I have been working with this software for a couple months now, trying to figure out (implement...) the software for our situation. We've gotten really far, but we have come across a few things that actually look like software bugs that either hinder our progress or require us to find workarounds. I figured I would list them to see if anyone else has the same problems and/or has solutions.
1. Revision control attributes: SWE lets you put attributes to show previous REV history (REV, Various Names associated with tasks, etc..) and it gives you the option to show previous 0 through 4. The problem is which one if the first rev... 0 or 4. SWE can't seem to make up its mind. I created a title block with these attributes. And at the first go. it was showing attribute 4 as the first REV. after a couple changes and saves, it decided to randomly do a switcheroo, and suddenly the 0 attribute became the first rev (which seems to make more sense). so I switched everything around to be in the right order and POOF, attribute 4 became the first REV again... It has stayed this way since.
2. Cable Part Descriptions: Sometimes, it doesn't let you enter a description on Cable Parts. It lets you change/fill in all the other fields, just not that one. The only logic I can seem to make of it is that you have to have a certain number of SWE "experience points". Once you have enough of these mysterious things it will let you change that field... Also, updating user fields in either cable parts or cable cores doesn't seem to take on the first go. It looks like you entered the info, but it doesn't show up in reports. When you leave you project and re-open it the info in the user fields in gone. Usually the second or third time you enter it will stay. Or if you enter the info and make sure you save, leave your project and go back in, before you ever try to run a report.
3. Export to PDF: It will only let you export to PDF with a post script pdf'er. (like PDFcreator as it says on the bottom). The problem is that the place to select the PDF printer is greyed out and stuck at Adobe PDF, which is not a post script printer. So the PRINT button is always greyed out and there's nothing I can do.
4. Symbol Connection Point update: If you ever use the update data button and update symbol data, it takes the connection points and completely re-organizes them however it feels like and moves them around randomly. Even if the symbol didn't actually change in the library. Updating the symbols in the drawing individually works fine, just the project wide update causes problems.
5. Harness 3d Routing: So, there are three options for routing in SWE 3d. Wires, Cables, and Harnesses. If your wires are associated with cables, it won't let you route wires (this is fine). If your cables are associated with a harness, it won't let you route cables (this seems to make sense). But when I go to route harness, not only does it not route anything, it disassociates the 3d parts with their components. In the training booklet I have, it doesn't go over harness routing, it only mentions wire and cable routing.
Also, I'm having some trouble with cable routing. After routing the 3dsketch route, when I go to do the SOLIDWORKS route, it doesn't seem to complete. It doesn't throw any errors, but it doesn't make the filled in routes (lines with thickness)
6. Harnesses (again): If multiple MGF parts are associated with a component, when I associate that component with a harness, the harness only pulls in the base part of that component, and not the accessories (for example a backshell). This obviously is a problem because my harness specific reports are leaving out important parts. The interesting thing is in the SQL data, the components themselves don't have a harness association ID, only the MFG parts do. Even though you are physically associating components with the harness.
Other topics which I have made a lot of progress on if anyone has questions, Custom Design Rule Checks, Custom Reports (Like adding Find Numbers)