Archive for January, 2011

Graphic design is a “form of fine art that uses text and images creatively to communicate and present information.” Graphic design refers to a “number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation.” The artistic capabilities of humans have been displayed for many centuries. We have recognized the fact that an artistically made object draws responses and attention from viewers. A good graphic design is one that is able to induce emotions, convey feelings, and transfer knowledge easily. Good designs enable us to easily read signs and schematics that we usually see around us. This fact has been recognized as an important aspect in advertising products to attract more customers and be able to sell goods and services. Because of this, graphic design is now a multi-million dollar industry. Graphic design has also been used in innovations in modern industrial technology.

Another clever idea to promote products is by the use of 3D catalogs. They are marketing tools to impress prospective customers and make them try your products. It might make them come back again because of the good quality of your work. If you produce products of high quality, it will be very helpful if you are able to advertise them in an attractive way and artistic way. It would be a waste of your efforts if no one gives interest to what you do. Aside from using printed materials for your advertisements, it would also be very helpful for you to explore the advantages that 3D catalog and 3D animation can do to achieve maximum impact to the attention of your customers.

A convenient way for developing multimedia contents, technical illustrations, interactive 3D animations, and many more is 3DVIA. It provides an “interactive development of technical documentation on the basis of engineering CAD-models of products.” It is composed of features and functionalities that appeal to a variety of users. It enables them to create technical documents and 2D and 3D materials. 3DVIA is very useful in sales, in marketing, in maintenance and repair, and in other areas and aspects of company processes. It increases visibility and product quality because of its features such as the ability to create technical illustrations, videos, and interactive 3D materials. By using 3DVIA, a considerable amount of time and money is saved when changes are necessary for a product because it becomes easier to do reworks and make updates in the product documentation.

An old adage states that a picture is worth a thousand words. Then how much more words, feelings, and emotions can a 3D catalog convey? Animations are the “visual answers to why and how.” They clearly show things that are hard to demonstrate in real life.

References

• “Catalog Graphic Design.” Alibaba.com. Alibaba, 2011. Web. 24 Jan. 2011.
• cipachao. “3DVia Composer 2010 V6R2010x HF4 v6.5.4.1471 for Windows 32/64 bit.” SoloVagos.com. Jelsoft Enterprises Limited, 23 Jan. 2011. Web. 24 Jan. 2011.
• Deborah Corn. “Vision 3 Summit Offers Cross-Media, Direct Marketing Tips.” PrintMediaCentr. PrintMediaCentr, 24 Jan. 2011. Web. 25 Jan. 2011.
• “General Information about Graphic Design.” Curry Guide. Curry Guide, 2009. Web. 24 Jan. 2011.
• High Impact. High Impact Incorporated, 2011. Web. 24 Jan. 2011.
• ladie1. “Great Marketing Idea, Poor Execution: Barneys’ 3D Online Catalog.” Ladies’ Geek Journal. Ladies’ Geek Journal, 3 Sep. 2010. Web. 24 Jan. 2011.
• Web Promotion.com. Web Promotion, 2010. Web. 24 Jan. 2011.
• “What’s New in Graphic Design Today.” ZeroOneZero. Dynamic Digital Advertising, 2004. Web. 24 Jan. 2011.

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Assembly drawings, or mechanical assembly drawings, are “drawings detailing an engineering perspective view on a mechanism or physical, real-world-built object that is comprised of more than one part.” Assembly drawings are very useful for engineers who are dealing with complex mechanical devices. Creating assembly drawings have become improved with the recent improvements in 2D CAD drafting and detailing software. It is very vital that designs are visualized accurately and precisely so that the manufacturing stage will become successful and safer and the maintenance stage will become easier.

2D drafting and detailing is “an important aspect of any CAD tool.” The speed of creating 2D CAD drawings is a matter of great importance especially for projects that have 2D drawing end-results (aside from the fact that 2D CAD drawings are far easier to handle than paper design models). Detailing is an important part of any project, and it must be handled by professionals. Detailing and drafting services are very important in a potpourri of industries, and it is very important that drawings are easily understood by people who will use them. An improperly made drawing results to an increase in unnecessary overhead expenses.

If you are in a company that needs 2D drawings for your projects, it is better if you outsource your works to a company that is very competent in the expertise that you need. In that way, you can work harder for your specialty because other professionals are there to take care of your other needs. The technologies that they use are frequently being updated to improve the quality of their works. The resources it takes to manage your employees are lessened. This shows that outsourcing is a profitable economical solution. An outsourcing company that has demonstrated years of experience and has produced output of the finest quality in a timely manner is the best option for a client that values reliability, high quality, and time. Such outsourcing company has the capability to produce designs efficiently and without errors. A carefully planned and analyzed design prevents unnecessary costs to the people who will use it. As a conclusion, entrusting your detailing and drafting projects to professionals who have the capabilities to do them competently reduces your cost and improves your productivity despite tough economic conditions.

References

• “2D Drafting & Detailing.” TurboCAD. IMSI/Design, 2011. Web. 17 Jan. 2011.
• “Architectural Drafting and Detailing (CAD) Services.” Supremus Group. Supremus Group, 2006. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.
• “Assembly Drawings Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Services Datasheets.” GlobalSpec. GlobalSpec, 2011. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.
• Drafting Simplified. “Structural Drafting and Detailing Services for Timber, Steel, Concrete and Prefabricated Materials.” ActiveRain. ActiveRain, 8 Sept. 2008. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.
• Ketan Poojara. “CAD Outsource Services, Structural 2D Drafting & Steel Detailing Services, Structural Engineering Services.” ArticlesBase. ArticlesBase, 23 Feb. 2010. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.
• “Outsource Architectural Drafting & Architectural Detailing (CAD).” Flatworld Solutions. Flatworld Solutions, 2010. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.
• “Piping Design & Drafting.” Detail Drafting and Design. Detail Drafting and Design, 2011. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.
• “Post-Tension Concrete Drafting, Post Tensioned Design Detailing in CAD.” PRBD. PRBD, 14 July 2010. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.
• PrimeDesign Corporation. PrimeDesign Corporation, 2009. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.
• “Structural Drafting – Structural Engineering Services.” Outsource Structural Drafting. Outsource Structural Drafting, 2010. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.
• “When Your Business Is Running 24X7, You Need Optimum Means to Maximize Your Productivity and Profits.” RAD Solutions. RAD Solutions, 2006. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.

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In a manufacturing Industy  producing a certain unit or product ,BOM is used for communication between manufacturing partners or confined to a single manufacturing plant containing  all components Description,Part Number, Quantity, Materials, etc..If there are many Sub-assembly, It is easy to have BOM in excel file to display  all the parts in  the assembly for easy navigation of components.
In Solidworks, there are templates for computed BOMS, weldment BOMs, and weldment cut lists. Each BOM template can have different data variables displayed in the BOM columns depends on the needs of the user. Just insert all the property or data need before saving as excel file.
For example, a BOM for engineers or designers might have the following columns:

• Part Number
• Description
• Part Number
• Quantity
• Material

A BOM for purchasing managers might have the following columns:

• Vendor
• Cost
• Material
• Part Name
• Part Number
• Quantity
• Unit of Measure

From the Bom Created in Solidworks  just Single Click the BOM so it is selected and then go to file-Save As ( or right-click on the BOM and choose Save As.) . Select save as file type Excel (.xls.).

• Wyatt, William G. Accessing AutoCAD Architecture 2011. 1st ed. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2010.
• Wohlers, Terry T. Applying AutoCAD 2010. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, c2010.
• Wohlers, Terry T. Applying AutoCAD 2011. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2011.
• Madsen, David A., Ron Palma, and David F. Madsen. Architectural Drafting Using AutoCAD: Drafting/Design/Presentation: AutoCAD 2010. 6th ed. Tinley Park, Illinois: Goodheart-Willcox, 2010.
• Aubin, Paul F., Darryl McClelland, and Martin Schmid. The Aubin Academy Master Series: AutoCAD MEP 2011. 1st ed. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2010.
• Hamad, Munir M. AutoCAD 2010 Essentials. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett, 2011.
• Kirkpatrick, James M., and Beverly L. Kirkpatrick. AutoCAD 2010 for Interior Design & Space Planning. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2009.
• Richard, Paul, Frank E. Puerta, and Jim Fitzgerald. AutoCAD 2010 in 2D and 3D: A Modern Perspective. Boston: Prentice Hall, c2010.
• Puerta, Frank E. AutoCAD 2010 in 3D: A Modern Perspective. Boston: Prentice Hall, c2010.
• Kalameja, Alan J. AutoCAD 2010 Tutor for Engineering Graphics. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, c2010.
• Hamad, Munir M. AutoCAD 2011: Essentials. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2010.
• Hamad, Munir. AutoCAD 2011 3D Modeling Essentials. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2010.
• Gladfelter, Donnie. AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011: No Experience Required. 1st ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, c2010.
• Finkelstein, Ellen, Kelly L Murdock, and Denny Guang-Yeu Lee. AutoCAD 2011 & AutoCAD LT 2011 Bible. 1st ed. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley, 2010.
• Hamad, Munir M. AutoCAD 2011 Essentials. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, c2011.
• Kirkpatrick, Beverly L., and James M. Kirkpatrick. Autocad 2011 for Interior Design and Space Planning. 1st ed. Columbus, OH: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2010.
• Puerta, Frank E. AutoCAD 2011 in 3D: A Modern Perspective. 1st ed. Columbus, OH: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2010.
• Kalameja, Alan J., and Kevin Lang. Autocad 2011 Tutor for Engineering Graphics. 1st ed. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2010.
• Shumaker, Terence M., et al. AutoCAD and Its Applications. 17th ed. Tinley Park, Illinois: Goodheart-Willcox Company, 2010.
• Shumaker, Terence M., David A. Madsen, and Jeffery A. Laurich. AutoCAD and Its Applications. 18th ed. Tinley Park, Illinois: The Goodheart-Willcox Company, 2011.
• Ward, Harry O., and Nancy S. Orem. AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010: Procedures and Applications. Boston: Pearson, c2010.
• Byrnes, David, Peter Jaret, and Barbara Schenck. AutoCAD ‘x’ for Dummies. 1st ed. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley, 2010.
• Tickoo, Sham. Customizing AutoCad 2010. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, c2010.
• Tickoo, Sham. Customizing AutoCAD 2011. 1st ed. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2010.
• Seidler, Douglas R. Digital Drawing for Designers: A Visual Guide to Autocad 2011. New York: Fairchild Books, c2010.
• Dix, Mark, and Paul Riley. Discovering AutoCAD 2010. Boston: Prentice Hall, c2010.
• Dix, Mark, and Paul Riley. Discovering AutoCAD 2011. 1st ed. Columbus, OH: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2010.
• Bethune, James D. Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD(r) 2011. 1st ed. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall, 2011.
• Krishnan, G.V., and Thomas Stellman. Harnessing AutoCAD 2010. 1st ed. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2010.
• Krishnan, G.V., and Thomas A. Stellman. Harnessing AutoCAD 2011. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2010.
• Krishnan, G.V., and Thomas A. Stellman. Harnessing AutoCAD 2011. 1st ed. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2010.
• Grabowski, Ralph. The Illustrated AutoCAD 2010 Quick Reference. Clifton Park, NY: Cengage Learning, c2010.
• Grabowski, Ralph. The Illustrated AutoCAD 2011 Quick Reference. 1st ed. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2010.
• Richard, Paul, and Jim Fitzgerald. Introduction to AutoCAD 2010: A Modern Perspective. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2010.
• Richard, Paul, and Jim Fitzgerald. Introduction to AutoCAD(r) 2011: A Modern Perspective. 1st ed. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall, 2011.
• Omura, George. Mastering AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Technology, c2010.
• Aubin, Paul F. Mastering AutoCAD Architecture 2010. Clifton Park, NY: Autodesk Press/Delmar Cengage Learning, c2010.
• Wedding, James, and Scott McEachron. Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Technology, c2010.
• Omura, George. Mastering AutoCAD for the Mac. 1st ed. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Technology, ©2011.
• Laughlin, Robin. Presentation Graphics: Freehand and Using AutoCAD. 1st ed. New York, NY: Fairchild Books, 2010.
• Smith, Douglas, and Antonio Ramirez. Technical Drawing 101 with AutoCAD(r): A Multidisciplinary Curriculum for the First Semester. 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall, 2011.
• Gindis, Elliot. Up and Running with AutoCAD 2010. Boston: Academic, c2010.
• Gindis, Elliot. Up and Running with AutoCAD 2011: 2D and 3D Drawing and Modeling. Boston : Academic Press, c2011.
• Gindis, Elliot. Up and Running with AutoCAD 2011: 2D Drawing and Modeling. Boston: Academic Press, 2010.
• Grabowski, Ralph. Update Guide to AutoCAD 2010: What’s Inside? Clifton Park, NY: Autodesk/Cengage Learning, c2010.
• Grabowski, Ralph. Using AutoCAD 2011. 1st ed. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2010.
• Koser, Gary, and Dean Zirwas. Workplace Skills for Success with AutoCAD 2010: Advanced: A Layered Learning Approach. Boston: Prentice Hall, c2010.
• Koser, Gary, and Dean Zirwas. Workplace Skills for Success with AutoCAD 2010: Basics: A Layered Learning Approach. Boston: Prentice Hall, c2010.
• Koser, Gary, and Dean Zirwas. Workplace Skills for Success with AutoCAD 2010: Basics Through Advanced: A Layered Learning Approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, c2010.
• Koser, Gary, and Dean Zirwas. Workplace Skills for Success with AutoCAD 2011: Basics. 1st ed. Columbus, OH: Prentice Hall, 2010.

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Design Automation

Paul Gimbel provided in SlideShare website some few things about automation that each designer should know:¹

• 100% automation is generally unachievable.
• Typically, the last 10% of automation will not be worth it.
• Something you didn’t plan for will always come up.
• Your drawings are probably going to require clean-up.
• Testing will take you far longer than you expect.
• Your system will require ongoing maintenance and updates.

Design automation is a time-saver that is used to reduce the design cycle time by providing consistency and repeatability, which are two things that are essential in capturing and sharing efficient design methods. Design automation results to a quicker development and a shorter time to market which in turn results to a reduced total design cycle time and an increase in profitability.⁴

Design Automation with SolidWorks Macros and API

The SolidWorks API (Application Programmer’s Interface) is a “group of functions that provides direct access to SolidWorks functionality.” Examples of such functionalities are creation of a line, extruding a boss, or outputting a file format. The SolidWorks API is the gateway to the automation of repetitive tasks such as batch plotting, custom property access, or assembly “configurators.” [5]

A page in DesignPoint Solutions provides some examples of what SolidWorks API can do:⁵

• Creating an application that can take any sheet metal part, generate its flat pattern and output it as a DXF file for use in a manufacturing environment
• Creating an application that can take all the drawings associated with a project and can print them at one time with no user interaction
• Creating an application that controls the custom properties of a part within the company standards that you define
• Creating an application that would take the input of a sales person, build a custom design and automatically generate an eDrawing of the new product for delivery to the customer
• Creating an application that could access any project, query the design, generate a Bill of Materials and output it in a format suitable for MRP integration
• Creating an application that could generate a custom hole chart based on a coordinate system and any part

Macro information is the “recording of the modeling commands sequence or the modeling history.”² SolidWorks macros are un-compiled “programs written in Visual Basic for Applications, VBA for short,” although it can also be programmed using any software that supports COM (Component Object Model). VBA is the “most common COM-supporting development environment.” To save time, macros are used to simplify or automate tasks that are constantly being repeated.³

The words “macro” and “API” are sometimes used interchangeably. The difference lies in their nature. APIs are compiled programs, such as add-ins or some external executables, while macros are un-compiled programs.³

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