How Import and Export Hole Wizard Data with Excel

You can import and export Hole Wizard data with help Excel files in the Configuration tool with SOLIDWORKS 2018. 

Now you can import and export data to the Hole Wizard in the configurator tool SOLIDVORKS Toolbox 2018.

This is helpful when you edit an entire standard or create a few new sizes of holes.
Do the following steps

• In SOLIDWORKS, click Tools-Options-System Options-Hole Wizard/Toolbox-Configure.
• From the Windows Start menu, click All Programs-SOLIDWORKS 2018-SOLIDWORKS Tools-Toolbox Settings 2018-Configure.

Click Hole Wizard

Browse to the type of hole to import (export) data for, such as DIN

Export Hole Data Tables

Exporting

Import the resulting file backward into the Solidworks Toolbox

Importing

Error importing

Open the file and delete the "Sheet1", save it.

Delete "Sheet1"

Import the resulting file backward into the Solidworks Toolbox

An Excel file can be exported first to obtain the proper setup and existing sizes. This Excel file has 3 sheets at the bottom, analogous to the Standard Properties of a Hole Wizard type:

• Sizes
• Thread Data (besides Straight Holes)
• Screw Clearances (besides for Tapped Holes)

Once you have customized the exported Excel file, save as a exclusive filename (so you have a copy of the original Excel setup) and then use Import Hole Data Tables.

SOLIDWORKS 2018 Hole Wizard Export – Sheet "Sizes"

SOLIDWORKS 2018 Hole Wizard Export – Sheet "Thread Data"

SOLIDWORKS 2018 Hole Wizard Export – Sheet "Screw Clearances"

Error loading SOLIDWORKS Toolbox Library or add-in tools

Sometimes when you launch SOLIDWORKS and try to load SOLIDWORKS Toolbox Library or Utilities add-in, SOLIDWORKS delivers a message:

 “You appear to have experienced problems the last time you loaded the SOLIDWORKS Toolbox add-in”

This issue is only experienced in SOLIDWORKS 2017 SP3.0

Error loading Toolbox Library 

• If you pick yes, continue to load Toolbox, SOLIDWORKS possibly stops responding!
• However, if you pick No, disabling Toolbox, everything seems to work fine.

To fix this error you should delete the ‘tb_default.sldedb’ from ‘<C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS 2017\Toolbox\data’.

In Windows 7/Vista a  user can open his/her application data folder by running the command ‘appdata’ from Run window.

Navigate to the specified path and delete ‘tb_default.sldedb’.

Then launch SOLIDWORKS, you should have no issues adding the Toolbox Library or Utilities add-in.

This issue has been fixed in SOLIDWORKS 2017SP4.

Viewports

SolidWorks help

You can view models through one, two, or four viewports.
To open four viewports:

• Click Four View   (Standard Views toolbar) or Window > Viewport > Four View.

Viewports

You can choose the following viewport arrangements from the Window menu or the Standard Views toolbar:

Tooltip	Views Displayed
Single View	User-specified
Two View - Horizontal	Front and Top
Two View - Vertical	Front and Right
Four View	Front, Right, Top, and Trimetric (Third Angle), or Front, Left, Top, and Trimetric (First Angle). Specify First Angle or Third Angle in Tools > Options > System Options > Display .

The lower left corner of each viewport displays the current orientation.

To choose a different orientation, click the View Orientation   (Heads-up View toolbar).

When you switch from multiple viewports back to a single viewport, the model displays the orientation of the active viewport. If you then switch back to multiple viewports, the orientations are the defaults again.

You can change the orientation or rotation of a model in any viewport independently as long as the viewports are not linked.

SOLIDWORKS Hardware and System Requirements

These system requirements apply SOLIDWORKS products except where  noted. Use this simple   information to provide you are always working  with a SOLIDWORKS supported and optimal system for hardware, operating system and other products.

Operating Systems	SOLIDWORKS 2013		SOLIDWORKS 2014		SOLIDWORKS 2015		SOLIDWORKS 2016		SOLIDWORKS 2017		SOLIDWORKS 2018
Windows Vista>
Windows 7 64-bit (SP1 required for SOLIDWORKS 2014)
Windows 7 32-bit (SP1 required for SOLIDWORKS 2014)
Windows 8.1 (64-bit only)			(2014 SP1)
Windows 8 (64-bit only)
Windows 10, 64-bit					(2015 SP5)
Hardware
RAM	8GB or more recommended<
Video Card	Certified cards and drivers
Processor	Intel or AMD with SSE2 support. 64-bit operating system required
Install Media	DVD drive or broadband internet connection
Microsoft Products
Internet Explorer	IE 8, 9, 10	IE 8, 9, 10 ,11		IE 9, 10 ,11		IE 10,11		IE 11		IE 11
Excel and Word	2007, 2010,	2007, 2010, 2013		2010, 2013		2010, 2013, 2016 (SW2016 SP3)		2010, 2013, 2016		2010, 2013, 2016

How to Disable and Enable the Meltdown and Spectre Patches from Slowing Down Your PC

  

The Windows patches for Meltdown and Spectre will slow your PC down. On a newer PC running Windows 10, you probably won’t notice. But, on a PC with an older processor—especially if it’s running Windows 7 or 8—you may see a noticeable slowdown.

You can also disable the protection in the registry yourself, if you like. Run the commands under “To disable this fix” on this Microsoft support page. Restart your PC after changing the registry settings. If you change your mind and want to re-enable the protection in the future, run the instructions under “To enable the fix” on the Microsoft web page.

You can use batch files to enable or disable the fix.
Download

• disable_hotfix_Spectre_and_Meltdown.cmd
• disable_hotfix_Spectre.cmd
• enable_hotfix_Spectre_and_Meltdown.cmd
• enable_hotfix_Spectre.cmd

Execute the required batch file and restart Windows.

SolidWorks: Autotrace a Sketch Picture

Useful function, but many do not know about  its existence in Solidworks.

SOLIDWORKS AutoTrace

Sketch Picture includes the following capabilities:

• Insert pictures (.bmp, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .tif, .tiff, .wmf, .png, .psd) on a sketch plane.
• Use pictures as an underlay for creating 2D sketches.
• Convert raster data to vector data using Autotrace.

A sketch picture will is inserted with its (0, 0) coordinate at the sketch origin.

You  can insert a sketch image of a .tiff file, with max resolution 4096 x 4096. Files that exceed this limit are divide in half until minimum dimensions meet the limit. For example If you insert a .tiff file that is 6000 x 4000, the file is reduced to 300 x 2000.

Autotrace is an add-in that enable you to convert images such as .jpegs and .bitmaps into sketch geometry. This add-in trace best with high-contrast images.

• Source image should be high resolution, with a larger of 300dpi. 
• Line art should be pen on paper, with precise contours and high contrast.
• Colors should be as uniform as possible within the area you select.

If Autotrace is enabled as an add-in, the next page of the Sketch Picture PropertyManager is  available. Click Tools > Add-Ins and select Autotrace in the dialog box.

Compatibility with Solidworks Autotrace

• You can not use animated formats e.g. animated gif or .avi files. You can not use still image formats such as .jpg, or .bmp, .gif.
• You can use Autotrace to part or assembly files (*.sldasm and *.sldprt), but not to drawing files (* .slddrw).

Performance of SOLIDWORKS after applying the patch Specter and Meltdown

DS SOLIDWORKS is performing extensive testing in an effort to determine the potential impact of any solutions that are issued to mitigate the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities.

The SOLIDWORKS Knowledgebase solution S-074167 discusses the potential effect on performance upon systems that have employed the Microsoft® Windows® Update security patch released on January 9th, 2018 that was intended to address the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities.

DS SOLIDWORKS intends to report the results of their ongoing tests at SOLIDWORKS World (Feb 4th – 7th 2018). The report will likely be relayed to reseller staff and further updates can be expected by our customers during the second week in February.

SOLIDWORKS Knowledgebase solution S-074167

SOLUTION ID: S-074167

• QUESTION: Why does my computer with an Intel® processor perform slower after installing a Windows® Update?
• ANSWER: A critical security fault was identified with all Intel® x86 and x64 processors. The security fault was fixed by a Microsoft® Windows® Update security patch released on January 9th, 2018.For information about this issue, follow these links:

• Understanding the performance impact of spectre and meltdown mitigations on windows systems
• Intel Firmware Vulnerability

You should also review the following Microsoft article:
Windows 10 update kb4056892

Article by Adam Harte-Maxwell, CSWE