Absurdly Ideal: Notes from SolidWorks World 2007

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Randall S. Newton, February 8, 2007

The annual love-fest also known as SolidWorks World took place earlier this week in New Orleans. It was the typical mix of new product introduction, targeted classes, and the chance to socialize with people whose eyes don't glaze over when you explain what you do for a living. It was also a continuation of a SolidWorks World tradition, to celebrate the achievements of SolidWorks users during main stage presentations. Out of these presentations came a notion worth considering, that of using the “absurdly ideal” as a guide to product definition.

SolidWorks 2008

Although not available for shipping until later this year, SolidWorks demonstrated features from the upcoming release of SolidWorks 2008. Among the new features:

• The ability to edit a model while in photorealistic or even hyper-realistic mode;
• Live sectioning and “PressPull” model manipulation;
• A revised user interface, with an emphasis on anticipating the user's needs;
• FastPreview, which allows the user to select how parts of a large assembly initially display;
• Hole Alignment Analysis, which can scan an assembly and identify overlapping or misaligned holes;
• DriveWorksXpress, a new tool for basic engineering knowledge management that seeks to make it easier to find and reuse parts from previous projects;
• FloXpress, a wizard-based tool for basic fluid flow analysis that displays results as slice planes or flow trajectories

  

  FloXpress is a new wizard-based tool for basic fluid flow analysis. (Click for larger view.)

SolidWorks Labs

Following a trend that includes both Google and arch-rival Autodesk, SolidWorks has launched a “Labs” web site that allows user access to new technologies and products not ready for commercial release. SolidWorks Labs is currently stocked with four such works in progress.

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