CAD Manager Survival Guide

Greg JankowskiSolidWorks Corp.

Goals:– Discuss a wide variety of aspects that make up a CAD admin

– Discuss methodologies and best practices

What we will cover:– Finding stuff

– Resources

– Computers and maintenance

– Getting more from your users

– Automating the process

– Wrap-up

CAD Managers Survival Guide

FINDING STUFF

Finding Stuff

Web search– Computer questions

– Google (local, search, desk bar)

– MSN Search Toolbar

SolidWorks Knowledge Base– SolidWorks questions

WDS (Windows Desktop Search)– Built into Vista

Microsoft Knowledge Base– http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

SolidWorks Customer Portal

Links

My Support

References

Downloads

Community

Discussion Forums

My VAR

News

Top Solutions

www.solidworks.com/customerportal

Training & Support Web

Links

Ten Linkshttp://www.tenlinks.com/

MCAD Cafehttp://www.mcadcafe.com/

Cadalysthttp://www.cadalyst.com/cadalyst/

CADCAMNethttp://www.cadcamnet.com/

SolidWorks Discussion Forumhttp://forum.solidworks.com/swforum/default.asp

SolidWorks User Groupshttp://www.solidworks.com/pages/news/usergroups/calendar.html

BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices / Standards

Why are they important?– Define common practices

– Document

– Share

Create your own– Keep it simple

– Format (Microsoft Word .mht) and naming

How to create– Review existing materials

– Have a user group meeting and discuss

Best Practice Topics - Assemblies

Lightweight components and subassemblies

Save As Part

Configurations

Mating

Subassemblies (assembly structure)

Skeletons

Always resolve mate errors (assemblies)

Understand mate warnings (assemblies)

Best Practice Topics - Parts

Feature order

Model only what you need (i.e., threads)

Pattern (geometry pattern)

Functional group features

Combine fillets and fillet order

Always resolve rebuild errors

Always resolve import errors

Use of Feature Statistics

Best Practice Topics - Drawings

Standards (ANSI, ISO, etc.)

Use of lightweight drawings

High Quality and Draft Quality

Other performance options

SolidWorks Express

Community Newsletter(no spam)

Tech Tips

Product News

2 times / month

Customer Portal link orwww.solidworks.com/solidworksexpress

Get it sent to you

Best Practices / Standards

Templates, templates, templates

SolidWorks Design Checker

CONFIGURING SOLIDWORKS

User Rights

Power User / Admin Rights for:– Installation Manager

– Copy Settings Wizard

– Conversion Wizard

– SolidWorks Rx

– Task Scheduler

Vista (User Access Control)(Control Panel Option)

Setting and Options

Why is this important?

Configuration vs. Customization

DO NOT DEPLOY WITH DEFAULT SETTING!DO NOT DEPLOY WITH DEFAULT SETTING!

Do not require users to setup SolidWorksDo not require users to setup SolidWorks

Document Templates

File Locations (Tools/Options)

If you customized anything, move it…

SolidWorks Options

Types– System Options

– Document Properties

System Settings – Windows registry

– Copy Settings Wizard

Document Properties– Templates

– File Locations

SolidWorks Settings

Where they are stored– Initial install

– Regedit

How to handle– Copy Setting Wizard

– General and user based

– Share (consistency)

– New releases

System Vs. Document– Templates, templates, templates….

Copy Settings Wizard (sldreg)

Define settings and share with other users

DO NOT INSTALLDO NOT INSTALLW/DEFAULT VALUES!W/DEFAULT VALUES!

Saving and Sharing Settings

Personalize (User Interface)

Templates

Document Properties

Custom Properties

Save As Template

File Locations

Take the template pledge…

Custom Properties

Metadata

Why is this important

Uses– Downstream application

– Workflow automation

How to access

How to setup

Common Files

Toolbox and the Hole Wizard– Select a Common Files location

– Standalone vs. shared

– Different versions

INSTALLATION

Greg’s Installation Rules

Do a new install instead of an upgrade

Backup setting, programs, etc.

Make a list and check it twice (do it right the first time)

Always uninstall the old version and finish the cleanup– Install directory, Windows registry

All customized files (Toolbox, templates, etc.) should be shared and on a network

Default values should be reviewed/shared each release

Use of Anti-Virus applicationswww.solidworks.com/swexpress/pages/sep05/TT_System_Maintenance.html

Distributing Software and Updates

Individual install from CD– Easy, not scalable

– Installation and are a manual process on each machine

Deployment Application– Cost, setup

– Full control over all application

Administrative Images – Installation and updates are on the server only

– Installation and updates can be done on the client machines via a link or web page (no user interaction)

Create the Admin Image

Configure the Admin image

Determine deployment

method

Administrator – 1st Install

Link or HTML page to start

install

Client on link or HTML page to start silent install

(1st time only)

Update Admin Image for

Service Packs

There are two parts; Download and Install

Download– Downloads all the components

– Determines what have and what you need

Install– Handles pre-requites and multiple install automatically

– Can be use with Standalone and Admin image installs

Look at the defaults

Set and download off hours

Installation Manager

Keys:

Part of the Installation Manager for SolidWorks 2008

Push on 1st install only

Updates only to server

Clients automatically updated

Define the SWOption.sldreg file before starting the Installation manager

Administrative Images

DATA MANAGEMENT

One of the more valuable assets of your company is the data used to run the business

In engineering this is the data used to create, document, and design products

Data management is a vital function for protecting your companies’ data assets

The ability to easy work with, manage, reference, and communicate this data can be a key element in the success of a project or your company.

For large assemblies, a local workspace is a necessity.

How safe is your data?

Data Management

Personal File Management

Workgroup Data Management

Enterprise Data Management

Global Product Lifecycle Management

SolidWorks Data Management

PROCESS RE-ENGINEERING

Process Re-Engineering

Be critical of your practices and processes

Don’t automate a bad process

Look for ways to improve

Identify non-Value added tasks

Define and measure

Sell the value

Get help if needed

API

Macros can be used to help reduce repetitive tasks. – Standardize – provides a standard set of ISO views for parts

and assemblies between different users. This macro can also be used on the common part and assembly templates.

– Automate – the manual creation of these views would be time-consuming and non-value added. This simple macro takes a second to run while the views would take minutes to create manually. It would also be difficult to create them consistently.

Macro recorder (How to use the journal file)

SolidWorksPerformance.log

API

Examples– Workflow– Non-VA Tasks– Custom apps

(Automation)

Where to Start– Examples– Documentation– Using the Macro

recorder– Getting more help

Resources

SolidWorks API help

SolidWorks API Web site– http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/APIDownloads.html

Other links:– LENNY'S SolidWorks Resources - Macros – http://swtools.cad.de/macros.htm– http://nhcad.com/old/html/macros.html

COMPUTERS

Computer Configuration

RAM – lots of it!!!!!!!!

CPU Speed (P3, P4, AMD, Xeon)

Faster Video Card

Operating System (type, setup, swap, service packs)

Quality and type of hardware x64 and 3GB mode

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwdev/platform/server/pae/PAEmem.mspx

Computer Configuration

SWAP (Virtual Memory)– Size

– Contiguous space

– Location

– Min/Max

– Fix a fragmented SWAP file

Graphics Cards Drivers– Uninstall then re-install

– Initial install w/o network

– Hardware acceleration

Computer Configuration

Creating a Consistent Platform– Configure

– Test

– Image

– Updating (SUS, Auto Updates)

Application Delivery– Options

– Advantages

Forklift Test– Disaster recovery

– System Restore

System Requirements & Graphics Cards

System Requirements & Graphics Cardshttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.html

Certified vs. Tested

Computer Benchmarks

SPECapcSM for SolidWorks 2007™ – Download

Test and measure– SolidWorks Performance Monitor

– Computer Performance Monitor

Burn-in testing– Test the hardware

– Passmark’s BurnInTest

Test your own files– Keep posted…

Network

Network– Topology

– Speed

– QOS

Server

Test and measure– Network Performance Monitor

Security and Anti-Virus

Security– Windows Security Center

– Internet Explorer

– Anti-Spyware

– Firewalls

– Auto-Updates

Anti-Virus– Why its important

– Auto-detect and update

– Email

– Performance

– Turn off during install (not)

– Exclude SolidWorks documents

References & Tech Tips

Tech Tip - Increase your overall system performancehttp://www.solidworks.com/swexpress/mar04/200403_techtip_02.cfm

Tech Tip - How to evaluate your hardware requirementshttp://www.solidworks.com/swexpress/july02/200206_techtip_01p.html

SolidWorks Workstation Benchmarkhttp://www.spec.org/benchmarks.html#gpc

Cadalyst SolidWorks Rx: The Computer Doctor Is In

Cadalyst Select and Configure a CAD System

System Maintenance

Sharp end of the Windows stick

Assembly line / Toolmaker (preventive maintenance)

Why– Reliability

– Stability

– Performance

System Maintenance

Disk defragmenter – Free vs. commercial

– Schedule

– Real-time scan

Unfrag– Myths vs. reality

Clear temp and backup files

SolidWorks Rx

References & Tech Tips

How to Display Performance Logs as HTML Fileshttp://www.microsoft.com/serviceproviders/support/perfmon.asp

Windows NT Performance Monitorhttp://www.robertmoir.co.uk/win/WindowsNTPerformanceMonit.html

Microsoft Knowledge Base ArticlesMicrosoft Support Knowledge Base

File Lock or Access Denied Error Message When You Save Files Over the Networkhttp://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;812937

Shared file access is delayed if the file is open on another computerhttp://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;150384

HOW TO: Use Network Monitor to Capture Network Traffichttp://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B812953

TROUBLESHOOTING AND SOLIDWORKS RX

Reporting Issues

Why report issues?

Performance logs

SolidWorks Rx

SolidWorks Rx Files

Software Tools

Diskeeper– Free vs. commercial application

Download Accelerators– DAP http://www.speedbit.com

– Internet Download Manager http://www.internetdownloadmanager.com

System Utilities– Ace Utilities http://www.acelogix.com

(Bad registry, temp files, etc.)

– System Mechanichttp://www.iolo.com/sm/freeapp/systemcheckup.aspx?brand=Default

More Tools

System Internals http://www.sysinternals.com

Process Monitor

Know what’s out there (resources)

Be proactive

Plan for success

Support, expectations, and metrics

Where to go from here…

Summary

Questions