Solidtec Solutions in conjunction with Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. (DS SolidWorks) have announced a new version of its SolidWorks 3D CAD Education Edition software that features a 65 percent performance boost and new resources that help educators use the software as an effective tool for teaching math, science, and technical concepts.
SolidWorks 3D CAD Education Edition 2009 also streamlines licensing procedures to give learning institutions easy access to the software and supporting materials. A Web-based licensing system, the Student Access Module, enables schools to more easily acquire and manage large numbers of SolidWorks software licenses to meet their students’ needs. Once they have the software, new training and curriculum help educators teach academic subjects and engineering skills students need in the professional world. These new resources are:
- An expanded teacher’s guide to help prepare students for the Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA) exam. CSWA certification improves students’ marketability because the certification demonstrates proficiency and job-ready skill sets with SolidWorks software, the world’s most widely adopted 3D CAD software.
- Built-in student guides accessible by clicking on the SolidWorks Resources button in the user interface.
- A teacher training course through SolidWorks resellers on using the software as part of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) lessons. Students learn skills such as applying forces and evaluating material properties by working with CAD models of a hook, a wooden bridge, and a car’s control arm.
- Downloadable textbooks and guides for each SolidWorks Simulation product help instructors explain Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) concepts.
- A complete update of all curricula based on user feedback.
More speed for advanced learning
SolidWorks Education Edition 2009’s 65 percent performance improvement makes working with complex designs faster and more efficient. The improved performance comes from integrated workflows, adapted from real-world situations that help students quickly transform their ideas into 3D CAD models.
In addition to the performance boost, SolidWorks Education Edition 2009 includes 260 technical improvements. Among the most significant are:
- Support for Windows Vista 32 and 64-bit applications.
- The PhotoView 360 rendering tool, based on SolidWorks Intelligent Feature Technology (SWIFT), which lets students render a photorealistic scene while they’re working on it. Most software forces users to wait until scenes are complete.
- A Simulation Advisor for finding hidden flaws by guiding users through every stage of analysis.
- Simulation Sensors that alert users when parts and assemblies deviate from user-defined limits. Users set goals such as allowable stress, displacement, part weight, measurement, and interference, and the sensors react when users exceed the limits, providing a competitive advantage for FSAE, Formula Student, and robot teams.