Summer greetings from CAP! We are pleased to announce that our office renovation in Manchester NH is almost complete, and the "Under Construction" sign has been officially removed from the front door. The much-needed expansion gives us plenty of room to host our events and provides our engineers with their own workspace.
The SolidWorks 2006 kickoff event last month was very successful. Keith did a marvelous job showcasing the new features to a rapt audience. As a service to our subscription customers, we are offering a deep dive into the new features at our CAP University. Sign up now - space is limited.
We were overwhelmed with the turnout and feedback from the 2005 Eastern Region SolidWorks User Conference last month. Marie Planchard did an outstanding job bringing SolidWorks and its customers together in a very productive environment. The series started out with a lively presentation by Jon Hirschtick, Dassault Systems on the history and vision of SolidWorks. Here are some memorable quotes from Jon:
"At SolidWorks we focus on the fundamentals with a spirit of innovation."
"CAD's job is to get out of the way and let engineers think about engineering."
We were pleased to see so many of our customers at the event. CAP's application engineers gave engaging presentations on The Art of Filleting, Multi-Body Magic, Introduction to FEA with COSMOSXpress, Working with Imported Data I: Translating File Types, Working with Imported Data II: Editing Dumb Parts, Understanding File References, Solid Surfacing and Using Functional Prototypes to Reduce Product Development Time. Click here to download these presentations. We offer in-depth 1-day classes on these topics at our CAP University, which are free to subscription customers.
As CAP continues to expand, we are always looking for good people. Please see our Careers at CAP webpage for updated listings.
We need to hear from you! How often would you like to hear from us? What is your preferred method of communication? Please take a moment and complete our CAP Communication Survey. One lucky respondent will win our drawing for a copy of the new self-study guide, "CAD Productivity Tools".
July 4th! The office will close at 3pm on Friday 7/1. As a service to our customers, we will return tech support calls on a call-back basis until 5pm. The office will reopen at 10AM on Tuesday July 5th. Have a happy holiday from all of us at CAP!
Dana Seero, President
800-424-2255 ext. 111
What's New in SolidWorks 2006
SolidWorks 2006 Office Premium has over 200 customer driven enhancements that make transitioning to 3D easier and faster than ever. The new performance enhancements and innovations bring productivity to a new level for all SolidWorks customers. Click here for the detailed list of features.
The DWGseries - DWGgateway, DWGviewer, and DWGeditor enable users to read, write, view and work with
any version of AutoCAD® DWG files.
SolidWorks users can now create and re-use Smart Components in assembly designs - these library parts can be dragged and dropped into any assembly and will automatically resize based on configurable design criteria.
The Design Checker is a new product included with SolidWorks Office Professional and SolidWorks Office Premium that enables users to make sure SolidWorks drawings adhere to company standards.
New sketch blocks enable 2D mechanism design. Parametric sketch entities can be grouped to behave as blocks. These layouts can be manipulated dynamically to make sure of fit and function before committing to creating 3D assemblies.
SolidWorks 2006 has unparalleled performance for designing large assemblies with tens of thousands of parts, taking advantage of increased multi-threading and other system improvements.
Design validation is now easier than ever. The results from Physical Simulation (functionality to drive component motion) can now be used to automatically set up the loads and boundary conditions for each part in an assembly for a COSMOSXpress analysis.
The 3D sketch has been enhanced for creation of rectangles, circles, arcs and reference planes in a single 3D sketch.
Cameras to control the viewpoint have been added, which allows "walk-through" and "fly-through" of parts and assemblies.
New innovative functionality includes a new spell checker, a new table generator, and 3D interactive drawing views.
Sign up to attend our CAP University where you will get an indepth tour of all the new features.
Like professionals in many other industries, users who pass the SolidWorks Professional Certification Program (CSWP) test demonstrate a high level of proficiency in use of the software. Upon successfully passing the CSWP Exam, you will be included in the SolidWorks web-based directory of certified professionals. Program benefits include use of SolidWorks logos in your marketing materials, business cards etc. Register with Rob to reserve your spot.
Attend this event and register for our drawing. One lucky attendee will win the opportunity to experience the power of rapid prototyping by building a model of their own part on the Dimension 3D printer! Compliments of CAP. Note: Some restrictions apply - details will be presented at the meeting.
OEM New England
On September 14 and 15, we will be at the OEM New England show in Worcester MA. We invite all our customers to visit us in booth 1001.
The show combines the PLASTEC New England Pavilion
and the Medical OEM Suppliers Pavilion sponsored by MassMedic. We will be demonstrating the Dimension 3D printer in the booth - stop by for a closeup demo of this rapid prototyping technology in action.
Product Design for the Medical Community
CAP will present a total solution for the medical products design community: from initial product development to data management for FDA documentation and revision control, stress analysis on new designs, and the Dimension 3D printer for creating rapid prototypes.
• Product design using SolidWorks for medical applications
• FEA with COSMOSWorks for design verification and FDA approvals
• Using PDMWorks for GMP and FDA Requirements
• Rapid prototyping with the Dimension 3D printer (live demos)
We are continuing our series of introductory events for new customers as we grow our community of users. Our SolidWorks seminars are geared toward professionals transitioning from a 2D to a 3D environment, as well as seasoned CAD users who want to explore the benefits of using SolidWorks in their design workflow. Feel free to forward this newsletter on to a friend who may be interested in attending one of our free workshops. Click here to view the schedule of events and register.
Rapid Prototyping Road Show
Interested in 3D modelling for form, fit and function? Our summer roadshow kicked off in Vermont last week with standing room only attendance. Attend one of our Dimension 3D printer open houses. Click here for upcoming dates.
Training
New! CADPO Announces Free Online Update Training For SolidWorks 2006
This free SolidWorks 2006 Update course is available immediately at no charge for 30 days.
It includes five hours of instruction, covering all the new enhancements in Features, Parts, Assemblies and Sheet Metal. Find out how you can be more productive today!
Upcoming classes
Check here for our schedule of upcoming classes. Our recent survey shows a high level of customer satisfaction: "I had recently taken a Solidworks "Intro" course at a local university. It consisted of over 40 hours of instruction. Due to many factors the couse was not very effective. I feel I learned nearly as much in one 8 hour class at CAP as I did in nearly the whole course at UMASS. "
The 14th major release of SolidWorks is shipping this summer! This exhaustive presentation will educate you about all the new features and enhancements in the new release. Emphasis is on teaching existing SolidWorks users how to make the best use of the new capabilities, and what things have been improved to make your design work easier with SolidWorks 2006. Sign up here.
Date*
Time*
Location
7/8
9 AM - 12 PM
Manchester, NH
7/8
1:30-4:30 PM
Manchester, NH
7/12
1:30-4:30 PM
Burlington, VT
7/15
9 AM - 12 PM
Peabody, MA
7/15
1:30-4:30 PM
Peabody, MA
7/21
9 AM - 12 PM
Westborough, MA
7/21
1:30-4:30 PM
Westborough, MA
7/26
1:30-4:30 PM
Portland, ME
8/18
1:30-4:30 PM
Burlington, VT
8/23
1:30-4:30 PM
Westborough, MA
8/25
1:30-4:30 PM
Manchester, NH
9/20
1:30-4:30 PM
Portland, ME
9/23
1:30-4:30 PM
Peabody, MA
Our popular CAP U series explores intermediate and advanced topics for the 3D user. These seminars are open to all subscription customers, and are recommended for users who have already completed SolidWorks training classes.
*NOTE: All dates and times are subject to change. Please check our website for the latest schedule.
Rapid Prototyping Corner
STRATASYS Leads the Rapid Prototyping Industry with 36 Percent of all Units Shipped in 2004
The manufacturer of the Dimension BST™, Dimension SST™, Prodigy Plus, FDM Maxum™, FDM Vantage™, and Titan™ product lines announces it has the highest global installed base of Rapid Prototyping systems, and has become the first manufacturer to sell over one thousand systems in a single year. Read the details here.
Rapid Prototyping Roadshow
CAP is taking the Dimension 3D printer on the road! We had a phenomenal standing room only kickoff event in Vermont last week and we are continuing our tour through New England this summer. Make your reservation early to experience the power of rapid prototyping and see how easy it is to create functional models in your office environment with this groundbreaking system. Join us at this live demo for a fast-paced and fun event. Come see and touch the many functional parts, including our legendary jet fighter that we created at CAP. Sign up here.
Attend this event and register for our drawing. One lucky attendee will win the opportunity to build a model of their own part on the Dimension 3D printer! Compliments of CAP. Note: Some restrictions apply - details will be presented at the meeting.
Date
Location
Time
July 6
Portland ME
1:30-3:30 PM
July 14
Manchester NH
1:30-3:30 PM
July 19
Peabody MA
1:30-3:30 PM
July 27
Warwick RI
1:30-3:30 PM
July 28
Westborough MA
1:30-3:30 PM
August 12
Peabody MA
1:30-3:30 PM
September 20
Westborough MA
1:30-3:30 PM
September 23
Peabody MA
9 AM - 11 AM
September 27
Burlington VT
1:30-3:30 PM
"Having the machine in the room purring in the corner and constantly delivering our prototypes has made it an integral part of our team." - Robert Emmanuel, Harman Becker Project Engineer
New! Case Study Bundle
Want to learn more about rapid prototyping? We have new case studies available:
"Accelerating Prototyping by 50 Percent" - Grohe group accelerates product innovation cycle by 20%
"Test Parts That Take Real Life Pressure" - Arctic Spas builds prototypes that withstand water pressures for testing spa's plumbing system
"High-spec Design Engineering Streamlined" - Harman Becker Automotive engineers for the very best look, fit and feel
"Transatlantic Copying" - Dimension allows Xerox Limited to integrate design features from partner companies across time zones
"Explore the World of 3D Printing" - CD included
Contact us for your packet and ask for the "Rapid Prototyping Case Study Bundle".
Dimension Cartridges available
Materials - Now in 7 Colors!
Models can be built in standard white, blue, yellow, black, gray, red or green colors. Cartridges of ABS plastic for the Dimension BST and SST, Dimension Prodigy and Dimension Prodigy Plus are available from CAP. Custom colors available by special order.
Request for customer parts to display at CAP
We are always interested in showcasing the engineering talents of our customers. Have you created an innovative model that we can display and share with others? Please contact Bonnie at CAP. We will gladly include it in our repertoire of functional and fun prototypes.
Hot Tech Tips CAP Presentations Available from ERSWUG
This month, as a special feature for our customers, we are offering the presentations from ERSWUG. Our application engineers have culled the material from their CAP U courses, and created highly informative presentations. Click here to select from The Art of Filleting, Working with Imported Data, FEA with COSMOSXpress, and Understanding File References.
Alternate Uses for the Alternate Position View
SolidWorks allows the creation of an Alternate Position View in an assembly drawing. When you Insert an Alternate Position View, you have to option to auto-create a new configuration or to choose an existing configuration. That configuration is shown in phantom lines superimposed on the original drawing view. Though originally conceived to display a moveable assembly in two different positions, this command has other uses:
By using existing configurations, you could show an assembly both with and without an optional subassembly, for example. Or, show your product as-shipped and as-installed.
You can create an assembly of one part to use this feature to show part configurations layered in the same drawing view.
If you don't like phantom lines, from the drawing FeatureManager you can right click on the assembly shown below the Alternate Position icon to edit the Component Line Font.
A lso, you can run this command more than once on a view to show three or more configurations simultaneously.
Trivia: US Patent #6603486 was issued to SolidWorks Corporation in 1999 for the Alternate Position View.
Feedback
We always appreciate hearing from you. Please take a moment and complete our CAP Communication Survey. One lucky respondent will win our drawing for a copy of the new self-study guide, "CAD Productivity Tools". Please send any additional suggestions, issues or comments to marketing@capinc.com
At Computer-Aided Products, we empower our customers to make the right choices when selecting their CAD design environment. We are a value-added reseller (VAR) for SolidWorks and the Stratasys Dimension 3D printer. We specialize in transitioning designers from a 2D environment to a 3D solid CAD world, providing the training and service you need to get up to speed quickly. Our partnership with the best CAD solutions in the industry, along with our years of expertise and practical experience, provide a solid foundation for your CAD future.
Computer-Aided Products, Inc.
Serving all of New England with offices in Manchester NH, Peabody MA and Westborough MA
(800) 424-2255
www.capinc.com
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