COMMENT-SW Version independent models

We've been told this couldn't be done (making SW backward compatible),
but we are getting models from a vendor that are SW version
independent. What they are doing is sending a macro that builds the
whole model from scratch. I'll have to say somebody did some pretty
fancy programming to get this done but it sure works slick.

As an added bonus, the macro can be emailed and is quite compact.

In comparison I've down loaded from 3D Condiment Central with the 2004
checkbox checked and have gotten parasolids which were useless for my
purposes.

 

Is there anyway that you could talk that vendor into sharing their macro?
Either that or else sell it to Solidworks with the condition that it is
incorporated into the current and all future versions.

 

At SWW 2006 I saw a presentation of a another concept. The company, which I
can't remember right now, used an Excel Spreadsheet linked to a design table
to "Build" Parts and Assemblies as needed. The Assembly and Part files
weren't stored, just the speadsheets to build them. Both methods are very
impressive.

Someone with the skills to develop these concepts should "run" with them and
bring them into mainstream use. In my opinion, it could be huge.

Best Regards,
Devon T. Sowell
www.3-ddesignsolutions.com

 

I doubt the macro would do you much good unless you wanted their
gearbox. My guess is they built a model and used the idea of a
configurator to drive the macro's creation.

 

That vendor was SMC and the model was that of an air cylinder. The
presentation should be available on the Conference Proceedings DVD.

WT

 

Paul,

I've seen these on some websites that offer SW models.

You still have the problem of unsupported features if your reading a 2006
macro into 2004 "IF" the macro calls on functions that don't exist. For
mechanical parts though, you're probably right.


Mark

 

A couple people have mentioned that the macro might not be version
independent. I am well aware of this issue. If you look at the code I
wrote in the Star2.1 benchmark you will notice that it deals with this
issue. What I found was that in general, SW will execute macros
written in earlier versions. And of course the fact that the macros
from the vendor do in fact run on 2004 says something about this issue.

If I get a chance I'll have a peek at the vendor's macro and see what
they are doing to make it run on earlier versions..

 

I just remembered, the first time I saw a Macro like this was about 4 -5
years ago when a client sent some SKF bearing holders to me. It blew me away
then. When I tried to open the Macro, it was locked, it wouldn't open. I'll
have to see if I can dig them up.

Devon