SolidWorks 2011:From ideas to results

Dassault Syst閙es SolidWorks Corp. (DS SolidWorks) is focused on solving the everyday problems of the common user. That's why one of the many things attendees look forward to the most when attending SolidWorks World is the sneak peek of the next version of SolidWorks. About 50% of the overall effort going into SolidWorks 2011 is focused on improving the reliability and performance of the software. Users will certainly appreciate if some gains can be made without negative effects in other areas of the product. DS SolidWorks recently unveiled the SolidWorks 2011 product line, delivering new ways to speed product design, deepen collaboration, and strengthen designers' engagement with manufacturing. Next year's major themes: Design Faster and more Efficiently, Enhanced Support for Manufacturing, and Improved Collaboration and Visualisation include 200 enhancements, many of which were customer driven. Design faster and more efficiently The more quickly you can move a great new product to market - and that pressure continues to intensify - the greater the success for everyone involved. SolidWorks has always focused on this imperative and continues to do so in SolidWorks 2011, which includes the following highlights: New drawing detailing functions in SolidWorks CAD software eliminate the time and effort of manual dimensioning. Users can automatically align, stagger, or centre dimensions in a single click without any overlap. Drawings look cleaner and more professional than ever with just a few clicks. New 2D Simplification helps speed up parts analysis. Users simply select an intersecting plane and apply the loads and restraints to perform static, nonlinear, pressure vessel, and thermal studies. SolidWorks Simulation instantly calculates the results and displays them on the full 3D model - with no waiting. A new electronics cooling module lets users set up and execute thermal simulations quickly and easily, helping ensure that heat doesn't melt a product's electronics. A new HVAC module works the same way for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Expanded part libraries now include fans, materials, two-resistor components, and integrated circuit packages. New analysis variables include local air quality, ambient temperature, and Joule heating. An innovative menu bar in SolidWorks Enterprise PDM product data management software speeds access to key designs. The menu bar, which slips right into Windows Explorer, combines the simplicity of Windows with the benefits of an enterprise data strategy for improved collaboration, control, and reuse of valuable design information. All SolidWorks 2011 products improve speed and reliability by using memory more efficiently when working with large designs and during prolonged work sessions. Enhanced support for manufacturing Active communication between design and manufacturing helps ensure that teams can actually build the products they conceive and that organisations minimise costly delays, scrap, and rework. SolidWorks 2011 includes powerful new features that automate weld placement and documentation. Users select and visualise weld bead paths with the Smart Weld tool, and they specify weld type and prepare joints with enhanced fillet and groove features. SolidWorks automatically compiles data on weld counts, length, and type in new weld tables, enabling detailed breakdowns for cost analysis and bidding. Users can apply new visible weld gaps to fitting-to-fitting, pipe-to-pipe, and fitting-topipe connections to ensure successful welds. Designers will catch sheet metal errors early with new bend calculation tables that let them quickly calculate the developed length of parts. The new integration of SolidWorks Design Checker into SolidWorks Enterprise PDM software helps streamline the release of designs to manufacturing. It's easy toChuck Taylor All Star