New Computer, New Vista, New Solidworks---Going a bit Crazzzyyyy!!!!

...forgot to add that my co-worker has Solidworks on a Mac laptop and it works great (running in PC mode).

 

I feel your pain, Brian. We're running SolidWorks 2008 on XP (Vista may be on the way soon). It seems that a lot of changes were made to the program for no apparent reason. It sucks having to figure out where they hid some of the old functions!

Plus '08 seems to like to crash out of the blue and randomly rearrange my toolbars.

 

Is solidworks o8 vista specific or can it run on xp?

Also, like it was said before you can partition your computer and run xp and vista. Plus didnt microsoft release a 64 bit version of xp aswell?

 

I just got solidworks for my mac, can anyone suggest the best online training
i'll be on my back for a month "no not trying to break any skin records"
i'm having back surgery. i'm gonna play with solidworks and dream of spring

 

I have an old 2.4 Ghz P4 machine sitting around here with a licensed copy of XP pro on it-- I'd be interested in seeing both the machine and the disc off to a new owner. CHEAP.

 

Now you can put the old computer in the garage, like I am. I already have a fridge, microwave, A/C, a bench seat for napping; just need a shower and a toilet(5 gal. bucket would work)and rent out the house!

 

we're still on SW 2006 at work since the new one won't work with our document management system. Still works good for me and the take home licenses are nice. Only issue is that I tend to draw EVERYTHING I do and I'm spending more time drawing than building. Oh well.

Solidworks will run on a pretty crappy machine, just make sure you turn off all the add-ins you aren't using. A good video card is almost more important than the CPU and even that can be overcome by shutting off 3D processing if it's an issue. A lot of the fancy eye-candy crap is just that.

 

I recently spoke with a SolidWorks rep and he told me they don't recommend running SolidWorks on Vista yet. This was for SW07, but I suspect not a lot has changed. Thank god for the SolidWorks service packs! It's redicilous how many bugs SW has! Still love it though.

Since we're already on the O/T subject here... I believe it IS possible to run SW on a MAC with their platform conversion. Not tried it or researched it though. If it is possible, I'm thinking seriously about switching. I'm so sick of all the MSW bugs! I would love to have a more stable platform to do work on!

 

Thanks Pitman---I thought maybe it was a setting I had misssed. I will hope for a service pack that will restore the scroll bars.---Brian

 

brian, i did some tech support for a major 3D software package a long time ago, my advice is that you get ahold of Solidworks, it sounds like some of your video settings aren't correct.
i believe they are in Santa Monica, Ca. as i was contacted by one of their reps recently.

edit - i didnt read all the replys, IMO scooter and tbomb428 have the right of it

 

Does solid works convert to G-code?

 

Ihave no idea what G code is. However, I have heard about the G-spot.

 

I have been looking at software that transfers your cad drawing to G-code for a CNC mill without having to write out the code. This company www.bobcad.com and several others offer it.

 

All of my customers with cnc machining centers want their stuff as .dxf files for simple 2 dimensional cutting path generation, or as .iges for 3 axis machining.

 

Use g code on our wire edm machines.. Just got solid works at work but im lucky im a low life hourly ass hat so i dont need to use it..
We do have it and it looks kinda cool .. I sure dont need it cause i program PLC's I dont draw anything.....
Dave

 

This is just one of the ten thousand things that I design for my customers. This is one tool in a million dollar order for a major automotive manufacturer.

 

Fun stuff! Designing in the 3D enviornment if fantastic! I'm still amazed I ever messed with 3D in AutoCAD... adding, subtracting, blah, blah, blah! SW has made life wonderful!

So.... what does it do? Are those hand grips?

 

that widget would look cool with red wheels and skulls...

 

Yep, Scooter---you got it. There is a cable attached to the top of it, which is attached to an automatic compensating counterweight (think tool balancer). This balancer is attached to a gantry arm. The operator holds the handgrips and steers the tool into position over a round part (can't say too much here, its not proprietary, but its not finished yet either). The maroon coloured guides in the center help to align the tool with the part being picked up. Once in position, the operator pushes a button on the handgrips, and the air cylinders at each end close the gripper jaws and grip the part. Then the operator picks it up and manouvers it onto one of the Automatic Guided Vehicles which drives itself to the line, where an operator picks it off the AGV and installs it.

 

That's a neat way to pick up a rearend assembly

(not that that's what it's for....)

 

Had my first disaster last night. I bought a book "Vista for Dummies". After reading thru it, I realized I had all my work saved in the wrong place because I couldn't find the "my documents" folder.---In Vista there is no "my Documents" folder.---Its called 'Documents". Soooo---I moved everything into the correct location and created a short cut to place on my desktop. In fact, I created 2 shortcuts by mistake!!! Then in a fit of genuine insanity, I thought I was deleting the extra shortcut, and damned if I didn't delete all the work I had done on Thursday and Friday.---Not into the wastebasket, but GONE TOTALLY!!! Then I downloaded a file recovery program from the internet called Recuva (its free), but I had so much stuff that I had deleted, I couldn't find the folders I had deleted. I am just finishing up now at 2:11 PM, having worked since 6:00 AM to redo everything I wiped out, as I have a presentation meeting tomorrow in Toronto. Some days, I long for my drafting board!!!
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ouch!

 

I've been wondering about that myself. I never got spam until I upgraded to Outlook 2007. Now it's an every day occurance. I,m still on XP though.

 

I got rid of windows this year and use a linux based system. I dont have to deal with windows written and based virusses, so I dont need to hang out in the net, draggin any downslowing anti virus program with me. Its like walkin around without a chainball now........

 

Blah blah...I can make that out of some clothespins and a few leggos!!

 

This is the 'puter I'm building. Its designed to run three 30" monitors and its liquid cooled...







It might run Vista... or 64 bit XP...

 

I've been working on my new system for a week or two now, and actually, its pretty good. The only things I've noticed with Solidworks 2008 that really bothers me, is that there no longer are scroll bars at the bottom and right side of the graphics window, and I really miss them.---And---The damn thing refuses to remember my tool bar customization. I get the tool bars all customized to the way I want them in Solidworks, and then afer I shut the system down, or even close Solidworks and re-open it, all the tool bars have changed---this is a big pain, and I hope they can fix it. Other than those 2 points, I'm quite happy with it.---Brian
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Software/Hardware interesting subject....I'm always, as you fellas, somewhat reluctant about "new versions", we are all "hands on type people" and get thru it and then comes another. Solid Edge V20 now, not Vista though, dread the Vista day when it comes.

 

Brian,
You mean to say that with the document folder deleted, you could NOT simply go back in time. using system restore, to an earlier point and bring up the lost folder? This has been a useful part of XP if I understand your issue correctly.

 

Firstly---I didn't know you could do that. Secondly, I'm running Vista on the new system, not XP. Thirdly, it turned out that I had only blown away a couple of days of work. All work performed before that was (Thank God) done on the old computer which I kept as a "storage" for a ton of jobs. Its funny, but when I am designing, there is as much, or more work done thinking about what I am going to do as there is actualy "drawing" it. Since everything was still fresh in my mind when I deleted it, it wasn't all that difficult to redo the work I had blown away---all I had to do was recreate the models, ----the thinking part was already done..