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Configuring a Sample HVAC

Products in the HVAC industry are often very specific and custom, and that’s where HVAC manufacturers can benefit from the power of a product configurator.

When designing an HVAC system, it is important to gather as much information as possible to meet the needs and the specifications of the facility.

Having the ability to engage with a customer in the design of the system with a product configurator such as DriveWorks can give your business a competitive advantage.

The DriveWorks Live websitehas many examples showing the latest DriveWorks technology.

Anyone can use these online configurators that were created using DriveWorks software.

In this blog, we’re using one of the examples and following the quick and easy steps to configure a custom HVAC.

With the latest version of DriveWorks, our team have added more 3D capability to bring the HVAC configurator to life.

Im going to step through a series of options to specify the size of my HVAC. Ill make my selection from the options provided.

With every change I make and every option I select, DriveWorks software is working in the background to update the model on screen, update selections and show an up to date price throughout.

Once I’ve completed my selections, DriveWorks will create all the manufacturing details automatically.

That includes the SOLIDWORKS 3D parts, assemblies and drawings, cut lists, BOM and much more.

Multiple Modules and Components

The HVAC configurator on DriveWorks Live is a strong example of adding and configuring multiple modules and components of an assembly together in DriveWorks.

The configurator steps through the different modules that make up the entire HVAC unit.

Notes within the different steps and modules help support a guided selling environment that a customer or salesperson can easily follow to make their configuration choices.

Each module will be configured on its own as part of the larger unit.

We will encounter multiple forms, rules and layers of design automation at work in this example.

Defined parameters and strong rules built in the background in DriveWorks are doing the heavy lifting.

Although we can’t see it, there is a lot going on with the design of this system in the back end once the entries have been made in the front end of the tool.

Dynamic Form Controls

The configurator makes it easy to design the HVAC unit, walking through the design step by step.

First, we need to set some specifications on the capacity and calculation of the airflow of the unit.

As forms define the user interface of a DriveWorks configurator, we will see various ways these are set up as we work through this example.

We choose our connection type in this first step by clicking on the options (screwed vs. flanged) and then use a slider tool to determine the airflow.

The system configuration will be updated as we move into our next steps.

Generation Tasks

Once we have established our connection and capacity, we must now begin to add the different modules to the HVAC Unit.

Working through the simple dashboard of HVAC modules that have been created, we choose the modules we want to add one at a time by clicking on the image.

Once a module is chosen, a new set of DriveWorks form controls appear that are relevant to that module.

Changes are applied immediately when we add the module to our assembly and the price is also updated.

The choices we make on these forms are driving a brand-new design of this component because of rules that have been added in the background.

With DriveWorks Generation Tasks, we can add and configure the 6 separate modules individually to make up the larger HVAC unit assembly.

Specify Design Requirements

As we work through each of the 6 modules, we must specify the design requirements that we want for each module.

There are DriveWorks dynamic forms in place for each module. DriveWorks form controls are completely customizable so you can adapt and skin them to match your own branding, style and business needs.

In this case, the forms are mostly designed as a slider tool. In both the Fan Module as well as the Humidifier Module, we use the slider tool to choose the dimensions of the units.

Forms and rules work together in DriveWorks. The inputs of the forms are driven by the rules that have been created in the background.

The model and price are continuously updated. This automation happens throughout the configuration.

Order Review and Submit

As we complete the design of the HVAC unit, we can now review all the modules that have been added to our design.

This configuration summary page provides the list of the modules as well as the cost, dimensions, and description for each of them.

The configurator has been designed so that you can go back a step and make a change if needed the change is then reflected in the model and the summary.

Automated Documents

DriveWorks also creates custom sales and manufacturing documentation for your order.

We can view the Bill of Materials and Quote for this order by clicking on the buttons in the configuration summary.

The quote provides a summary of the modules ordered during design as well as the cost for the order.

Once the order is confirmed and submitted, DriveWorks immediately starts generating the assemblies and a fully dimensioned drawing for review and for use in manufacturing.

All of this automation is a huge time saving for engineering. This fully automated process reduces errors, improves quality and allows product engineers and designers to focus on other areas of the business.

DriveWorks can easily pass information to and from 3rd party systems. This is possible as DriveWorks is built on its own fully documented API.

This makes it easy to integrate DriveWOrks with any of your company systems such as a CRM or ERP system.

Drawings

In addition to receiving the order information and associated business documents, DriveWorks also automatically creates the SOLIDWORKS models for the HVAC unit and the detailed dimensioned drawings.

As the rules, logic and engineering knowledge have already been entered into DriveWorks,manufacturing can begin without engineers checking every detail and making changes to the design.

The drawings are labelled for easy identification. Below is an example of the fan module drawing that we configured in DriveWorks.

You can see that it has the part numbers as well as the descriptions for each part listed in the table on the drawing.

Having both the SOLIDWORKS models and drawings fully automated by DriveWorks, we have reduced the number of engineering hours needed every time a new order is made.

In addition to this, as the models are updated by DriveWorks, it also reduces the number of errors as well as expedited our time to manufacturing and meeting the customers needs.

Flexible, Scalable and Easy to Use

DriveWorks is versatile, fully customisable and easy to use so you can build a product configurator that suits your needs.

This HVAC configurator is just one example of how DriveWorks can be used and shows just some of the functionality available.

Have a go with this example, and see the many other product and industry examples at www.driveworkslive.com

Once you’ve explored how DriveWorks looks from the front end, head to the Technology section to take a look under the hood at the underlying technology inside DriveWorks and the functionality used to build a Design Automation and Sales Configurator solution.

New Tech Talks Series

DriveWorks 21 New Feature Focus

Tech Talks combines the most popular and most valuable features of other DriveWorks events. It puts a focus on DriveWorks technology and takes a deep dive into specific topics.

In these technical focused webinars, our experts share their knowledge and discuss a variety of topics, features and functionality. Each session includes a live Q&A so you can get your questions answered.

Weve listened to feedback from users who cannot always attend live events. Following the session, Tech Talks will be available in the DriveWorks Learning Portal for you to access and watch anytime.

Tech Talks are exclusive events for DriveWorks Pro Customers with Active Subscription, DriveWorks Value-Added Resellers and Authorized DriveWorks Partners.

In these New Feature Focus Tech Talks sessions, our team will put a spotlight on the new features and functionality added to our latest release, DriveWorks 21. Delving further into the new features, what they are, why we added them, and how you can use them.

We’ve already hosted some sessions, and they’re now available to watch on-demand in the DriveWorks Learning Portal.

DriveWorks 21 New Feature Focus

Register to join our experts as they explore the new features in DriveWorks 21 and how to use them.

Forms

Thursday, July 20th

Single Sign On

Thursday, August 17th

CPQ

Thursday, September 21st

Lambda

Thursday, October 19th

3D

Thursday, November 16th

PDF Integration

Thursday, December 14th

Phil Gilbanks Headshot

Written by Phil Gilbanks – DriveWorks Key Account Manager

As a member of the DriveWorks team since 2009, I managed our Technical Support Team for 5 years before moving into our Channel Team to work with Resellers and some of our Key Accounts around the world.
As a business, we stay close to users, learn what they want to be able to do, and then share best practices on how to get the most from the software.

Exploring New Functionality in DriveWorks 21

Innovation and continuous improvement underpin our approach to software development. As each new version gets closer to release, we all use the new functionality as part of our testing and QA process. I think it’s also well known that we use DriveWorks at DriveWorks to automate our business. We like to stay one step ahead.

Exploring the latest functionality is important in my role. I always make sure that I really understand the impact and benefits of each new release so I can share that knowledge.

Benefits of New Functionality

DriveWorks 21 includes significant enhancements to our underlying Forms Technology and User Experience capabilities. I wanted to make sure I was ahead of the curve, ready to share, and ready to answer questions.

I started with an existing configurator (the watch) that’s on our online demo site and opened it up in DriveWorks 21. As expected it worked straight away. However, as DriveWorks 21 allows modern web styling to be directly applied to DriveWorks Form Controls using CSS (cascading style sheets), I wanted to see what more I could do. My goal was to create a project that looked exactly the same. I didn’t want to have to re-design everything, I just wanted to compare the differences and measure the benefits. I was delighted that the result was faster loading times and less downloaded data required.

Key benefits were:

  • Fewer clicks when getting started
  • Faster implementation
  • Enhanced performance
  • Better user experience

About the New Features

There were two DriveWorks 21 features that I wanted to take advantage of.

Firstly DriveWorks Picture Box Controls now support the SVG file format. SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) files are great for use on the web. Using vector images as opposed to raster images (such as PNGs or JPEGs) means they can be enlarged without pixelating and have lower file sizes meaning faster loading times for your projects!

Secondly, the ability to apply CSS styling to DriveWorks Form Controls.

CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, is commonly used to style elements on a web page. DriveWorks 21’s unified web-based form technology also ensures the behavior and appearance between desktop and web applications is consistent. We can now apply CSS to controls and see the results in real-time in DriveWorks Administrator.

Although it was possible to style controls with CSS in DriveWorks 20, you would only see the results when running the project in a browser so styling controls with CSS took time going back and forth to check the results.

Now with the new forms technology, you can modify the CSS and the results are visible inside DriveWorks Administrator as soon as the CSS is saved.

The Watch Configurator from DriveWorksLive.com was an ideal starting point for my comparison. It’s a very simple DriveWorks project, consisting of just four elements:

  • the 3D preview
  • the color picker
  • the watch face markers
  • the main form to bring everything together

Using SVGs

The project uses quite a few images so I wanted to recreate as many as I could as SVGs. Using a free vector graphics tool called Inkscape, I was able to easily create the logo and the rotate icons as SVGs.

If you have access to Adobe Illustrator or another vector graphics package you can easily create your own. Alternatively, I know several customers work in tandem with their marketing team who supply or recreate images as SVGs.

Recreating the logo as an SVG reduced the file size from 6KB to 1KB and the rotate icon was reduced from 5KB to 700 bytes.

The other images in the project were for the color picker, but I had other plans for that!

Adding CSS Styling

With the SVG images complete, it was time to move on to the color picker. In the original configurator, each selection in the color picker had been created using a Macro Button and two images.

Now using the new DriveWorks 21 Form Technology, I was able to remove the need for images and use the standard CSS styling that works right inside DriveWorks.

New Form Template

DriveWorks 21 ships with a new Form Template to help you get started quickly. As I have limited knowledge of CSS and I wasn’t sure what to expect, I decided to start with the template. This new template includes a standard CSS file with example styling for each DriveWorks Form Control. I was able to easily copy and paste the elements I wanted and incorporate them into the updated version of the Watch Configurator.

When it came to styling the macro buttons for the color picker, I applied a border-radius, making my square buttons round, and added a border shadow to make the button stand out.

DriveWorks Rules

The metadata property in the DriveWorks Form Property Panel can be dynamic using DriveWorks Rules, allowing different CSS to be applied based on user inputs and selections.

You can apply multiple styles to controls.

In this color picker, each color needs three styles: general styling, background color, and hover styling. When a color is selected, additional CSS styling applies a border to highlight the selection.

The Results

Making these changes to the project has resulted in a demo with the same appearance, but with a much better user experience.

Using the new DriveWorks 21 technology reduced the project asset size by 16% and has resulted in faster loading times.

To summarise, the new DriveWorks Form Technology adds new capabilities for form design, form styling, and user experience and also some performance gains through removing images from controls and replacing them with CSS or changing PNG/JPEG images to smaller SVGs where possible.

Learn More: What’s New in DriveWorks 21

All customers with Active DriveWorks Subscription can visit the DriveWorks Learning Portal to discover more about DriveWorks 21 Forms Technology, learn more about other features added in DriveWorks 21 in our What’s New Tech Talks, and access content from DriveWorks World.

DriveWorks Enables Manufacturers to Configure, Design & Sell Custom Products in Record Time

The ability to configure, price, and quote easily isessential for manufacturing companies of all sizes and across all industries to cost-effectively offerconfigurable products.

A configure, price, quote (CPQ) solution helps manufacturers meet the increasing demand for custom products, faster and with greater accuracy, to gain a competitive edge.

DriveWorks software enables you to build and manage your own custom configure, price, and quote solution.

CPQ solutions are built on rules, workflow, and user interface, and typically need to integrate with other company systems.

These core technologies and capabilities have underpinned DriveWorks since it was first introduced to design-to-order and engineer-to-order companies using SOLIDWORKS速 3D design software in 2001.

CPQ Powered by Industry Leading Rules-Based Automation

A picture of the DriveWorks logo with in the centre of a process circle, with the text ''Configure, Price, Quote, Manufacture, Deliver''.

DriveWorks goes further than traditional CPQ solutions.

DriveWorks software is proven and extends the power of a CPQ solution, with industry-leading automation features. Save time and boost product quality by automatically creating accurate SOLIDWORKS速 manufacturing parts, assemblies, and drawings as well as order-specific sales and account information for your CRM system.

This rules-based approach ensures greater accuracy. Custom orders can go straight from customer inquiry right through to the shop floor, without time-consuming design changes and rework.

DriveWorks configurator software enables businesses to set up a configurable 3D CPQ solution that engineering and sales teams can use. DriveWorks software makes it easy for manufacturing companies to reap the benefits of guided selling and CPQ, quickly.

Seamless Links Between Customers, Sales and Engineering

CPQ solutions enhance customer understanding and shorten sales cycles by communicating design details with interactive 3D visualizations.

Dealers, distributors, and internal sales teams configure the ideal solution every time with DriveWorks’ intelligent rules-based guided selling and validation, eliminating errors and expensive, time-consuming design changes. Real-time pricing updates ensure accurate quotes are generated.

DriveWorks integrates seamlessly with other company systems to reduce bottlenecks, cut costs, optimize processes, and ensure accuracy. Improving communication between departments and keeping everyone up to date and in the loop is key.

DriveWorks CPQ enables manufacturers to respond quickly, improve processes and exceed customer expectations, giving them a competitive advantage to sell more and increase profitability with less rework and time-consuming changes.

A graphic with 3 benefits of CPQ for manufacturing: Save Time, Reduce Errors and Sell More.

Control Permissions, Users and Processes

A graphic that shows a workflow chart with ticks.

Customizable workflows in DriveWorks give complete control over what tasks are completed, by who, and when.

Dynamically adding, editing, or even restricting user access is easy. Administrators can apply security settings to decide which users or teams have permission to perform specific actions in the workflow, such as configuring products, approving designs, and sending data to manufacturing.

Documents and data are automatically created at the right time, with control over when tasks are processed.

Relevant users are notified at each stage of the workflow and given the files and data they need to execute their tasks.

Because DriveWorks is a rules-based solution, even the UI can be customized to suit the user. For example, you can set up different views for sales, different views for engineering, and different views for CPQ administration.

Learn More & Explore DriveWorks CPQ

Did you know that when using Shared Groups, you can use secure and lockdown New Group Creation?

Here, we explain how it’s done.

Using settings in the DriveWorks Pro Server’s Groups tab you can lock down new Group creation.

Set up a username and password inside DriveWorks Pro Server, which must be entered when users attempt to create New Shared Groups.

It adds another security level to prevent users of DriveWorks Administrator from creating Shared Groups on the DriveWorks Pro Server when working in a multi-user environment.

If this is left blank the default New Group creation username will be ‘Admin‘ without any password.

Here is a picture of the tab open with the Group Credentials requiring the username NewGroupUser with a password.

Now, users attempting to create New Groups using that DriveWorks Pro Server instance will be promoted for those credentials.

A picture of the Groups tab inside the DriveWorks Pro Server.

Once you have done this, it can be used in the DriveWorks Administrator New Group Wizard.

Users will also be prompted for these credentials when upscaling an Individual Group to a Shared Group, and creating a New Group via the Copy Group tools inside DriveWorks Data Management.

For a quick way to help secure your environment, we recommend setting credentials and sharing them with your DriveWorks Administrator users that need the ability to create New Groups.

Learn more about DriveWorks Pro Server Groups in our online help file:

 

New Course Added to the DriveWorks Learning Portal

Tech Talks Webinar: Using Calculation Tables Effectively

Using Calculation Tables Effectively

We’ve added a new course to the DriveWorks Learning Portal. This course was recorded as part of a Tech Talks live technical webinar broadcast.

Make your DriveWorks Projects more powerful using Calculation Tables. Calculation Tables combine DriveWorks Rules with tabulated data helping you build dynamic configurations.

This course discusses what Calculation Tables are and why they were introduced. It includes examples of how Calculation Tables can be used and Tips & Tricks so you can use them effectively.

This course covers:
The History of Calculation Tables (How and why they came to be)
Calculation Table Basics
Applications for Calculation Tables
Demo: Error and Warnings Design Validation Table
Demo: Dynamic UX Controller
Demo: Dynamic Assembly Design
Tips and Tricks

This course is only available to DriveWorks Pro Customers with Subscription, DriveWorks Resellers and Authorised Partners.

See more upcoming live sessions and register to get involved on the DriveWorks events page.

Tech Talks

Using Calculation Tables Effectively

DriveWorks Online Learning

Gain the skills you need to succeed with online learning resources

As part of the DriveWorks Community, the DriveWorks Learning Portal offers a whole host of DriveWorks training courses and resources for you to access at any time.

Once you’ve set up your MyDriveWorks account, log in to the DriveWorks Community, and go to the learning tab to access the Learning Portal.

The first time you access the Learning Portal through the DriveWorks Community, you’ll be asked to set up a password. Once you’ve set it up you will be automatically logged in when you next visit.

On-demand Courses for Everyone

Whether youre a beginner or an expert, we have resources to help you succeed!

We have packed the learning portal with courses suited to all types of DriveWorks user.

From our New to DriveWorksXpress course to our range of advanced technical coursesfor DriveWorks Pro users, theres something for everyone.

All of our webinars can now be found in one place and we will let you know when we add new ones so you can keep up to date with all the latest from the DriveWorks team.

Weve added categories to the course library to make it easier to navigate and find the best content relevant to you.

Track your progress as you work through the course so you know exactly where you are up to.

Get Involved & Start Learning

To get started , create a MyDriveWorks Community account.

New Course Added to the DriveWorks Learning Portal

Tech Talks Webinar: Using DriveWorks Live with Internet Information Services

Using DriveWorks Live with Internet Information Services (IIS)

We’ve added a new course to the DriveWorks Learning Portal. This course was recorded as part of a Tech Talks live technical webinar broadcast.

Get your DriveWorks configurators online using DriveWorks Live with Internet Information Services (IIS). Using DriveWorks Live with IIS helps improve your overall implementation. It increases configurator performance and improves implementation availability. Using IIS gives you more control over how users access your implementation.

In this course, DriveWorks experts discuss the benefits of using DriveWorks Live with IIS and show you how to set it up. Learn how you can successfully implement IIS to get your configurator online.

This course covers:

    • What is DriveWorks Live?
    • What is IIS?
    • The benefits of using IIS
    • Setting up IIS with DriveWorks Live
      Installing IIS
      Implementing DriveWorks Live with IIS
    • DriveWorks Live IIS Wizard walkthrough
    • IIS Manager IIS walkthrough
    • Troubleshooting DriveWorks Live
    • Tips and Tricks
    • Q & A

This course is only available to DriveWorks Pro Customers with Subscription, DriveWorks Resellers and Authorised Partners.

See more upcoming live sessions and register to get involved on the DriveWorks events page.

Tech Talks

Using DriveWorks Live with Internet Information Services

DriveWorks Online Learning

Gain the skills you need to succeed with online learning resources

As part of the DriveWorks Community, the DriveWorks Learning Portal offers a whole host of DriveWorks training courses and resources for you to access at any time.

Once you’ve set up your MyDriveWorks account, log in to the DriveWorks Community, and go to the learning tab to access the Learning Portal.

The first time you access the Learning Portal through the DriveWorks Community, you’ll be asked to set up a password. Once you’ve set it up you will be automatically logged in when you next visit.

On-demand Courses for Everyone

Whether youre a beginner or an expert, we have resources to help you succeed!

We have packed the learning portal with courses suited to all types of DriveWorks user.

From our New to DriveWorksXpress course to our range of advanced technical coursesfor DriveWorks Pro users, theres something for everyone.

All of our webinars can now be found in one place and we will let you know when we add new ones so you can keep up to date with all the latest from the DriveWorks team.

Weve added categories to the course library to make it easier to navigate and find the best content relevant to you.

Track your progress as you work through the course so you know exactly where you are up to.

Get Involved & Start Learning

To get started , create a MyDriveWorks Community account.

We are excited to announce the release of DriveWorks 19 Service Pack 2.

DriveWorks 19 SP2 adds to the new features and enhancements added in DriveWorks 19 and DriveWorks 19 SP1.

In May, we released our latest major version, DriveWorks 19, and presented the new features and enhancements during Virtual DriveWorks World.

DriveWorks 19 Service Pack 1 was then released in August 2021.

Now we are pleased to announce we have releasedDriveWorks 19 Service Pack 2.

Over the past few months, our team have dedicated a lot of time to work on adding new enhancements and updates to this service pack release.

We’ve also been running our rigorous testing process to ensure DriveWorks 19 SP2 fully supports the latest release of SOLIDWORKS, SOLIDWORKS 2022.

Download DriveWorks 19 SP2 now from theDriveWorks Community.

Download the Latest Release Now from the DriveWorks Community

DriveWorks Resellers and Customers with an Active Subscription Support Contract can download DriveWorks 19 SP2 from the DriveWorks Community.

Heres what youll need to download the latest release:

  • A MyDriveWorks Community Account,you can create an account if you dont have one or reset your password if youve forgotten it.
  • Pre-Requisitescan be found in our Online Documentation.
  • Your DriveWorks 19 License Codes

Important Information

  • We have tested the updates rigorously across Windows Operating Systems and latest versions of SOLIDWORKS to test compatibility.
  • As with any upgrade, remember to take a back up of your data!
  • The download should take no more than 30 minutes.
  • If you are working in a multi-user environment make sure you upgrade all of the DriveWorks Modules e.g. DriveWorks Administrator, Autopilot, any DriveWorks User licenses, DriveWorks Live and DriveWorks Pro Server.
  • Make sure you have your DriveWorks 19 license keys to hand.
  • More information is available in ourOnline Help File.

Brand New Weekly Technical Discussion Sessions

Interactive, engaging technical discussion sessions for DriveWorks users.

Last week we launched the first in a new series of DriveWorks technical discussion sessions.

These Let’s Chat About sessions will help DriveWorks users to learn more about DriveWorks, improve their technical knowledge and get the most from the software.

Each week we’ll be chatting all about DriveWorks and deep-diving into different topics.

In each session,members of the DriveWorks team will discuss a specific topic, encouraging attendees to ask questions and share their own knowledge with others in the DriveWorks Community.

Hosted on Microsoft Teams, these 45-minute sessions are designed to enable us all toshare technical knowledge and discuss features and functionalityin detail.

Let’s Chat About DriveWorks 19

Here’s a round-up of our first technical discussion session.

Chatting About DriveWorks 19

For our first session, we kicked things off by chatting about What’s New in our latest release – DriveWorks 19.

We released DriveWorks 19 back in April and hosted a Whats New presentation at Virtual DriveWorks World. We released DriveWorks 19.1 more recently, at the beginning of August.

To make sure attendees were getting the most out of this session, during registration we asked them to share with us the aspects they are most interested in.

We packed a lot into the 45 minutes, discussing the Scheduler DriveApp, Design Automation, the Integration Theme, Kiosk Mode and 3D.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for this first session and to our technical experts for sharing so much insight.

We’re looking forward to hosting more of these technical discussion sessions in the coming weeks and get everyone chatting even more about DriveWorks!

What We Discussed

Our technical experts ran through just some of the features and functionality added in DriveWorks 19.

Scheduler DriveApp

Kiosk Mode

Integration Theme

Design Automation

3D

Upcoming Sessions

Sign up for upcoming sessions and tell us what you would like to chat about.

Lets Chat About:

Design Automation

Thursday 23rd September

4PM (BST)

Lets Chat About:

Rules & Logic

Thursday 30th September

4PM (BST)

Lets Chat About:

Forms

Thursday 7th October

4PM (BST)

Lets Chat About:

Reporting & Diagnostics

Thursday 14th October

4PM (BST)

Configuring a Custom Canopy

Architectural design is one of the many industries already benefitting from the power of an online 3D sales configurator such as DriveWorks.

Providing your customers with the chance to custom create something such as an entrance canopy allows them to take into consideration the unique characteristics of their building as well as their brand.

DriveWorks allows manufacturers to create an online sales tool to not only improve the overall customer experience but to also save time and eliminate redundant engineering tasks.

With automation built into DriveWorks, an online sales configurator provides for quick turnaround on sales proposals as well as eliminating time spent on repetitive tasks and reducing the amount of errors that could be made making constant manual changes to designs.

DriveWorks technology makes selling custom products such as this canopy much quicker and easier and saving valuable engineering time.

We will work through a few quick and easy steps in this custom configurator to design the canopy. By utilizing Interactive DriveWorks Form Controls we will be able to make changes to the design of the canopy easily.

We soon see how easy it is to design this product in DriveWorks and get a full set of engineering drawings when our configuration is complete, and order submitted.

The DriveWorks Live website has many examples showing the latest DriveWorks technology in action.

In this blog, we’re using one of the examples and following the quick and easy steps to configure a custom canopy online.

Realistic and Interactive 3D

With DriveWorks 19, our team have added lots more 3D capability to bring the model to life. Weve positioned the canopy in a scene to give it context and a more realistic feel.

Im going to step through a series of options to specify the size of my canopy. I have the ability to choose dimensions as well as construction components and colours.

With every change I make and every option I select, DriveWorks software is working in the background to update the model on screen, update selections and show an up to date price throughout. Once I’ve completed my selections, DriveWorks will create all the manufacturing details automatically. That includes the SOLIDWORKS 3D parts, assemblies and drawings, cut lists, BOM and much more.

The entrance canopy is situated in a 3D environment to give the customer a realistic perspective.

By adding things such as shadows, contrasts, and other attributes such as lighting effects and textures the model is not only visually appealing but also brings a realism to the experience for the customer.

In addition to the 3D attributes, DriveWorks allows the user to pan and zoom and rotate around a bit in the 3D environment to get a better feel for how the canopy may look in place.

Currency Choice

Form controls and rules built into DriveWorks let the user choose the currency they wish to work in as part of their order.

Manual and time-consuming conversions are no longer needed because this work is being done quickly and accurately in the background, by DriveWorks.

By choosing a currency, the calculations throughout the process will update in the appropriate currency.

This is a great feature to add to your configurator if you host an international customer base and need to work in different currencies.

Choosing Dimensions, Support and Color

As with other DriveWorks configurator examples we have seen, we once again can use DriveWorks Form technology to design our canopy.

As forms are the primary user interface of your configurator, they should work well for the customer as well as make sure they capture whats needed for the design.

Using these form controls, we can choose the dimensions of the canopy.

The forms offer both the use of the slider tool or a text box to input our required dimensions.

Rules built in the background control and guide our inputs and once changes are made on the form, the model is updated right away.

DriveWorks has fully automated SOLIDWORKS so the models and drawings are both updated. The price is also updated as changes are made.

In addition to the dimensions, we also choose different foundation footings as well as colors for the canopy.

There are several out of the box options available for forms in DriveWorks. In this example, a picture box is used to select the foundation footings and for color choice there is a drop-down menu.

All these forms have rules built into the background that drive the changes to be made to the model.

In addition to the out of the box form controls, there are also custom and styled form controls created that meet the needs of your business.

As we complete the design of the canopy, we have a few more items that need our attention.

We have some add-on options that relate to the sale, service, and installation of the canopy.

Remember this is your chance to not only provide the customer with a complete experience but also to sell your product!

Again, with simple DriveWorks forms in place, simple check boxes are available for the customer to choose what they would like to add onto their order.

These changes are added to the order and quote is adjusted based upon our inputs.

Results Page

Once we click submit the configurator takes us through to the Results Page. Here we can view and access all of the files, documents and other digital assets generated by DriveWorks. In an easy to view window, we can see the details of the order including price, order name & number, the date it was created and a full description of the order.

You can click through and view all of the assets DriveWorks automatically generates for this custom configuration. Click through the asset gallery to view each individual asset in turn.

On this page, you can also view and download all of the files and documentation automatically generated for this order including:
Manufacturing Data
Sales Documentation
Data Outputs

Once we have submitted the order, DriveWorks automatically generates an order confirmation as well as the quote and bill of materials.

Each document is unique and provides the customer with information specific to their order.

As you control what the customer receives through the rules-based workflow created in DriveWorks, you can include your logo, branding and any other messaging you wish to send the customer as part of this process.

For manufacturing, it is a huge time saving to have the CAD models and associated drawings automatically created with DriveWorks.

Having the manufacturing information automatically created not only saves time on repetitive design, it also helps reduce errors and decreases time to market, giving you a competitive edge over your competition.

Additionally, DriveWorks generates an eDrawing of the assembly as another way to allow for quick viewing and approval.

DriveWorks technology is in use from start to finish when configuring this entrance canopy. Starting with the form controls in place to capture dimensions and basic design inputs, to the rules that have been created to drive the models, there is a lot going on in the background yet its seamless to the customer. When the product design and knowledge is captured in DriveWorks, the data required to create new versions of the product is generated quickly and accurately. It then ties into sales, engineering and then on to manufacturing.

Creating sales documentation for the customer as well as manufacturing documentation gives you a huge advantage in quality of design, cost savings and by reducing time to market.

Flexible, Scalable and Easy to Use

DriveWorks is versatile, fully customisable and easy to use so you can build a product configurator that suits your needs.

This canopy configurator is just one example of how DriveWorks can be used and shows just some of the functionality available.

Have a go with this example, and see the many other product and industry examples at www.driveworkslive.com

Once you’ve explored how DriveWorks looks from the front end, head to the Technology section to take a look under the hood at the underlying technology inside DriveWorks and the functionality used to build a Design Automation and Sales Configurator solution.

Configure, design and sell custom products in record time

The ability to configure, price and quote easily is now essential for manufacturing companies, of all sizes and across all industries, as a way of cost-effectively offering configurable products.

Configurable products are becoming the norm. A configure, price, quote (CPQ) solution helps manufacturers meet the increasing demand for custom products, faster and with greater accuracy, to gain a competitive edge.

DriveWorks software enables you to build and manage your own custom configure, price, quote solution.

CPQ solutions are built on rules, workflow, user interface, and typically need to integrate with other company systems. These are the core technologies and capabilities that have underpinned DriveWorks since it was first introduced to design-to-order and engineer-to-order companies using SOLIDWORKS 3D design software in 2001.

CPQ powered by industry leading rules-based automation

A picture of the DriveWorks logo with in the centre of a process circle, with the text ''Configure, Price, Quote, Manufacture, Deliver''.

DriveWorks goes further than traditional CPQ solutions.

DriveWorks software is proven and extends the power of a CPQ solution, with industry-leading automation features. Save time and boost product quality by automatically creating accurate SOLIDWORKS manufacturing parts, assemblies and drawings as well as order-specific sales and account information for your CRM system.

This rules-based approach ensures greater accuracy. Custom orders can go straight from customer inquiry right through to the shop floor, without time consuming design changes and rework.

DriveWorks configurator software enables businesses to set up a configurable 3D CPQ solution that engineering and sales teams can use. DriveWorks software makes it easy for manufacturing companies to reap the benefits of guided selling and CPQ, quickly.

Seamless links between customers, sales and engineering

CPQ solutions enhance customer understanding and shorten sales cycles by communicating design details with interactive 3D visualizations.

Dealers, distributors and internal sales teams configure the ideal solution every time with DriveWorks intelligent rules-based guided selling and validation, eliminating errors and expensive, time-consuming design changes. Real-time pricing updates ensure accurate quotes are generated.

DriveWorks integrates seamlessly with other company systems to reduce bottlenecks, cut costs, optimise processes and ensure accuracy. Improving communication between departments and keeping everyone up to date and in the loop is key.

DriveWorks CPQ enables manufacturers to respond quickly, improve processes and exceed customer expectations, giving them a competitive advantage to sell more and increase profitability with less rework and time consuming changes.

A graphic with 3 benefits of CPQ for manufacturing: Save Time, Reduce Errors and Sell More.

Control permissions, users and processes

A graphic that shows a workflow chart with ticks.

Customizable workflows in DriveWorks give complete control over what tasks are completed, by who and when.

Dynamically adding, editing or even restricting user access is easy. Administrators can apply security settings to decide which users or teams have permission to perform specific actions in the workflow, such as configuring products, approving designs and sending data to manufacturing.

Documents and data are automatically created at the right time with control over when tasks are processed.

Relevant users are notified at each stage of the workflow and given the files data they need to execute their tasks.

Because DriveWorks is a rules based solution, even the UI can be customized to suit the user. For example, you can set up different views for sales, different views and different views for CPQ administration.

Try DriveWorks Configurators

DriveWorks is versatile, fully customizable and easy to use so you can build a CPQ configurator that suits your needs and your products.

Like what you’ve seen so far? See the software in action and learn more at www.driveworkslive.com

Monmouth Scientific Use 3D to Enhance User Experience

Monmouth Scientific are UK market leaders in Clean Air Solutions. They specialise in Filtration and Ducted Fume Cabinets installations.

In-house Design Engineer, Peter Shirvington, has been using DriveWorks as a Design Automation and Product Configurator since 2013. In early 2020 he introduced the software at Monmouth Scientific.

Since then, Peter has created a 3D configurator that has been rolled out to the in-house sales team.

Monmouth Scientific offer a standard range of products, and also design and manufacture bespoke systems. The product range includes different cleanroom solutions and Peter has been focusing his time on this range with DriveWorks.

Clean Room 3D Configurator

Monmouth Scientifics end goal with DriveWorks was to have a clean room configurator that would enable the customer, assisted by the sales team, to design their own bespoke cleanroom.

Peter spent 4 months creating the first version of the 3D configurator with DriveWorks.

One of the key features of the configurator is the 3D preview functionality as it allows the user to see an interactive 3D model of the item they are configuring.

Dynamically Interacting with the Form

Users can also dynamically interact with 3D in the configurator to create interactive 3D layouts.

For example, a user can click around the form to build their bespoke clean room, with the model automatically updating in 3D on the form.

They can rotate the model, add walls to the cleanroom and see what their end product will look like.

Peter has also built in functionality to automatically work out the ceiling dimensions, based on the walls added.

The configurator also contains the ability to replace entities, for example for putting in a door, or a hatch.

Monmouth Scientific Clean Room

Time Savings

Introducing the 3D configurator has saved both the sales team and the design team a lot of time in the design-to-order process.

Previously the sales team would manually do some rough sketches of the customers layout, or they would ask the design team to create a 3D layout in SOLIDWORKS, which was understandably time-consuming.

Now they can have a 3D image for every quote and they can interactively work through the layout with the client. The design information that then comes through to the design department is a lot more accurate.

Automating SOLIDWORKS

In the latest iteration of the configurator, Monmouth Scientific has also been using DriveWorks to automatically generate the SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD data required to manufacture the clean rooms.

www.monmouthscientific.co.uk

Suitable for Any Industry

DriveWorksproduct configurator softwareis used by companies of all sizes. Its suitable for any industry where quotes or 3D files and drawings are part of the sales to manufacturing process.

See how versatile and customizable it is by having a go with our online configurator examples onwww.driveworkslive.com

DriveWorks 19 Now Available to Download

DriveWorks 19 delivers brand new features and enhancements in the following areas:

Scalability

Cloud support and enterprise deployment

Suggestions and revisions from users in the DriveWorks Community and our developers support progressive simplification and management of enterprise wide deployment.

Usability & UX

Making DriveWorks even easier to implement

Focused visual updates and enhancements add further functionality to user-friendly improvements across DriveWorks.

DriveWorks 3D

Configure custom products in 3D on any device

Animation for 3D model previews, enhanced performance. Increase your models interactivity with Sprites, VR and accurate surface reflections.

Design Automation & PDM

Industry leading SOLIDWORKS automation

New and updated generation tasks, functions, model reporting and PDM tasks to utilize the full potential of design automation in DriveWorks.

Download the Latest Release Now from the DriveWorks Community

DriveWorks Resellers and Customers with an Active Subscription Support Contract can download DriveWorks 19 from the DriveWorks Community.

Here’s what you’ll need to download the latest release:

  • A MyDriveWorks Community Account,you can create an account if you don’t have one or reset your password if you’ve forgotten it.
  • Pre-Requisites can be found in our Online Documentation.
  • DriveWorks 19 License Codes have been provided* so you can test and familiarize yourself with the new features and functionality before upgrading your production environment to the new release.

*If you’re a DriveWorks Reseller AE, your DriveWorks 19 demo codes have been emailed to you. If you’re a DriveWorks customer with active subs, your codes have been sent to your reseller who will pass them on to you. If you haven’t received your DriveWorks 19 license codes yet, please email us.

Important Information

  • We have tested the updates rigorously across Windows Operating Systems and latest versions of SOLIDWORKS to test compatibility.
  • As with any upgrade, remember to take a back up of your data!
  • The download should take no more than 30 minutes.
  • If you are working in a multi-user environment make sure you upgrade all of the DriveWorks Modules e.g. DriveWorks Administrator, Autopilot, any DriveWorks User licenses, DriveWorks Live and DriveWorks Pro Server.
  • Make sure you have your DriveWorks 19 license keys to hand. We issue new license codes for each new major release so you can get to know the new functionality and TEST before you use it in production.
  • New DriveWorks 19 license codes have been sent to DriveWorks Resellers for all companies with an active subscription support contract. If you havent received your codes yet please check with your reseller.
  • More information is available in our online help file.

VanAire Inc, headquartered in Gladstone Michigan, develop Engineered Valve Automation Hardware. The company predominantly works with metal and makes parts that connect valves and actuators on pipelines.

We caught up with Ismael Lopez, CAD Administrator at VanAire, at a recent DriveWorks Drivers event where he spoke about his experience of using DriveWorks over the last 7 years.

Ismael is the DriveWorks Administrator at VanAire and was first introduced to DriveWorks at DriveWorks World in 2014.

Beginning the DriveWorks Journey

VanAire have been using DriveWorks since 2006. Initially, the software was used solely as a design automation tool for the engineering team. Engineers with SolidWorks were able to configure new brackets using DriveWorks Pro User to generate the manufacturing data.

When Ismael joined the team, the company wanted to see what more they could achieve. The first step was to further streamline their Design Automation projects.

Although the original projects saved time, they relied on stepping through several forms and had not been optimized for user experience. Ismael reduced the number of forms, streamlining the process. By doing this VanAire sped up their design automation project even more.

What used to take 15-20 minutes has now been cut down to 3-4 minutes. This includes generating all the manufacturing data and drawings.

As the company had already invested in DriveWorks they knew it would make good commercial sense to expand its use to other teams.

Introducing DriveWorks to the Shipping Team

The Shipping Team were one of the first non-technical teams to be introduced to DriveWorks, with the target of automating the creation of shipping labels.

Before using DriveWorks, the manual process of creating shipping labels involved using an excel spreadsheet and a member of the design team creating the label, attaching it to the PO and then sending it over to the Shipping Department.

To automate this process, VanAire used DriveWorks Autopilot. All the information required is saved in SQL, and a database connector is able to pull that information at the back end.

The project itself creates a label, saves a label and prints out the correct number of labels automatically.

Ismael expands on this, saying:

Everything is done automatically and DriveWorks has made that very easy for us, as we used to have lots of issues with the previous manual system.

Integrating DriveWorks with their ERP System

With the label project exceeding their expectations, VanAire moved on to their next DriveWorks project; integrating DriveWorks with their ERP system.

Using ODBC connectors, they were able to start pulling information from their ERP system, into DriveWorks.

They then took this integration a step further and decided to connect their ERP system even more by including SOLIDWORKS designs in the ERP system.

Now, using DriveWorks, they can create a specification, have it in the ERP system, and print it.

Before implementing DriveWorks, this process could take up to two hours, before the information was even created within their ERP system.

Automating Costings with DriveWorks

VanAire wanted to implement DriveWorks into even more of the companys systems. Costings was the next division to implement the software.

Ismael has been able to pull some information from the ERP system itself and he has also created a feature-driven costing system.

The new costing system takes into account specific features and sizing, as well as how long it actually takes to make the parts.

Before implementing DriveWorks, it could take up to a week to get actual costing if it was a big order. Using DriveWorks, Ismael has been able to drop it down to seconds for each part.

The sales team were introduced to DriveWorks at this point and the software has now been implemented company-wide.

Sales Team Running Specifications

The Sales team can now run specifications themselves, meaning the design team have more time to focus on innovative R&D projects.

The sales team can also instantly access information, such as the customers purchase history.

This means they know their customers better, which in return leads to more positive relationships and continued custom.

Ismael says:

DriveWorks has made the whole process from the customers initial inquiry, to getting a quote and receiving their order much easier and quicker.”

VanAires Response to Covid-19

In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, VanAire decided to create an online configurator for their customers to use.

A customer can access the site and select their product combination. This information is not only submitted to the website but directly to DriveWorks.

All the data is generated automatically, including the model. It also triggers an email that is sent to the customer with the quote for their selection.

Continued Success

Over the past 14 years, VanAire have achieved a lot with DriveWorks and completely innovated the way they work using the software.

DriveWorks has been implemented across the whole business and as we can see through the creation of their online sales configurator, the company is showing no signs of slowing down.

We cant wait to see what the next 15 years holds for VanAire and DriveWorks!

Suitable for Any Industry

DriveWorks product configurator software is used by companies of all sizes. It’s suitable for any industry where quotes or 3D files and drawings are part of the sales to manufacturing process.

See how versatile and customizable it is by having a go with our online configurator examples on www.driveworkslive.com

Dolphin Solutions Reduce Design Time and Create a Great Customer Experience with DriveWorks

Dolphin Solutions logo

Dolphin Solutions, headquartered in Robertsbridge UK, design and supply a range of products and accessories for commercial washrooms.

We recently caught up with Robert Allen, Product Design Engineer and main DriveWorks Administrator at Dolphin Solutions to see how theyve implemented the software over the past few years.

Dolphin Solutions purchased DriveWorks in 2017 with the aim of creating an online sales configurator tool that would help them to achieve two key targets;

  • Reduce Design Resources
  • Create a Great Customer Experience

Designing to Order Before DriveWorks

Before DriveWorks, Robert manually designed each individual bespoke mirror unit from scratch using SOLIDWORKS. He also manually created all the production files for the product.

The sales team handled the initial request. Then Robert designed the unit which then needed to be signed off before being sent to production.

This was a lengthy and time-consuming process, involving a lot of back and forth between Robert and the sales team to ensure the design for the bespoke product was not only to the customers specification but also that it was correct for manufacturing standards.

This process could take days and even weeks before the customer received the product theyd ordered.

Dolphin Alavo Washroom System

Reducing Design Time

Once DriveWorks was introduced, the sales process was completely transformed.

The sales team can now take the configurator tool to the customers on laptops and tablets.

They can guide the customer through the product options on the configurator, and submit an order straight to the design team.

Errors have also been significantly reduced, as the automated process ensures that every product option selected is manufacturable and is ready to be sent to the manufacturing floor.

“The days and weeks are cut down to minutes and hours, because our customers are finding their final design much quicker. They can see all their options and the drawings are generated automatically.

Robert Allen, Product Design Engineer, Dolphin Solutions

A Great Customer Experience

Robert also wanted to create an online configurator that was easy to use, contained all the relevant information, but was also aesthetically pleasing, slick, and professional.

Robert used DriveWorks to create a flowing set of pages, that easily guide the customer through the configuration process.

Knowing the value of this to the company, Robert was given the time to create a great experience.

Guided Selling

Robert has created forms that guide users based on their selections, for example, the height of the washbasin, the number of wash stations, and appliances.

Each time a selection is made, the online configurator filters the customer a step closer to a final design.

Based on the previous selection, options will become greyed out if they are unavailable.

Robert has also used the Tooltip Text property to display extra information when a customer hovers over a control.

This declutters the form and also ensures that the customer inputs the correct information.

Capturing Customer Data

When a customer has completed a specification, their details are captured on the last page of the form and they are given a unique specification ID.

This allows Dolphin to track orders and assign the ID to the customers project.

An email alert is also triggered when a specification is complete, automatically sending an email to the sales and marketing team, with information such as the customer name, email, phone number and company.

The customer also receives one automatically as confirmation of their request.

Automating Drawing Creation

To eliminate even more design time, Dolphin Solutions have also automated the creation of drawings.

The process used to be manual, but now with DriveWorks and SOLIDWORKS working together, a drawing is automatically generated for each specification, ready for manufacturing.

Continued Success

Dolphins configurator has been live for over 2 years now and they are consistently recording more interaction with it month on month, with a slight dip owing to the global pandemic.

When asked how theyve achieved so much success with DriveWorks, Robert says that a huge factor is being given dedicated time to work on DriveWorks.

When first tasked with creating the configurator, Robert went to his directors and said if you want me to deliver DriveWorks, I am going to need some serious time on this.

Robert then spent 50-75% of his working time on DriveWorks for the year leading up to the release of their impressive online configurator.

Having achieved their two targets; reducing design time and improving customer experience, were excited to see what else this innovative company achieve next!

See What You Can Achieve with DriveWorks

Explore our online product configurator examples to see the many different ways DriveWorks can be used for design automation and digital selling.