DISQUS

Ricky, yet another great video on the new capabilities of 2009.
Keep up the good work!

Ricky, I agree with Neil - nice video.
We are still on SW'07 here so seeing some of the new functionality presented in this way really helps me to understand it better - thanks!

Question though: have you found more errors in your designs because of the ability to move features around on the fly like that? Seems like someone could change a dimension they weren't supposed to without realizing it.
Does that seem to be the case?

Has anyone received their electronic copy yet? I signed up right after this was posted but have yet to see anything. I just went to their site to sign back up (in case something had happened) but it told me I was already signed up.
From what I see it looks like a great magazine so want to make sure I get my copy...

I have tried showing them a few times in some of our inter-company users groups but to no avail. Maybe it's just my teaching style and they don't see the tremendous benefit to some of the things I have shown. Or maybe I am just too anal - who knows.
Anywho... about your first tip - I use sketch driven patterns all the time and never realized you could do that. That's just way too easy!!!
See, you can teach an old dog new tricks.
BTW - nice surprise shots on the surfacing book post. I just ordered mine today to see what it was you were so excited about ;c)

Does anyone else have trouble motivating their users and getting them to use some more common features? It continues to baffle me why my users still don't use patterns or hole wizard so that when time comes to work on the assembly they can save themselves hours of sheer torture by not having to place (and keep updated) hundreds of fasteners. I still have users that draw and dimension each and every hole instead of making them all "equal" or using relations to force the design intent.
Before you ask - no, we don't have modeling standards. And no, I am not a full time CAD Admin, I design during the day and mysteriously transform into an admin during my slower periods.

Thanks for the great advice Ricky - good stuff, but it makes me wonder something. Even before the upgrade there is the process of testing the new software to see if it's ready to be implemented. Do you have a set of procedures you use to test the software?
I typically try to time it so I start working on a new project while testing. That way I get some real world examples and can see how the new software handles it. Obviously this can't always be done since new projects don't always creep up at the most opportune time.
So what do you do to test the software?

Josh,
I really appreciate this tip. I used to use SW Explorer to replace parts within my drawings but since 2007 came out there have been issues with that process. I just used your tip and it worked wonders.
Kudos to you and thanks for all your tricks.

I have to admit that I downloaded the software but wondered if I would ever really use it. But after reading your article just now I think I will have to make time to just play and see what I can come up with.
Thanks for the info Ricky!