SOLIDWORKS xDesign Made Simple

If you have never heard of SOLIDWORKS xDesign, you are in for a treat. More and more companies face new challenges and are hungry for great products without the overhead. Expensive IT cost is typically associated with engineering. The cost of servers and their upkeep is enormous. Many companies no longer maintain an IT person on staff; those positions are being outsourced by companies more and more. Therefore, outsourcing IT does save money, but it is a partial solution to the problem. Many companies and organizations are currently looking for a solution that does not require IT overhead. If this is something you are looking for, you are at the right place.

xDesign is an app that runs on any device that can access the internet via a web browser. The software isn’t locally installed, so it can run on a Chromebook and does not require a Windows operating system.

SOLIDWORKS xDesign lives within the 3D Creator Role offered on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. If you are not aware of this, contact your local SOLIDWORKS reseller.

Gaining Access to SOLIDWORKS xDesign

An administrator must invite you to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform to gain access to this technology. The invitation can come from a variety of sources. If purchased by a company, the point of contact will receive an invitation from Dassault Systems. If your company already has access, the invitation will be from your 3DEXPERIENCE administrator. Once you have your login and password, you must select your tenant (i.e., welcome to ABC Corp (DS-R1234678910)) and pick a collaborative space. You may also be invited to a dashboard by another user where the app can be easily made available. 

If you need to launch the app, click on the Compass at the top left-hand corner.

The Compass will light up and provide access to the roles that have been assigned to you. If the 3D Creator Role is not listed, see your 3DEXPERIENCE administrator. You can also scroll down to the apps below or click on the 3D Creator role link. It will display the apps assigned under that role.

Apps are not sold individually; the roles are. There are many Roles to consider as you become more familiar with these products. The Collaborative Business Innovator (CBI) Role and the Collaborative Industry Innovator (CII) Role are essential for collaboration and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). There are packages one can lease or purchase for an entire year or by the quarter, which is excellent for those businesses on a tight budget. The quarterly purchase option is also easy to start designing products with little upfront investment. When the app launches, it looks like this:

The Menus

The welcome screen reflects the many ways you can start using the platform; it also has links for additional training on the 3DEXPERIENCE EDU website. The welcome screen also includes a link to the SOLIDWORKS 3DEXPERIENCE User Community.

The Quick Tour link will prompt you to create a new Component; you must enter a Name and a Location. Under the Design Guidance Tab, there is a User Assistance and a Learning Assistant to guide you thru your design, with an interactive video to show you through the process.

 

There are in-context menus to reduce mouse travel.

To activate a sketch, pick a plane and click on the Create or Edit sketch icon and start sketching.

There are some unique advancements and similar hotkeys you may already be familiar with. These hotkeys mean minimal downtime getting up to speed with this product. Sketching is intuitive and straightforward.

 

The Features