effect on the model. They were using techniques which were effective in 2000-2010. None was aware of the power of newer tools like Breadcrumbs, Component Preview Window, using ALT for hiding faces, or taking advantage of customized context toolbars.

Surfacing is another area of SOLIDWORKS that seems to scare most users away. I do not know how the myth was spread, that surfacing is hard. In my mind, you cannot call yourself a power-user, who is the master of SOLIDWORKS, without being able to create and modify the shape of a face or manage the topology of a model. And is not only about generating complex surface bodies, but ultimately obtaining the solid body you wanted, the fastest and most secure way possible.

I know you’re not done working on “the book” yet, but from what you’ve seen so far, what have been some of your favorite parts of the book?

Believe it or not, but I learned many new things about SOLIDWORKS, as I was editing your new book, Mastering SOLIDWORKS. I learned many tips directly from you and many things from testing your assumptions. We were both pleasantly surprised many times, finding that a large number of limitations have been eliminated in the current version of SOLIDWORKS.

What I like most about the book are your opinions, best practices and power-tips. As I mentioned earlier, users are easily lost in all the options available in the software. Your book is an excellent guide through the seemingly infinite number of options. And not only you provide the optimal solutions to most modeling problems, but you also explain at large the reasoning behind your advice. This is why SOLIDWORKS users will buy this book. To have 20-years of Matt Lombard experience condensed in 39 chapters and many instructional videos.

What parts do you think the author needs to spruce up the most?

The gap between the SOLIDWORKS Bible 2013 and Mastering SOLIDWORKS 2018 is quite something; 6 releases of SOLIDWORKS, considering the fact that SOLIDWORKS 2019 BETA has been already released. Those who might think that you just republished the old book with a new name will be pleasantly surprised to read what is in effect a brand-new book, including new case studies. I do not think there is one chapter in the book that did not require extensive re-writing to ensure it is up to date with the software functionality and current best practices.

Do you have a preferred “system” that you like to encourage users to use, similar to the skeleton, layout, master model, horizontal, or resilient modeling methods? Mainly to help users control external references.

The first thing I want to ensure is that users understand how the information flows in SOLIDWORKS. The general advice I offer is minimizing the number of sources of information and ensuring it flows in one direction. Depending on the type of product modeled and on the type of company (job centric or product centric) I recommend a master model approach, a bottom-up workflow, or a hybrid one. I tried horizontal modeling, but I found it hard to teach, implement and police to a team larger than 2 users. It is hard to get it accepted because when it fails, fails big, especially if the failure is due to something as trivial, but hard to troubleshoot, as the angular dimension flipping bug.

At the end of a project, do you advocate deleting all in-context references?

Again, that depends on the type of company and product. I usually recommend locking references. If your company policy insists in deleting them, then please take the time to re-constrain your sketches and features as independent entities. Otherwise is just sloppy work that is very hard to edit in the future. It is actually very dangerous, because it will be very hard to identify what changed and what not during future revisions.

How do you recommend users who want to become super-SolidWorks-ninjas proceed in gaining the skills and knowledge they need?

First, attend professional training with a SOLIDWORKS certified center. The SOLIDWORKS manuals and courses are the best in the industry.

This comes from my own experience as an end-user. Before joining Javelin, I was their customer for 7 years. Like many users, I started using SOLIDWORKS with no training at all, just trying to apply what I knew as a former Pro-E and Mechanical Desktop user. And, because SOLIDWORKS is so intuitive, I became productive very fast. After a while, my company had a good year, a larger training budget, so they sent me for training at Javelin. I decided to start with the Essentials training, thinking that I will have a 4-day vacation, since I felt I knew the software very well. Imagine my surprise after the first morning, having 4 pages of notes already taken! Then I took the rest of the classes and my productivity more than tripled.

I remember the moment I learned about the Replace Face feature in the Surfacing course. A week before I wasted 2 days adjusting compounded angles on an embossing punch/die combination, the hard way. I could have done all the work in seconds, by using the Replace Face tool. I probably had a very comical expression on my face – dismay and excitement at the same time.

Second, practice, practice, practice. Shadow other users in your company, get engaged on the forum, share information as much as you can.

Third, do not accept that limitations exist in the software. Question your company procedures. submit enhancement requests, talk to your VAR, participate in the Top 10 Ideas for SOLIDWORKS World, check your models as early as the BETA versions, make your voice heard.

What advice would you give a mechanical engineering college graduate entering the workforce right now?

Knowing how to use SOLIDWORKS or other CAD software helps, but no company will hire you only for your amazing SOLIDWORKS skills. What counts the most is your attitude and your engineering and design knowledge. SOLIDWORKS is just a tool, relatively easy to learn by a college graduate.

Some colleges are notorious for equipping their students with wrong modeling habits, so many companies would prefer you have strong knowledge of GD&T, for example, instead of reported SOLIDWORKS experience.

The other key factor is having some manufacturing experience. Spend some time in the shop, understand how products are manufactured, see what the bottlenecks and potential problems are. It will help you tremendously as a designer to be able to model something that is manufacturable the most effective way, using the components, tools and processes available to your company.

I’ll give you an example of the onboarding process for engineers and designers at a very successful customer of mine. Regardless if a future SOLIDWORKS user comes from a university or a college, he or she will spend the first 6 months working in the shop, about 3 weeks, shadowing every position on the floor: machining, welding, assembling, painting, packaging and more. Not only he or she will establish great connections with colleagues in manufacturing but will also fully understand the needs and limitations of the manufacturing process. When they move up to the engineering office, they know exactly what how the product is manufactured, how it gets assembled, how it works. The quality of the models and drawings of these designers and engineers are the best I have ever seen.

I know you advocate working hard and relaxing hard. What do you do to unwind when you take a couple of weeks of vacation?

Winters are long in Ontario, so we must look at the bright side, which for us is our ski vacation in the Rockies or Quebec. The Canadian dollar is currently very low compared to yours, so in the past 3 years we refrained from enjoying your beautiful mountains, in US.

Then March comes, with the school vacation, so a trip to a nice ocean beach is mandatory. That is purely for relaxation, no cellphones, tablets or computers are traveling with us.

This year our June vacation was a bit different; we decided to enjoy our own province. We did not travel far; spent a few days in London, Ontario. attended a medieval fair, a kids’ park, visited a butterfly conservatory, a waterpark and the African Lion Safari park in Cambridge.

Whatever vacation remains will most likely be matched to another gap between summer camp and school. If all goes according to the plan, will go to Mont Tremblant, in Quebec, for biking, hiking, swimming and relaxing.

As our little one grows, and his universe expands, we plan to return to more adventurous vacations, in more exotic places.

Is there anything in particular you think readers would like to know about you and your work?

I always consider myself a SOLIDWORKS user first and an AE second. I gained a lot of knowledge by being an active participant in the SOLIDWORKS Community. Every day I learn something new on the SOLIDWORKS Forum.

The best way to learn is by preparing to teach somebody else. For example, I delivered over 20 presentations at SOLIDWORKS World, and I learned a lot, researching the topics of these presentations. One area where I am very active is the Large Assembly and Large Drawing management. Not only I put together a system for efficiently solving large assembly and drawings problems, but I am actively advocating on behalf of my customers to the SOLIDWORKS development, and their voice seems to be heard now.

I remember an article on your blog discussing crowdsourcing in product design, and the conclusion was that the concept would not work due to the difficulty in accurately determining the share in intellectual property. Then I asked myself, what about modeling crowdthinking? Due to the nature of my job, every day I have to solve new modeling challenges. What guarantee do I have that the solution I proposed is the best? And this is how the SWPUCs (SOLIDWORKS Power-User Challenges) were born.

Usually there is a problem for which there is no direct functionality built-in SOLIDWORKS, and I challenge the SOLIDWORKS Forumists to find one or more solutions. And guess what? Crowdthinking works! In every SWPUC we identify areas where enhancements are needed, design workarounds to overcome current lack of functionality and submit new enhancement request, relevant to each topic.

Some of the solutions where out of this world. For example watch this video to understand why we consider Robert Edward a SOLIDWORKS Demigod.

You can read more about SWPUCs here: https://www.engineersrule.com/impossible-modeling-challenges-solved-cad-power-users/

Thanks very much to Alin for in-depth answers to my questions which were sometimes headed in the wrong direction. I’ve enjoyed working with Alin and getting to know him a little in the course of trading ideas about the upcoming book. Give Alin a pat on the back if you see him on the forum or in real life.