Introducing the HandySCAN 3D Scanner (Silver Elite Series Edition)

Today, I am going to explore the new HandySCAN 3D scanner from the Silver Elite series. This powerful scanner comes packed with proven, patented optic technology that makes it an all-in-one device for scanning parts of all shapes and sizes. You will immediately notice the quick plug-and-play setup time. The moment you hold the scanner, you’ll recognize the well-balanced, ergonomic design, making it easy to operate comfortably. The buttons are thoughtfully placed and it seems just as intuitive as VXelements, Creaform’s proprietary software. This makes it easy to wield without fumbling.

But it isn’t just comfort and ease of use that make the HandySCAN 3D scanner a revolution. By capturing 480,000 measurements a second, this scanner is the fast path to quickly go from a physical part to ready-to-use files.

Additionally, the HandySCAN 3D scanner uses seven blue (grid-formed) lasers. This lets it easily capture what are typically difficult-to-get surfaces.  The triangulation of the reflective targets provides self-positioning. This lets the scanner and the part to move, while the scanner maintains its orientation. The benefit here is that now we can capture details of the part from various angles. Possibly even more notable is the single-laser line that is useful for capturing the small details in hard-to-reach places. Having all this versatility while holding accuracies up to .0012” (.030mm) makes this scanner one of the most useful tools in both Reverse Engineering and Quality Control inspection workflows.

How Do You Get One?

I hope you are excited as I am about getting a professional-grade scanner at a truly accessible price—starting in the low $20K range. Get ready to join over 5,000 and growing users worldwide that are benefiting from this multifaceted tool in the rapidly growing industry 4.0. Please check with your local sales representative to get the best pricing including limited and introductory offers. Let’s Grow Together! Learn more about us at GoEngineer.com

Ryck Hoopes
Applications Engineer, Manufacturing Solutions
Computer Aided Technology

Improved 3D PDF Dimensions and Annotations

One of my favorite enhancements is the improvement in the display of our dimensions and other annotations. These are now viewable in the 3D views and viewports, with no data loss. This also applies to 3D PDFs showing component dimensions, feature dimensions, and DimXpert annotations.

Modify Datum for Auto Dimension Schemes

It is very common to use the Auto Dimension Scheme when you’re starting your MBD project. This tool gives us plenty of options, including Plus and Minus or Geometric Tolerancing types. For this prismatic part, we can define the datum planes by model faces. For the primary Datum, we use these four top faces together as a group. The side and bottom faces of the model will round up the selection of the Secondary and Tertiary Datums.

Next, we need to identify the model features that we want to define the tolerancing of. We do this by selecting the faces of the cuts, extrusions, and other features. Once complete, SOLIDWORKS indicates which faces are adequately toleranced with green shading.

Now, we need to modify the part design to add a boss in the middle. Looking at our tolerance status after this change, SOLIDWORKS isn’t highlighting the new geometry in green like the rest of the model.

Now, in SOLIDWORKS MBD 2023, we can edit features of items like our previously created datums. This makes it easy to add the top face of this new extrusion to the existing group of faces that represent the Primary Datum.

SOLIDWORKS MBD Wedge Feature Support

Let’s look at the cut-out at the top edge of this part. Here, we have two opposing nonparallel faces. I have some great news for you. SOLIDWORKS MBD 2023 now supports wedge features! We can use wedge geometry to define a geometric tolerance or even create a wedge datum.

Added ISO Standard Symbols

It is well known that SOLIDWORKS has a massive library of symbols. In 2022, SOLIDWORKS added additional Tolerance symbols. Well, SOLIDWORKS MBD 2023 takes this to a whole new level. You can now apply ISO 14405-1:2016 standards-based symbols to dimensions and tolerances. You can easily add these symbols straight from the symbol library, or from the Tolerance Modifier section in the DimXpert Property Manager.

MBD Helps with “Hanging” Dimensions

Here is another excellent enhancement to SOLIDWORKS MBD 2023. This machined part contains holes in overhanging geometry. It is easy to define a locating dimension to call out the vertical position of this hole. Once placed, the annotation can be difficult to interpret due to the dimension’s extension line terminating out in space.

Now, in SOLIDWORKS 2023, we have a new setting that controls the display of the dimension in this situation. In the DimXpert section of our Document Properties, we have several Display Options.

Enabling this new option for “Connect Dimension Extension Lines to Model” can make this annotation much easier to understand.

I hope this part of the What’s New series gives you a better understanding of the new features and functions of SOLIDWORKS 2023. Please check back to the CATI Blog as the CATI Application Engineers will continue to break down many of the new items in SOLIDWORKS 2023. All these articles will be stored in the category of “SOLIDWORKS What’s New.”

Greg Buter
Application Engineer Manager
Computer Aided Technology

What is Design Innovation Month?

DESIGN INNOVATION MONTH 2022 – Live Events, Webinars, Virtual Showroom, Contests

Design Innovation Month is CATI’s “What’s New in 2023” event for SOLIDWORKS, 3DEXPERIENCE, and 3D Printing & 3D Scanning technology. This year we’re going back to the future to bring you in-person events, live and on-demand webinars, demonstrations, in-depth blog posts, and prizes! Best of all, it’s free of charge! Check the DI Month Hub for all the details and to sign up for your nearest live event.

Barrel Tools

With advances in 5-axis milling, barrel cutters are making a huge comeback!

SOLIDWORKS CAM 2023 will support the addition of barrel cutters in Standard, Conical Tangent, Tapered, Lens or Advanced profiles.

Due to the large contact radius, Barrel Mills allows for a very smooth surface finish while reducing the cutting time by large margins, 90% in some cases [1].

Contact radius of ball nose mill vs contact radius of a barrell mill

Barrel Mill support in the new SOLIDWORKS CAM is going to be a game changer!

Geometry Tab

Barrel mill tooling will be a great advantage for anyone that works with 3 or more axis machining operations.  The operation parameters dialog now has another time-saving enhancement for 3-axis machining operations.

Activating a 3-axis operation in the SOLIDWORKS CAM Operation Tree, like a Z-Level Operation, we now have a Geometry tab.  The new Geometry tab allows you to define avoid or contain areas and features.

Previously, the right mouse button menu was the only way to create a contain or avoid area. Worse, you had to define them one at a time.  In 2023, we can now deal with these parameters in batch!

Lines Only

Another functionality we’re excited about in SOLIDWORKS CAM 2023 is the option to split arcs into lines only, creating a polyline.  This allows for a smoother cut than what we could get with a point-to-point arc cut.  This is a great option for those tricky 2.5 or 3-axis Volu-mill paths that need to be as continuous as possible.

You can also specify your own acceptable deviation from the arc, making sure your cut comes out true.

These enhancements to SOLIDWORKS CAM 2023 will allow for more advanced milling operations to be completed faster and with better results keeping your projects on time and in spec.  Contact our fantastic CAM team today to learn more about how integrated CAD/CAM can help grow your business.

I hope this part of the What’s New series gives you a better understanding of the new features and functions of SOLIDWORKS 2023. Please check back to the CATI Blog as the CATI Application Engineers will continue to break down many of the new items in SOLIDWORKS 2023. All these articles will be stored in the category of “SOLIDWORKS What’s New.”

Kit MacDonald
Application Engineer
Computer Aided Technology

What is Design Innovation Month?

DESIGN INNOVATION MONTH 2022 – Live Events, Webinars, Virtual Showroom, Contests

Design Innovation Month is CATI’s “What’s New in 2023” event for SOLIDWORKS, 3DEXPERIENCE, and 3D Printing & 3D Scanning technology. This year we’re going back to the future to bring you in-person events, live and on-demand webinars, demonstrations, in-depth blog posts, and prizes! Best of all, it’s free of charge! Check the DI Month Hub for all the details and to sign up for your nearest live event.

That’s where 3DEXPERIENCE Works comes in. 3DEXPERIENCE Works makes selections from the 3DEXPERIENCE portfolio to provide an easy and productive starting point for SOLIDWORKS businesses that are ready for a digital transformation.

The 3DEXPERIENCE solutions connect people in an interactive environment to securely share, collaborate, and manage data at any time and on any device while accelerating your product development process.

When you think about the future, you can expect the 3DEXPERIENCE Works portfolio to be dynamic. Therefore, you may see products added, removed, or combined as they evolve.

Within the portfolio, categories, or “domains” are the groupings for each product. As of right now, these are the current domains:

• Designer/Engineer
• Governance/Management
• Engineer/Analyst
• Manufacturing/Production

Each of these domains includes the core collaboration and product lifecycle management functionality of the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. Do note that you may see this solution presented in a couple of ways. First, you may see it as the Platform Contributor role. Alternatively, you could see it as two roles, Collaborative Business Innovator and Collaborative Industry Innovator.

3DEXPERIENCE Works Domain Breakdown

Designer/Engineer

This domain includes 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight. Something to know about these tools is that neither of them runs in the cloud. Instead, you install and run each on a local computer. Other cloud-based design and planning tools included are 3D Creator, 3D Sculptor, and Project Planner. With these roles, designers and engineers have better control over their CAD data and better visibility over the product development process.

Governance/Management

This domain includes Project Planner and Social Business Analyst. Social Business Analyst allows you to aggregate and analyze information from online sources to quickly determine trends in topics related to the user’s business.

Engineer/Analyst

This domain includes 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE STRUCTURAL roles like Structural Mechanics Engineer. Structural Mechanics Engineer provides comprehensive structural analysis to guide engineering decisions and optimize product performance while reducing reliance on expensive prototyping.

Manufacturing/Production

This domain includes 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE NC PROGRAMMING roles like NC Prismatic & Mill Turn Machine Programmer, and Production Engineer. These roles make your manufacturing more efficient, minimizing errors, preventing bottlenecks, and maximizing utilization, with complete visibility and traceability of the entire manufacturing process.

The 3DEXPERIENCE Works cloud portfolio connects your entire organization, providing the tools and platform to design, develop, manage, and manufacture in a collaborative, real-time ecosystem.

Todd Myers
Senior Application Engineer
Computer Aided Technology

“There is no information that you can put in a Drawing that you can’t put in a 3D model”

I know that will get a reaction and some of you may cry foul. It has long been commented by those opposing MBD that a Drawing is needed to completely document a part for manufacturing. The Drawing contains the standard notes, title block information including Part Number, Revision, signed approvals (authorization), dates , material specs, even a proprietary legal statement. But we can document them without a Drawing.

So can we have a single file that would integrate all the data you would but into a Drawing and the contain the 3D model? Yes, you can. You can embed all the information from a Drawing into the 3D model and have a single source of the truth for manufacturing and quality – the SLDPRT. And all the information is consumable in a in the free viewer eDrawings. The ability to document a physical part, create the toolpaths needed to manufacture, and create inspection documentation can all be had in the one SLDPRT file type. Not that I like to draw comparisons to ancient Drafting software, but this is kind of like the old days where one file had paper space and model space to define a part.

We all know that SOLIDWORKS has DimXpert to dimension a model in 3D space. I always tell people that we model for Design Intent, and we break a model into features to make it easy to edit. That means that our sketch dimensions aren’t necessarily what the manufacturing people need to see. We can document those dimensions in the 3D model with DimXpert. But that is a pretty well known capability.

So let’s focus on some of the lesser known capabilities SOLIDWORKS has to offer here like all the important information that goes into the title block. The ability to embed a Title Block came out with the introduction of MBD way back in 2015, but you don’t need a MBD license to use this function. That Title Block is going to look and behave just like you would expect. It will contain approvals, dates, and model metadata. For those of you using PDM, all the approvals and metadata will interact with 3D Title Block the same way it would on a drawing. When you couple that with the ability to add your standard note block, there is no information missing that would necessitate a Drawing. Here is what it would look like when opened in SOLIDWORKS. The Title Block and standard notes are associated with the “Notes Area” annotation view which can be set to “Show on Open”, ensuring the information is not hidden.

From a licensing standpoint, it is functionality that is embedded in all levels of SOLIDWORKS so you can experiment with this using the license you already own. The MBD license gives you the ability to organize all this data into easy to consume 3D Views. Much like the old paper Drawings had a Front, Top and Right view we can create 3D Views that have the same information in them. You can see in the screenshot above that I have multiple view icons across the bottom to represent and give quick access to those views.

All this information is consumable in the free Version of eDrawings as well. Including access to the predefined 3D Views.

I think it goes without saying that I am an advocate for Model Based Design. In fact, check out a CATI podcast where Nick, Bryan and I discuss the value of drawings and whether or not we need them in the modern world.

Just to fess up though, there are a couple of shortcomings with MBD that involve tables that can’t go into a 3D Model. The Weldment CutList, Punch List and the Hole Tables are not available for insertion into 3D. The Weldment Cutlist can be had by using a BOM though. Indented BOMs with a “Detailed Cut List” option will have the proper info as long as there is a Length column.

Hopefully, I have piqued your interest enough to investigate MBD as an option. I think you’ll see it is a comprehensive option for documenting your models without the need for a secondary file. Even SOLIDWORKS Inspection can create reports directly off the 3D!

Jay Pinheiro
Manager, Strategic Solutions
Computer Aided Technology

For a long time trying to make any large parts on an Additive Manufacturing machine has had lots of issues plaguing it. Either you get some cheap machine that you have to fight with for a long time. Doing reprint after reprint to deal with curling and warping and parts delaminating and bird-nesting on you. The other option was to buy a large industrial grade additive machine. These can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars while preventing the need to pay an engineer valuable time to tinker around with a cheaper machine.

A little while ago Stratasys came out with a better solution for a professional 3D Printer that doesn’t break the bank. Before the F770, if you wanted to print a part that was 3ft long in one print job, you would have had to use a F900 FDM print or a J4100 PolyJet printer. The F900 still provides a greater breadth of FDM material options and PolyJet 3D Printing does make sense with some applications. That said, if size is what you’re after you can use the F770 with its build area of 39.4 in X 24 in X 24 in.

The F770 has a fully heated build chamber to 3D print within a controlled environment, preventing any warping or curling issues. It has the reliability and repeatability demanded of any Stratasys level 3D printer. You can print your part that is over 3ft long and 2ft wide with the peace of mind of coming back to the machine after a day or 2 of printing to find a finished, high quality part.

The F770 can be very useful for building large functional jigs and fixtures for use in manufacturing and the factory floor. Without many limitations for part size, you can print life sized fixtures out of ABS or ASA plastics, in one piece, to be immediately used.

3D printed parts when and where required on demand.

The ability of additive manufacturing to replace assemblies is just one of the technology’s many advantages. Probably the most important efficiency-enhancing capability within supply chains is its ability to enable virtual inventories and a digital (for the most part) rather than physical supply chain. Many manufacturers have encountered the situation where a tool or fixture gets damaged and needs to be replaced ASAP. There used to be two main options for this issue. The first would be to have an extra one already paid for and sitting in inventory incase the need arises. The other is to try and get a rush order through another company to get one made and pay for the expedited service, if it’s even available. Now, there is a third option. You can pull the file from your digital inventory and 3D print on demand to have the needed parts remade as soon as possible. With a 3D printer the part will be rebuilt with a hands-off method in-house and can be redone only as much as necessary. That’s not to mention rapid prototyping or all of the other great uses you could see.

Tim Crennen
Sr. Applications Engineer
Computer Aided Technology

In SOLIDWORKS 2021 and previous however, we only had the ability to add a limited number of supported features and could not combine mesh bodies with traditional solid bodies.

We would need to create our traditional SOLIDWORKS BREP bodies and then convert them to mesh BREP bodies to then combine or subtract them from our imported mesh bodies.

With the release of SOLIDWORKS 2022, we can now combine mesh BREP and traditional SOLIDWORKS BREP geometries with no conversions or extra steps.

Let’s see what this means in the following workflows, starting with SOLIDWORKS 2021 and comparing to SOLIDWORKS 2022.

Hybrid Modeling in SOLIDWORKS 2021

Step 1: Import STL File.

Step 2: Sketch area you would like to remove from the mesh geometry and Extrude making sure to NOT merge bodies.

Step 3: Convert new SOLIDWORKS BREP geometry to mesh geometry.

Step 4: Use the Combine command to subtract the two mesh bodies.

Now, let’s do the same thing using the new workflow in SOLIDWORKS 2022.

Hybrid Modeling in SOLIDWORKS 2022

Step 1: Import STL File.

Step 2: Sketch area you would like to remove from the mesh geometry and use a traditional Cut Extrude.

And that’s it!

Tech Tip: Notice the Cut-Extrude1 feature left a combination of SOLIDWORKS BREP faces and the original mesh BREP geometry.

This geometry can then be used for mating in assemblies or saved back out to STL format for 3D printing, making working with mesh geometries easier than ever.

I hope this part of the What’s New series gives you a better understanding of the new features and functions of SOLIDWORKS 2022. Please check back to the CATI Blog as the CATI Application Engineers will continue to break down many of the new items in SOLIDWORKS 2022. All these articles will be stored in the category of “SOLIDWORKS What’s New.”

Jordan Puentes
Sr. Application Engineer
Computer Aided Technology

What is Design Innovation Month?

DESIGN INNOVATION MONTH 2021 – Webinars, Virtual Showroom, Contests
Design Innovation Month is CATI’s massive “What’s New in 2022” event for SOLIDWORKS, 3DEXPERIENCE, and 3D printing & 3D scanning technology.  That’s six weeks of live and on-demand webinars, demonstrations, in-depth blog posts, and prizes!  Best of all, it’s free of charge!  Check the DI Month Hub for all the details and to sign up for your next event. 

DimXpert Dimensions or MBD Dimensions

The first critical difference is that we want to start with end consumption in mind, can we leverage 3D Data somewhere downstream in our process? Can we automate steps in the process for our CNC, 3D Scanner, or some other tool that can interpret 3D Dimensional Data? So, we need to start with adding dimensions and annotations directly to the 3D model geometry using DimXpert.

DimXpert dimensions have actually been in SOLIDWORKS since 2008. To use DimXpert we simply add dimensions directly to model faces in a similar fashion to how we add dimensions in drawings. We can even use powerful Auto Dimensioning Schemes to help us automate the process. There are options for Part Type, Tolerance, and patterning dimensions. We even have the ability to check our model for Tolerance Status or even use TolAnalyst.

So DimXpert is the foundation of SOLIDWORKS MBD, a similar method to add dimensions but slightly different. It’s not even really part of the SOLIDWORKS MBD license. Any user can create these dimensions.

As far as toolpaths go, we’d be fine to run with just DimXpert if our toolpath tools understand native SOLIDWORKS files with DimXpert dimensions. In fact, SOLIDWORKS CAM can use those dimensions against rules-based machining to automate G-Code creation. But let’s say I want to interact with some other software that can’t interpret DimXpert. Or what if I want to send my requirements to an outside vendor that I don’t want to have access to my native SOLIDWORKS design intent?

Exporting STEP 242 Files

Instead of re-creating the CAD geometry in another program, SOLIDWORKS MBD allows us to export out STEP 242 files. These are just a newer version of the STEP format that include Product Manufacturing Information (PMI). With a STEP 242 file we can send our vendors a neutral file clear of our design intent. The file still includes all of the relevant PMI that their CNC program needs to automate the G-Code creation.

So SOLIDWORKS MBD’s first true slight difference is the ability to get PMI data in a neutral file format that a toolpath or inspection software can use and understand via a STEP 242.

Creation of 3D Views

If all we need to do is trust our PMI is correct and there’s no need to organize this information we’re all set. But let’s be honest, looking at a model with a bunch of PMI data is annoyingly complex. So, probably the most important feature of SOLIDWORKS MBD is the ability to create 3D Views.

3D Views are reminiscent of traditional drawing views. To create them we select specific annotation views we want to see and orient the model in our viewport and select ‘Capture 3D View’. We can capture multiple unique 3D Views to help us easily digest this PMI data. We can even make these views configuration specific, create section views, or even a break view.

The beauty of 3D views is we can rapidly switch between the views quickly with a double click. SOLIDWORKS MBD applies all the pertinent view information, configuration changes, and re-orients the model.  You don’t even have to have a SOLIDWORKS MBD license to use these views! The 3D Views are stored with model information and available for use with any SOLIDWORKS CAD license. If you don’t have a SOLIDWORKS MBD license there are a few differences. You can see 3D Views and you can switch between them, but you can’t change or update views.

The power of 3D Views are critical, they are what make all this PMI information understandable by us mere mortals and makes SOLIDWORKS MBD feel less different than the drawings we’re used to.

Exporting Data via 3D PDFs and eDrawings

Now if all we ever want to do is create consumable content for our SOLIDWORKS community we’re done. But what if we need PDFs for our Purchasing team? Or maybe we have approvers who use eDrawings to review content instead of using up a SOLIDWORKS license.

SOLIDWORKS MBD has a 3D PDF Template Editor to build our own style of drawing which gives us the ability to export data as 3D PDFs. These 3D PDFs are consumable by anyone with Adobe Reader.

They are interactive, dynamic and bring a whole new meaning to the word clarity. Dimensions cross-highlight, users can zoom, rotate, and pan. During the export we even have the option to automatically create a STEP 242 file that can be embedded right within the 3D PDF. All the right information is together in one file for our vendor. Users can even measure if we forgot a dimension instead of interrupting our day.  And for added security if we don’t want users to measure at all we could also export to eDrawings. Users can still navigate our design with the ease and clarity of a 3D PDF all for free as well.

SOLIDWORKS MBD Summary

With SOLIDWORKS MBD we export easier to understand more relevant data for others with 3D PDFs and eDrawings in a similar manner to drawings, just slightly different.

SOLIDWORKS MBD isn’t exactly like SOLIDWORKS drawings but it’s not completely different either. It’s a tool that allows us to use a workflow that focuses on our end goals, where we export out data that others can actually use, while simplifying the chaos for us along the way. Everything is all focused around what we care about most: the original model we want made right.

Brandon Nelms
Application Engineer Manager
Computer Aided Technology

So, what exactly is PrimeTurning and how can you start using it?

First, let’s break down what it is, and how it works. At it’s core, PrimeTurning is a completely new way of performing turning operations that can result in 50% reduced cycle times and a more than 500% increased tool life vs conventional turning methods. Think of it as the VoluMill of Turning.

The PrimeTurning methodology revolves around using specially designed tooling, combined with toolpaths that can cut in any direction which make it possible to achieve smaller entry angles and typically 2 to 3 times faster feed rates than conventional turning. PrimeTurning utilizes the CoroTurn Type-A Turn Inserts for Finishing operations and the Type-B Turn Inserts for Roughing operations.

Combine these specialized tools with the ability for the tool to cut “in reverse” and move away from the chuck as it cuts, and you have the basis of this new technology.

So how do you get access to this new PrimeTurning functionality in CAMWorks?

First, you’ll need to download and install the new CAMWorks 2021Plus version. This can be found in the Downloads Area on www.camworks.com.

TechTip: PrimeTurning does require an additional license module to access. If you already own CAMWorks 2021 or a previous version and you’re interested in upgrading to CAMWorks 2021Plus for PrimeTurning, contact CATI or your local VAR to see if you already have access to it or how you can get it.

Once you’ve installed CAMWorks 2021Plus, you will have access to over 80 PrimeTurning Tools pre-loaded into the TechDB which you can then add to your CAMWorks Tool Crib or select manually per operation.

Tech Tip: When adding a CoroTurn Prime Tool, select Turn Tool as the Tool Type and Filter By: Turn Insert Type > Prime Insert.

You can then program your turned part in CAMWorks like you would any other turned part.

Once you’ve created your Roughing or Finishing Operation you can assign your Prime Insert Tool and Edit Definition.

On the Turn Rough or Turn Finish tabs, you can select your Method as Prime Turning.

Tech Tip: This is also the location where you can set your cut direction as Reverse to achieve the cutting motion away from the chuck.

You will also have access to a new Prime Turning tab specifically for your PrimeTurning operation settings.

The last step will be to dial in your Feeds and Speeds. If you don’t know where to start, you can check the CAMWorks Help for starting values per Insert and Material.

If you have any questions about getting started or even if PrimeTurning is right for you, contact CATI or your local VAR. We’d be glad to help.

Jordan Puentes
Sr. Application Engineer, CSWE
Computer Aided Technology

As we have learned in SOLIDWORKS CAM Essentials we start with a sketch or an import body, however the sketch needs to be started on the front plane. The sketch can only contain lines and arcs, but splines are not supported, and the axis must vertical and centerline needs be at 0,0. Ref Lesson 9.

SOLIDWORKS CAM or CAMWorks calculates the Toolpath like End Mills, whereas the side is calculating Cut Diameter as noted in the SOLIDWORKS CAM Essentials.

If the sketch is correct the preview will show up after selecting USER DEFINED TOOL/HOLDER. There are two areas we should look at:

File Type: Mill Tool (.mt), Mill Holder (.mh) and Turn Insert (.cwtt)

File Name: This location is where the user define Tool will be saved.  Keep in mind there could be several locations used, however if you are sharing these Tools.

I would suggest saving all user defined tools to a network location.

Now that we have created a user defined tooling, lets go to the update TechDB when you update from 2020 to 2021 and your USER DEFINED TOOLING.

After updating let’s look at what happens with your path for USER DEFINED TOOLING.

As you can see the path is not changed to the new directory of CAMWorks / SOLIDWORKS CAM, this could be confusing because you are running 2021 but the path is still in 2020. This path is not changed to the newer version, which is confusing.  We suggest loading them in 1 location on a network drive to allow consistency.

What happens if there are many locations for USER DEFINED TOOLS?  I have added some tools to help you manage the path for each user defined tool.

There is no option setting defining the path, the user will need to reselect the path to each user defined tool. If the user has a significantly large number of user defined tools, does not want to reselect each path separately, they can use a free database tool such as “DB Browser” from Microsoft to open the tech database file “TechDB.cwdb”, and go to the table “in_MillUDTool”. This table will display the path for each tool. Here the user can copy paste the new path in the “ToolName” column.

Why is this important?

If each user references the same user defined tools, once defined within the TechDB, then every user accessing the same TechDB will reference the same tool.

The WIP is computed from the toolpath based on the tools used in each preceding operation. If an operation is using a user defined tool, then the WIP will be based on the shape of the user defined tool.

In this Blog I have given the user a splash of the Lesson 9 in SOLIDWORKS CAM Essentials for USER DEFINED Tooling creation, the purpose of this Blog is to help manage the paths when updating versions and if there are multiple users creating USER DEFINED Tooling to help create consistency.

I hope with these tips, you will be able to understand the process and what happens when updating versions. If you have any further questions about CAMWorks / SOLIDWORKS CAM, please reach out to us.

Ronnie Flaugh
Technical Support / Cam Specialist
Computer Aided Technology