What's your most desired enhancement? 3

[SilasH]

If you could add one functionality to SolidWorks, what would you do? Maybe it's something that's incorporated in an add-in like SolidMap, but you'd like to see fully integrated. The majority of my work isn't creating designs (or if so, they usually aren't complex), but presenting them, at first with PhotoWorks, and now with Animator some. It really, really bothers me that Animator can't do transparency with PhotoWorks materials. Maybe if I understood the intricacies of the rendering process, there's some reason why it can't be done, but as it is, it just bothers me. What really gets under your skin?

 

[phonix]

I would say they need to fix the bugs first. Then make a new version be able to save in the previous year's version. Then better integrate Photoworks.

But really, make it not crash and have stuff vanish as you are working on it.

 

[Theophilus]

Phonix, if you're seeing crashes and disappearing elements, I'm guessing that may be more of a hardware issue than software. I'm on 2007, SP2.0 and it's exceedingly rare that I see a crash. Disappearing geometry/elements normally points to a graphics card issue (wrong card or drivers).

rfus, that's good to know--basic geometry! (I've never needed the foci of ellipses before, but use them every time with parabolas.)



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[Standing]

I would like more speed.

Bradley
SolidWorks Professional x64 2007 SP2.2
Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 3.93 GB of RAM
NVIDIA Quadro FX 3400

 

[ctopher]

Bradley,
Isn't that illegal?


Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 02-10-07)

 

[Standing]

Chris,
I thought about that when I was writing. Said to self, “No one here would think of such a thing. We are all professionals knowing more SolidWorks Speed.” Of course if we modeled our assemblies correctly I would not have a problem.


Bradley
SolidWorks Professional x64 2007 SP2.2
Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 3.93 GB of RAM
NVIDIA Quadro FX 3400

 

[ctopher]

I know.
Just kidding.

Not only do I want more speed from SW, I would like my PC to have more speed.
If SW were quicker, it wouldn't make a diff without a fast machine.

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 02-10-07)

 

[srej]

Drag components within a flexible sub assembly while in a top assembly. Example, Thruster cylinder sub assembly with a limit mate on the cylinder travel set into a assembly of a pick and place.

To drag the cylinder the subassembly must be edited.

Fix the damn colors, it can be an absolute nightmare trying to find and remove colors in assemblies.

 

[TDEtechnologies]

Does anyone have this problem ??

when i have an assembly with multiple configurations, and i put it in a drawing, then i add some scheets, in each sheet i put one configuration, but when i try to change the configurations SW does not chage at all .

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

...but when i try to change the configurations SW does not chage at all

Are you trying to change the configs in the model or drawing and what are you trying to change?
What do you mean by "SW does not change at all"?

 

[TDEtechnologies]

I made an assembly with multiple configurations.
* configuration1 has small dimensions
* configuration2 has large dimensions
* configuration3 has other dimensions
* ...
(In the assembly are all configurations OK.)

Now I want one drawing, with on each sheet a different configuration.

So I did put my assembly in a drawing and added some scheets.
I ‘m able to get configuration1 on scheet 1.
Then I insert the assembly also in sheet2.

When I RMB-click on the drawing views in the drawing and choose an other configuration in the RMB-properties, SolidWorks does not change my views. On each sheet my dimensions stays the same as the first configuration, and the isometric view is all screwed up.

I'm only able to get one configuration right at the time.

 

[ctopher]

Start a new thread and show us some pics? And more detail?

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 02-10-07)

 

[pdelnet]

When inserting the first part into a new assembly it would be nice if there was an option to automatically mate to the primary planes instead of fixed.

SW 2007 SP 2.2
Dell Inc. Precision WorkStation 670
2048 Megabytes Installed Memory
NVIDIA Quadro FX 1400
Windows XP PRO SP 2

 

[Theophilus]

Hey, I like that one (star)! I'd use it every time over the fixed option.



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

I'm curious ... Why would you find that useful? When the first part is inserted it is effectively placed at the origin with matching primary plane alignments. This has the benefit of not creating 3 extra mates at the TL assy.

 

[ctopher]

I agree CBL.
If not available yet, I would like the option to insert a part into an assy by selecting the face of the part I want to mate, then dragging into the assy onto the face to mate to.

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 02-10-07)

 

[Theophilus]

I never hit the ceiling for maximum number of mates in an assembly, so three more mates doesn't bother me. Most of my assemblies and parts are intelligent enough to automatically line up where I want them because of the way I built them. But I don't normally leave parts fixed instead of mated (even if created in-context).

This is probably an outdated "best practices" intuitive thing I do more than a rational one.



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[Standing]

Chris,
You can setup MateReference on each part you want to mate. We do that to all our custom build screws, washer, and nuts because we were not smart enough to use ToolBox correctly.


Bradley
SolidWorks Professional x64 2007 SP2.2
Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 3.93 GB of RAM
NVIDIA Quadro FX 3400

 

[ArcheryKinetics]

I would kill for a thread tool. I see no reason not to implement this. Let me pick a edge, define the pitch, choose a thread type and cut a thread! It seems ridiculous that this hasn't been done yet. I won't name names, but other CAD packages already have this.

Now I know many people will just say "but you can just use cosmetic threads". Sure, cosmetic threads are quick, easy, and don't hog resources, but there are plenty of times when you need the real thread geometry in the model.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

ArcheryKinetics ... Have you submitted an ER for that?


SW07-SP3

 

[Standing]

Several people are opening files from PDM days ago. Then they take ownership today without reloading the file. In the mean time someone else has taken ownership, made changes and checked it back into PDM. Then the first person overwrites the other persons work in PDM.

What I would like to see is no one can take ownership with getting a new copy from PDM at time of taking ownership.


Bradley
SolidWorks Professional x64 2007 SP3.0
Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 3.93 GB of RAM
Virtual memory 12577 MB
NVIDIA Quadro FX 3400