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Learn how to set up an account and start exploring all of the DriveWorks resources at your finger tips

The DriveWorks Community

The DriveWorks Community is ouruser portal, bringing together DriveWorks users from around the world.

The community is a place for our resellers, customers and partners to come together and find useful resources. Whether youre trialling DriveWorks Solo, familiar with DriveWorks Pro, or from a reseller sales, technical or order admin team, the community is a place for everyone.

Its our opportunity tohelp you by providing content, resources, and opportunities to connect with other users.

The DriveWorks Community includes many important downloads. DriveWorks software and PowerPacks, learning and training materials and many other useful resources can all be found in the community.

A computer screen with the MyDriveWorks dashboard.
a Computer, ipad and iphone with screenshots of the leaning portal on the screen.

Each page is personalized based on the software you have, so you only see whats relevant to you.

The DriveWorks forum enables you to connect with other people using DriveWorks. The forumis a great place to chat with others, share ideas, ask questions and share your knowledge.

Accessing DriveWorks learning resources and the online learning portal makes learning and seeing your progress even easier. You can access the content to add to your knowledge from anywhere and at any time.

We make sure our users are well-informed about what’s going on, with clear updates within the community.

With MyDriveWorks its even easier than ever to keep your knowledge and software up to date. We’re committed to helping you get the most from your DriveWorks software.

Setting Up a MyDriveWorks Account

You need to create an account to benefit from everything the DriveWorks Community has to offer.

Its quick and easy to create a MyDriveWorks account and get access to our learning and training resources.

A computer screen showing the MyDriveWorks dashboard, and an arrow pointing to the button to create an account.

A MyDriveWorks account is a free, value-added benefit for all resellers, partners and DriveWorks customers with active subscription.

The MyDriveWorks Community includes lots of useful resources and helpful content.

To access the MyDriveWorks Community, you will need to head to my.driveworks.co.uk and first create an account.

It’s quick and easy to create an account. All you need is your email address. We recommend you use your business or academic email address.

1. Enter Details

Enter your details into the form. You will need to enter your first name, surname and your email address.

A screenshot of the MyDriveWorks accout page where you fill in personal details.

2. Set Password

Once you’ve entered your details, you will need to set yourself a memorable password, in line with our password policy.

A screenshot of the MyDriveWorks account page where a user fills in a secure password.
A screenshot of the MyDriveWorks account page where a user opts into receiving DriveWorks newsletters.

3. Click & Subscribe

Before creating your account, you have the option to subscribe to our monthly DriveWorks email updates containing news, tips, technical news and software updates.

You can unsubscribe at any time if you change your mind.

By clicking Create Account, you agree to our Terms & Conditions.

We take privacy seriously – all data will be stored securely and processed in line with our Privacy Policy.

4. Verify Email

The final step in creating your account is verifying your email address. You will receive an email from us with a verification code to activate your MyDriveWorks account. The code will be active for 1 hour before expiring.

If you don’t receive the verification email, make sure to check your spam folder and ensure that your email address is correct.

A screenshot of a verification code example on the MyDriveWorks account sign up page.
A screenshot of the 'verify your email address' page inside the MyDriveWorks account sign up.

Explore MyDriveWorks

With MyDriveWorks its even easier than ever to keep your knowledge and software up to date and ensure you’re getting the most from your DriveWorks software.

User Forum

Join the conversation in the DriveWorks forum. Share ideas and connect with other users.

Download Software

Download the latest DriveWorks software and PowerPacks or find previous versions.

Learning Portal

Access exclusive DriveWorks learning resources and build on your knowledge.

Webinars & Events

See upcoming events and webinars, sign up, get involved and join us to learn and network.

DriveWorks Online Learning

Gain the skills you need to succeed with online learning resources and add to your DriveWorks knowledge.

The Learning Portal offers a whole host of DriveWorks training courses and resourcesfor you to access at any time.

From theDriveWorksXpress courseto our range of advanced technical coursesfor DriveWorks Pro users, theres something for everyone.

The Learning Portal is packed with coursessuited to all types of DriveWorks user.

Screenshots of several DriveWorks learning resources, including: Help File, How-To videos and sample projects.

Get Involved & Start Learning

Create an account and start exploring the MyDriveWorks Community.

Discover all of the resources you have available, download the latest DriveWorks software and get involved in the forum.

Learning and training resources to help you succeed with DriveWorks

Take advantage of DriveWorks resources to continue your DriveWorks learning over the festive period.

MyDriveWorks account page on a computer screen

MyDriveWorks Community

Explore resources and content in the DriveWorks Community.

My.DriveWorks is a great resource for anyone, with learning resources and opportunities to connect with other customers, resellers and partners from around the world.

Learning Portal Personal Infographic.

DriveWorks Learning Portal

The Learning Portal offers a whole host of DriveWorks training courses and resourcesfor you to access at any time.

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

A screenhot of a configurator example on driveworkslive.com

Configurator Examples

Be inspired by our DriveWorks Configurator examples.

Our product configurator examples show what’s possible with DriveWorks Pro. Explore and interact with the examples at DriveWorksLive.com

A screenshot of some sample projects page on DriveWorks.co.uk

Sample Projects

Explore a range of industry examples.

Download DriveWorks sample projects, explore them and get ideas for your own projects.

Take a look at how they are set up and see a variety of DriveWorks functionality set up and ready to use.

A screenshot of some How-To videos page on DriveWorks.co.uk

How-To Videos

Learn how to use DriveWorks at your own pace.

Watch our How to Video Clips to get tips on setting up different aspects of DriveWorks. Clips cover: design automation (CAD), form design, automating the creation of drawings, documents, running projects and more.

A screenshot of the DriveWorks Pro Help File page

DriveWorks Help Files

A complete online help file available online 24/7.

The DriveWorks Pro help file and DriveWorks Solo help file give information, best practices and solutions. Learn about a variety of topics.

They are searchable and indexed by google, so it’s easy to find what youre looking for to get the help you need, when you need it.

A screenshot of the Articles page on DriveWorks.co.uk

Articles Library

Our extensive articles library is a knowledge-share resource.

Our articles take an in-depth look at DriveWorksfunctionality and industry trends, alongside detailed how-to guides written by our technical experts. Learn more and expand your knowledge.

A screenshot of the DriveWorks Technology page on DriveWorks.co.uk

Technology Examples

Go under the hood and see the different technology in DriveWorks.

Explore the core technologies that make up DriveWorks software. Our Technology demos go behind the scenes of our powerful technology. Explore the Technology Examples to see what you can do with DriveWorks.

Screenshot of the Tech Tips help resources on MyDriveWorks

Tech Tips

Examples to demonstrate specific functionality.

These example projects have been created by the DriveWorks Tech Team to demonstrate specific functionality. Use each Tech Tipto learn exactly how you can re-implement the same functionality into your own DriveWorks projects.

Stay Updated

Connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and keep an eye on our blog to stay updated about upcoming events, pick up DriveWorks tips and tricks, read industry news and much more!

Add DriveWorks World to Your Calendar for 2023!

Register now to secure your place at DriveWorks World 2023. DriveWorks World is the annual technical learning event for active DriveWorks users and reseller technical staff.

The focus of the event is always on sharing knowledge, technical know-how and handy tips and tricks.

Join hundreds of peers from across the globe to learn how to get the very best from your software, see the latest features and functionality, network and share knowledge.

DriveWorks World 2023 will span 3 days, from Tuesday 21st to Thursday 23rd March 2023.

Tuesday 21st is exclusively for DriveWorks resellers.

Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd March is open to all attendees.

DriveWorks World 2023 will be hosted virtually and tickets are free for all DriveWorks customers with active subscription, reseller technical staff and authorised DriveWorks partners.

There are so many opportunities to learn at DriveWorks World 2023 you dont want to miss it!

Join Us

Tuesday 21st – Thursday 23rd March 2023

DriveWorks Underlying Technology

DriveWorks design automation and online 3D configurator software allows you to create tools to streamline your design and business processes.

Over the years, we have added new features and functionality to meet a variety of business and industry needs.

Our software enables you to easily create your own configurators and business tools, specific to your processes and the way you work.

What makes all of this possible is our underlying technology.

Learn more about the underlying technologies that make DriveWorks a world-leading Design Automation and Sales Configurator software solution.

DriveWorks Technology

Explore the core technologies that make up DriveWorks software. Our projects in the Technology section of driveworkslive.com go behind the scenes of our powerful technology.

They are designed to introduce you to the core technologies. They have been created using DriveWorks, they are built on rules and use many other features from our technology capabilities.

Each example looks at a particular aspect of our technology to help you understand what you can achieve with DriveWorks.

A lot of the intelligent technology happens behind the scenes, the Technology examples highlight things you may not notice in a normal demo and give you a look under the hood.

Explore the Technology examples to see what you can do with DriveWorks.

Online Configurator Examples

Our product configurator examples are a great way to see whats possible with DriveWorks, in a range of scenarios and industries.

Our configurator examples show howversatile and customizableDriveWorks is and provide greatinspiration for your DriveWorks projects.

The software is not limited to what you see in our examples, with DriveWorks you builda custom solution that suits your needsand iseasy to maintain and update.

Weve recently added some new product configurator examples and updated some of our existing ones with new features and functionality from our latest release.

Have a go with our online examples, configure products and see what’s possible with DriveWorks.

DriveWorks Sample Projects

The DriveWorks Sample Projects are complete projects set up to show how design automation can be applied.

Each one is ready to run inside SOLIDWORKS so you can explore how the project has been set up, learn more about rules and get a head start.

The sample projects are a great way to get started withdesign automation and using DriveWorks to create your first online sales configurator.

Pick the projects apart to discover how they have been set up or use them as a starting point for your own projects.

Our Technical Team has also created handy walk-through videos for each project. Theyre a quick and easy way to demonstrate how to set up and run the projects, making it easier than ever for you to get started with DriveWorks.

Watch the video before downloading the projects, and then have a go with using them to configure your own custom products!

Explore Even More DriveWorks Content

Continue your DriveWorks learning using our learning resources and training materials.

Access them from anywhere at any time.

How to Videos

Learn how to capture parameters in your SOLIDWORKS model, create great-looking forms for entering your design specifications and build rules to generate new variations automatically.

Training Tutorials

Learn how to use DriveWorksXpress by following tutorials. The tutorials show different models so you can learn how to automate your own designs in SOLIDWORKS.

Webinars

Our range of webinars cover Getting Started with DriveWorksXpress and DriveWorks Solo, through to taking a closer look at specific aspects of DriveWorks functionality with DriveWorks Pro.

Find Out More About DriveWorks

Get in touch with us to find out more about DriveWorks and take your first steps towards design automation and improving customer experiences.

DriveworksXpress is included free with every seat of desktop SOLIDWORKS so you can start automating any part of your product design today!

DriveWorksXpress Design Automation

Design automation is quickly becoming the norm, offering businesses the opportunity to streamline business processes and adapt quickly to changing market conditions.

DriveWorksXpress is an easy to use, entry-level design automation tool included free inside SOLIDWORKS. Our rules-based software allows you to create multiple versions of your SOLIDWORKS parts, assemblies and drawings, quickly and accurately.

DriveWorksXpress is ideal for automating everyday repetitive design tasks and great if the designs and projects you work on are the same but different.

It is widely used in many industries from trailers to conveyors, furniture to machinery, mechanical seals to pressure vessels, windows and doors, and many more.

Quickly generate new versions of your SOLIDWORKS parts, assemblies and drawings.

We’re extremely proud of our industry-leading, award-winning software, but DriveWorks isnt justfor complete product design.

DriveWorksXpress allows you to automate any part of your SOLIDWORKS design, giving you the flexibility to automate time-consuming and repetitive tasks, simplifying your design process, and enabling you to use your time more efficiently.

A computer screen showing the DriveWorksXpress activation steps.

Easy to Set Up, Manage and Use

A DriveWorks design automation project iseasy to create, maintain and use.

No programming skills or consultants are required.

Simply activate DriveWorksXpress which is already installed under theSOLIDWORKS Tools menu and begin automating your designs!

Automate repetitive SOLIDWORKS tasks and free up time to focus on product innovation and development.

If you offer many different product options or every customer order is bespoke, DriveWorksXpress helps you capture your design rules, recreate variations of existing designs, reduce repetitive tasks, save time, and improve product quality.

Run Project Again and Again

Once set up, run your project again and again for each custom order.

DriveWorksXpress captures information from your existing models and your engineering knowledge.

That information, including dimensions, features and configurations can then be controlled by a series of rules.

These rules are controlled from a simple input form, so all you need to do is fill out the form for each custom order, and DriveWorksXpress will do the calculations in the background and automatically generate the necessary files.

Reuse the input form over and over again, each time creating a brand-new set of files and their relevant drawings.

Meaning there is no need for complex macros, design tables or configurations.

Run hundreds of design tasks in minutes with DriveWorksXpress!

Saving Time with DriveWorksXpress

DriveWorks isnt just for complete product design, automation is powerful even if you only automate part of your product.

Before using DriveWorksXpress designing something such as a Standard Machine Sub-base or Leg Supports would take 30 minutes.

With DriveWorksXpress this task takes just 1 minute, allowing you to focus your time on the more complex aspects of your designs.

This may only be a small part of your design process but the time savings are drastic and incredibly valuable to the overall design time.

Over time, you can build on your DriveWorksXpress project to add more and more parts,until eventually your engineering time is spent on the parts of the design that really matter and add the most value.

Standard Machine Sub Base

From 30 minutes down to 1 minute

Leg Supports

From 30 minutes down to 3 minutes

Using DriveWorksXpress to Automate Mundane Tasks & Save Time

Oasis Trailer Mfg Ltdhas been manufacturing custom trailers in Rolling Hills, Canada since 2006.

Using DriveWorksXpress, Oasis Trailers have createda simple formwhere they enter three inputs. These inputsautomate the requirementsfor the Hub Face, the Spring Center and the Wheel Options of the axles.

Oasis Trailers have also taken advantage of the different form building options in DriveWorksXpress, using both the drop-down and spin button feature.

Each time a new specification is entered on the form,DriveWorksXpress works in the background to calculate the rules and drive the SOLIDWORKS model.

Before DriveWorksXpress this would be 20 minutes of repetitive work. Now, they have cut this time down to just 5 minutes.

A large utility and dump Oasis Trailer.
Oasis Trailer Axle.
A large utility and dump Oasis Trailer with ramp.

Benefits of DriveWorksXpress

Discover the benefits of using DriveWorksXpress to automate your designs.

An icon showing a clock with an arrow around it

Save Time

Capture and re-use design knowledge to reduce repetitive tasks.

An icon showing a down arrow with a percentage sign.

Reduce Costly Errors

Incorporate design rules to minimize errors and the cost of manual mistakes.

An icon showing a cog with an arrow through it

Free Up Engineers

Liberate design engineers from repetitive tasks to concentrate on new and special designs.

Start Automating – Free Inside SOLIDWORKS

If youve got desktop SOLIDWORKS, youve already got design automation!

DriveWorksXpress is already installed inside every license of SOLIDWORKS desktop.

You’ll find it under the SOLIDWORKS Tools menu, you just need toactivate it to start automating.

Once you’ve saved time with DriveWorksXpress why not take your design automation even further with DriveWorks Solo.

Download a30-day full-feature free trialof DriveWorks Solo to see what you could achieve.

Start with DriveWorksXpress and upscale to DriveWorks Solo or DriveWorks Pro at any time.

Explore the Capabilities of DriveWorks

Learn how DriveWorks is helping companies to transform their processes and succeed.

3DEXPERIENCE World

Planning for 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023 is underway.

3DEXPERIENCE World brings a vibrant community of designers, engineers, entrepreneurs and business leaders together to learn, engage, share knowledge and drive innovation, around the 3DEXPERIENCE WORKS portfolio, for SOLIDWORKS customers.

Earlier this year, 3DEXPERIENCE World 2022 was held as an all-virtual event, open to anyone around the world, for free!

The three-day event was filled withinspiring keynote presentations, educational breakout sessionsandvirtual networking.

With the planning of the event well underway, we’re already looking forward to attending 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023.

This Year’s Event

3DEXPERIENCE World 2023 will be held as a hybrid event on February 12th-15th, 2023, with the in-person event being in Nashville, TN.

As this is a hybrid event, Dassault Systems are designing a unique agenda that will enable you to participate in many of the moments typical of the annual event, both live and virtually from wherever you are in the world.

Whether its the General Session, Technical Breakout Sessions, the 3DEXPERIENCE Playground, Certifications or Meetups there will be something for everyone no matter how you choose to participate.

Our team has already started to plan for attending the event it will be our 18th year as a sponsor for this event!

DriveWorks Sponsor 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023

We are excited to be attending 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023.

Were a silver sponsor and will beexhibiting, presenting, learning and networking.

DriveWorks CEO, Glen Smith and Vice President, Maria Sarkar will be at the DriveWorks booth in the 3DEXPERIENCE World Playground, along with several other members of the DriveWorks team.

Well be showcasing the latest version of our software and talking all things Design Automation,CPQ for ManufacturingandDigital Transformation.

Look out for details of the presentations well be hosting throughout the event, and well see you during the meetups and social activities too!

DriveWorks team members; Glen Smith, Maria Sarkar, Mark Sarkar, Bridie Mills, Ollie Basma-Lord, Tom Wormald and Phillip Gilbanks at the DriveWorks 3DExperienceWorld 2020 booth.

What to Expect from 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023

The live part of the event will be packed with more than 250 technical breakouts, more than 50 hands-on sessions, general sessions, reseller-specific sessions, the 3DEXPERIENCE Playground, Model Mania competition, and lots more! There will also be the Tuesday night special event to look forward to!

The virtual part of the event will have its own platform (similar to the 3DEXPERIENCE WORLD 2022 virtual event) that enables you to see what is happening at the live event via a live stream.

You can watch the live stream of General Sessions, 100+ technical breakout sessions, virtual hands-on sessions, meet with other virtual attendees during 25+ meet-up sessions and listen to their stories, ask questions, visit the playground, watch livestream videos, and visit the sponsors booths.

You can also join the virtual Model Mania, and last but not least, play online games and have a chance to win virtual badges and trophies!

To find out even more about what you can look forward to at this hybrid event, watch the video below.

Training Opportunities Available at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023

At DriveWorks we are huge advocates for promoting learning and development of technology within the industry. The 3DEXPERIENCE World team is hard at work creating the best technical agenda. Training opportunities across a wide range of topics will include:

  • Cloud technologies
  • Design/Engineering
  • CAD Management
  • Data/Project Management
  • Simulation
  • Manufacturing
  • SOLIDWORKS ERP tools (DELMIAWorks)
  • Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC)
  • Education & Research

Simge Akarsu, Senior Strategy & Programme Manager at Dassault Systemes, has also put together a great blog post about 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023 on the SOLIDWORKS website as well where you can read more about the plans for the event.

Save Your Space

Registration is open!

Sign up to join 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023 the hybrid event.

We’ll see you there!

Supporting the SOLIDWORKS Community

With the support of our resellers, customers and partners, we have attended SWUG meetings, provided sponsorship and helped group leaders to find presenters with interesting presentations since 2015.

Over the years we have supported lots of group meetings by attending as SOLIDWORKS users ourselves, presenting on a technical topic or providing prizes and giveaways.

We love being a part of the SOLIDWORKS community and working with an amazing network of users.

As part of our role in the community, we wanted to put a spotlight on just some of the user groups across this network and showcase their dedication.

Join us as we shine a spotlight on SOLIDWORKS user groups and their leaders.

SWUG Spotlight

This week we are putting a spotlight on Pensacola SWUG.

User Group: Pensacola SWUG

Group Leader:
Kahasim Brown

When was your group established?
May, 2020

Why did you choose to become a user group leader?
I became a user group leader to network and gain experience.

A picture of Pensacola SWUG leader, Kahasim Brown.

What is your goal as a user group leader?
My goal is to connect SOLIDWORKS users.

Who inspires you?
The leadership team inspire me.

What is your fondest memory of your group?
My fondest memory is the presentations.

What advice would you give to anyone interested in starting a user group?
Commit a lot of time to the group.

What’s the best piece of advice you have been given?
My best piece of advice is to stay committed.

How can people learn more about your group?
You can learn about the group on our Meetup site.

Pensacola SWUG’s next meeting takes place on 5th November 2022.

Follow Pensacola SWUG for the latest information on meetings and more

Would you like your user group to be featured?

If you are a SWUG leader and would like your user group to be featured in this series – get in touch!

Please email Heather Hasz at heatherhasz@driveworks.co.uk

Attending and Exhibiting at SOLIDWORKS 2023 Launch Events

Over the coming months, the DriveWorks team are heading out on the road. They’ll be spending time visiting resellers, and attending their SOLIDWORKS 2023 launch events.

These events focus on Whats New in SOLIDWORKS 2023. They include presentations delivered by keynote speakers, breakout sessions and networking opportunities. They are a great opportunity for attendees to learn more about specific topics, and gain further knowledge of SOLIDWORKS.

Every year members of our team join these events to support our resellers, hear from industry experts and catch up with our customers.

We attend as many events as we can. We often host a session on DriveWorks. We also have a stand where delegates can try one of our configurators to see DriveWorks software in action.

The events are an excellent opportunity for us to catch up with our resellers and hear what is happening in the industry. It also gives us chance to talk to existing DriveWorks customers about their projects.

Events Attended so Far

This year our team have already been busy attending lots of events all over the world.

CATI & GoEngineer

Heather attended the first in a series of events CATI and GoEngineer are hosting for Design Innovation month. It took place in Colorado Springs.

Edge-Team

Tom, Seb, Elise and Mark attended the two-day Edge-Team event in Denmark. Tom presented a session on DriveWorks – Same but Different designs.

EuroSolid

Mark and Will attended EuroSolid’s launch event in Budapest. Will presented on DriveWorks Design Automation for SOLIDWORKS.

CADNEA

Bridie and Ollie attended DriveWorks Portuguese reseller, CADNEA’s event. During the event, Ollie hosted a number of DriveWorks demos on our stand.

AvenAo

DriveWorks CEO, Glen Smith and VP, Maria Sarkar went to France to visit DriveWorks Reseller, AvenAo. They attended their SOLIDWORKS 2023 lunch event in Nantes.

Visiativ

Glen and Maria also attended Visiativ’s SOLIDWORKS 2023 launch event in Lyon, France. While on the DriveWorks stand, they had some great conversations about digital transformation and doing more with less.

Upcoming Events

Check out which events the DriveWorks team will be attending

Visiativ MyCAD Day

Tuesday, October 18th | Colmar, France

Tuesday, November 8th | Toulouse, France

SOLIDEXPERT

Tuesday, October 18th | Krakow, Poland

Hawk Ridge D2M

Tuesday, October 18th | Virtual

COFFEE

Thursday, October 20th | Essen, Germany

Thursday, October 27th | Munich, Germany

CATI / GoEngineer

Tuesday, October 18th | Minneapolis, USA

Thursday, October 20th | Fort Collins, USA

MLC CAD

Thursday, October 20th | Oklahoma City, USA

SOLIDWORLD

Thursday, October 20th | Monopoli, Italy

Innova Systems

Wednesday, November 2nd | Cambridge, UK

Wednesday, November 9th | London, UK

Design Solutions

Thursday, November 3rd | Eindhoven, Netherlands

TriMech

Wednesday, November 2nd & 3rd | Virtual

PLM Norway

Friday. November 4th |Lillestr淡m, Norway

PLM Denmark

Tuesday, November 8th | Greve, Denmark

PLM Finland

Friday, November 11th | Turka, Finland

PLM Sweden

Thursday, November 10th | V辰rnamo, Sweden

PLM Estonia

Tuesday, November 15th | Tallinn, Estonia

Visiativ MyCAD Day

Thursday, November 10th | Nantes, France

Tuesday, November 15th | Lille, France

Innova Systems

Wednesday, November 16th | Cardiff, UK

Wednesday, November 23rd | Widnes, UK

AvenAo

Thursday, November 17th | Lille, France

Supporting the SOLIDWORKS Community

With the support of our resellers, customers and partners, we have attended SWUG meetings, provided sponsorship and helped group leaders to find presenters with interesting presentations since 2015.

Over the years we have supported lots of group meetings by attending as SOLIDWORKS users ourselves, presenting on a technical topic or providing prizes and giveaways.

We love being a part of the SOLIDWORKS community and working with an amazing network of users.

As part of our role in the community, we wanted to put a spotlight on just some of the user groups across this network and showcase their dedication.

Join us as we shine a spotlight on SOLIDWORKS user groups and their leaders.

SWUG Spotlight

This week we are putting a spotlight on Sydney SWUG

User Group: Sydney SWUG

Group Leader: Michael Lord

When was your group established? June 2006

Why did you choose to become a user group leader? In 2013 I took over the leadership of the group, as it had been dormant for a few years. I had been fortunate to have been a guest of Dassault Syst竪mes SOLIDWORKS at SOLIDWORKS World for the previous couple of years, and I was at an age that I believed I needed to give back a little more to the community. The user group was a good place to do so.

What is your goal as a user group leader? Its pretty simple, to provide a place for those who want to exchange ideas, discuss, learn and connect with people in the industry who can mutually benefit from the meetings.

Who inspires you? I dont have too many individual people who inspire me, but I marvel and Im in awe, at the achievement of many engineers, designers, architects, and builders who have created so many things around us.

Our Sydney Harbour Bridge, many early sandstone buildings, the blending of the new (glass & steel) with the old (sandstone) to recreate buildings for modern life.

I’m a child of the Apollo era, and as a child, I was truly excited at the time, but now I understand the huge, incredible achievement of science and engineering which went into making that a reality. Every time I travel by plane, I understand the principles and science behind why planes can fly, however whenever Im in a plane accelerating down a runway, I still marvel every time when it breaks contact with the ground. Engineers and scientists (and the youth of today) will solve many of the issues created by my generation!

What is your fondest memory of your group? Every meeting, there is always something to take away from it. I never fail to learn something! There is no such thing as a bad presentation. It matters little if you have 5 or 500 people attend, every meeting is unique, and every meeting is an opportunity. Of course, we have been very fortunate to have representatives from DriveWorks, on business in Australia present at our group, they are always good presentations!

What advice would you give to anyone interested in starting a user group? In the words of that sporting/marketing company . Just Do It! There is plenty of help and advice out there, your SWUGN committee rep is there to assist. The wider SWUGN community is there to jump in!

What’s the best piece of advice you have been given? Im not sure I was ever told this, but I give this lecture to all the youngers who start at a job. It goes like this: unless you are going to receive a substantial inheritance, you are going to have to work for a living. You are going to spend more time at work than you are with friends and family, so you may as well enjoy what you do. If you are not enjoying what you are doing, then create a plan and work towards where you want to be! Dont waste your time or the companies that you are working for time.

How can people learn more about your group? On our meetup site.

Follow Sydney SWUG for the latest information on meetings and more

Would you like your user group to be featured?

If you are a SWUG leader and would like your user group to be featured in this series – get in touch!

Please email Heather Hasz at heatherhasz@driveworks.co.uk

A selection of images showing users at Houston SWUG meetings

Supporting the SOLIDWORKS Community

With the support of our resellers, customers and partners, we have attended SWUG meetings, provided sponsorship and helped group leaders to find presenters with interesting presentations since 2015.

Over the years we have supported lots of group meetings by attending as SOLIDWORKS users ourselves, presenting on a technical topic or providing prizes and giveaways.

We love being a part of the SOLIDWORKS community and working with an amazing network of users.

As part of our role in the community, we wanted to put a spotlight on just some of the user groups across this network and showcase their dedication.

Join us as we shine a spotlight on SOLIDWORKS user groups and their leaders.

SWUGN - supported by DriveWorks logo

SWUG Spotlight

This week we are putting a spotlight on Houston SOLIDWORKS User Group (HOUSUG)

User Group: HOUSUG (Houston SOLIDWORKS User Group)

Group Leader: Joe N. Lance

When was your group established?
April 19, 2001

Why did you choose to become a user group leader?
To give back to the community, for something you have a passion.

What is your goal as a user group leader?
To be an avenue to assist users in any way possible.

What is your fondest memory of your group?
When users want to know how much it costs to join HOUSUG! (Of course it’s free!)

Logo for Houston SWUG
Joe Lance in the audience at a 3DEXPERIENCE World event

What inspires you?
To see new and seasoned users wow for something new, or even things thats been there for a while.

What advice would you give to anyone interested in starting a user group?
To start today dont procrastinate – the SWUGN team is here to support/assist in any way possible.

What’s the best piece of advice you have been given?
Be your authentic self, as best you can life is short. Have Fun.

How can people learn more about your group?
Visit the Houston SOLIDWORKS User Group (HOUSUG) Meetup site or email: Housug@gmail.com

Joe Supports SWUGN

Joe is a huge supporter of the entire SOLIDWORKS community.

He recently flew across the world to join the SWUG UK Regional Meeting as a surprise guest. SOLIDWORKS User Group Leaders Kirby Downey (London SWUG), Jonny Harrison (North East England SWUG), Luke Frost (Midlands SWUG), and Theodore Chortatsos (Hellenic SWUG) worked together for several months to plan this event.

Joe Lance made the trip from Texas to England to support the event!

User group leaders at DriveWorks HQ with Joe Lance and Heather Hasz

Follow HOUSUG for the latest information on meetings and more

Would you like your user group to be featured?

If you are a SWUG leader and would like your user group to be featured in this series – get in touch!

Please email Heather Hasz at heatherhasz@driveworks.co.uk

Supporting the SOLIDWORKS Community

With the support of our resellers, customers and partners, we have attended SWUG meetings, provided sponsorship and helped group leaders to find presenters with interesting presentations since 2015.

Over the years we have supported lots of group meetings by attending as SOLIDWORKS users ourselves, presenting on a technical topic or providing prizes and giveaways.

We love being a part of the SOLIDWORKS community and working with an amazing network of users.

As part of our role in the community, we wanted to put a spotlight on just some of the user groups across this network and showcase their dedication.

Join us as we shine a spotlight on SOLIDWORKS user groups and their leaders.

SWUG Spotlight

This week we are putting a spotlight on Connecticut SWUG

User Group: Connecticut SWUG

Group Leader: Paul Parise, Steve Bukowsky, Ed Poole (Group Leader Emeritus)

When was your group established? 2009

Why did you choose to become a user group leader? I wanted to give back. I started attending SWUG meetings in about 2002. I could not believe the quality of the technical content and the event planning, especially by volunteer group leaders. I learned a lot about SOLIDWORKS and also made many SOLIDWORKS acquaintances.

What is your goal as a user group leader? At this point I feel that we are facing two challenges: 1) Restarting in-person meetings after the pandemic, and 2) Evolving the User Group Experience to adapt to the evolution of the 3D experience as the focus moves from the desktop to the cloud.

Who inspires you? Elon Musk

What is your fondest memory of your group? Paper Airplane contests at the New England Air Museum, after CMNC-SWUG Meetings. Also, Women in Engineering presentations at ConnSWUG-MastCam meeting.

What advice would you give to anyone interested in starting a user group? Find a couple of good people to assist you. Stay in contact with resource people at Dassault.


What’s the best piece of advice you have been given? Stay focused

How can people learn more about your group? We are restarting in-person meetings with a special event at UConn in October. Plan to come to that meeting!

Follow ConnSWUG for the latest information on meetings and more

Upcoming Events

ConnSWUG is Back!

ConnSWUG will be hosting its first in-person meeting since 2019 on Thursday, October 13, 2022 at UConn IPB.

To kick off the meeting, the group welcomes Sal Lama, R&D Director at SOLIDWORKS to present an overview of What’s new in SOLIDWORKS to help everyone get back up to speed.

The event will be held at UConns Innovation Partnership Building (IPB) in Storrs, CT.

Find out more and sign up to join here.

Would you like your user group to be featured?

If you are a SWUG leader and would like your user group to be featured in this series – get in touch!

Please email Heather Hasz at heatherhasz@driveworks.co.uk

SOLIDWORKS User Group Regional UK Event

Thursday, 22nd September at DriveWorks HQ, Warrington

This year we are excited to be hosting the SOLIDWORKS User Group UK Regional event at DriveWorks HQ.

This is the second SOLIDWORKS User Group UK Regional meeting ever and we can’t wait to welcome members to join us in Warrington for it.

It’s a chance for members of the SOLIDWORKS community to get together, share knowledge and network.

During the meeting, there will be technical presentations and hands-on demonstrations, and we’ll even be welcoming a special guest!

It’s a chance to see the DriveWorks rural office and explore the exciting technology we have on site.

Here’s What’s On the Agenda

Meet & Greet

Introduction – Matt Hall

3DExperience Platform – Ian Pilkington

Tips & Tricks – Theodore Chortatsos

Break

Designing for DriveWorks – Luke Frost

How to collect your free certification codes – Kirby Downey

Wrap Up

Raffle and networking

Food and Drink will be provided for the event.

Finding Your Way to DriveWorks HQ

Our location makes it easy for our visitors from far and wide to find us and for travelling to and from the office ourselves, without getting caught in the city traffic.

Were based really close to the major motorways that connect the UK (M6/M62/M56).

Warrington is host to three train stations, that are well-connected across the country. We are also located close to both Manchester airport and Liverpool airport.

Once you get to Laskey Lane, follow the lane down to the end. Youll see the Barley Store on your left and a large car park at the end of the lane. DriveWorks visitor parking is sign posted.

Car Icon

By Car

Travelling North on M6 – Exit at Junction 20

Travelling South on M6 – Exit at Junction 20

Train Icon

By Rail

Warrington Central – 15 minute taxi

Warrington Bank Quay – 15 minute taxi

Plane Icon

By Air

Manchester Airport – 20 minute taxi

Liverpool Airport – 32 minute taxi

Find out More & Join

Join the Meetup page for this event to get all the details and save your space.

Introducing the first-ever IronSWUG

After the past two years of mostly virtual SOLIDWORKS User Group meetings, we were excited to hear that two members of the SOLIDWORKS community are joining forces and taking SWUG meetings back on the road – in style.

Heather was recently joined by Brad Meador from the Star City SolidWorks User Group and Adam Ebernickel from the WNC-Asheville SolidWorks User Group to talk about an event that they’ve had in the works for a couple of years now IronSWUG.

IronSWUG is happening the week of July 18th and will follow these two User Group Leaders as they travel (by motorcycle) over 2,000 miles to present at 6 SOLIDWORKS User Groups that span 4 states.

In this blog, Heather catches up with Brad and Adam to find out how this idea came about and the details you need to know about the first-ever IronSWUG.

Adam and Brad, please can you give us a little background on yourself and your user group?

Adam: Yep, my name is Adam Ebernickel and Im from the northeast Tennessee area, I work in Burnsville near Asheville, North Carolina. The WNC-Asheville SWUG has been going on for about 15 years; I stepped in probably about 10 years ago and have worked closely with Phil Behm. In addition to that, I am the Southeast Regional SWUG Committee representative.

Brad: So, I am the SOLIDWORKS User Group Leader for Star City SWUG. We were just outside of Roanoke, Virginia and Ive been part of the group as Group Leader for 5 years. In addition, I am employed at Altec Industries and have been designing in SOLIDWORKS for 15 years.

Lets talk about IronSWUG. How did you both come up with the idea for this and what is IronSWUG?

Brad: In the motorcycle community there’s this thing called the Iron Rider Challenge Its a group of long-distance motorcycle riders that like to take on insane challenges such as 1000 miles in 24 hours. So, I decided lets do 1,000 miles. At the time when we originally planned it was to do 1000 miles on a
motorcycle and hit all the SOLIDWORKS user groups that we could inside of that. But with COVID-19, we decided to switch it up and take the planning to a little bit of an extreme. We are going to hit 6 user groups in 5 days and cover about 2,000 miles.

Adam: We have been thinking about this for over 2 years and Brad and I had talked together during one of the Regional SWUG events. We kind of brainstormed together and said dude, we love to ride, lets go visit some user groups.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 put the brakes on, but we were will still planning on doing it; by the summer of that year pretty much everything had been shut down and we put it on the back burner. When things were starting to lighten up again, Brad and I got back together and said its time!

Brad: We figured it was time to get everything going again; user groups are moving back to in-person and people are moving away from only virtual meetings. Folks are tired of Zoom calls, and they got the Zoom fatigue. So, we decided to reach out to some groups and try to restart this idea we are targeting the Southeast.

Brad: As Adam is the Regional Committee Member, it was easier to coordinate. We decided to try and do as many as we could in a week. We have 6 meetings to do in 5 days.

Where are you going to be visiting over the course of that week?

Adam: This has been very dynamic and very fluid. We were talking about going to different places and doing different things at one time. We thought about maybe even hitting the Northeast but we ended up settling on a little bit warmer climate just to make sure the weather is appropriate.

Brad is leaving from Roanoke (Virginia) and were running from there all the way down through Chattanooga (Tennessee) to Birmingham (Alabama) We will meet 2 groups there on Monday, July 18th – the Altec Birmingham SWUG, as well as the Birmingham SWUG. The next day, July 19th, we will be at the Pensacola (Florida) SWUG and then by Wednesday, July 21st, we will be in Atlanta at the Georgia Tech SWUG (a brand-new group with a lot of students and it looks like it will be awesome!). After that, we are going on up to North Carolina where we will visit the Charlotte SWUG and then by the Friday we will visit the WNC-Ashville SWUG.

The great part about this SWUG tour is that we have created new presentations for every single user group meeting we will be visiting there will be no duplicates. Not only can people attend in person, but all of the meetings will also be held with a virtual option so people can participate the whole week.

Can you give us a preview of some of the topics you will be presenting at these meetings?

Brad: Ive got everything from General Tips & Tricks to some design-related things, things like what to think about in design and manufacturing and Im even doing a few peripherals with SOLIDWORKS Visualize.

Adam: Im touching on some of that as well, we will be doing a bit of SOLIDWORKS and peripherals as well; it will be good. There will be plenty of Tips & Tricks some that have been talked about before but plenty of new ones as well. Im going to do a couple of sheet metal presentations as well; basic sheet metal and then advanced sheet metal which Im calling mind-bending metal and another on envelopes which are very useful tools, especially in manufacturing and helping on the shop floor.

Brad, you said it a little bit earlier – how many miles do you hope to cover over the course of the week?

Brad: Well, as its 2022, we were hoping to hit about 2,000-2,200 miles full circle. If you have a motorcycle, hey just jump on to come visit or ride with us!

Can you share anything that may be in store that week I mean, we will all have a chance to see your bikes but are there any other fun things you have planned?

Adam: Theres no better way to socially distance than be on a motorcycle in the wind. As far as fun stuff, weve got loads of stuff Brad set up. Brad has a website set up where you can track us and see where we are along the journey he also has set up some Instagram things so that we can take photos and include people in the week. We are both going to have video cameras and can create videos and stuff to share.

Of course, at the meetings themselves, its great to get together and join us for the knowledge, food and some door prizes!

Brad and Adam, thanks so much for your time and we will see you in July!

Heather from the DriveWorks team will be joiningthe IronSWUG tour on Wednesday, July 21st at the Georgia Tech SWUG. During her visit Heather will be sharing with the students of GA tech how they can automate their CAD models with DriveWorks.

Join Brad and Adam on the IronSWUG Tour

Find out more about the IronSWUG tour and how you can get involved.

Track their progress and follow the tour here.

3DEXPERIENCE World brings together a vibrant community ofdesigners, engineers, manufacturers, entrepreneurs and business leadersto learn, engage, discover and share knowledge with each other about how to increase innovation and transform their business.

3DEXPERIENCE World 2022

3DEXPERIENCE World 2022 will be a hybrid event onFebruary 6-9, 2022, with the in-person event being held at the World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

The unique agenda enables you to participate in many of the moments typical of the annual event, in-person or virtually from wherever you are in the world.

Whether its the General Session, Technical Breakout Sessions, the 3DEXPERIENCE Playground, Certifications or Meetups there will besomething for everyoneno matter how you choose to participate.

We will be attending the in-person event in Atlanta and we will also have a virtual booth if you are joining virtually. This will be our 17th year attending and sponsoring!

Technical Training

Training at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2022 brings you nearly 400 training sessions, including hands-on workshops, demos, product briefings, panel discussions, and roundtables on a wide variety of topics,taught by industry experts.

The skills and knowledge you learn during these sessionscan be used immediately, helping you and your team accelerate your design process.

There is expected to be more than 220 breakout sessions and 75+ hands-on workshops to choose from, meaning there is something for everyone.

DriveWorks Presentations

During the in-person event, DriveWorks CTO Philip Stears will be doing a live presentation on CPQ for Manufacturing: Configure and Automate.

Now is the time to automate, upskill your teams, and adopt digital technologies, to gain a competitive edge and win more business. In this presentation, DriveWorks CTO Philip Stears will share how you can use automation to do more with less. Learn how to successfully generate quotes and documents to support sales and manufacturing of designed-to-order and configurable products.

There will also be a presentation by Earl Hasz, DELMIAWorks Industry Process Consultant Director at Dassault Syst竪mes on Managing Configure to Order Production with DELMIAWorks and DriveWorks. This session will show the different approaches to managing your customisable product offering.

Joining Virtually?

If youre attending the event virtually, theres still lots of content for you to enjoy!

We will be hosting twoOn-Demand sessions atour virtual booth.

Presented by ourSenior Technical Specialist, Oliver Basma-Lord. Well be discussingDriveWorks CPQ for ManufacturingandAutomating the Same but Different Designs.

Both On-Demand presentations will beavailable throughout the eventfor you to access at a time thatbest suits you.Once you have watched the presentation why not interact with our teamlive on the boothand ask your questions directly to ourDriveWorks experts!

Join us to find out why there has never been a better time to use automation to boost productivity to support growth and innovation.

Customer Presentations

There will also be the opportunity to hear from DriveWorks customers including ColePak.

During the Sales to Manufacturing: Streamlining Business Workflows session, Leah Adams, Design and Systems Engineer at ColePak Inc. will be discussing how the family-run business uses SOLIDWORKS with DriveWorks to develop a software solution for the entire company workflow.

Discover how to capitalise on basic SOLIDWORKS capabilities to quickly generate product models and drawings that are configurable to customer specifications.

Visit the DriveWorks Booth – Both Virtually and In-Person

Discover more about the time-saving Design Automation tool you already have inside SOLIDWORKS.

If you are attending the event virtually, make sure to visit our virtual booth. You’ll be able to download documents and interact with our team as if we were there in-person!

Once again our DriveWorks Experts and CSWPs will be ready on our live booth to chat, answer questions and also give demos of our award-winning software live in action.

We’ll also to attending the physical event so make sure to pop by and say hi to our team!

Save Your Space

Registration is open!

Sign up to join 3DEXPERIENCE World 2022

Using Intelligent File Naming in DriveWorks Solo

DriveWorks Solo offers the ability to take complete control over the naming and location of your generated files.

File naming is an important consideration when planning an implementation, and DriveWorks provides complete flexibility in how files are named.

Your file names can be as simple or as complex as you require, with the ability to suffix, prefix or even ignore a files original name.

In this case we are going to use intelligent file naming to allow DriveWorks to re-use a file that has been previously created.

The top-level assembly will still require a unique name, if not, nothing at all could be generated. But all sub-assemblies and parts can be assigned an intelligent naming convention.

Intelligent file names combine parameters within your Project that impact the outcome of the model into the file name. For example, the length or color of a component.

For this to work, a components file name rule will need to include the values of all the parameters being driven within the component.

Every time DriveWorks is used to generate new files, the file name rule will be evaluated and if the file name has already been generated, DriveWorks will re-use the existing component. This reduces the number of components being generated and improves model generation time.

Lets look at an example to see how this works in practice.

In this DriveWorks Solo Conveyor Project we use intelligent file naming to re-use parts within the conveyor assembly.

As previously mentioned, this improves generation time but also allows us to create a library of parts for this assembly. This also helps easily identify files without having to open them in SOLIDWORKS.

Within Model Rules the rule shown below determines whether the file name of the Conveyor Assembly uses Intelligent File Naming. This is controlled by a Check Box Control on the form.

If intelligent file naming returns TRUE, then this rule will use the return of numerous Form Controls along with text strings to identify each value to create a unique file name.

In this example the parameters being used are the Length, Width, Height and whether side rails are required.

If I enter the values 600, 870 and 680 for Length Width and Height, the resulting file name is:
CONVEYOR FRAME ASSEMBLY-600L X 870W X 680H.SLDASM

You can see the result of the generated file names below.

Learn more about Intelligent File Naming in the DriveWorks Solo Online Help File

Our Community

We love being a part of theSOLIDWORKS Community. With the support of our resellers, customers and partners, we have attendedSWUG meetings, sponsored meetings and helped group leaders to find presenters with interesting presentationssince 2015.

Although these past 18 months have been very different, we have still had the chance to connect with the SWUG Communitythrough manyonline meetingsand during virtual3DEXPERIENCE World 2021.

At 3DEXPERIENCE World 2021, we were honoured to be chosen as the SWUGN Partner of the Year.

To help stay connected, we have been busy catching up with lots of different people from all corners of the SOLIDWORKS Community. It’s been a great opportunity to learn more about thedifferent career pathsthat have led members of the community to be such a key part of the network.

As we approach the end of 2021, we are slowly and safely entering back into in-person meetings.

We have already started to prepare for 3DEXPERIENCE World 2022 in Atlanta, and look forward to seeing many of you there!

DriveWorks Supporting Regional SWUG Events

Recently, we sponsored and attended two regional SOLIDWORKS User Groups events.

Southeastern Regional SWUG Summit

On Saturday, October 23rd we sponsored and attended the Southeastern Regional SWUG Summit at the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery in Charlotte, North Carolina. WNC-Ashville SWUG Leader, Adam Ebernickel hosted the event and invited user groups from the region for a day of knowledge sharing, networking and of course, beer!

Presentations that day included:

Brewing with Electricity by JP Emanuele, Industry Process Consultant at Dassault Syst竪mes. SOLIDWORKS Tips & Tricks by Robbie Hoyler from TPM and also xShape by Chris Duchaine from TriMech.

Boston SOLIDWORKS User Group

On Wednesday, November 10th, the Boston SOLIDWORKS User Group hosted an in-person event at the Dassault Syst竪mes campus in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Presentations that evening included:

Whats New in SOLIDWORKS 2022 given by Mark Martel, Technical Sales Director and Andy Barnes, Technical Manager, at Dassault Syst竪mes. SOLIDWORKS Connected by Chris Mowatt from TriMech. Last but not least,
SWUG Manager Dan Wagner led the group through a fun pub quiz that challenged everyones SOLIDWORKS knowledge it was quite competitive!

DriveWorks SWUG Sponsorship Program Updates

Being part of this community, we are proud to support meetings however we can. Over the years we have sponsored lots of group meetings whether that being through attending, presenting or providing prizes and giveaways.

Recently, we have updated the SWUGN area of our website with a quick and easy way for SOLIDWORKS User Group Leaders to request a DriveWorks sponsorship of their meeting.

Simply visit the SWUGN section of our website and choose the Request Sponsorship button to provide information about your upcoming meeting.

Once received, a member of our team will reach out with any questions or follow up needed.

On this page, you can also findprogram information, photos, and updates on SWUG activities that we have supported over the last few years!

We love being a part of the SOLIDWORKS Community and look forward to continuing to support the SOLIDWORKS User Group Network.

Get in Touch

We cant wait to be a part of lots more great SWUG meetings in the future!

Get in touch and tell us about your meetings.