Ken Grundey's Blog

Insert Assembly Copy

2015-12-18T14:16:00.001-06:00

Solid Edge has had the command Insert Part Copy for a long time. Insert Part Copy functions by allowing you to insert the geometric body of an existing Part, Sheet Metal or Assembly file into another Part or Sheet Metal file. The geometric body can be optionally inserted associatively as an Ordered feature, or non-associatively in Synchronous mode and supports several options such as making the body a construction, scaling, or mirroring the inserted body.

A similar command was made available in ST5 and later versions called Insert Assembly Copy. Insert Assembly Copy functions by allowing you to insert an existing Assembly file into another Assembly file. Unlike Insert Part Copy which inserts a body, Insert Assembly Copy inserts the actual assembly structure under an Assembly Copy node in Pathfinder. The resulting Assembly Copy is associative to the original such that any changes or additions to the original will be reflected in the copy. You can of course freeze or break the link of the Assembly Copy which results in the Assembly Copy node becoming non-associative to the original.

The Insert Assembly Copy command has several options which are:

Add new components on update (If this is unchecked, adding new parts in the copied from assembly does not update the Assembly Copy with the new parts)
Include assembly features
Mirror about (uses the same wizard as the Mirror Components command)
Exclude Components

Uses for the Insert Assembly Copy include:

Creating a mirrored assembly (Left Hand vs. Right Hand)
Inserting a base 80% assembly into multiple assembly files and adding optional parts in each to produce 100% configured assemblies.
??? If you can think of any other novel uses, please comment them on this article.

The Assembly Copy function is also used by:

The Mirror Components command in Assembly to associatively mirror assembly structure/components.
The Multi-Body Publish command to build an assembly of the published bodies for downstream use.

Solid Edge Wins Big at the “Slots”!

2015-12-09T13:50:00.002-06:00

Solid Edge ST5 introduced a new “Slot” feature to make creating slots much more efficient than past methods. You may have overlooked this feature in ST5 and future versions due to its nested button location on the ribbon, so I thought I would reintroduce this useful feature.

Prior to the new Slot feature, one would have to use the Cutout command and then create a sketch of the slot’s profile by hand or by using the Symmetric Offset sketch command. If the slot needed to be counter bored for a head of a fastener, then additional sketching and features were needed. The new Slot command simplifies this process greatly.

The Slot command is located under the Hole fly-out menu. It is available as both an Ordered and Synchronous feature.

Invoking the command produces the Slot Command Bar that contains the typical command steps and option button that we are familiar with from other features (Ordered shown).

The Option button produces the standard Option form allowing us to set the active feature options as well as save them for later use. The Slot command has the following options:

Slot Width
Flat or Arc end
Counter bore/boss and corresponding offsets

The only sketch input needed for the slot is an open path for it to follow, which also defines its length (width is defined in the Options). Tangent connected lines and arcs are supported. As typical to sketch based features in Ordered, the sketch may be pre-created as a standalone Sketch feature or created during the Slot feature. As typical in Synchronous, the sketch must be pre-created as a Sketch.

Dimension Projection Line Breaks

2015-11-09T16:15:00.000-06:00

Often when placing dimensions on drawings, the projection lines of some dimensions will cross the projection lines of other dimensions as shown below.

Solid Edge provides a function to automatically create breaks in one extension line where it crosses another. This function is called "Add Projection Line Break". It is accessible from the Shortcut Menu when you have a dimension highlighted.

The result is shown below.

If you wish to remove the projection line break, highlight the dimension, invoke the shortcut menu, and select "Remove Projection Line Break".

That One Thing in Solid Edge ST7…

2014-08-21T17:31:00.003-05:00

Whenever a new version of Solid Edge is released, there is always a multitude of new/enhanced features and I’m usually asked by someone what my favorite one is. You cannot imagine how hard that is to answer when your looking at hundreds of potential favorites in a given release. Usually though, I find that it is the simple little things that seem to be my favorite.

In ST7, I would have to say my favorite new feature is the Quick View Cube.

This control sits in the lower right corner of the graphics area and will turn translucent when not in focus of the mouse, however when the mouse is in close proximity it will solidify and the individual control points will become visible. The Quick View Cubes purpose is to give the user quick access and transitional control to common orthographic and isometric views with a single click of the mouse. Now this doesn’t sound like a big deal, but I have watched many a user rotate a model with either a 3D Connexion device or mouse and then invoke the Common Views control which would automatically set the model square to the world using the nearest orthographic view and then close the command. Now, they can either rotate the model with the Quick View Cube, or get it close and square it up with a single click. Other benefits is that it has the common views printed right on it’s faces and since it always oriented in relation to the model’s orientation, it’s easy to know what common view shortcut command you want to use rather than assuming your picking the right one and finding out after it rotates to the wrong face that you should have used another.

The Quick View Cube has a few setting that can control appearance attributes like whether it is shown at all, size, which corner it is in, color, opacity level, or triad display. These setting can be accessed by right mouse clicking on the control and selecting “Settings”.

So like I said, it’s the little simple things that I seem to be my favorite because they take something that is seemingly mature and add a new twist to it, which ends up yielding a huge user benefit.

Solid Edge Replace Part Options

2014-08-15T11:33:00.001-05:00

If you are not familiar with the Solid Edge Replace Part command, it is an Assembly based command used to do what the name implies… replace a part or sub-assembly with another part or sub-assembly.
In past releases of Solid Edge, the Replace Part command was a solo act that had the ability of replacing a single part or sub-assembly occurrence or all occurrences of that selection with a user specified replacement part or sub-assembly that already existed.
With the release of Solid Edge ST5 and subsequent releases, the Replace Part command was actually expanded into 4 different Replace Part commands, each with their own specific capabilities.

Replace Part

Replace Part is similar to the previous Replace Part command in that it is used to replace a part with one that has already been created, however it was expanded to allow not only the selection of a single occurrence or all occurrences of the selection, but also allows a user to select different parts and/or specified number of occurrences of those selections to replace, however they will all be replaced with a single existing part or sub-assembly that you select. Once the selection is accepted, you are presented with a Browse dialog used to locate the existing file to be used as the replacement.

Replace Part with Standard Part

Replace Part with Standard Part is a new option that allows replacement of selected parts with a part out of the Standard Parts library. What makes this unique is that it invokes the Standard Parts selection dialog used to browse the Standard Parts Library. NOTE: The Standard Parts Library is an optional component that is not installed by default.

Replace Part with New Part

Replace Part with New Part is a new option that allows replacement of selected parts with a part that does not yet exist. Once the selection is accepted, you are presented with a form to select a template, specify a filename and a storage location. Selecting the Create Part button will create a new part and add it to the assembly in the same location as the part being replaced. You can then edit it in the context of the Assembly to create whatever geometry you wish.

Replace Part with Copy

Replace Part with Copy is a new option that allows replacement of selected part with a copy of the selection. Once the selection is accepted, you are presented with a Save As form to save the copied selection to a new file. Once the Save As form is dismissed, the selected component is replaced with the new copy. NOTE: This is the only Replace command that allows a single part to be replaced, however it will still allow single, multiple, and all occurrences of that part to be replaced with a copy of it.

Solid Edge ST7 3D Sketch… Why it isn’t exactly new.

2014-05-30T16:41:00.000-05:00

Solid Edge ST7 introduced a new feature called 3D Sketch, but 3D sketching in Solid Edge isn’t exactly new…

Solid Edge has had a couple of add on packages for several years called XpresRoute and Harness which both have a 3D sketch tool included, but it could only be used for those modules.

Also, all of the 3D environments in Solid Edge have had the Keypoint Curve and Curve by Table features which are also a form of 3D sketch but work by defining points to run a curve or sketch elements between, and of course you could always create a couple of intersecting 2D sketches and generating the 3D intersection curve between them but occasionally you would run into situations where a sketch would have to double back on itself causing issues with the intersection curve generation.

So what is new about the ST7 3D sketch?

ST7 3D Sketch is a new environment that creates a “3D Sketches” node in Pathfinder and each 3D Sketch created becomes a feature underneath it. It contains some of the prior functionality of the 3D sketch tools in the XpresRoute and Harness modules, but also adds some new capabilities such as a cursor with 3D alignment axis', the new sketch keypoint/dimension feedback, plus a volumetric feedback indicator to let you know if you are drawing within an XY plane or also translating in the Z direction (2D box vs. a 3D box). Also expanded are the types of elements that can be created, the number of editing tools as well as relationships, and other properties such as Styles/Colors and Intellisketch settings (although 3D capable).

So in conclusion, while the ability to create 3D sketches in ST7 isn’t completely new, the ST7 3D Sketch feature is, and it exposes some prior “add-on” capabilities to the the general application along with some new capabilities that simplify use and provide needed feedback to the user to create fast and accurate 3D sketch geometry easily.

Solid Edge Adminstrator

2014-05-13T17:04:00.002-05:00

QUESTION: You have a group of users using Solid Edge, you ask them to all use the same settings for consistency, but there are so many that it's tedious to keep track of and not everybody agrees with all the setting choices so some don't comply... What's an administrator or team leader to do?

ANSWER: Use the Solid Edge Administrator tool!

The Solid Edge Administrator tool allows someone to create an Options.xml file that will control various setting such as User Templates, Hole Table information, data management settings, etc... There is actually a long list of items it controls. You can set defaults that the user can override if desired or you can lock the settings preventing the override.

Once and Options.xml file is created and located on a network share, have every user reference it in their File Location options, and all setting controlled by the Options.xml will be automatically set.

The Solid Edge Administrator tool is not meant to control a single users settings or meant to be used by everybody. This should only be installed and used by someone who is an administrator or otherwise has the right or need to set the standards that all others must follow.

To use the Solid Edge Administrator tool, you have to install it from your distribution media or downloaded product. The file is called "SEAdmin.exe" and is located in the folder called "SptTools". To install, simply copy the file and place it in the Solid Edge installation subfolder "Program" which will typically be "C:\Program Files\Solid Edge STn\Program".
Once installed, simply run it. It will open in a table format listing the Option on the left followed by Allow Override, and the Value columns. Make the changes you wish to control and then Save the file to a network share location that all your users have "Read" access to. If you wish to have multiple Options files, you can give them unique names, it is not important to keep the file named as "Options.xml".

To have your users set this in their Options, have them open their Solid Edge Options and select the File Locations section. Select the line labeled "Solid Edge Admin" and click the Modify button at the top. In the resulting Browse form, click in the "File name:" field and type the UNC path to the shared folder and option file name, and then the Open button. Solid Edge will automatically read and change the settings at this point and now the settings are controlled by the options file. You will notice that any options that are set to not allow override cannot be modified and any that do allow override can be.

Please note that Solid Edge does not check the Options.xml file at anytime after it is initially set. If the administrator changes the Options.xml file later, each user must go into their File Locations area of the Solid Edge Options and highlight the Solid Edge Admin line and then click the Update button to reread it and apply the new settings.

I hope you find this post useful.

Siemens PLM Solid Edge Community BLOG

2013-11-12T13:28:00.000-06:00

I just want to draw attention to some activity that has been occurring over the past few months with regards to Siemens PLM's Solid Edge.

A few months ago a new site was launched by Siemens PLM and was touted as a Community site. As part of this, there is a subarea that is the Solid Edge Community site. The site has a Q&A section, Discussion section, Knowledge Base, BLOG, and recently a whole subarea for developers who write custom code using the Solid Edge API.

Of special note is the Solid Edge BLOG. There has been a flurry of "how to" articles written by Matt Lombard. You may recognize the name as he was an avid Solid Works user as well as the author of the popular SolidWorks Bible series. Matt has now taken a position with Siemens PLM working for the Solid Edge group and has been authoring material on specific facets of Solid Edge that come with the unique perspective of a new user who previously used SolidWorks. Often material like this is written by folks who have used Solid Edge for a long period of time and it is easy for them to skip through the ground clutter and only hit the high spots because they know too much and expect the reader to know too much as well. Matt cover the ground clutter as well as the high spots and the material is well suited for the novice user as well as the SolidWorks refugee.

Make sure to check them out as the site is public and there is no registration to read the material. If you wish to participate by leaving comments, posting a question or jumping into a discussion, registration is required but you do not need to be a customer of Siemens nor even have Solid Edge installed (45 Day Trial or Student Version)

Solid Edge ST7

2013-11-12T12:12:00.002-06:00

Solid Edge ST7 is not due for release until July 2014, but it appears it is actively being worked on by SE Development as witnessed by a recent post from Dan Staples on the GTAC Solid Edge discussion group where he revealed a new enhancement by accident. Whoops! No worries, it was a simply a setting switch so he really didn't let much of the cat out of the bag (tip of a whisker?). The good news is that we have several more months till launch so he has plenty of time to reveal more about ST7, and knowing Dan, he might let a few teasers out just to keep things interesting.

BETA should commence in early spring, and the official launch will occur at Solid Edge University 2014 in May. No doubt Synchronous Technology based modeling will continue to be a focus, but it's anyone guess as to what the other areas of focus are...

Solid Edge University 2014

2013-11-09T15:27:00.002-06:00

The date and location for Solid Edge University 2014 has been announced recently and it will be in Atlanta, Georgia on May 12-14, 2014. The following site link doesn't have any additional information about the up coming event, but it does contain information on last years event as well as has links to all the presentations. It is definitely worth a look, and if you like what you see, then I would encourage you to attend the 2014 event because there is no doubt that it will be more of the same if not just "more". Include with that the Solid Edge ST7 launch and it is definitely a must attend event!

http://solidedgeu.com/

Solid Edge University 2013… One more day to save!

2013-06-06T15:08:00.001-05:00

The Early Bird Discount #2 expires tomorrow 6/7. It allows you to save $50 on one admission and $100 on three admissions (buy 2 get the 3rd FREE!!!).

http://www.solidedgeu.com/

Now if you are dragging your feet or your boss is dragging his and and the decision has not yet been made, don’t worry… As far as conference fees and content go, Solid Edge University is still a bargain at the regular price of $550 considering there are 2 days of content spread over 9 tracks with 3 of those tracks being HANDS ON EXPERIENCES! Let me repeat: 3 TRACKS OF HANDS ON EXPERIENCES! If you have ever priced getting training from a VAR, it is many times the admission price of Solid Edge University and does not cover the breadth of topics and/or the niche areas of Solid Edge that will be covered by the Solid Edge University’s Hands on Experiences. Add to that the additional 6 tracks of content covered by experts including Solid Edge product planners, application engineers, and customers, and you have a “no brainer” of a bargain.
If you can’t make it for some reason or another, I understand. Times are still tough for some industries and money for non-essential travel is in short supply, but what you spend on attending just this event will return many times that in gained productivity especially if shared with other users when you return (you typically get the presentations if you attend).

I hope to see you there, and if you can’t make it rest assured we will still have a good and productive time without you, but know that we will miss you a lot.

New Public Solid Edge Community Site

2013-06-04T13:41:00.001-05:00

Within the last few weeks, Siemens PLM opened a new ‘Community” site for several products including Solid Edge.

Unlike their previous discussion groups which for the most part where closed to everyone except customers who were current on their annual maintenance, the Community site is open to all. Anyone can read the site, and by registering, you can also post to the site.

Check out the Solid Edge Community here: http://community.plm.automation.siemens.com/t5/Solid-Edge/ct-p/solid-edge

Solid Edge ST6 First Look…

2013-06-04T12:37:00.001-05:00

As you may know, Solid Edge University 2013 is coming up in about 3 weeks (http://www.solidedgeu.com/) and that the official announcement about Solid Edge ST6 will come on day 1 of that event (June 25th). Dan Staples, director Solid Edge Development will provide the Solid Edge ST6 keynote.
Well, I have a couple of early treats for you about ST6 that I can share! Please keep in mind that these are no more than a tiny teaser of ST6, and as a BETA tester I can assure you there is so much more…
There has been this rumor going around that ST6 would put some focus on surfacing. Well, here are two new tools that should convince you it’s more than just a rumor…

Reflective Plane - The typical use case of symmetric molded parts is to model one half and mirror the body of the second half when complete… But how do you know what the whole part looks like prior to being finished with the part? The answer is the Reflective Plane. It allows display of the second half of the part with out the display overhead of a geometric mirror and it allows inspection of surface quality using the surface analysis tools like zebra shading.
Ruled Surface – This command allows creation of a ruled surface some direction and angle from an existing surface edge. There are a number of options for creating this surface in relation to the existing geometry.

Here is a video showing both in action:

The other area of focus has to do with the drafting process and making prints easier to create and make presentable...

Arrange Dimensions - Typical use cases are when using the ‘Retrieve Dimension” command to pull 3D model dimensions into the 2D drawing as well as when updating a 3D model with an existing dimensioned drawing. In these use cases, dimensions do not always come in or update neatly. The answer to this problem is the Arrange Dimensions command that allows the user to automatically arrange dimensions to the standards defined by your template.

Here is a video showing it in action:

I hope this small taste of ST6 has done nothing more than to grow your anticipation to a frenzy as you wait for the ST6 full announcement and subsequent release. I think that ST6 will be an exciting release and will provide a ton of new tools and productivity enhancement that both existing users as well as new and potential new users will find irreplaceable, and it will help you Design Better with Solid Edge!

Two More Weeks to Get a Deal

2013-05-25T22:33:00.001-05:00

You have 2 more weeks to get the early bird discount #2 of $500 for 1 admission or $1000 for 3 admissions for Solid Edge University 2013... After that the regular price of $550 and $1100 respectively kicks in. Either way you will get your moneys worth.and then some with 9 tracks of sessions. Details can be found here: http://www.solidedgeu.com

Design Better. Solid Edge University.

The Not So Early Bird Still Gets a Worm…

2013-04-02T13:38:00.000-05:00

The Solid Edge University 2013 early bird #1 discount price has expired, but there is still plenty of time to get in on the second tier early bird discount (till June 7th) that still saves you $50 off of the regular individual price of $550. Sign up 3 people together and you can save $650 of the regular single price with the 3 for 2 deal. Check it out here: http://solidedgeu.com/registration-fees-and-travel
Hope to see you at Solid Edge University 2013 so we can all Design Better!

The Early Bird Gets the Worm…

2013-03-28T11:02:00.001-05:00

Solid Edge University 2013’s (http://www.solidedgeu.com/) first Early Bird Discount is about to expire on 3/29/2013. If you are planning on going, this is your chance to save $100. Details: http://www.solidedgeu.com/registration-fees-and-travel
If you are having trouble convincing someone that the benefits of attending SEU far outweigh the costs, check out the following page: http://www.solidedgeu.com/benefits-of-attending The main event that covers Solid Edge is complemented by a pre-event that covers customization using Solid Edge’s programming API and two post-events covering FEMAP and the SharePoint based data management solutions: http://www.solidedgeu.com/event-details A partial list of events have been posted that give a taste of some of the sessions that will be available, but this isn’t all so please check back for more later: http://www.solidedgeu.com/courses If you would have something to share and would like FREE admission to the conference, think about presenting. No body has ever gotten booed or covered in rotten tomatoes, so you have nothing to fear and everything to gain be presenting…: http://www.solidedgeu.com/call-for-presenters There will also be a product showcase of item designed in Solid Edge. It would be great to have too many to fit in the showcase area so lets all see if we can get a product to the show and overflow the place! http://www.solidedgeu.com/product-showcase See you at #SEU13 so we can all #DesignBetter with #SolidEdge

Solid Edge ST6

2013-03-08T13:40:00.000-06:00

Solid Edge ST6 is not publicly available yet, but will be in the next few months. No doubt the big announcement will be made at Solid Edge University 2013 at the end of June (http://www.solidedgeu.com/).

While it is still under the cover of secrecy, I thought we might have some fun and see how creative you are with trying to guess what might be in ST6 when it releases. Submit a comment as to your best guess, but be respectful or your comment won’t see the light of day.

I’m sure that when ST6 releases, whatever is in it will help us all Design Better!

Solid Edge… FOR FREE!!!

2013-03-07T17:27:00.000-06:00

Solid Edge ST5 has a couple of offers that allow you to use it for free.

If you are a commercial user, there is a 45 day trial (http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/velocity/solidedge/free-solid-edge.shtml) that gives you full featured access in a time limited fashion and it’s intended purpose is for evaluation towards a purchase. If this is something you are interested in, don’t hesitate to talk to a reseller and if you are a current SolidWorks user, there are some trade-in deals at this time that seem pretty good (https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/campaigns/solid-edge-promo/index.cfm?)

If you are a student, there is a student version (https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/about_us/goplm/arc/se-academic/solid-edge-student.cfm?) that gives you full featured access with one exception… All files saved in this version are marked as being authored in a student version and cannot be opened in a commercial version and the drawings have a water mark that marks them as such too.

Whatever you choose to do, there are learning tools built into Solid Edge. Just look under Help and check out the Tutorials and the Self Paced Training.

You can also talk to a reseller about classroom training too if you wish and some provide free webinars you can attend over lunch such as AllyPLM’s Lunch Byte series (http://allyplm.com/solidedgetutorials/). There are also other online resources for training such as those published by Solid Mastermind (http://www.solidmastermind.com/) and of course, don’t forget to take advantage of the Solid Edge discussion groups hosted by Siemens PLM (https://bbs.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/vbulletin/forum.php).

So if you haven’t already, go get yourself some Solid Edge. It’s free and you just may Design Better!

Solid Edge University 2013

2013-03-07T15:14:00.001-06:00

I’m sure you have all heard the phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none”. I think of this phrase when some entity tries to serve too many purposes that it really doesn’t focus too well on any of them.

This happened a few years ago with UGS in regards to the Solid Edge annual international user group meeting. Due to what I imagine was a concern with costs and economy of scale, someone decided that the independent Solid Edge Summit should be wrapped into the annual PLM World event with all the other UGS products. What happened is we lost that Solid Edge only focus and it became watered down and generalized. Needless to say, it was giant flop, and in just a few years Solid Edge had lost most of it’s annual conference attendees.

Under the new management of Karsten Newbury, he and his team decided in 2011 to hold a Solid Edge only international event and it was a big success! Because it was such a hit, it was repeated in 2012… And it was an even bigger success! So again for 2013, there will be another Solid Edge international user event…

Solid Edge University 2013 (http://www.solidedgeu.com/)… It will be held in Cincinnati June 24th-27th, however the 24th will cover the Solid Edge Application Programming Interface, the 25th-26th will cover Solid Edge usage and I’m sure a preview of ST6, and the 27th will cover your choice of FEMAP topics or Insight XT configuration topics. While the schedule isn’t firmed up yet, based on the content of the 2012 event you can expect hands on computer training as well as lots of interesting and beneficial presentations from users, product managers and resellers covering a wide variety of topics… All pertaining to Solid Edge! And don’t forget the peer to peer discussions that can happen during breakfast, lunch, break, and evening social times with fellow users made up of us old salty dogs as well as newbies, and the Solid Edge staff.

Be aware that the first level Early Bird discount is in effect through March 29th, and until then, if you get 3 folks from your company to attend you can save $150 each on general admission (buy two get one free) for a per person rate of only $300… Not bad for being fed breakfast, lunch, a dinner, and copious amounts of Solid Edge wisdom!

A must see event for anyone using or thinking of using Solid Edge. I am planning on being there again this year and I hope to see you there too, so get registered and Design Better!

PDM, CAD Integration and Insight XT

2012-06-22T17:44:00.001-05:00

PDM is known as a necessary evil in most engineering worlds. Why it’s labeled “evil”, I’ll explain in a bit. It’s necessary because of 2 reasons:

Engineering and related disciplines create a huge amount of data and that data is related to parts which are related to a product structure and that may also be related to tooling and equipment. PDM excels at storing all this data securely and managing the relationships between it and the changes that happen to it.
The use of 3D compound document design systems pretty much require PDM after a couple years of use with more than a half dozen authors. Compound document design systems build assemblies from parts and subassemblies that are all independent files. When you open an assembly, the design system actually must find and open each and every component file that makes up that assembly, so on an assembly comprised of 350 unique components, your opening 350 files. Couple this with cross assembly use of components, multiple revisions of each, the explosion of data in a couple years use by the average company and multiple users trying to open and edit it, and you got a mess. Most PDM systems also excels at managing these compound document links, revision configuration, and multiple user access.

Now lets talk about why it’s labeled as “evil”. There are a multitude of reasons why it can be called evil, but it really comes down to this… It is typically hard to use. What? I thought it was supposed to do stuff for me and manage stuff and make my life easier. Well it does in some ways but doesn’t in other ways. Let me explain. While it can manage all your CAD files and control access, there is a very wide definition of the word “integration” when it comes to the authoring tools (CAD).

System integration is defined as bringing together two or more different systems and making them appear as one. What typically happens with PDM systems is that the above definition gets replaced with “we can manage your CAD links”. Separate commands are used to do the PDM stuff (find, open, save) and the CAD commands remain disconnected from the PDM system. Now, I’ve heard that CAD connectors are really a loss leader type of application. You got to have it to get the business, but you can’t sell it for what it actually costs to develop and still make a profit. This being said, it’s clear as to why many PDM companies don’t put much effort into proper integration. The net result of this is that the typical CAD user now has to jump through more hoops to get his job done and it’s much more complex because you end up doing a lot of things twice (find the file in PDM, download it to the local workspace or cache, find it again with the CAD system, perform the action you wanted in the beginning (create a drawing). This isn’t a joke or an exaggeration. Most PDM systems are like this EXCEPT if your using one developed by the same company that makes your CAD system.

Now I’m going to switch gears and talk about something new called Insight XT from Siemens PLM. Insight XT is a new product that was introduced at the Solid Edge ST5 launch during the Solid Edge University 2012 event on June 12th. It is one of 4 PDM/PLM solutions that Siemens PLM offers which can manage Solid Edge data. They are: Insight, Insight XT, Teamcenter Express, and Teamcenter. The two Teamcenter products are very similar if not the same underneath and support multi-CAD. What makes them different is that Teamcenter Express is made to be easily deployable using only a Microsoft technology stack with preconfigured “best practice” templates and typical “PDM” functionality while Teamcenter has many more options making it a full fledged PLM system and thus requires much more configuration. Both use the Solid Edge Embedded Client to integrate with Solid Edge. Insight has been around for a decade and is based on SharePoint from Microsoft. It is not what I would consider a full fledged PDM system, but is a very good CAD data manager for Solid Edge. Insight XT is completely new and is also based on SharePoint. It does offer all the things you would expect from a PDM system except multi-CAD support. Where Insight XT really shines is in it’s integration with Solid Edge… It is seamless and thus a “true” integration.

To turn on Insight XT, Solid Edge uses a toggle option

Once it has been turned on you will be able to identify it by the words “Insight XT” on the background page and the application’s Window header. Now, all commands in Solid Edge that browse, search, open or save data are Insight XT aware. No duplication of commands and no additional non-value added steps in the process.

Open shows the form below. It defaults to the storage sites set up on the Insight XT server by default and only allows navigation into an between those sites. Search also only searches those locations. Note the revision rule combo box which is how PDM systems configure the revisions you open, and the Open as read-only option.

Insight XT’s primary object is an Item which holds any number of Item Revisions which each hold the Data Sets as shown below. Notice the Revision filter on top. To open a Solid Edge file, simply select the correct Item Revision or the Data Set.

Solid Edge attempts to Check-out any file that you specify it to open unless you set the Open as read-only option. If the file is checked-out by others or is release or otherwise in a status that you do not have edit privileges, it does not perform a check-out but does show you the Read-only assistant dialog where you can optionally make a copy or create a revision depending on the circumstances as to why it is read-only.

When saving a new file or closing an existing file that you had check-out and modified, Solid Edge displays the Common Properties Dialog as shown below. This dialog allows you to edit meta data properties and, if a new file, select the Insight XT storage location and assign an Item ID (either auto-generated based on rules an admin has set, or if allowed, typed in). Note the columns marked with an asterisk, those are “required” properties and you are not allowed to check-in a file unless they are filled out either using an admin set list of values or if allowed, a typed in value.

Once an Insight XT managed file is opened in SE, it is business as usual with one exception. Assembly Pathfinder shows the check-out status of the components as well as their current status symbol (In Work, Released, Obsolete, etc…) as shown below.

Something typical of most PDM systems is the presence of a local cache or working folder. Insight XT is no different, but the beauty of Insight XT is that it is managed automatically for you. Based on the revision rule that you select when opening files, it will insure that existing cached files are kept up to date so you are never working with stale data unless of course that is your deliberate choice. Insight XT does provide a utility called Cache Assistant that allows you to review the files in your cache and manage them by either using a shortcut menu on selected items or en mass using the buttons along the top. You can do such things as synchronize your cache with what is on the server, check-in any checked-out files or download files to your cache which is really helpful if you work over a slow link and want to pre-populate your cache over night so it’s there and fast in the morning.

The net result of this is that you get a full fledged PDM system for Solid Edge that provides the value added features you need without the non-value added baggage that you don’t all in one easily deployable and configurable package. This in turn makes it intuitive to use and thus easy to train people on which removes yet another roadblock that other PDM systems have in their way.

Insight XT has a another side to it that is outside of the Solid Edge environment and that is the SharePoint site with the Insight XT web parts as shown below. I’m not going to get into detail on this part of it, but it has a clean UI and some pretty cool tools. It supports ECR and ECO workflows with several that come by default and has an interesting Shopping Cart utility that allows collecting multiple objects to process as one. The crown jewel however is the Structure Browser which allows navigating assembly trees and CAD references but also ECR and ECO objects as well as a bunch of other items. If I have time, I may cover this in more detail in the future if no one beats me to it.

Thanks for reading.

Design Better!

Technorati Tags: Solid Edge,Insight,PDM,PLM,CAD,Siemens,ST5

Solid Edge ST4 “Student Edition”… FREE!

2011-09-02T15:06:00.001-05:00

A few days ago Siemens PLM introduced a student edition of Solid Edge ST4 for free (http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/velocity/forms/solid-edge-student.cfm).

The student edition is the full commercial version with only 2 restrictions:

Any file saved in the student edition cannot be opened in the commercial editions.
All drawings will have a printing watermark across them stating that it is in a student edition.

After you install it, there are quite a few learning aides that can be found under the Help menu and there is also a student forum available as well (instructions when you sign up for a copy).

Happy Edgeing!

Solid Edge ST4 Launch Event (aka “The Solid Edge Summit”)

2011-06-16T21:32:00.001-05:00

Six years ago, the last Solid Edge Summit was held in Cincinnati Ohio. It was a wildly successful event. The following year, someone made the decision to roll Solid Edge into the PLM World event and dissolve the Summit. Needless to say it was a very bad decision as the attendance dwindled over the next 5 years to essentially a handful of individuals which most likely happened due to a variety of reasons such as the poorly handled transition, higher cost for less value, a weakening economy, and a loss of the Solid Edge identity and community at an event that appeared to cater to NX/Teamcenter.

This year, the Solid Edge Summit was back! Disguised as a Solid Edge ST4 Launch Event, it was essentially a 2 day user conference (June 15-16) held in Huntsville, Alabama which happens to be home of the Solid Edge Development office. Needless to say, we as users have gotten to meet many of the development, certification, support, planning, marketing and the management team. The agenda included a half day comprised of a business update, keynote presentation, and ST4 Introduction, followed by a day and a half of a 3 track agenda of presentations, hands on training and round table discussions. The night before the event there was a welcome reception, and at the end of the first day, we all let our hair down at a social event held in a local arcade/bowling alley/bar & grill.

Besides the obvious training opportunity, one of the biggest advantages of going to these types of events is the building of “community”. At the Solid Edge ST4 Launch Event, that community was building fast. Everywhere you looked, you would see Solid Edge folks. Sit down at breakfast or lunch, and you were sitting with Solid Edge folks. At the social events, you were talking with Solid Edge folks. A lot of folks knew each other from the newsgroup or phone calls/e-mails, but there is something about meeting folks face to face that cannot be duplicated any other way.

Everybody was very positive about this event and I’m certain they are already looking forward to next years event as much as I am. For those who were not able to attend this event, I sure hope you can make the next one.

Of Clouds and the PS3

2011-05-14T11:37:00.001-05:00

No doubt you’ve heard of the cloud. It’s this nebulous new “old” thing that excites people both positively and negatively. In the realm of CAD, it has been the subject of much controversy. A few folks have mentioned that if CAD looked to the advances in gaming over the past few years, a cloud based CAD system could work really well. Others point out you are increasing your failure risk as you are involving a whole host of new dependencies to make it work. Technical feasibility is one thing, practicality is totally another.

I’d like to point out a recent example based on gaming and the cloud that really exemplifies the risk of this potential new frontier in CAD… The PlayStation Network! The PlayStation Network (PSN) is a cloud ran by Sony that allows PlayStation gaming consoles to connect to online gaming, stores, and other services. On April 20th, Sony pulled the plug on the PSN due to a security breach by some hackers. The hackers also made off with tons of personal account information. Sony has not restored service as of May 14th as I’m writing this. What’s better yet, evidence suggests that the hackers rented time on Amazon’s cloud servers to perform the breach. I’m pretty patient on such things, after all I’m not paying for access to the PSN, but I do pay for Netflix on-line video streaming through my PS3 that is no longer working and I also have a couple hundred dollars in games of which are useless with out the PSN.

I guess the moral of this story is this: While CAD on the cloud may be technically feasible and can provide some tangible benefits, is it practical for you to go without your CAD system for a month or better when they system is down due to a breach or other unforeseen issue? Is the gaming industry a shining example?

My answer, and I’m guessing yours as well is: “HELL NO!”.

Solid Edge ST4 Global Launch Event

2011-04-08T09:42:00.001-05:00

For those who may not have heard, Siemens PLM is hosting an Solid Edge specific user conference June 15th-16th in Huntsville, Alabama. (https://www.seeuthere.com/rsvp/invitation/invitation.asp?id=/m1312dbb-43068LPQEN9MJ)

The event will not only show what’s new with ST4 and how to use it, but will also feature productivity sessions to help you get more done faster with current functionality. The other key aspect of this event is it is in the Solid Edge Development office’s backyard (not literally, it’s in a local hotels convention center), so you won’t be learning from an Application Engineer who took a training class and is trying to pass on information second hand. You will be learning directly from the Product Managers who wrote the specs for the software… from the horses mouth so to speak :) The agenda shows the typical morning keynote and large group welcome and introduction items the first half of day one, but the second half of day one and all of day two are comprised of three tracks of items with one of them being “hands on” sessions, so there will definitely be something for everyone throughout. https://www.seeuthere.com/ui/18/182678/TheSolidEdgeST4GlobalLaunchEventGuide022711.pdf

Aside from the structured agenda, the evening before the conference and the evening of the first day, there will be plenty of time to meet fellow users and Siemens staff and discuss whatever you like. You will also have time at breakfast & lunch to do the same, but we all know how breakfast is for most of us who are dependent on caffeine :)

I Hope to see you all there! Conference cost is $250 through April 22nd, and $350 thereafter.

Ken

Solid Edge ST3 Revealed!

2010-10-13T11:35:00.001-05:00

So Solid Edge ST3 has been revealed today. Between all the “professional” bloggers out there, it has been dissected quite a bit, so I’m not going to attempt it. Instead, here is a list of links at which you can find out information:

Official Siemen's site on ST3 - http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/velocity/solidedge/solidedge-st3/index.shtml

Post one of Deelip's 11 part Post - http://www.deelip.com/?p=3618

Matt Lombard's post on ST3 - http://www.dezignstuff.com/blog/?p=4035

Jon Sutcliffe's post on ST3 - http://www.synchronoustechnology.net/blog/679/solid-edge-st3-bares-all/

Al Dean's post on DEVELOP3D - http://develop3d.com/reviews/solid-edge-st3

Kathleen Maher on ST3 - http://gfxspeak.com/2010/10/14/solid-edge-st3-arrives/

I’ll add more as I find them.