CATI Tech Notes

Objet set to release a NEW Desktop 3D Printer on May 22, 2012

Objet posted on their blog that a NEW Desktop 3D Printer is on its way.  There are still a few unknown details as to the release.  The full announcement will be made on May 22nd.  Until then, enjoy this great video that gives a glimpse of things to come. Head over to the Objet Blog for more info on all things 3D Printing and Rapid Prototyping.

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

Light Weight Patterns

Sometimes the patterning of holes can be to say the least very resource intensive. If you are just looking for the image or illusion of the holes to be there, we have a very lightweight alternative. The feature is called  a Cosmetic Pattern.There are only a couple of rules and the results are excellent.

1.You can only apply it to a planar face. Not a big deal as you are usually using it for something to mimic a perforated panel which is usually a purchased item.

2. Realview graphics has to be on in order to have it shown.

Expand your appearances task pane from the left and dig into appearances, miscellaneous, Real View Only Appearances.

 

 Make Sure Realview is turned on..

 

 

Drag the cosmetic hole pattern on to the face(s) and then configure it using the property manager as shown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the property manager you get all of the options to mimic a perforated panel with all the differnt shapes and options for sizing and layout.

 

 

 

 

Just to give me you an idea of the the resourses required for a Fill pattern vs a Cosmetic pattern see the stats below on a very simple part....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy and give it a try..

Todd Werginz Technical Analyst

CATI

What to do when your SNL manager doesn't keep your server name?

More than a few times I have encountered this problem. Say you have had a stroke of luck and you finally get the server upgrade you have been waiting for. Transferring the activation from the old server to the new server goes great except the end users can't get a license. Now what?

On the end user machine you have gone in and switched the server name to the new host but for some reason... it won't stay. The user has local admin permissions and still can't get this to write.

So here is where we have to take things into our own hands. Make sure the SolidNetwork License Manager is closed. Taking advantage of the end user local admin or loging in with admin permissions proceed to the registry editor.

DANGER!! DANGER!! If you are not familiar with editing the registry STOP HERE!!! Let somebody qualified do this step for you...

Go to:
Start>type regedit
navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Software, FLEXlm License Manager
Double click SW_D_LICENSE_FILE enter the new sever information example 25734@mynewservername

Open the SolidNetwork License Manager, go to server list. It should now be the new location. Click on license usage tab, it should now show license availability.

If you wish you can deploy the changed registry settings to your other machines by using regedit right click the FLEXlm License Manager and choose export. This will allow you to save a file on the desktop or server location and then it can be e-mailed or direct people to it on the network. A double click of this file will import it into the current machine registry.

Enjoy your Spring!!
John Van Engen
CATI Tech Support

Automating SolidWorks Webcast - May 18th

Are some of the parts and assemblies you work on the same but different? If you have SolidWorks - you have DriveWorksXpress, the Design Automation tool for SolidWorks.

Learn how to Set Up and Run a DriveWorksXpress Project in this FREE online training session.

When:
9am-10am Central Time

>>Register 

 

Jim TeDesco
Computer Aided Technology, Inc. 

Single Line Font

I had a conversation yesterday from a customer looking for a single line font that they could use in SolidWorks while creating text on their model.  This is a common request especially when needing to generate models or drawings for CNC operations such as laser or various other engraving processes that involve cutting text shapes.  The typical font type found in Windows and then of course shared by SolidWorks usually have double line profiles for each character.  

There are a number of forum discussions on the web about this, but I thought it would be beneficial to host this font file for you to download and try for yourself in SolidWorks.  Our customer was able to use this file on their machine by just simply pasting this into their c:\Windows\Fonts folder on their local machine.

You can find this file at the following location: http://go.cati.com/CAM-Font

>>Download the File

Thank you.

Brian Reel
Applications Engineer
Computer Aided Technology, Inc

eDrawings for iPad App

Take your 2D and 3D product designs on the go with the new eDrawings^® for iPad^® app. View, share, and collaborate from anywhere with the easy-to-use, email-enabled software trusted by engineers and non-CAD users worldwide.

Download eDrawings for iPad today.

 

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc. 

No One Wants to Buy 2D software

For the past several years, I have been blogging on both our InFlow Technology and CATI pages about my trials and tribulations faced as a PLM sales guy. So get this...last year, SolidWorks and its parent company, Dassault Systemes, announced that they had developed DraftSight, a 2D application that would compete with market leaders in the 2D space. Further, the plan was to give away its 2D solution for free.

Yep, download it for free. No demonstration. No negotiation. No promotion. Free. As a sales guy, free isn't something I was familiar with. I spent about 5 hours on Wikipedia, and I think I am clear on the concept now.

The theory behind DraftSight being free is simple: 2D technology hasn't evolved much since the invention of the bag phone, so why charge people for it? Give it away, allow companies to maintain and edit their library of DWG files, and allow them to invest their money in leading edge technology that will have a true impact on their business.

This poses an interesting question: If Dassault is giving away its new technology for free, it's curious to know that the market leader in 2D technology is threatening to increase prices on its offering in the near future; at least, according to a Midwest reseller: http://links.mkt1141.com/servlet/MailView?ms=NTMyNzA3MgS2&r=NTU1ODk5OTI1NAS2&j=MTk4OTQxOTA5S0&mt=1&rt=0

For those of you that haven't downloaded DraftSight for free (did I mention it's free?), please see the link above. Give it a try. If anyone wants to thank me for saving them a ton of money on their 2D maintenance fees, an iTunes gift card would be fine...or you could buy a seat of SolidWorks Premium for 50% off this month (click for details)?

Your call.

SolidWorks Global Variables and Link Values

They did bring link values back!  However, please be aware that it did not replace global variables.  If you go to the Equation Manager window, you can populate a global variable which can be used to equate dimensions to a single value.

The limitation with global variables is that you still can’t use them in design tables.

 

If you want to be able to configure global variables, one must use Link Variables.  Simply right click on a dimension and you will find the option to create a Link Variable in the drop down menu.  Then just create it as we use to do it in the past versions. As you can see the picture above, when you create a design table, Solidworks does give you the option to configure the linked value.

 

 

Ketul Patel
Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

 

Get a FREE copy of the DriveWorks Little Book of Rules

If you’ve been using DriveWorksXpress to automate your SolidWorks designs, why not give DriveWorks Solo a try and experience all the extra functionality and benefits offered.

Just download the DriveWorks Solo FREE 30 day trial and get your hands on free copy of the Little Book of Rules.

DriveWorksXpress and DriveWorks Solo allow you to use Rules to automate your SolidWorks designs and we are sure you will find this latest edition of the book really useful.

This helpful pocket-sized book is full of examples of how rules can be used by you to automate your repetitive and everyday tasks using DriveWorksXpress and DriveWorks Solo. Get your copy today!

Make sure you enter Computer Aided Technology, Inc as your reseller when prompted; to make sure we can get the book sent without delay!

 

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc. 

Computer Aided Technology, Inc. (CATI) Celebrates its 20th Anniversary.

Computer Aided Technology, Inc. (CATI), the Nation’s Original Source for SolidWorks, celebrates its 20th year of providing leading product development solutions to engineering and manufacturing clients in the Midwest.

“Our goal is to provide only the best technologies available, be it from DS SolidWorks Corp, Objet Ltd., or one developed by our InFlow Technology group. We don’t create our clients’ products, but our solutions allow them to build them better and faster. Our focus on the long term has allowed us to create a durable, scalable organization that continues to innovate and grow. Without forging valuable, lasting relationships with our customers, CATI would not have been able to reach this important milestone. CATI would like to thank our clients and partners for their tremendous support,” said Rich Werneth, President, Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

CATI has been recognized multiple times as an Industry leader, receiving the Inc. 5000 award four years running as well as accolades from by both SolidWorks and Objet.

In celebration of this milestone, CATI has plans for special events and promotions that will run throughout the year. You can check www.cati.com for information about upcoming events and promotions surrounding the 20th Anniversary of CATI.

About CATI
Computer Aided Technology, Inc. (CATI), founded in 1992 by engineering and manufacturing professionals, is a one stop, full-service provider of scalable design and manufacturing solutions. CATI creates competitive advantage for clients by leveraging an industry-experienced team and leading technology solutions. From 3D Solid Modeling and Analysis to Mold Design to Enterprise-wide Data Management and Rapid Prototyping, CATI has the tools, the experience, the knowledge and the dedication to bring your business vision to reality. CATI is the Nation's Original Resource for SolidWorks with the Midwest's Leading Support & Services Team and is a leading provider of a number of other best-in-class engineering technologies. CATI has two wholly-owned subsidiaries; Inflow Technology and Strategic Technology Solutionsserving customers world-wide. To see the company profile, visit www.cati.com.