A 2006 Rave

[wes616]

I know this site is usuall a bitchfest (I mean helping each other fix problems) but I wanted to give the guys at SWx a big round of applause. The Hole wizzard in 2006 is great. It's so much better being in the pannel than as a popup window, and it looks really cool too (reminds me a little of pro/e... but that was a long time ago.)

What do you guys LIKE about 2006. There has got to be more good stuff than problems (why else would we be using it). And I'm sure the people as SWx would love the praise :-D



Wes C.
------------------------------
Make a dent in the Universe... do something great...

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

I'm not sure if SW people monitor this site, but they definitely should!

Although I have not had a chance to use SW06 yet, my list of favourites gleaned from demos & "Whats New" files is:-

Fill Patterns ... Used this often in SE. It's great for setting up a linear pattern of holes in a part of varying lengths. Previously had to use an equation in SW.

Layout of Sketch Blocks ... Creation of Assembly Layout of parts from sketches.
Mates in Multibody Parts.
Auto Size of Configured Parts.
Transparency for Raster Files
Sheet Metal Bend Notes.


Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of faq559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions faq559-1091

 

[wes616]

Hey thanks Cory.. I I could probablly use that.... anyway, who cares if SW really looks at this site (agreed that they should though)... I thought this thread would list some good things (for us to read) as opposed to all the, "Hey, this thing doens't F*&$32ng work!" posts that are usually on here (regarding 2006)...

Wes C.
------------------------------
Make a dent in the Universe... do something great...

 

[miller7778]

Sooooo many things.

1. The addition of the width mate. This alone has saved me so much time it's unbelievable.

2. The ability to rotate views within a drawing.

3. Sheet metal bend notes.

4. Linked split pane views

I can't think of any more right now, but I would have a hard time going back to 05.

 

[Luca83]

Diggin some of the new features in 3D Sketch mode & faster 2D layout.

 

[smcadman]

"Bitchfest"? Hey this isn't comp.cad.solidworks!

Since we do alot of wire and bent tubes, the new 3D Sketcher makes things easier. Now you can make arcs in 3D sketches, where before you had to cheat by using fillets when changing the drawing axis.

curve through x,y,z points: enter spline points through an X,Y,Z table.

Textures in drawings is a new capability. Haven't tried it yet, but that would help with expanded metal and perforated steel.

Feature paint: pick a feature and copy it to another feature (such as hole wizard holes).

Dimensions for text in isoviews on sheets look better.

Flores
SW 2005 SP 4.

 

[J-C]

Didn't we have curve through x,y,z points already?

And where is feature paint?

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2005 SP5.0 on WinXP SP2
SolidWorks 2006 SP0.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[rockguy]

I thought textures only showed in e-drawings?

Sketch blocks are a huge plus for us as is the new camera.

Rob Rodriguez CSWP

http://www.robrodriguez.com

SW 2006 SP 1.0EV

 

[cadnutcase]

I have been extremely happy with the routing and weldment features. Doing my first project ever in Solidworks and it is going extremenly well. So far have 1462 unique parts, combined into 146 sub assemblies. This is in 2005 and it is working excellent. I loaded up 2006 yesterday but haven't tried out any of the new features except for the camera. Looks like it could be a lot of fun.

So what is this width mate you speak of? Looked for it quickly in some of the what's new documentation, but couldn't find it.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Gildashard ... Feature Paint

http://www.solidworks.com/pages/products/solutions/utilities.html

cadnutcase ... Width Mates

Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of faq559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions faq559-1091

 

[J-C]

Yeah, I remember the one in utilities, thought they added something similar to core, where something like this belongs.

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2005 SP5.0 on WinXP SP2
SolidWorks 2006 SP0.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[miller7778]

Rockguy, textures now show up in regular drawings as well as edrawings.

 

[Theophilus]

PhotoWorks improvements such as camera perspective, lighting and depth of field enhancements are great.

Also the 3D sketch improvements with spline handle control--and that I can do a loft with a single sketch--very nice. Great for surfacing.


Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reality is no respecter of good intentions.

 

[smcadman]

I copied a folder of a project to try out SW2006 SP1.0, and I noticed a smaller drawing size. The exact same file in SW2005 SP4.0 was 55,740 kb., while the SW2006 SP1.0 drawing was 4,314 kb.

Whenever I closed the drawing, I got a pop-up box that said: "Some drawing views are being processed and will be saved in draft quality. The next time you open the drawing, the views will be converted to high quality." and there is a "Don't ask me again" checkbox.

Flores
SW 2006 SP1.0

 

[rfus]

Hadn't been using Photoworks much lately since the release, but I just threw on a decal and to my amazement it came up in the SolidWorks Display. Very Cool.

Drag Select in the design tree rocks too.

 

[SBaugh]

One of the best things I like about SW06 is the Camera view in Animator.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[charbroil]

I like the redesigned Hole Wizard as well.

Especially the fact that it gives a preview of each hole you create, not just the first point/hole.

System: Dell Precision 650—Intel Xeo @ 2.66 GHz with 1/2G RAM
OS: Windows 2000 SP3
Graphics: NVidia Quadro FX 500 128Mb (OpenGL set to Solidworks) V 6.14.01.4354
Version: Solidworks 2005, SP0.1

 

[dogarila]

I have SW2006 installation CDs on my desk and I wonder: Should I take the big step and move up from SW2005 or wait some more? The problem is that 2005 runs flawlessly on my machine, no crashes, no other problems. Am I going to get the same from 2006?

SW2005 SP5.0
Dell Dimension 3.2 GHz 1GB RAM
nVidia GeForce 6800 GPU PCI with 256 MB RAM
Windows XP Pro SP2

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

The only way to find out is to try. Make a separate install & experiment on copies of your product.


Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of faq559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions faq559-1091

 

[dogarila]

I agree, the problem is I don't have "experimenting with SW2006" in my budget. My worry is that going to SW2006 will actually slow me down. Has anyone noticed a real increase in productivity by moving to SW2006?