How does SolidMap move your organization to the next level?

As you already know, users spend a significant amount of time trying to understand how 3D models are built before the models can be edited.  This is a result of complex nature of feature and file interdependencies that exist due to the user’s need to capture design intent.  In other words, users want to create models that are more than just a 3D representation of the end product.  Users strive to design the 3D model in such a way that it will behaves like the real end product will behave and so that certain design rules (or intent) is maintained when the model is edited.  For example, the following image shows a moderately complex injection molded plastic part.  SolidWorks can display the parent/child relationships.

The following example describes how the interdependencies can get created inside of a model and why they can quickly become very complex.  The image below shows a 3D model of a clamp with a hole in the center of one of its faces.

You can see that it was created by calculating the midpoint of the face that it is on and then placing a hole that is dimensioned to that midpoint.  The problem with this is that if the clamp needs to be changed to a larger or smaller size, then the hole is no longer in the center.  The following image shows the clamp edited to a larger size, but the hole is no longer in the center, it is still 11.25 millimeters from each edge.

If the user who is editing this is not the user who originally designed it, or even if the if the user who is editing the model created it a long time ago, then the user may not be sure if the hole was supposed to be in the center of the face or 11.25 millimeters from each edge.

So, users generally attempt to build design intent into the model so that future edits do not violate that intent.  In this example, if the hole is supposed to be in the center, the user would most likely add a sketch relation inside of SolidWorks that places the circular sketch of that hole at the intersection of the midpoints of each edge.  The model will then look like the following image.

Now, there are no dimensions to the edges.  Sketch relations were added that ensure that the hole is in the center of the face no matter what the size is.

This model of the clamp is an extremely simplified example of capturing design intent. 

Models of real parts and assemblies are extremely complex and become more and more complex as users build design intent into the models.  It takes time to understand how the models were built and to understand the design intent.  If the user who is editing the model does not take the time to understand the model and its design intent, then edits to the model will most likely cause other features to fail when the model is rebuilt, or cause design intent to be broken.

A recent survey among SolidWorks users showed that the average user spends a large portion of his total editing time attempting to understand the model before he can even edit the model.  Some users responded that they spend more that 75% of their editing time understanding models before they can make edits.  It is also a well known fact that in some cases, users choose to completely rebuild a model from scratch instead of spending the time to understand how someone else built the model.

SolidMap does this by reading the existing feature and file interdependencies that exist within SolidWorks models.  These interdependencies are displayed by SolidMap on a graph that enables the user to quickly understand how these models were built.  As example of a graph of an assembly model is shown below.

This graph shows the interdependencies that exist between the files that are being used in this assembly.  SolidMap can also build graphs like this to show the mate relationships s that exist between the parts in the assembly.  In addition, SolidMap can show the parent/child relationships between features in a part as well as the detailed relationships between features that are created through sketch relations and associative parameters within the part.

It should be noted that the issues previously described are not in any way associated to SolidWorks.  All 3D modeling applications that enable users to build feature based solid models create the same level of complexity.  As a matter of fact, it has been shown in various benchmarks that SolidWorks is one of the most user friendly solid modeling applications on the market.

The survey also showed that after the survey respondents viewed a demonstration movie of SolidMap, they said that on average, it would save 21% of their overall time.  This means that if they spend 4 or more hours per day inside of SolidWorks, then their investment in SolidMap pays for itself in only a few months.

How much would it mean to your organization to save 21% of everyone’s time?

In addition to time savings, SolidMap can increase collaboration among users within your organization.  With SolidMap providing an easy way to understand someone else’s models, modeling tasks can be divided according to technical expertise, or by modeling proficiency to best take advantage of individual strengths.

What is increased collaboration worth to your organization?