The “Renumber Marks” function found under our Process tab within SOLIDWORKS Electrical can be a very powerful tool, but what happens when it doesn’t work quite as expected when dealing with manual marks? Let’s take a closer look at “Renumber Marks,” and a situation that you may encounter with it. Renumber Marks in SOLIDWORKS Electrical Process Tab Renumber Marks: How to Choose the Right Elements for Your Project By going to Process > Renumber marks, we are given a few options for what type of renumbering we would like to perform. First, we can choose if we want the renumbering to take pla ..read more

For some, working in AutoCAD feels like a comfortable, well-worn glove. The menu layout, the command line, the color scheme, customizations, and maybe even LISP routines you’ve painstakingly created over the years are as familiar as the back of your hand. They combine to form a cozy environment you’re more than a little reluctant to leave behind. So why would you ever want to switch to from AutoCAD to DraftSight? Let me tell you, I’ve been there. I was an AutoCAD user for nearly three decades and a passionate advocate for it. Everywhere I worked I was the go-to AutoCAD expert, the guy people c ..read more

One of many reasons someone would upgrade to SOLIDWORKS Premium is to gain access to the best-in-class routing functionalities that are included with that package. Oftentimes, engineers will try to get by using simple sweeps to represent their Electrical Cabling and do their best to route them along their designs with 3D Sketches. Ultimately, this will get the job done but takes a long time and leaves a lot of great functionality on the table when working in Electro-Mechanical Assemblies. What is SOLIDWORKS Electrical Routing? SOLIDWORKS Electrical Routing is an Add-In for SOLIDWORKS that allo ..read more

In SOLIDWORKS PDM, the information a user receives when trying to add a duplicate file has been enhanced. When an attempt is made to add a file with a duplicate file name, a dialog box is displayed that identifies the file name, the location of the existing file, and the local file that is being added. SOLIDWORKS PDM Duplicate File dialog Clicking on the warning will generate a list of SOLIDWORKS PDM Duplicates, which are divided into two columns. The right column will display the files that are being added and the left column will show the existing files. Duplicate file name list Cli ..read more

With each major release of SOLIDWORKS, there are new and improved capabilities within the software that can completely change the user experience. One of the most exciting enhancements in SOLIDWORKS 2024 was the introduction of SOLIDWORKS Sketch Dimension Previews. This new capability combines the power of Smart Dimensions with context-sensitive selections in the sketching environment. Sketch Dimension Previews aim to streamline the sketching process by providing users with real-time feedback and visual cues as they create and modify dimensions within sketches. Watch the video to learn why and ..read more

As a DraftSight expert with TriMech, I’m frequently asked which DraftSight licenses would best suit a particular client. Dassault Systèmes provides us with a wealth of choices rather than the exclusive one-size-fits-all approach other companies have moved to. However, with many options available it can be hard to understand them all. That’s where this handy guide fits in. Keep reading to learn all you need to know about DraftSight licensing. DraftSight Licensing – Flexible Options for Every User 2024 DraftSight Licenses The DraftSight lineup has changed over time and will doubtless be updat ..read more

The SOLIDWORKS Tool Cabinet   No one part of SOLIDWORKS is complicated. Think of it like one of those big cabinet-style toolboxes. Mastering any one tool just takes a little bit of instruction and practice. The problem is that SOLIDWORKS is chock full of tools, and you have to know how to use them together to get stuff done. That’s where it gets complicated. Some people learn SOLIDWORKS by following a carefully designed curriculum taught by one or more experienced instructors in school, or from Professional CAD training courses. Training courses like ours here at TriMech, and instructo ..read more

DraftSight, like SOLIDWORKS, is part of the Dassault Systèmes family of CAD applications. The SOLIDWORKS Certification Program has been around since 1998, longer than many SOLIDWORKS users have. If offers us the ability to prove our skills with verifiable certifications the industry takes seriously. With a certification you’re not the one telling employers you know your stuff, Dassault Systèmes is telling them you know your stuff. Now DraftSight users have the chance to earn certification too! The Certified DraftSight Associate (CDSA) has been added to the roster of available certifications ..read more

Control logic provides the ability to dynamically show, hide, or disable a data card control by specifying one or more conditions. In the example below, we’ll use two radio buttons on a file card to display whether a document is approved or rejected. If it’s approved, then we’ll also display the approver’s name. If it’s not approved, then there is no need to show a blank approver. In that case, we’ll hide the Approved By control using Control Logic. Data Card Example In the Card Editor, the controls appear as follows. Data Card Controls The Caption property of the radio buttons becomes the ..read more

People always say “Hindsight is 20:20” and “If I knew then what I know now” referring to something that could have been easily solved some time ago if they only had the SOLIDWORKS training they had today. I’m sure that everyone reading this has had a situation recently that could have been avoided if only they knew a certain piece of information or a certain “trick of the trade”. Our greatest weaknesses are the things we are not aware of! As Designers and Engineers, our greatest weaknesses are the things we are not aware of: those being things we might not know much about or even know they exi ..read more