SolidWorks Composer Tips & Tricks

How to Replace the Viewport Compass with your Company Logo

Have you ever wanted to replace the boring viewport compass with something else like your company logo?

First import your 3D Company logo (if you have one) into Composer and then save it as a Project (.smgXml), this will create a geometry file (.smgGeom) for your logo.

To select the compass, click Environment > Compass in the Collaboration pane. You can also select the compass in the viewport by dragging a selection box, but only if the compass is the only actor selected.

In the Properties pane, go to Geometry path and search for the logo geometry file location (i.e companylogo.smgGeom).

Just like the Compass tool it will rotate when you rotate the model around. However, you cannot change camera views by clicking the compass. Only the default compass is clickable. The compass will always be grey because geometry files do not contain properties.  Hint: you can also replace the Compass with the same model in the Viewport to better visualise the orientation.

Interactive 3D manuals with 3DVIA Composer

Interactive 3D manuals increase customer appreciation and satisfaction 

pester pac automation GmbH has developed a new packaging machine operation concept for its customers that requires clear visualization and structured 3D images to help articulate the value of the product. The longtime user of SolidWorks® 3D CAD turned to 3DVIA Composer™ software to leverage its existing 3D design data in documentation, technical illustration, and for animation and interactive 3D applications....

3DVIA Composer

We've all bought items that include assembly instructions or lists of spare parts in the box.  The usual fold out sheet with multiple lines of text and confusing 2D drawings.  I have to put my hand up and say that on several occasions I've managed to put the drawer rail on upside down or used the wrong screw size.

Wouldn't life be so much easier if you could see the correct orientation in a visual language that everyone understands?  Gone would be the 5 booklets in English, French, Spanish etc and your recycling bin wouldn't be overflowing each time you bought a new gadget. 

If you are a technical writer, chances are that you probably rely on the engineering team or designers a lot more that you need to.  While you navigate between several illustrator packages and word processors, you might receive the updated CAD file you've been waiting for to include in the latest manual for the small design change done last week.  And if you didn't receive the file yet, it's time to email or call the CAD people, again! 

Well, the good news is that 3DVIA Composer can do all of these great things and you don't even have to be a CAD expert to use it.  Explode views from the native CAD file, include bills of material, create a publication, record a video of the assembly instructions and even post this media on your website for easy customer access. 

3DVIA Composer can also be used as a sales and marketing tool with web players available to showcase your new product or allow product customisation.  How about getting your product to market faster?  Since you're working with the CAD data directly in 3DVIA, when the design is updated, so are your technical documents.  That means you can start writing the assembly instructions before the product design has been completed!

Click on the link below to take a look at how 3DVIA can work for your company.