CAD Forum

This is an extension of the original post due to the limitation of <20 poll options per thread.

All options marked as "OPT 15", for example, are merely placeholders for new ideas.

The 1980's called and said they were happy with the SW drawing view rotation functionality...

Better control over depth and direction of broken-out section views.

When creating drawing views containing transparent parts, it would be helpful to have a switch to display the transparent parts as transparent. Not so useful in detail drawings; mostly for assemblies.

Autoballoon should not add balloons to parts that are excluded from the BOM. If it's not in the BOM, what is the balloon going to tell you? An asterisk is meaningless.

Purge unused data in drawings, to help rein in Drawing file size "creep"

https://r1132100503382-eu1-3dswym.3dexp ... j9ttEoTlfw


Batch Printing to auto print selected drawings based on paper size to multiple Printers that have configurable predefined settings.

for example.

A size to printer #1 tray # 1 (with configurable predefined settings)

B size to printer # 1 tray # 2 (with configurable predefined settings)

D size to plotter # 1 (with configurable predefined settings)

E size to plotter # 1 (with configurable predefined settings)

custom size to plotter # 2 (with configurable predefined settings)

Add or redo the corner treatment tool in Sheet Metal toolbar. It should perform radius or angle on an internal (fillet) or external corner. The selection mode should only allow selecting corners on the edge of the material. Maybe clicking a face will select all the edge corners connected to that face? There's could be some handy selection behavior improvements incorporated.
This tool should work in any config, unlike the existing SM Break corner feature that mostly only works in the flattened model.

Add option to leave sketche(s) out of the feature that uses it/them. I plan my first several sketches out carefully and SW clobbers the intent order and buries them in features down the tree. This makes edits cumbersome as I often roll back to the sketch to edit it, but everything is out of order.

NOT the Tree Display -> Show Flat Tree View; it is not consistent, especially flaky in Sheet Metal.

bnemec wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 10:27 am Add option to leave sketche(s) out of the feature that uses it/them. I plan my first several sketches out carefully and SW clobbers the intent order and buries them in features down the tree. This makes edits cumbersome as I often roll back to the sketch to edit it, but everything is out of order.

NOT the Tree Display -> Show Flat Tree View; it is not consistent, especially flaky in Sheet Metal.

Agreed on how that obfuscates the process in a dramatic and confusing way. I typically create several 'control' sketches on the cardinal planes and then create sacrificial sketches (rapidly, with the convert entities tool) that get consumed into the features. This enables myself and other users to rapidly find and adjust key dims.

Combine this with the resilient modeling system's sequence of events and you can actually make some bullet proof models.

tsmith wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 8:37 pm Agreed on how that obfuscates the process in a dramatic and confusing way. I typically create several 'control' sketches on the cardinal planes and then create sacrificial sketches (rapidly, with the convert entities tool) that get consumed into the features. This enables myself and other users to rapidly find and adjust key dims.

Combine this with the resilient modeling system's sequence of events and you can actually make some bullet proof models.

What you explain is my favorite method for majority of parts, especially sheet metal parts. I just am not used to needing the sacrificial sketches (nice term by the way) and I am leery of relying on Convert Entities as a critical link in the process. Sometimes the extra layer does help save geometry/face IDs as the derived sketches/curves can be redefined instead of deleted and made new.

It sounds like you have found that the Convert Entities to be very solid and robust in keeping with changes in the control sketches? I will step in faith and try the sacrificial sketches method.

Highlight referenced edges or points when you click on a dimension in a drawing.
SE has this capability: Edit to add:
https://r1132100503382-eu1-3dswym.3dexp ... yva-gkzwGQ

Allow reattaching dimensions in a "ALL" cases even changing the type of geometry it was originally attached to (edge to vertex or sketch entity, etc).

Improve performance of editing/selecting dimensions and annotations in the model and drawing environments. This should be lightning quick but there are delays waiting on the property manager or popup edit box to appear.

Allow holding right mouse button down to pan whereas a single click and release displays the context menu. (See Onshape for details).

Bonus: Allow mapping these actions instead of hardcoding it.

Copy the "View Cube" concept and replace the Triad.

There is no shaming in copying. Not sure who came up with it first, but Inventor, Onshape, and Solid Edge all have it and it works great.

jcapriotti wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 11:24 am Allow holding right mouse button down to pan whereas a single click and release displays the context menu. (See Onshape for details).

Bonus: Allow mapping these actions instead of hardcoding it.

I would really like a way to pan that uses a momentary switch, not a latching one.

jcapriotti wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 11:24 am Allow holding right mouse button down to pan whereas a single click and release displays the context menu. (See Onshape for details).

Bonus: Allow mapping these actions instead of hardcoding it.

Wouldn't that interfere with mouse gestures?

jcapriotti wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 11:35 am Copy the "View Cube" concept and replace the Triad.

There is no shaming in copying. Not sure who came up with it first, but Inventor, Onshape, and Solid Edge all have it and it works great.

image.png

Tell me about it. SE view orientation and 3D mouse control is a generation ahead of SWX. At least.

mike miller wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 12:00 pm Wouldn't that interfere with mouse gestures?

I turn that off so no. I have the "S" key, why would need mouse gestures too.

mike miller wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 12:00 pm Tell me about it. SE view orientation and 3D mouse control is a generation ahead of SWX. At least.

Not sure who came up with the cube first but it works wonderfully. I find it strange that Siemens hasn't added it to NX though.

SolidWorks "tried" to one up everyone with the dynamic spacebar invoked view selector. The problem is its a bit disorienting and slow, especially in large assemblies, I have it turned off.