Specialist Exams

I feel like these CSWP advanced exams are pretty tough. Weldments was challenging, but the Surfacing exam was much, much more challenging (for me at least). Keep pushing to CSWE.....still hoping someone at Solidworks will come up with a CEPE exam :)

~Corey Hinman, CEPA

Solidworks world 2013

It's now been one year since I started this little blog from a hotel room in San Diego!

I was disappointed with the first general session, it was full of subtle and not so subtle sales pitches. There was also some dancing around the solidworks v6 topic without actually saying anything substantive.

I hope I get I some more uplifting sessions coming up.

Lagging on Right Click in ePDM

After upgrading to 2012 SP5.0 I noticed SEVERE lag time when right clicking on files inside the vault, or in trying to use the search tool.

Oddly enough this is due to having too many search favorites. ePDM doesn't like a long list to process I guess. You can log in as admin and right click on each favorite in the search tool to remover users' access and shorten their list.

~Corey Hinman, CEPA, CSWP

What's new in PDM 2013

Looks like some nice enhancements are coming...it also looks like I have some workflows to re-write!

Here's a nice preview from the fine folks at 3DVision Technologies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wWoCYraXWgc#!

~Corey Hinman, CEPA, CSWP

New & Improved? CEPA certificates

I was part of the first test group of CEPA test takers at solidworks world 2012, since they've formally released that test to the public they've released a new certificate, not that I the paper copy of it for anything, but at least it looks a little more professional

New:

~Corey Hinman, CEPA

Quiet = Busy!!

Been a little busier than normal around here, making finding new topics, or time to post more difficult.

I did just register for Solidworks World 2013 though, I am looking forward to this one as well so I can get a test drive of PDM 2013 capabilities!

~Corey Hinman, CEPA

Enterprise PDM Zero BOM Qty

I have a BOM that is showing some items as 0 qty items.They are not 0 qty items, they are not excluded from BOM. As built is not selected, the pictures are using the default configuration.

The zero qty items appear as yellow (meaning modified), so I backspace over the value, which reverts to it's real BOM count. But when I hit save on the BOM it reverts back to zero on 1 of the items. If I fix that one, and save, it reverts to zero on all items.

2012 sp3

If you're experiencing this, you'll need to wait for 2012 SP5.0 apparently.

~Corey Hinman, CEPA, CSWP

Using Dispatch to send email by card variable

I want to set users for specific tasks and then have enterprise send emails to those people without doing it through workflows (which I've done in the past). In this example it's a button on the data card, but I plan to send the emails once the files pass through a transition.

I'm not a programmer, I don't know how to use the API, but this is what I came up with. I'm looking for feedback and maybe some ways to improve upon this.

• First, the data card needs to have the variables for said tasks, I used the user login name for the list, which matches our windows user names, and also outlook.
  
  

• Second, create 2 files in the vault
  • File #1: email_template.txt
    • This file will be used by dispatch to output a command line prompt that includes variable values.
    • "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\OFFICE14\OUTLOOK.EXE" /c ipm.note /m "%ECO Val owner DFMEA%;%ECO Val owner Cust App%;%ECO Val owner DVPR%;%ECO Val owner CWO%;%ECO Val owner Risk%;%ECO Val owner Gage%;%ECO Val owner Times%?do=newpm&u=&subject=You have open Tasks in ECRxxxx"
    • This looks like a lot but it breaks down like this.....
      • enter the path to your outlook
        • "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\OFFICE14\OUTLOOK.EXE"
      • Add the following arguments:
        • /c ipm.note /m
      • Add the variables (usernames) separated by ; <this becomes TO data>
        • "%ECO Val owner DFMEA%;%ECO Val owner Cust App%;%ECO Val owner DVPR%;%ECO Val owner CWO%;%ECO Val owner Risk%;%ECO Val owner Gage%;%ECO Val owner Times%
      • End with the following:
        • ?do=newpm&u=&subject=You have open Tasks in ECRxxxx"

• File #2: tasks_email.bat
  • This is the parameter file that Dispatch will Create.
• Dispatch Setup

~Corey Hinman
CEPA, CSWP

Earned my CSWP!

With a little refresher from Solidprofessor, and by scouring the internet for practice exams, I took and passed all 3 CSWP segments on the first go round.

Segment 1: Modeling

This was about the same level as the CSWA, just with more modeling exercises. I was starting to get crunched for time so I did the last part in a way that worked, but wasn't the best way to get it done. If I had more time I probably would have done a few things different, but 100% on Segment 1.

Segment 2: Configurations

The configuration portion was a breeze, the modifying an existing part was more challenging. I missed the last part as I ran out of time. It didn't help I was interrupted during the test :)

Segment 3: Assemblys

This was a little challenging, lots to do, you need to be quick and pay attention to the coordinate systems. I wasn't asked to do any in-context stuff, which probably helped me. I missed the last question, apparently I did something wrong when I swapped out the base part.

Overall, I feel thoroughly tested, and satisified that I could add this to my resume!

~Corey Hinman, CEPA, CSWP

I got my Solidworks certification, now what?

Like many of you I have a few certifications from Solidworks Corp, but when I logged in to my account and looked in the directory of certified users, I did not see my name. There is a little account setting you need to enable for your name to appear in the listing (if that matters to you).

In the lower right corner click "Settings"

The check "YES" for "List in Online Directory"

And now you'll see your name in lights :)

~Corey Hinman, CEPA

ePDM users Beware of the Rev Table!!

If you're linking your PDM controlled revisions to your titleblocks using $PRP Revision, then make sure you create a new General table to be used instead of the solidworks rev table. If you insert a new row in the rev table it will increment the "solidworks" revision of the file.

As an example: we put + after revisions that are being modified. I had a drawing that was rev 01+, I did NOT swap out the rev table for my new general table. I added a new row and typed in 02 into the rev column. When I checked the file into the vault PDM displayed the file's revision as C.

Make sure you replace the rev table!

~Corey Hinman, CEPA

Pasting as Reference to a Weldment Issue

If you paste a file as reference onto a Weldment item you WILL NOT be able to modify the QTY on the computed BOM in ePDM.

~Corey Hinman, CEPA

Design Best Practices

Time to start working on Solidworks' Best Practices for my new company, after all PDM doesn't exist without Solidworks and vice - versa.

~Corey Hinman, CEPA