SolidWorks Corp online forum largely useless?

Mark, Your cynical side is showing through again. I don't remember SolidWorks ever mentioning that they would actively support the discussion board with answers or even comments. In fact, if you read the Welcome message they intended it for user to user interaction. The inactivity is probably related to this newsgroup being more popular (I may have posted one or two times at the SWX board). The fact that the SWX board is moderated probably adds to it's limited acceptance. If you can't swear, hassle or harangue, or proclaim the virtues of hymless, seebred modeling - what fun is it?

Richard

I think that link goes to an outdated forum. I use the one from inside the SW website. You have to have subscription support and need a password to enter. There are many more postings and current.

Aar> I'm looking at the "General" group in the forum on SolidWorks' server

OK, well, I guess it's fair to say I'm being cynical, and perhaps unfairly so. I do have a streak of that in me. When I can't use Animator at all for my purposes (buggy?) and when PhotoWorks 2 is obviously still Betaware (but original PhotoWorks can't even be used any more) then I begin to wonder why I paid for SolidWorks Office upgrade. And when I see basically no support being given to posters on the corporate forum then, yeah, I tend to become cynical. Oh, yeah, and BTW I'm going back to SP4 of SolidWorks 2003 because things that seemed to me to work fine earlier give me headaches in SP5. Dammit, maybe SolidWork Corp DIDN'T commit to support on the corporate forum, but frankly that doesn't make me a happier customer right now.

But best regards to YOU anyway, Mark 'Sporky' Staplet> Mark,

Nope, that's the current forum link, and yes, you do have to log in to be able to post (but you don't to be able to read as long as you use the link I posted -- which means BTW, folks, that your email address can be HARVESTED by spambots).

'Sporky'

Aar>

Oh, now I've got to correct myself, Aaron. There seem to be TWO different forums altogether. The one that is linked from the SolidWorks site is

Hey SolidWorks Corp, can you say DOH? When did you do this and why are both forum sites active? HUH? I was even able to create a new password for the (ostensibly) OLD forum and post a message that way.

'Sporky'

Sporkman wrote:

Well, when I go to the link you provided, it looks totally different than the password one. For instance, yours doesn't have a category for Add-ins. And the 'Drawings', 'Parts', 'Assemblies' are under 3D skills/Personal Edition, whereas they have there own category in the password one (with sub-categories)

Aar> Nope, that's the current forum link, and yes, you do have to log in to

I've got to correct myself a little on this one also. Your email address can be harvested if you post it because this forum allows you to read without logging in -- unlike the CURRENT forum which doesn't

Then the question arises why they have two forums (idiots).

'Sporky'

Sporkman wrote:

i think we're still beta testing their web site.

there are also a lot of dead links. the benefits (sic) of subscription support PDF from the customer page is dead. when they first changed their website there were two links to the enhancements request page, one of which lead nowhere.

they don't test their software, why should their website be any different?

Still pissed off about features defined as "offset from surface" dimensioning to empty space, nick e.

"If you can't swear, hassle or harangue, or proclaim the virtues of hymless, seebred modeling - what fun is it?"

It has be noted that there is no such thing as a free lunch but that it's very easy to get your lunch eaten.

SaladWorks... when you can't easily model it, you and your company eat it. ;>)

jon

Post examples of your *real* problems and no doubt someone that can actually use 3D will show you how to do it. Or at least give you instructions on .....

Respectfully submitted -- please keep your feud out of my threads.

TIA 'Sporky'

-------------------- Cliff Huprich wrote:

Mark,

Actually I have gotten quite a bit of help there including quite a bit of face time with SW people and some very good answers from users.

The format is awkward and buggy of course and doesn't do all it was documented to do. They also disabled the ability to privately contact another poster which is one advantage of this newsgroup and of course the forum is not ammenable to user creativity to any great degree. I also found it interesting that the forum can only post threads about 5 or 6 levels deep. That would never do for this lot. :)

Tell you what Mark. There is a performance thread there. SW always was of the > I'm looking at the "General" group in the forum on SolidWorks' server

OK, Paul. But there's an entire "Performace" forum group there. Are you talking about posting a followup on an existing thread or posting new threads?

Best regards, The 3rd Amigo

kellnerp wrote:

Post whatever is on your mind.

Looking ahead the next few months 64 bit systems are going to become affordable for the masses via AMD. I asked about that and got an underwhelming response.

But then if SW performance has been improving like they say I should be able to do a 5,000 part assembly on a 486 by now. LOL :)

Sporkman wrote:

Mark,

The other th> I'm looking at the "General" group in the forum on SolidWorks' server

And his sidekick "Precipice"?

Is FormatWorks suggested as a realistic solution there ?

ROTFLMFAO

CATIA translation problems ???

Check out Concepts:

"Spatial's software subsystems are purposefully designed to be flexible and able to fulfill a wide range of market needs," said Keith Mountain, vice president of marketing for Spatial. "Concepts Unlimited takes full advantage of a selection of our subsystems' capabilities in a novel and surely successful manner."

One of the first distributed products to utilize the R12 version of Spatial' s 3D ACIS Modeler, Concepts Unlimited v1.0 offers easy-to-use modeling, rendering, animation and automated drawing tools, and provides an ideal solution for conceptual designers supporting the MCAD and Enterprise communities. Unlike facet-based conceptual tools, Concepts Unlimited creates precise NURBS and analytical data that migrate smoothly into existing engineering solutions, keeping the original design intent intact. In addition to hybrid modeling techniques via ACIS, Concepts Unlimited also provides accurate data translation between formats, including CATIA V4, IGES, SAT, and STEP through Spatial's InterOp Translators.

"We used the Concepts Unlimited beta release as part of our F-35 project," said George Irving, Aeronautical Engineer Senior Staff for Lockheed. "So far we've had incredible results, especially in regard to translation. Its translation capabilities are so efficient and accurate that word has spread through the company-we're now receiving problem files from other departments to be translated through Concepts Unlimited! We are so impressed that we are adding more seats shortly."

jon

That one cracked me up you two... :)

The shear breadth of this newsgroup and the open format make me want to not partake in the SW "sponsored" group(s) at all. As far as I'm concerned, SW Corp should get off their asses and spend some time in here. We all know they're not working *that* hard on the code :)

- Eddy