Last month saw the release of the newest version of SOLIDWORKS, SOLIDWORKS 2020

Last month saw the release of the newest version of SOLIDWORKS, SOLIDWORKS 2020. Like every new release it’s packed full of new functionality that has been designed to streamline the design and development process. In this article we’ll cover our breakdown of the best improvements for anyone modelling in SOLIDWORKS.

1. Faster Drawings Performance

The drawing environment in SOLIDWORKS allows you to easily place standard 2D views of your 3D models onto a drawing sheet and quickly create complex views and annotate them.

For SOLIDWORKS 2020 drawings performance has been improved all round as graphics acceleration is now available in drawings and, a specific new editing mode has been added. Detailing Mode allows you to open massive drawings in seconds by only loading what is required. Much of the usual functionality is still available while working in Detailing Mode, such as the options to: rearrange views, add dimensions, add or edit annotations, print the drawing and export to PDF. All in all this is a great timesaver for anyone who works with large assembly drawings.

2. Flexible Components

The new Make Part Flexible command allows you to display the same part in different conditions. For example, you could show the same spring part used in two places within an assembly and have one compressed and the other at full length. As well as bringing your parts to life, this enables you to create designs faster and helps to maintain an accurate Bill of Materials by eliminating the need for work-arounds.

3. Smoother Sketch Transitions

Creating seamless joins between sketch entities has always been possible but with SOLIDWORKS 2020 we can specify even smoother transitions. The Torsion Continuity Relation achieves G3 curvature between sketched curves, thereby allowing a seamless transition.

4. Faster Calculations and Improved Accuracy for Simulation

Speed and accuracy are key when using SOLIDWORKS Simulation, in SOLIDWORKS 2020 you can now speed up analysis and improve accuracy by combining linear and quadratic elements in the same simulation study. Additionally, Pin and Bolt Connectors can now deform faces attached to these connections and beam models import temperatures to perform a stress analysis after running a thermal analysis on a model that has beams.

5. Simplified Repair Workflows

Occasionally making edits to your model can affect edge references and cause features down the line, like fillets, to fail. The new fillet repair tool can automatically reselect edge references, making it easy to correct any errors you may run into while making design changes.

Offset Surface is a core tool for surfacing in SOLIDWORKS and now you can easily identify failing faces on a surface that cannot be offset. This gives you more flexibility and allows you to create an offset surface without the failing faces. Regular surfacing tools then enable you to repair the problem areas.

SOLIDWORKS Offer

Buy SOLIDWORKS today and take advantage of great offers across the SOLIDWORKS portfolio, see the Solid Solutions website for more details.