1. CAD Administration – Tying It All Together Steve Ostrovsky, Senior SolidWorks AE TPM – Columbia, SC

2. 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

3. History of CAD Admin You don’t know how good you have it …

4. History of CAD Admin You don’t know how good you have it …

5. 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

6. Where to start Lots of places to start – just do it

7. 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 set Document Properties – Units, Image Quality, Drafting Standards, etc. » Also set Custom Properties – Grab whatever you can » Set default Scene » *.prtdot (Part), *.asmdot (Assembly)

8. Templates Drawing Templates » Document Properties – Units, Dimensioning Standards, Fonts, Tables, Textual info » Default Sheet Format, Pre-defined views » *.drwdot » Where to find more info – Lesson 4 in SolidWorks Drawings Training Manual Pre-defined Views Sheet Sheet Format Tables Drawing Templates reference Sheet Formats. These are TWO separate files

9. Sheet Formats Referenced in Drawing Templates General Usage » Create 1 Sheet Format per format size (A, B, C …) » Can create 2 nd Sheet Format for sheets 2 - ∞ that displays minimum info » Right click drawing whitespace Edit Sheet Format to modify » If 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 Title Block Border Notes Anchor Points Pre-defined Views Sheet Sheet Format Tables

10. 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

11. Templates What can’t you template, profile or format? Look in your Tools > Options > System Options > File Locations for inspiration

12. 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

13. Now What…. Have a beer & donut and go forklift surfing WOOOHOOO

14. 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 Profiles » Sheet Metal Tables » SolidWorks Master Settings » Toolbox Doing this will make uninstalling SolidWorks much less painful. Allows re-imaging hard drives or starting new machine without effecting SolidWorks usage

15. 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 – shouldn’t need if using PDM » WDS – Send it on it’s way if not using

16. 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 and Settings\All Users\Application Data\SolidWorks\SolidWorks 2009\design library Toolbox » C:\SolidWorks 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)

17. 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…

18. Toolbox Default install is C:\SolidWorks Data – move to network in multi-use environment Highly recommend to rename SolidWorks Data to SolidWorks 2009 Data » On subsequent version installs – copy and rename folder to that version – SolidWorks 2010 Data Toolbox Settings – separate access outside SolidWorks » Add Part Numbers and Descriptions » Create Custom Properties » Easier to implement standards

19. 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, Vendor, Supplier Parts (these are non-revision managed) Annotations » Standard Notes, Weld Symbols, Surface Finish Symbols, GD&T, Blocks Features » Like library parts, but features » Multi-size features use configurations Sheet Metal forming tools

20. Design Library Routing Library (add-in) Piping » Elbows » Tees » Reducers » Pipes Tubing » Fittings » Tubes » Flanges Electrical » Connectors » Wire libraries

21. Design Library Parts/Assemblies Download from 3DContentCentral (http://www.3dcontentcentral.com) or vendor web sitehttp://www.3dcontentcentral.com 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

22. 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

23. 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. referencesposition 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.

24. 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.

25. 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 » Custom Properties linked to database fields – Custom Property Tab builder to help standardize » BOM built from modeled items + vendor supplied parts (Design Library) + hardware (Toolbox) 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 3 rd 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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 » Maintain activity among the personnel – unity of command states that each worker should only have one boss » Single source of standard data Coordinating » Bind together, unify and harmonize activity and effort » Apply 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

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