Cadalyst - November/December 2008 - (Page 38)

cadalystlabsreview Tell us how HP Workstations with Intel QuadCore Technology have you Working Differently you’ll probably want to store those files in a location that is inaccessible to downstream users. Here’s a bit of a cheat for you: You can create an assembly consisting of a single part, then turn it into a fully suppressed SpeedPak, which you can send to clients, customers, or suppliers without having to supply the underlying model file. Growing Possibilities SolidWorks 2009 removes a previous limitation on assemblies measuring more than 1 kilometer wide. This could be meaningful if you design conveyor systems, for example. SolidWorks by Any Other Name Of the several hundred changes to SolidWorks 2009, one will have little direct effect on users for another release or three. DS SolidWorks is owned by the French company Dassault Systemes, whose other holdings include high-end design and PLM products such as CATIA. But SolidWorks had always functioned as an independent division, to the extent that people in both communities didn’t realize the connection. This relationship has changed, however. With the introduction of SolidWorks 2009, SolidWorks Corp. is officially Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corp. A historic event in this regard happened at the recent DS SolidWorks media gathering in Barcelona, Spain, where Dassault Systemes CEO Bernard Charles spoke at a DS SolidWorks gathering for the first time. He and DS SolidWorks CEO Jeff Ray emphasized that this change will allow for more technical collaboration between the two organizations. This realignment implies that future releases of SolidWorks will have access to more of the high-power, high-end functionality of CATIA and other Dassault Systemes products. Given the recent change in ownership of a third-party supplier to SolidWorks, I would guess that mold design functionality will be high on the list. Share your story and you could win an HP xw6600 Workstation with a Quad-Core Intel processor and a 24-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor How do you rely on HP Workstations to build models and to deliver projects quickly, efﬁciently and affordably? Get complete contest details and rules at www.cadalyst.com/workingdifferently. We want to hear from you—share your success story today! HP Workstations are fully tested and certiﬁed for many CAD and CAE applications, the xw6600 system featured here is an ideal system for those who need an HP Quad Core Xeon workstation, and can easily be upgraded by adding a second Quad Core processor. Two Surprises The What’s New list for the latest release of almost any software usually contains roughly 200 items. “Okay, Fred, the What’s New list has hit 200. Time to ship!” The headline grabbers in SolidWorks 2009 were easy to find, but it took a bit of digging to find two minor but interesting items. First, it is now possible to define a sketch element by using an equation in the form of y = f(x), such as ax2 + bx + c. You simply enter the equation plus the initial and final x values in a dialog box, and SolidWorks does the rest. If you are a gear tooth designer, for example, you can define the involute profile as an exact mathematical formula instead of using Grant’s odontograph to approximate it as a few arc segments. Finally, although it is obviously true that the SolidWorks people are great programmers, they are not so good at theoretical physics. In SolidWorks 2009 it is now possible to offset an infinite line. Don’t they know that Albert Einstein said that space is curved and that parallel lines would eventually meet? Highly Recommended. Bill Fane is a Cadalyst contributing editor and a retired professor from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. E-mail him at bill.fane@ cadalyst.com. www.cadalyst.com cadalyst November/December 2008 38 http://www.cadalyst.com/workingdifferently http://www.cadalyst.com/workingdifferently http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - November 2008

Cadalyst - November 2008 Contents Editor's Window CAD Central Tech Trends: Designed after Our Own Image Budget-Conscious Workstations — 64-Bit CAD Power for Less than $2,500 Cadalyst All-Star Awards 2008 SolidWorks 2009 — 3D MCAD Software IES Virtual Environment 5.9 — Building Performance Analysis Software View Point: A Design with Teeth CAD Manager: CAD Manager’s Survey 2008 MCAD Modeling: Ask for What You Want AEC Insight: AEC Software by the Clock CAD Cartoon Issue Indexes Hot Tip Harry: Hot Tips for Cold Days

Cadalyst - November 2008

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