SOLIDWORKS USER GROUPS

The address is 1600 E. Golf Rd., Des Plaines, Illinois 60016.  

****NOTE: This meeting is in the 1600 wing, use parking lot C, building entrance 37 for easy access to the room.****

We will start with a short business meeting followed by the presentation.

AGENDA:

5:00-5:30PM Sign-in and networking.

5:30PM Food served.  Pizza & soft drinks.

5:30-6:30PM Short business meeting during pizza time.

6:30-8:00PM Presentation – Ed Eaton (DiMonte Group, Inc.)

8:00-8:30PM Q&A, Door Prize Drawing.

8:30PM Meeting adjourned.

Presentation: 

“BREP: The most important thing about modeling that never gets talked about.”

Ed Eaton | Sr. Industrial Designer / Partner | DiMonte Group, Inc.

If you’ve been around SOLIDWORKS modeling for a while you might have heard a passing reference to the BREP.  But what is it? This session is going to describe the BREP (Boundary Representation Model) using easy to understand language and examples.  Ed will talk about the 3 face types (analytical, algorithmic, and ruled) in a way that explains all sorts of weird things you’ve been seeing when using SOLIDWORKS. He will explain terms like “topology” and “Boolean” and why that drives some of your successes using surface modeling where modeling exclusively in solids fails.  He’s going to show some weird and WILDLY useful exploits made possible by understanding the BREP.  This is a fun, VERY important peak under the hood of every model you have ever created that will educate you on how to solve problems and help the future models you make be better.

Bio:
Ed Eaton is a Sr. Industrial Designer with over 30 years of industry experience, with the past 24+ years spent working in a multidisciplinary environment as an active designer, project manager, mentor, and part owner of the DiMonte Group product development consultancy located in the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.

A user of SOLIDWORKS software since 1998, Eaton has made a point of sharing useful tips and discoveries in popular sessions at over 18 SOLIDWORKS World conferences and at local SOLIDWORKS user groups all around the United States.

Ed's presentations are well known in the user community for exploring then exploiting how SOLIDWORKS thinks to get through tricky problems in product design through non-obvious means.

Join us once again for our next meeting on Thursday, January 22, 2026 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm.  Location is APC 110A at Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove campus.  See attached map or go to their website for map (www.waubonsee.edu).

We will start with a short business meeting followed by the

presentation.

AGENDA:

6:00-6:30PM Sign-in and networking.

6:00-6:30PM Food served.  Pizza & soft drinks.

6:00-6:30PM Short business meeting during pizza time.

6:30-8:00PM Presentation – Ed Eaton (DiMonte Group, Inc.)

8:00-8:30PM Q&A, Door Prize Drawing.

8:30PM Meeting adjourned.

Presentation: 

“BREP: The most important thing about modeling that never gets talked about.”

Ed Eaton | Sr. Industrial Designer / Partner | DiMonte Group, Inc.

If you’ve been around SOLIDWORKS modeling for a while you might have heard a passing reference to the BREP.  But what is it? This session is going to describe the BREP (Boundary Representation Model) using easy to understand language and examples.  Ed will talk about the 3 face types (analytical, algorithmic, and ruled) in a way that explains all sorts of weird things you’ve been seeing when using SOLIDWORKS. He will explain terms like “topology” and “Boolean” and why that drives some of your successes using surface modeling where modeling exclusively in solids fails.  He’s going to show some weird and WILDLY useful exploits made possible by understanding the BREP.  This is a fun, VERY important peak under the hood of every model you have ever created that will educate you on how to solve problems and help the future models you make be better.

Bio:
Ed Eaton is a Sr. Industrial Designer with over 30 years of industry experience, with the past 24+ years spent working in a multidisciplinary environment as an active designer, project manager, mentor, and part owner of the DiMonte Group product development consultancy located in the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.

A user of SOLIDWORKS software since 1998, Eaton has made a point of sharing useful tips and discoveries in popular sessions at over 18 SOLIDWORKS World conferences and at local SOLIDWORKS user groups all around the United States.

Ed's presentations are well known in the user community for exploring then exploiting how SOLIDWORKS thinks to get through tricky problems in product design through non-obvious means.

Join us for the 30th anniversary celebration of the Seattle Area SOLIDWORKS Power Users Group, the first SOLIDWORKS User Group!

This milestone event is not just a celebration of three decades of shared knowledge, but also a chance for you to connect with fellow SOLIDWORKS enthusiasts, share experiences, and be inspired by the innovations that have shaped our journey. Whether you're a veteran user, launching a new startup, or new to the world of SOLIDWORKS, this is an opportunity to discover new ideas and rekindle your passion.

This is the very first SOLIDWORKS User Group to hit 30 years and we are so excited to celebrate with the entire community.

This event is totally free and will also be livestreamed on Zoom.

AGENDA
2 PM - Doors open to light snacks and coffee in the main room
2:30 – Opening remarks in the main room.
3:30 – Breakouts 1
30 Years of Essential Part Modeling and Sketching Skills, Tip, and Techniques - Hawkridge

30 Years of Essential Drawing Skills, Tip, and Techniques - TriMech

Tips from 30yrs of SOLIDWORKS Innovation - Brad Meador

4:15 - Transition 
4:30 - Breakouts 2
Panel Discussion - Startups and the Future of Product Development: What’s Changing Right Now
Featuring Suchit Jain (VP Strategy & Business Dev SOLIDWORKS) & Vineet Thuvara (Chief Product Officer at Fluke Corporation)

Cloud Services Demystified  - Visiativ

30 Years of Essential Assembly Skills, Tips, and Techniques - GoEngineer

5:30 – Closing remarks in the Main Room
6:00 – Dinner & SOLIDWORKS Trivia

RSVP now to save your seat and get notified as the agenda is updated.