Solidworks Electrical routing help!!!

Ken,

I did some exhaustive research on the routing package in 2005. We were using SWx 2006 SP4 I think. I came to the conclusion, that it wouldn't meet our capablities. If it worked the way I expected it to, it would have been great. We needed it to document wiring harnesses for aftermarket automotive equipment (Emergency warning lights for police etc.). I also thought that the type of wiring we did was fairly simple too. In the end we stuck to 2D wiring diagrams, and manually calculated/measured cutting lengths. For the more common harnesses, we made nailboards to speed up production.

So my best advice is, unless someone can tell you there has been a revolutionary change in the routing package, don't waste your time with it.

If you still want to investigate it, your VAR should be able to give you a valuation copy to play with. Then you will understand how clunky and useless it is.

"I'm being told by my VAR that a traiining course is required and it takes a lot of setting up of the intial database."

This means it will be hard to get it to work.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Dom

I have done a considerable amount of cabling with the SW Routing package in 2006. I initially purchased a manual from Wes Mosier called "Pipe & Tubing Design Guide" which got me off on the right foot. If you are proficient at 3D sketching, you won't have much trouble using the app. as most routes are controlled by 3D sketches.

There is also a PDF from SW which is a 2005 routing tutorial. Wes Mosier can be reached at:

Regards, Gary