We have received may inquiries from clients over the years, asking why SOLIDWORKS assemblies open and resolve more slowly when the files are stored upon a network location.  In response, SOLIDWORKS had provided us with some clarity regarding fundamentals of the journey that a file makes through the hardware infrastructure of your workstation before being loaded into RAM and opening. Most simply put, the “path” that files have to follow to open from a local hard drive is as follows: − Harddrive -> (Mainboard) Southbridge – > CPU – > (Mainboard) Northbridge – > Ram – and OPEN! I ..read more

If you go to the trouble of saving a SOLIDWORKS part as a neutral file format in order to remove ALL feature data from your model then you will find that modern releases of SOLIDWORKS can save you a few steps with the new “Convert to Bodies” function. SOLIDWORKS bodies converted to a single feature To access this new function, right-mouse click on the part name at the top of the FeatureManager Design Tree and select “Convert to Bodies” from the shortcut menu. You will then be prompted with a warning that bodies will be permanently deleted and SOLIDWORKS offers various “Save A ..read more

Some of the modern search functionality within the Windows Operating System is absolutely fantastic.  I can type fraction of a word and results from my email, start menu and specific locations on my hard drive begin to appear….instantly. I am certain that there are still folks out there who hear the words “Indexing Service” with reference to windows and automatically repeat the original online cry of “Shut down the Service”… “It will only slow down your computer”.  Well, those particular statements have been floating around the net since Windows desktop search was introduced, and as ..read more

Is SOLIDWORKS running slow when you open an assembly? If you’re working remotely, do you have enough time to walk the dog around the block before your assembly finishes opening? Not only are opening times slow but every click, rotation, zoom produces lag. The good news is your assembly loading performance can be improved, the hard part is knowing where to look. Often, SOLIDWORKS large assembly performance can be a death by a thousand cuts and in this article we will look at how to diagnose SOLIDWORKS Large Assembly Performance issues. What might be the most important part of troubleshooti ..read more

In my last post I discussed all of the unnecessary, auxiliary processes that may be running on your system.  Items such as update utilities, that generally present themselves as Icons within your System Tray or Notification Area (near your clock in the Windows Taskbar). In an effort to stop the bleeding of system resources I would like to introduce you to the clotting agent: System Configuration (MSCONFIG). Microsoft provides the System Configuration utility as a means to tweak your system tray and the processes and services that run when windows starts, however it is rarely mentioned. A ..read more

SOLIDWORKS’ Rib feature provides a powerful way to quickly create thin extruded features with a minimum of effort. Ribs are often overlooked when part modeling as most users use the traditional Extrude feature to create these types of structures. Let’s explore the utility and benefits of leveraging the Rib feature. I like to think of the Rib feature as a special case of an Extrude-Thin Boss. What makes the Rib feature so special? It will only create Thin structures. You must specify a thickness parameter that is then applied to the referenced sketch entities. The thickness is centered on the s ..read more

We often receive inquiries regarding the changes surrounding the import of neutral file formats within SOLIDWORKS, especially after upgrades to SOLIDWORKS have been completed and settings have been reset to default values.  Some added complications were introduced in the 2019 release of SOLIDWORKS as neutral file formats were included in the 3Dinterconnect functionality. Considering these changes the question remains: What do I need to do to ensure that my SOLIDWORKS installation will consistently provide me with the best translation possible when importing Neutral File Formats? SOLIDWORK ..read more

It is a story we hear time and again from customers: They take the time and effort to download the correct certified driver for SOLIDWORKS from the SOLIDWORKS certified list, only to have a Windows update come along and displace that driver with the “Latest & Greatest”, which in many cases, turns out to be not so great! We can prevent the Windows operating system (Windows 11) from automatically updating your drivers with the “Latest & Greatest” by following the simple series of steps below: Open the Windows 11 System Properties Dialog by searching for and selecting  “View Advance ..read more

Welcome back to “Physics Fun with Jamie”. A frequency study in SOLIDWORKS FEA is a powerful tool for predicting the natural frequencies and mode shapes of a structure. It is used to identify any resonant frequencies that may lead to unwanted vibrations or failures. Here are some steps to follow when setting up a frequency study in SOLIDWORKS FEA. Define the model: Define the 3D model of the structure you want to analyze. This can be done in SOLIDWORKS or imported from other CAD software. Assign the material properties: Assign the appropriate material properties to the model. The material prop ..read more

We have found that explicitly setting a static size for the windows page file will assist SOLIDWORKS users upon systems where SOLIDWORKS is having difficulty with importing or exporting geometry, or handling larger assemblies. The procedure illustrated below will raise the virtual memory ceiling onboard the system in question, and provide the operating system the extra room it needs to maneuver if it runs out of physical memory. The Virtual Memory is not used until the Physical RAM in the system has been exhausted and the system requires somewhere to hold additional information. One of the tid ..read more