Engineering news
Dassault Systèmes has officially launched the 2017 version of its design software with streamlined features for designing assemblies and improved interoperability with other software packages.
Gian Paolo Bassi, chief executive of Solidworks at Dassault Systèmes, said: “Solidworks 2017 simplifies the design and development process with a better user experience, capabilities for emerging technologies, and functionality for seamless collaboration with teams and networks.”
Speaking at an event in London to demonstrate the software’s new features, Alan Coles, territory technical manager at Dassault Systèmes, said there are 250 new functions in the 2017 release. He added that the latest functionality to design PCBs and electrical systems meant that engineers could design electromechanical devices and machines, not just mechanical ones.
Solidworks PCB, which is based on the Altium PCB design software, gives users the full suite of tools to layout a PCB in 2D, visualise it in 3D and then import it into Solidworks for integration into the entire design. If a company already owns Altium a separate PCB software “interconnector” can be purchased to import the designs into Solidworks.
“You can get the design right with fewer physical prototypes and complete the R&D process more quickly than before, reducing the time to market,” said Coles.
The “3D Interconnect” feature included in the core product allows customers to work more easily in a multiCAD environment. It accepts other native file types without translation, such as Inventor and Creo. The files link back to the original file and is “change aware”, so the changes flow through to the original designs.
Other features in the main Solidworks design package include: magnetic mates – modular designs for mating components to reduce design time; improved assembly mating performance, which Solidworks said offers a five time speed increase when designing assemblies; advanced holes for the design of complicated holes in components, and the ability to save designs as multi-body parts.
The Visualise component of Solidworks has also received a “boost” capability that enables it to render things over a network to take advantage of a machine that is set up and dedicated to rendering.
Solidworks said it has 200,000 certified users, 31,000 academic accounts and 250,000 companies using its software. The company is also continuing to develop its “Apps for Kids”.
David Falkingham, senior director of northern European sales for Solidworks, said: “Apps for Kids is about having a broader appeal. The younger we teach children about design, the more chance they have of entering, design, engineering and manufacturing jobs in the future.”