GabiJack.com

Sorry, I couldn’t resist!  Just trying to have some fun here while learning about PDMWorks Workgroup for SolidWorks.  As a matter of fact, I have a confession to make.  You see,  PDMWorks is one of those tools available for SolidWorks users (and even those that are not SolidWorks users through SW Explorer and the web) that I didn’t even care about before, but that I’m now discovering is extremely convenient and not really all that hard to use. I also used to think that I wouldn’t need it or even be able to learn how to use it, because, well,  I was a lone ranger in a single computer. Nothing can be further from the truth, though. First of all, even with only one computer, it IS possible to set up a vault and learn how to use PDMWorks and, second of all, every user should learn how to take advantage of this tool to organize their data and collaborate with others. After all, no man (or woman) is an island. 

Of course, as a self-learner, getting started on your own, without the benefit of having a CAD administrator set up everything for you in advance,  can be a bit complicated. Not impossible, just  a bit confusing. 

If PDM Workgroup is installed in your computer -and I believe it is by default for SolidWorks Professional and Premium- you will have to activate it by selecting it from the list of add-ins in the add-in Manager (Tools, Add-in). However, if you don’t have a vault already set up and the  tools to administrate it, this will do you no good. If you have the installation CD, you can use it to install the Vault and administrative tools in your computer.    I didn’t have a CD, because I downloaded the files from the SolidWorks downloads page, so what I did was to go back to the SolidWorks downloads  website and use the SWIM all over again for the same release and SP that I had already installed in my computer, but this time I chose  Administrative Image and Server Products as the type of installation and told the SWIM to Install  SolidWorks Workgroup PDM Server (vault) in my computer.  Then I simply followed the instructions and a brand new empty vault was installed in a directory in my computer (C:\VaultData), plus I was able to use pdmwVaultAdmin.exe

to log in as an administrator (by default  under the name pdmwadmin  and with the same word for password) and set up all kinds of rules and options for the vault, create users, projects, assign permissions for access to files, revision schemes,  etc. Really neat!

OK, for those of you that have no idea what I’m talking about, imagine that the Vault is like a private storage space inside a computer or server. SolidWorks files and other related information will be stored safely in there and, onced inside the Vault, will only be accessible through Workgroup PDMWorks. You need to be either an administrator or authorized user to place files inside the Vault or to have access to the files that are already there. Not all authorized users have the same rights over all the data in the Vault, though. In general, users will have complete access to some of the files and read-only access to some others. The Vault administrator decides who can access what in the Vault.  This may not sound like a big deal when it’s just you in your computer, playing to be Bob and Lin in a case of multiple personality, but if you think about it carefully, it makes perfect sense. 

By placing your files inside the Vault (checking them in) and restricting access to them, you will be protecting your work from getting lost or accidentally rewritten by one of your co-workers without your knowledge. Plus, it makes it easier to keep track of files and changes made to documents by updating the revision number every time you make changes and check the file in again.  Why, even as a lone ranger it is useful, if only to help you get organized.  Yes, organization is becoming the word here. I swear my husband tunes the TV to that show of the hoarders buried alive every time I’m around just to scare me and show me what life could be like for a pack rat, such as me, if he/she isn’t careful and throws away stuff regularly. LOL  Well, I’m not a hoarder, that’s for sure, but I do like to collect books and all sorts of information! Anyway, it’s good to get organized.

If you are curious about PDM Workgroup, you can do as I did and begin by checking out the tutorials included with SolidWorks. Yes, those available through the task pane, the ones many people don’t even use. LOL  There’s a couple of short tutorials there: one to teach you a bit about being a Vault administrator and the second one to teach you about things you can do as an authorized user or client.  Hope you find them as useful as I did. As the saga continues, I’ll write more about using PDM Workgroup for SolidWorks in future posts.

It just went through a fantastic makeover! OK, for those of you that haven’t heard about it, SWUGN stands for SolidWorks User Group Network and is the place to go if you’re looking for other SolidWorks users in your area or pretty much anywhere else in the United States, Canada and even some other places around the world.

A SolidWorks User Group is a group of individuals that use SolidWorks or are learning how to use it (there are groups for students too) and that gather together for a couple of hours on a regular basis (once every one or two months) to discuss all sort of topics related to SolidWorks and SolidWorks related products.  Joining a user group is free and it’s also a great way to learn about SolidWorks and the local industry, and to network and interact with other professionals in the area.  There’s also lots of fun, delicious food and giveaways. If you haven’t joined a group yet, check out the SWUGN website, where now it’s easier than ever to find a group close to you. And if you can’t find a group that suits your needs, why not start your own? You’ll also  find information about how to do it at the new SWUGN website.

Also check out the SWUGN special events, known as Technical Summits.  A Technical Summit is a one-day training event that takes place every month in a different location all over the United States and Canada.  Think about it as a mini SolidWorks World. You get to attend several one hour training sessions on a variety of topics, from Drawings to Simulation, Rendering and Sheetmetal, all of them presented by local experts and SolidWorks employees.  I attended one just a few weeks ago, remember? I strongly recommend them!  Check out the new SWUGN website and see if there’s a Technical Summit coming up near you.

Now it’s easier than even to connect with other SolidWorks users in your area, to learn and to network, so what are you waiting for?

Hi everyone! I’ve been keeping a close eye on the site statistics, to try and figure out if my latest “experiment” had any future at all. I’m happy to see that several people  have already downloaded the pdf file and examples on easy surfacing techniques that I put up  a few days ago. I haven’t heard any feedback from those that downloaded, but I  hope they did find the information useful! 

In the past, several readers had already asked me if I could provide more detail than that allowed by a blog post’s size and format. Many people have been asking for step-by-step procedures and formal tutorials with example files included. I had shied away from attempting that approach, however, because I didn’t want to seem pompous, you know, like I was pretending to be what I’m not: and expert telling others what to do or how to do it right.  I am no expert! Then again, if you think about it, nobody can really claim to be an expert in anything. We are all learning here and whoever thinks he/she knows everything there is to know is foolishly wasting away a great opportunity for growth.

Anyway, philosophical views aside, last Tuesday, while I was at the SWUGN Summit, getting ready to do my presentation and talking with other SolidWorks users, I realized that most people are actually very open to the idea of other users sharing useful information with them. They don’t see you as pompous if you do. If you have anything useful to contribute, they’ll be happy to take it. And a lot of users, especially those that are in great need of learning fast,  really dig tutorials and step by step examples. So, with that in mind, I added a page called Downloads and uploaded thee  my first tutorial in pdf format. I hope to add more tutorials and files with time, always free, of course, and the best thing is that they can be about just pretty much anything that comes to mind, even if it’s not something I’m learning right at this moment, and they can be as short or long as needed. This, of course, doesn’t mean that I won’t continue to blog about what I’m doing or learning right now. I always blog as I go, you know that.

So, what do you think of that? I would like to see some comments. Do you think it’s a good idea? What kind of things would you like to see there?  Where are you, people? How come lately I get more comments from my regular spammers than I do from my regular readers? LOL

There’s also a couple more things I wanted to mention for those of you looking for more information and learning resources right now.   First of all… For the very beginners, my fellow blogger and friend, Alex Ruiz, has just come up with a really nice book  “SolidWorks 2010: No Experience Required“.  I actually had the pleasure to work with him and help him complete three of the chapters for the book. It was a great experience, but no, I don’t get comissions or royalties, so don’t think I have a secret agenda.  This is a very nice book for the beginner user and student and Alex put his heart and soul into this volume; he even prepared materials for teachers and a companion website to provide the readers with help and more content. Check it out!

This is also the time of the year when all sorts of learning resources become available. If you are going to buy, take advantage of the offers. For instance, with the coupon code SWFUND10launch you can receive a $20 off  your purchase of the SolidWorks 2010 training from Inspirtech. I checked out what’s new and improved in their materials and I must say I was very impressed. Among other things you’ll find that now you can access the training from the Task Pane, plus  plenty of review exercises and questions to test your knowledge. Again, I’m not getting any commission or payment for passing this info to you.

For those looking into learning more complex stuff, such as surfacing, for instance, IGetIt  has just released some new courses. I’m just telling you this because I got a newsletter from them not so long ago.  I don’t have a coupon code for this one, though, but I’m sure they may be having some sort of offer going on, so why not ask?  Also check out the video lessons offered by Solid Professor and Matt Lombard’s series of books on SolidWorks.

There’s actually so much out there about SolidWorks, I could never list it all here. Please, feel free to add to the list if you know any other good books, websites, videos, etc. And, please, keep those comments coming!

Bloggers don’t blog?  Sorry guys!  I was dealing with quite a few health issues and going through a lot of antibiotics as part of a trial and error strategycareful scientific methodology and thoughtful planning devised my doctor, and all because I’m allergic to Penicillin. But I’m finally feeling better and back with some goodies that, I hope, many of you will find useful.

First of all, let me tell you about the SWUGN San Jose Technical Summit that took place just yesterday, March 23rd, in the city of Milpitas, CA.  As I mentioned before in a previous post, I was there to present about Easy Surfacing Techniques for Solid Models. I was extremely nervous because this was actually my first time presenting for the SolidWorks community… well, OK,  my first time presenting anything for anybody since my last year of college, back in 1996. Yes, I know… 1996… I’m old.  So what?

I was fortunate to find quite a few familiar faces at the event: Richard Doyle,  Alex Ruiz (SWGeek), Matt Lorono (fcsuper and SolidWorks Legion), Phil Sluder, Brian Titus, Kenneth Barrentine, Elise Moss, and a few other people that I’m absolutely sure I’ve seen at SolidWorks World before.  Richard, Alex, Matt and Elise were presenting too, but I couldn’t stay and attend their presentations because I had to run back home to be with my younger son and allow my husband to go back to work. See, my husband selflessly sacrificed his morning to allow me to be at the summit long enough to present, but I couldn’t ask him to sacrifice his whole work day.

Anyway, at least, the time I was there was lived to the max. Despite the butterflies in my stomach, my presentation went a lot better than I had expected. In fact, quite a few people told me that  it actually went great!  And all those things I had worried for days (finishing too soon, making lots of mistakes, presenting for an empty room,  forgetting everything, having an accident in the freeway, wearing my clothes inside out) never actually came true.  This may seem silly to some, but it was a great victory for me. As I left the building, I felt so happy I was practically doing the jig on the way to my car. I just hope nobody saw me.

And now to the goodies. Because I promised it to the people in attendance, I have prepared a pdf document with step by step tutorials of each and every single one of the eight examples I showed yesterday at the summit. It’s 38 pages long and loaded with illustrations. I’m making that available here, together with all the parts and assemblies used in the examples, plus the solved examples to compare.  To download them, just follow the links.

Easy Surfacing Techniques for Solid Models

Example files

Example files (Solved)

I’m thinking I may as well start a new page to list downloads. Writing those tutorials was a fun experience, since I was able to include more detail than I usually do in a blog post, so I may be creating and adding more of those in the future.

Hey there! I’m still around and with a few more chronicles from SolidWorks World 2010. I’m sorry for the interruption! I’ll be back writing soon; please, be patient, however, since there are a few important family and health concerns that I need to tend to first.

In the meantime, would you please check out my humble gallery of models? You will notice there’s an extra page in the blog named Gallery. I’m putting together a little collection of what I consider my nicest models so far… or at least, the ones I’ve liked the best. It doesn’t have much right now, but I hope to add a lot more to it as time goes by.  At the risk of being labeled as “commercial”, I may also add that I’ve been putting some of those models for sale on Cadooku.com  I’m not expecting to make a fortune, actually, although I could certainly use some extra cash, but I guess I wanted to know if someone out there liked them enough to actually pay a small fee for them.  Anyway…

Also, those of you in this area of the country ( SF Bay Area or Silicon Valley) that are planning on attending the SWUGN Technical Summit on March 23rd will probably notice that my name figures out among those presenting. Yep! That’s right!  I’ll be presenting  about surfacing techniques for patching and blending… plus one or two other tricks. My presentation is mainly for those who are beginners in surfacing with SolidWorks. Nothing too complicated. While I’m not sure I could ever be considered an expert or anything remotely similar, this is a part of  SolidWorks functionality that I truly enjoy working with and  I hope to do a good job as a presenter and bring something really useful to those in attendance.  Wish me luck!