Day 3 is the day we wait for at SolidWorks World, to learn what's new in the next release of SolidWorks. What we are shown is early stuff, because the software won't ship for another 8 months or so. Here is an overview of some of the things we were shown this morning:
Feature freeze will be in 2012.
Complete uninstall: registry, install folders, users files; can be uninstalled by administrator
Span dual monitors, with new controls to maximize to right or left monitor.
Pin files (a dialog box with recent projects)
Units switcher on the status bar (mm/inches)
Enhancements to sheet metal design, such as select which faces to unbend
Command search
Automatically double dimensions when dimensioning diameters
Automatic solve order solves parameters in the correct order
Can specify which balloon is the first one, others reoder automatically.
New magnet line for lining up balloons.
The XYZ compass in 3D Via Composer shows a mini version of the model.
20112 has a costing tool, so no need to use Excel to figure out the cost to manufacture the current design.
SolidWorks will support motion sensors, like actuator forces, bearing loads, to let the computer run an optimization of design variations.
New large design review mode opens masive designs in seconds, even on laptops.
Other New Software
The first AEC product was shown, called "SolidWorks Live Building", even though it is not based on SolidWorks. it is based on Dassault's V6 software, and so I suppose this is a hint at what the new V6-based SolidWorks might also be like.
It is an interactive 3D environment for quickly creating concepts of new buildings, exterior and interior. We were shown how a cubicle can be dragged from a palette, and then place in the drawing as an array. You can use a 2D drawing from DraftSight as a floorplan, from which to extrude walls. Energy studies, cross sections, etc. More details -- and pictures -- in tomorrow's upFront.eZine.
And we also saw -- briefly -- a version of DraftSight running on an iPad.
1,000,000, Part II
In 2009, SolidWorks shipped their one millionth copy of SolidWorks -- commercial and educational copies combined. Last November, they shipped their 1,000,000th copy to education. The number of subsequent commercial seats was not announced.
Next year, SolidWorks World 2012 is in San Diego.
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