3DVision will be presenting in the December NISWUG meeting along with other local resellers. Kris Klika will be giving a presentation on Surface Modeling Techniques in SolidWorks. If you are in the Northern Indiana area be sure to stop by and see us!

Annual VAR Presentations

Date: December 6, 2011
Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST
Location:
Swan Lake Resort
5203 Plymouth Laporte TRL (Turn West on Academy Drive)
Plymouth, IN 46563

Agenda:
Put it together with Weldments–Ketul Patel — CATI
Rx for Sick SolidWorks–Greg Dawes — Fisher/Unitech
The Art of Mating–Jim Byrne — Dasi Solutions
Simply Surfacing–Kris Klika — 3DVision
Christmas Prizes–Peggy Frantz – Flakt Woods

Please sign up by clicking HERE so they know you are coming. See you there on the 6th!

Have you ever needed to optimize a volume based on a set of varying dimensions?  Simulation Professional and Design Studies can help.

Here is what you need to do.

To create a design study:

1. Do one of the following:

• Click Design Study (Tools toolbar).
• Click Insert > Design Study > Add.
• Right-click an existing Design Study tab and click Create New Design Study.

A Design Study tab appears at the bottom of the graphics area.

2. To set properties such as study quality and results folder, click Design Study Options .

3. Define variables using parameters.

Here your variables will be the dimensions needed to change your volume.

4. Define constraints using sensors.

You constraint would be mass properties for volume.  Set to monitor only.  Thsi gives you an output of how the volume changes.

5. For Optimization studies, define goals using sensors.

Set you goal to be the same as your constraint, a volume sensor.

Select Optimization, and allow SW to take over.  Optimization is like engineering cruise control.

6. Click Run.

The results of the study appear on the Results View tab.

Select a scenario or iteration on the Results View tab. In the graphics area, the model updates with the values for that scenario or iteration.

Click on the Optimization Link below to watch the full process.

 Optimization

Note Simulation Professional is needed for the optimization option.

3DVision Technologies is currently looking for skilled SolidWorks users to fill a new Application Support Engineer position in Cincinnati.

Application Support Engineer (ASE)

Description: 3DVision Application Support Engineers are experts in SolidWorks products providing comprehensive technical support, training, and implementation.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Manage technical support issues taken via phone, email, or web
• Conduct training classes
• Make on-site customer visits

Minimum Required Skills and Experience:

• Minimum 2 to 5 years 3D Mechanical Design, Manufacturing, or MCAD industry experience.
• Minimum 2 to 5 years of SolidWorks experience
• Education: BS in Mechanical Engineering

For more information download the ASE Job Posting and send your resume to the email address at the bottom.

As an Android fanboy, one of my favorite things to do is watch the latest Apple iGadget or iGizmo get puréed on Will it Blend? We won’t be blending anything today, but we do want to ask the question, “Will it Rend?” If you have SolidWorks Professional or Premium, than you have access to a great rendering tool in PhotoView 360. If you haven’t talked your boss into upgrading you to one of these packages you can still get some decent images out of SolidWorks using a special scene that will allow a self-shadowing effect called “Ambient Occlusion”. Here is what you need to do:

-Turn on RealView Graphics and Shadows in Shaded Mode (it won’t work without the shadows on)

-Turn on Shaded (without Edges)

-Set the Scene to Ambient Occlusion

Now you have nice textures, more realistic lighting and shadows, and you have turned off the cartoon like edge lines. It is starting to look much better than the default settings.

There is one last thing you should do to really make your image stand out.

-Add a Camera. Manipulate the perspective and move the object out of the center of the screen to create a nice composition.

-Set the Camera View

Now we have a good composition with some added perspective along with nice textures and more realistic shadows and lighting. To save the image go to File, Save As, Jpeg.

I think you’ll have fun creating some great images in SolidWorks. Model courtesy of Ray Keane and GrabCAD