So I've been reading about this new product that Solidworks will offer called "Solidworks MBD" and that it'll be around two thousand dollars.
I am wondering if anybody can tell me how this will be different from DimXpert and the use of Annotation Views as we can, today.
Hi Kevin
I saw a demo of MBD at SWW 2015. It has more functionality than DimXpert. In MBD you create views such as front, top, right, isometric or any other view that you want. You then export your information to a PDF file.
When you open the pdf file in Adobe Viewer you can then either view the part in 3D or you can select each of the views that you have generated to view them. There is also a way to embed a file such as the part file or a dumb solid of the part into the pdf so as when you send the pdf to the workshop floor they will have the correct solid model to go along with the pdf. You can set up your company title block or any other notes so as they also show up in the pdf and you can also show all necessary tolerances etc. There is probably some more functionality that I have forgotten.
If I worked in a cnc machine shop I would definately be looking into the MBD option as the cost of the licence should easily pay for itself if you currently spend a lot of time creating drawings for machined parts. I find that to do fully details drawings of parts takes as long to do as to create the 3D model itself, therefore if I could cut down on the amount of time I spend creating drawings that means that I can spend more time creating 3D models and get more done.
If you are interested you should contact your VAR and see it they can set up a 30 day trial for you.
Paul Cullen
I have seen it demonstrated several times and although I can see benefits in using it, I am not too sure that the cost will be palatable to many smaller users. My first reaction was, like you Kevin, that some of that functionality is already present. I applaud SW for moving the process forward but I think there would another way to accomplish it and likely increase the "bottom line" even more. If SW were to offer it at a much lower price (even free, included with the Software) it could be used as a major bonus for choosing SW. At $2000, it is yet another "add on" which we used to love about Pro-E modules.
Hello Jeff,
Solidworks has removed the ability to create 3D pdf and offers MBD with extended functionality. The price for this addin as a means to create simply 3D pdf's is out of line. You can create 3D pdf by exporting the SW native assembly or parts to IFC format and import it into Bluebeam software for a more reasonable price. Basic 3D pdf creation is very helpful in our line of work so we were glad to find a simple solution by using the Bluebeam addin.
Elmar
Yes - I had heard that. Thanks for the brain refresh and the tips!
Thanks, Elmar!
Do you mean that, in SW2015, there is no option to save a 3D model as a 3D PDF anymore?
Unless you pay $2000 extra for mbd?
Because that is a basic functionality of SW2014
The 2015 help guide shows us still being able to export a 3D PDF normally.
Can someone with 2015 confirm?
SW 2015 SP2.1 has the ability to save out as 3D pdf. I believe it was removed briefly in SP0/1 because something didn't work correctly on it.
and,... why do we have to pay for it?