CAD Administration – Tying It All Together
Steve Ostrovsky, Senior SolidWorks AE
TPM – Columbia, SC
Or CAD Administration - Tying it all together so that your SolidWorks
user-base will have a clean, easy experience and want to utilize all
the hard work you’ve put into this thing
Steve Ostrovsky, Senior SolidWorks AE
TPM – Columbia, SC
History of CAD Admin
You don’t know how good you have it …
History of CAD Admin
You don’t know how good you have it …
History of CAD Admin
You don’t know how good you have it …
“Each drawer handle on the flat file contains a window for a label;
Martha marked the labels with titles like "Travels" and "Alexis as a
Child." Martha stores her photographs inside special photo folders,
which she places in archival-quality boxes. Archival-quality storage
materials are acid- and lignin-free. Acid will react with and
deteriorate your photos; lignin, a substance found in plant fibers,
breaks down over time and can also be harmful. Both substances
are present in most papers.”
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/photo-flat-file
Where to start
Lots of places to start – just do it
Templates
Everything starts with a Template
» Stay
consistent with everything especially Custom Properties
» Data
input here is re-used everywhere
– Drawing Title Block, PDM, MRP/ERP, BOM, 3DVia Composer (Tech Pubs)
•
Part/Assembly Templates
» Mainly
» Also
» Set
set Document Properties – Units, Image Quality, Drafting Standards, etc.
set Custom Properties – Grab whatever you can
default Scene
» *.prtdot
(Part), *.asmdot (Assembly)
Templates
•
Drawing Templates
» Document
» Default
Properties – Units, Dimensioning Standards, Fonts, Tables, Textual info
Sheet Format, Pre-defined views
» *.drwdot
» Where
to find more info – Lesson 4 in SolidWorks Drawings Training Manual
Tables
Sheet
Pre-defined Views
Sheet Format
Drawing Templates reference
Sheet Formats. These are TWO
separate files
Sheet Formats
Referenced in Drawing Templates
•
General Usage
» Create
» Can
create 2nd Sheet Format for sheets 2 - ∞ that displays minimum info
» Right
» If
1 Sheet Format per format size (A, B, C …)
click drawing whitespace Edit Sheet Format to modify
modified, always go to File > Save Sheet Format to save edits
» *.slddrt
•
Sheet Format Properties
» Border,
Table Anchor Points, Title Block, Notes, Custom Properties
» Multi-line
Description
Border
Anchor Points
Tables
Sheet
Pre-defined Views
Sheet Format
Notes
Title Block
Templates
What can’t you template, profile or format?
Almost anything …
•
BOM Tables
•
Revision Tables
•
Hole Tables
•
Weldment Cut Lists
•
Weldment Profiles
•
Hole Callout Format File
•
Design Checker Templates
•
Property Lists
Templates
What can’t you template, profile or format?
Look in your Tools > Options > System Options > File Locations for inspiration
Custom Properties Builder
Custom Properties in Parts/Assemblies is where
most textual information starts
•
Create once and reuse over and over again
(who likes retyping all this stuff??)
» Drawing
Title Blocks
» PDM/ERP/MRP
systems
» BOM
» Tech
•
Pubs through 3DVia Composer
Use new Custom Property Builder
» Easy
to use
» Sets
standards early on
» Can
create for parts, assemblies, drawings
Now What….
Have a beer & donut and go forklift surfing
WOOOHOOO
Settings
Settings related to Standardized Administration
•
File Locations
» Setup
an area on network for all users to
reference
» Use
UNC pathing to locations
– \\server\share\...\SolidWorks Support\Templates
– Do not use drive mappings – these change
•
Move everything you want to use from
default location to a network, backed up
location – even if you’re a single user!!!
» Any
and all templates & sheet formats
» Design
Library
» Custom
Material DB
» Weldment
» Sheet
Profiles
Metal Tables
» SolidWorks
» Toolbox
Master Settings
Doing this will make uninstalling SolidWorks
much less painful. Allows re-imaging hard
drives or starting new machine without
effecting SolidWorks usage
Settings
Settings related to Standardized Administration
•
Saving Master Settings File
» Copy
Settings Wizard
» Start
> Programs > SolidWorks 20xx >
SolidWorks Tools > Copy Settings Wizard
» Used
•
to Save/Restore
General System Settings
» Turn
off “Show thumbnail … Windows Explorer”
» Turn
on File Extensions in Windows Explorer
» Backups
» WDS
– shouldn’t need if using PDM
– Send it on it’s way if not using
File Locations
On a Default Install, where is everything???
•
First place to look is Tool > Options > File Locations
•
If in doubt – look somewhere in
» C:\Program
Files\SolidWorks Corp\SolidWorks\lang\english
» BOM Templates, Dim/Annotation Favorites, … Sheet Metal stuff
•
Design Library
» C:\Documents
•
Toolbox
» C:\SolidWorks
•
and Settings\All Users\Application Data\SolidWorks\SolidWorks 2009\design library
Data
Custom Materials
» C:\Documents
and Settings\All Users\Application Data\SolidWorks\SolidWorks 2009\Custom
Materials
•
Properties File
» C:\Documents
•
and Settings\All Users\Application Data\SolidWorks\SolidWorks 2009\lang\english
Sheet Formats
» C:\Documents
and Settings\All Users\Application Data\SolidWorks\SolidWorks 2009
» C:\ProgramData\SolidWorks\SolidWorks 2011\lang\english\sheeetformat (Windows 7)
File Locations
On a Default Install, where is everything???
Windows 7 puts a lot in:
C:\ProgramData\SolidWorks\SolidWorks 2011
If you can’t see the folder, it’s hidden. Go to
Organize > Folder Options > View > Show Hidden files…
Toolbox
Toolbox
•
Default install is C:\SolidWorks Data – move
to network in multi-use environment
•
Highly recommend to rename SolidWorks
Data to SolidWorks 2009 Data
subsequent version installs – copy and rename
folder to that version – SolidWorks 2010 Data
» On
•
Toolbox Settings – separate access outside
SolidWorks
» Add
Part Numbers and Descriptions
» Create
Custom Properties
» Easier
to implement standards
Design Library
Great source for reuse of existing data and maintaining standards
•
If you can drag/drop, you can use the Design Library
•
SolidWorks comes with default setup to get started
•
Parts/Assemblies
» Standard,
•
Annotations
» Standard
•
Notes, Weld Symbols, Surface Finish Symbols, GD&T, Blocks
Features
» Like
library parts, but features
» Multi-size
•
Vendor, Supplier Parts (these are non-revision managed)
features use configurations
Sheet Metal forming tools
Design Library
Routing Library (add-in)
•
Piping
» Elbows
» Tees
» Reducers
» Pipes
•
Tubing
» Fittings
» Tubes
» Flanges
•
Electrical
» Connectors
» Wire
libraries
Design Library
Parts/Assemblies
•
Download from 3DContentCentral
(http://www.3dcontentcentral.com) or vendor web site
•
Save with white background for better viewing
•
Create Mate References
» Auto-mating
when drag/drop parts into assembly
Annotations
•
Create in a drawing, drag/drop into Design Library
Sheet Metal
•
Forming tools and cutouts
Design Library
Features
•
Design the feature on a base with all configs as needed
•
Add Notes, Datums, GD&T
» These
•
will pass through to drawings
Either add dimensions/relations for positioning and location or
» Dimensions
•
should be renamed if they are to be used for Reference/Location
Leave off positioning dimensions and position when placed
From a blank to finished
with drag/drop from
Design Library
Design Library
Features (Cont)
References
•
To create a library feature that includes
references, you need to dimension the
library feature relative to the base part on
which you create it. References create
dimensions used to position the library
feature.
•
Library features with face references such
as fillets do not need reference
dimensions.
•
You can also create references using
relations. For example, if you align the
center of an arc horizontally, vertically, or
coincident to the sketch origin, a
reference is created.
Design Library
Features (Cont)
Location
•
To create a library feature
without references, create the
library feature without
dimensions or relations
relative to the base part.
•
Instead of using references to
position the library feature on
the model, you edit the library
feature sketch and position
that sketch relative to the
model.
PDM Systems
PDM – Tool to manage data, leverage existing information
without having to recreate it in a highly visible environment
•
Many of the preceding topics will show up in a PDM
system
Properties linked to database fields – Custom Property
Tab builder to help standardize
» BOM built from modeled items + vendor supplied parts (Design
Library) + hardware (Toolbox)
» Custom
•
2 PDM systems available through SolidWorks
» SolidWorks
Enterprise PDM
– Includes Workflows for ECN/ECO, Automated Notifications, Web,
Replication, SQL Server, MRP/ERP communication, BOM tools, etc
» SolidWorks
Workgroup PDM (Included in all SolidWorks
Professional and Premium)
– Meant for small workgroup on handling day-to-day SolidWorks model
management
» Many
•
3rd party products as well
These are all great and should be used, even in a
small organization
•
Part Number
•
Description
•
Created By/Date
•
Approved By/Date
•
Material
•
Weight
•
Unit of Measure
•
Supplier/Vendor
Info
•
Finish
•
Make/Buy
Technical Publications
3DVia Composer
•
Tool to author rich graphical content from
SolidWorks models
•
Textual information is easily added
» Links
•
to Custom Properties
Non-engineering users – make it easy for
them
Miscellaneous
SolidWorks Network Installations (SNL)
•
Utilizes FlexNET technology
•
When upgrade SolidWorks version – must re-activate SNL
•
Network Manager is activated via web just like standalone seats
•
Latest version of SNL will run previous versions
•
Can use Options file to control access to add-ins
•
Licenses can be borrowed if need to work away from network
Admin Images
•
Allows single source for installing many machines
•
Can push service packs out
Documenting & Training
Create a small handbook
•
Not as much for you, but for those coming after you
•
Document where everything is
Train SolidWorks User Base On How to Use Everything
•
Proper use of templates & sheet formats
•
Custom Property Tabs
•
Design Library components & features
•
Make them aware of where all this information can possibly show up
Conclusion
•
Planning
» Examine
•
the future and draw up plans of action
Organizing
» Build
up the structure, material and human of the undertaking
» Organize
all the appropriate data on a network area so all
users have single point access
•
Commanding
activity among the personnel – unity of command
states that each worker should only have one boss
» Maintain
» Single
•
Coordinating
» Bind
together, unify and harmonize activity and effort
» Apply
•
source of standard data
standards where possible
Controlling
» See
that everything occurs in conformity with policy and
practice
Henri Fayol (1841 – 1925)
Mining engineer
Influential contributor to modern
concepts of management
Contact Info