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SolidWorks continues to develop apace with the usual extensive mix of new features ranging from me-too catch-ups to improved surfacing tools and innovative usability aids.
One of the key introductions in 2007 is the award winning SolidWorks Intelligent Feature Technology, a range of tools collectively known as Swift.
They aim to enable users to focus more on the design task in hand rather than grappling with a modeller and learning or applying CAD workarounds.
The FeatureXpert supports constant radius fillets, neutral plane drafts and reference planes.
Multiple fillets, for instance, can be applied in one command, creating the minimum necessary number of features to achieve the required result.
If any of the new features need to be earlier in the history they will be automatically inserted at the optimum position.
Subsequent editing allows individual edge fillet values to be modified with separate features being automatically created if required.
Of course this level of automation always raises the question as to whether ease of use that enables new users to be rapidly productive creates a plateau of learning; in this case it may be that learners do not progress to fully understand the nuances of fillet control and existing expert users will wish to retain control over where features come in the design tree.
This is not to say that for the majority of users facing a deadline the ability to solve a tricky failing fillet operation won't be greatly appreciated! Other Swift tools include MateXpert which replaces mate diagnostics to view errors and force mates to resolve using graphical call-outs, SketchXpert to help understand how dimensions are conflicting in over defined geometry by toggling through possible solutions to maintain the design intent and DimXpert which recognises manufacturing features such as patterns and pockets and applies a user definable scheme so they are fully defined in the drawing.
The 2007 release offers a range of usability enhancements, including the valuable ability to undo edits after leaving a sketch.