Update: You can now watch the recording for the SW2022 Preview.
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Do not miss these sessions at 3DXW21:
Update: You can now watch the recording for the SW2022 Preview.
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Do not miss these sessions at 3DXW21:
The Connection Elements for Weldments is a huge time saver! And the holes get transferred to the structural members, too! Nuts!
What???? Cut-List items merged in BOM???
Visibility of Bend Lines can be controlled independent from sketches!
Pre-defined Flat Pattern views in Drawing Templates. Talking about automating drawing generation!
Nice improvements to the Quick Mates Toolbar! Very nice!
Coordinate Systems can be defined with numeric values!
Section View defined by an axis, cylindrical faces or circular edges
Alin Vargatu wrote:
What???? Cut-List items merged in BOM???
Impossible I say. I have been asking for that one for a while.
Alin Vargatu wrote:
The Command Search on "Shortcut Toolbar" S-Key is sweeeet!!!!
Hasn't that been around for a long time?
Michael Miller wrote:
Alin Vargatu wrote:
The Command Search on "Shortcut Toolbar" S-Key is sweeeet!!!!
Hasn't that been around for a long time?
Not in the Shortcut Toolbar. The video was very convincing!
Ahh...now I see!
Can we view the video somewhere, if we 'missed this demo'?
I enjoy your enthusiasm Alin but a few tweaks to weldments and things that I asked for 15 years ago (bend sketch lines....that probably took about a day to code) doesn’t cut it. These tickles don’t justify maintenance any longer, especially in the current climate. It is very clear that the bulk of development is going into the platform apps, and is is equally clear that those apps are unsuitable for commercial work. Until they include unlimited file storage there is no way we could justify migration. At £72 per 25GB block it is taking the proverbial. Users are not mugs.
Kevin Quigley wrote:
I enjoy your enthusiasm Alin but a few tweaks to weldments and things that I asked for 15 years ago (bend sketch lines....that probably took about a day to code) doesn’t cut it. These tickles don’t justify maintenance any longer, especially in the current climate. It is very clear that the bulk of development is going into the platform apps, and is is equally clear that those apps are unsuitable for commercial work. Until they include unlimited file storage there is no way we could justify migration. At £72 per 25GB block it is taking the proverbial. Users are not mugs.
The Preview from last year was underwhelming, too (even more so). Do you remember how everyone from SW was talking only about the colour picker?
The real enhancements will become visible in June, once Beta hits. A lot of enhancements in 2021 were only under the hood: performance and stability improvements. Huge areas of the code re-written.
IMHO, the best enhancements are the ones that do not require training; you just upgrade the software and instantly everything is faster and better.
I am very optimistic for 2022 coming up with several “game changers”, especially focused onadding the missing 5%.
For large assembly users; imagine if SpeedPaks would really work the way you want.
For surface modelers: imagine if the edge, face and body IDs would be as robust as you need (so rebuilds would not cover your tree in ketchup and mustard)
For checkers: imagine Mark-Ups available in LDR, eDrawings and PDM!
For makers: imagine better functionality for working with STL files
For architectural users: imagine better integration with Tekla.
Feel free to add to the list.
Willem Nagels wrote:
Can we view the video somewhere, if we 'missed this demo'?
Should be made available soon, correct Simge Akarsu?
you just upgrade the software and instantly everything is faster and better.
This is the most funny thing of today. Keep on dreaming, Alin.
I was in the same sessions as Alin,
And one of the major questions was how are the development recourses divided between desktop and platform.
The answer from head of development was that the original team size for desktop is still the same or bigger and the platform team is a totally different team.
So in my mind your money is for the most part still going to the desktop side.
And in a second session with the top ten list CEO Gian Paolo Bassi also answer this question that this is the future. Maybe not for everyone right know but Dassault Solidworks is working ahead to make sure then when your ready Solidworks is ready for you. I think the Corona crisis and working from home only confirmed that this a certain future
I'm happy that Dassault Solidworks is thinking and preparing for the future. And the companies that are now jumping on the platform are pioneering for people like you and me.
People thought Elon Musk was crazy with Tesla in the beginning but his vision now is working out pretty well.
So Kevin Quigley I agree with you that the platform in your situation is not a choice for you in the near feature.
But the same amount of development focus is still be given to the desktop. And I believe that the Desktop still has the same focus for the next years as it had before.
And on customer request on stability and performance are now the main focus. This has been discussed in a live meeting with users. And like Alin Vargatu we can only go on what they are saying. And I do believe what they are saying cause just like us they are hard working passionate people.
If you don't believe them that is your choice. just know that the grass is not always greener at the other side
I know about the colour of the grass Francesco. In our business we have changed primary 3D CAD system no less than 5 times in 30 years. We added Creo+Style to our systems a few years ago. Last year we added a couple of seats of Fusion 360 as well. We tend to be quite progressive users of 3D systems and push each as hard as we can. I know there is no such thing as the perfect system, but I also know that there comes a time with any CAD system that they start to go down a path that leads to minimal change or fails to add value.
There has been minimal change in core Solidworks for years. I'm actually struggling to think of the last time they introduced a feature that made me think "that alone is worth the maintenance". 5 years ago, you could look at the lower cost competitors like Fusion and say, sure, nice but no way could we use it day to day. Move on 5 years and we do use Fusion for some jobs and it continues to improve (both in catchup features and in new features). It has become part of the toolset. Creo adds to that toolset for things that Solidworks is just incapable of touching (and you get that in core Creo, not just with the added Style module). Solidworks is still our generalist system, but it genuinely has not changed much - for the kind of work we do - in years, in terms of actual functionality. So I'm thinking, why did I pay £10k for maintenance releases?
Alin Vargatu suggested improvement areas above. Well we've asked for better DWG import and handling for years - never mine integration with Telka! Compare what lower cost, supposedly less capable systems offer in this and Solidworks is poor by comparison. The thing is, I look at that list above and I think, this is basic stuff that SHOULD have already been done. Solidworks is not a new kid on the block, it is a mature platform.
The way I look at it now is this. Imagine saying to one of my customers, pay me thousands a year, and for that you will be able to carry on using our services, and we'll look into any cock ups we've made in the past, but won't promise to correct them, or refund you the fee we charged, but we'll introduce a new service that is aimed at another customer for which you won't benefit at all, or we'll introduce a new service that you can access if you spend thousands more as a "retainer".
Maybe that's exactly how suppliers to corporates operate but we operate exculsively in the SME sector and I can assure you that is not a path to long term relationships.
And on customer request on stability and performance are now the main focus. This has been discussed in a live meeting with users. And like Alin Vargatu we can only go on what they are saying. And I do believe what they are saying cause just like us they are hard working passionate people.
If you don't believe them that is your choice. just know that the grass is not always greener at the other side
You are a true believer. I am not. I would like to, but I can't.
The request for stability and performance has been the main focus for over 5, 10 or how many years? Is there any progress on these items in basic functionality?
Many companies have hard working passionate people, being used by management who are looking at their own benefits in two or max 5 years time. These hard working passionate people are also the most surprised people, if it turns out passion at management level has a total different goal.
The proof is in the pudding.
Kevin Quigley I really like your reply.
I find your points really valid and I agree with allot of them.
What I agree on is your view on DWG and integration Tekla. I have the same major integration issue with Tekla here and and there a few more area's Solidworks is lacking for a mature product.
I'm missing SPR / Bug free workflows from a to z in Solidworks dat you can design a part, make an assembly , make a drawing and export without encountering a bug or need a workaround.
So I'm hoping that there vision of fixing 90% of level 1 to 4 sprs in the next 2 years will come through.
And I also agree if they don't step up in some area's at some point there will be a another CAD program that will eventually surpass them. And I think it they hope it will be there 3DExpierence platform and related.
For now Solidworks is my best bet as a generalist system .
I do think they do changed some major core thinks in the last few years with a new Graphics engine and improvements for large assemblies. are they worth the maintenance you pay? I have no idea
I do think Solidworks missed the boat like you said with fast importing/ exporting IFC ( integration Tekla) and minimal improved in DWG handling.
For now I'm fixing some functionality with DWG with API.
Lets see if they can step up there game
Hey Frank
I do get your skepticism and I have some myself.
But I learned that I accomplish more by being positive
And so long there is not a worthy alternative that offers the same or more ( in multiple area's)
I try to make the best out of it by actively involving my VAR, Joining the Champions program , creating connection in a positive manor to make change happen.
I do believe Solidworks is listing through input from the VAR, Top ten list etc.,
But if we want to have change you need to be positive , seek allies and present your case.
Alin Vargatu is a master at this and you see that this approach works.
Let's see if we can help each other out a make a bigger front for the better of the program that most of us still love and use.
Francesco Oorthuizen wrote:
I do think they do changed some major core thinks in the last few years with a new Graphics engine ...
You must be referring to the enhanced graphics that the majority of users turn off because it still causes many problems. Maybe after 3 or 4 years it will actually work.
When did it become OK to hype new features, that aren't actually functional for several releases?
So, I waited until SWX21 SP2.0 was out for at least a week. After about an hour of opening and saving some files I had a crash. Yay!
Here is what I wrote in the problem report:
Today I installed SWX21, SP2.0, upgrading my 2020 SP5.0 installation. I had opened several assemblies and was saving them in order to convert them to SWX21. One of these is my master assembly containing approximately 3800 parts. I had saved several subassemblies of this file and was in the process of saving the master file when SWX crashed.
Day one of SWX2021. I cannot go back because of the files that have already been saved. Can you imagine my excitement and enthusiasm for SWX right now?
The Command Search on "Shortcut Toolbar" S-Key is sweeeet!!!!