GoEngineer Blog

Many SOLIDWORKS products depend on server services. These server services listen for any incoming commands from an external machine like a client. In this article, we will go beyond the usual telnet test and “make sure this port is open” using netstat to ensure that there is a listening service in the first place.

The SOLIDWORKS Simplify utility lets you create simplified configurations of a part or assembly to perform analysis and improve performance. The Simplify utility tool uses an internal calculation of insignificant volume (default) based on the size of a part or assembly. Supported features below the insignificant volume can be suppressed to a derived configuration so you can perform an analysis on the simplified model or use the lighter weight configuration to improve performance.

Microsoft Excel is utilized in SOLIDWORKS by embedding or linking an Excel-based table. In this article, you'll learn basic troubleshooting steps that can diagnose Excel issues like crashes, errors, or no response when inserting or accessing Excel files such as Bend, Gauge, or Design tables.

The Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS connector allows you to connect your SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD data to the 3DExperience platform with the ability to save your data to the cloud and make it available on the platform. Recently, I have come across an issue where when users are saving files to the platform using this connector, they get an unusual error message. In this document, I will further discuss this particular error, and how we can resolve the issue.

Recently, SOLIDWORKS made a change to the layout of their video testing site. This guide will be a brief overview of what to expect when searching for a certified graphics card driver. First, we will want to open SOLIDWORKS Rx. This is found in the Windows Start menu under the SOLIDWORKS Tools folder. Another option is to click the Home tab on the SOLIDWORKS task pane and open it under SOLIDWORKS tools.

Geometry Analysis, part of SOLIDWORKS Utilities, searches for potentially unwanted model geometry and shows you where it is. It lets you specify conditions and parameters to search for so you can quickly clean up models, and it’s especially helpful for identifying problems in imported bodies. Geometry Analysis looks for insignificant geometry (slivers and small faces), sharp angles, and discontinuous geometry, all of which can over-complicate the model and put a damper on production.

SOLIDWORKS Treehouse is a standalone application designed to build and manage assembly structures before you even start modeling in SOLIDWORKS. Treehouse makes it easy to arrange empty assemblies, import and edit existing assemblies, create new configurations, export documents to SOLIDWORKS and Microsoft Excel, and save your layout for an overhead view.

It is sometimes necessary to search through a SOLIDWORKS part to find geometry that matches certain criteria. SOLIDWORKS has a utility for that called Power Select. Power Select allows you to search a part for edges, loops, faces, features that meet a specific criterion. You can specify criteria for edge convexity, edge angle, face color, feature color, feature type, feature name, and surface type.

While exploring Thingiverse.com, I found a file I wanted to 3D print, an Artichoke Lamp Shade by gCreate. It would fit well in my home, but I had a few issues with the model. One problem I had was that it is too large for my 3D printer, and because of this, I needed to split it into individual pieces.