Day one of SOLIDWORKS World 2016 did not disappoint. Read my five takeaways from today and follow us tomorrow for highlights from day two!

5. Dr. Neil Gerschenfeld is an Innovator
SOLIDWORKS World was ushered in with an inspiring address from Dr. Neil Gerschenfeld, Director of MIT’s Center for Bits & Atoms.

Dr. Gerschenfeld educated the entire crowd on how digitizing the actual fabrication process truly is the next frontier. It is apparent how Dr. Gerschenfeld wants to inspire his students to focus on innovation and to break the rules that have governed design for decades.

The explosion of fab labs was also explored, and the easy access to fabrication technology is critical to sustaining manufacturing around the world. See more of Dr. Gerschenfeld in his fab labs was also explored and the easy access to fabrication technology is critical to sustaining manufacturing around the world. See more of Dr. Gerschenfeld in his TED talk from several years ago.

4. SOLIDWORKS will be available as a “Term License.”
SOLIDWORKS’ CEO, Gian Paolo Bassi, unveiled that SOLIDWORKS will be available on both a perpetual (forever license + maintenance) and a “term” basis where the software could be purchased to run for a specified amount of time. This option could prove to be a fantastic option for small business, startups and those in the maker community. The perpetual license will continue to be the lowest lifetime cost option and allows users to continue to invest in the development and continual improvement for SOLIDWORKS through subscription service. You can learn more about the benefits of SOLIDWORKS’ subscription service on TriMech’s webpage.

3. Desktop SOLIDWORKS is a strategic focus
CEO Bassi highlighted that SOLIDWORKS is going to continue to maintain a three-tiered strategy of application delivery:

• Desktop strategy – The current flexibility and performance experienced by our desktop applications customers will continue to be an area of strength.
• Connected strategy – Apps such as Conceptual Designer and Industrial Designer allow users to leverage best-in-class design tools with the powerful 3DEXPERIENCE collaborative platform.
• Online strategy – Cloud-based tools are ready to hit the market that will take the power of SOLIDWORKS design on to any device, anytime.
   
  

2. Cloud-based CAD can complement traditional design
SOLIDWORKS announced the launch of Xdesign this morning. Please visit the Xdesign sign-up page for more information and to get involved. The fully, cloud-based application will be in Beta for now and may be released later in the calendar year 2016. This is the most robust cloud-based design tool to date with revolutionary features including shape optimization, full model-based definition capabilities, and fantastic photo-rendering capabilities. Having all of that functionality available on any device in any browser at any time should revolutionize the speed with which SOLIDWORKS’ user community can make great designs and innovate.

1. SOLIDWORKS is bringing PCB design to every designer’s desktop
20 years ago, SOLIDWORKS started with a bold mission: to put a world-class design tool on every designer and engineer’s desktop. The success of this mission has revolutionized the entire design ecosystem. At SOLIDWORKS World in Dallas this morning, SOLIDWORKS announced a product that will have the same impact on circuit board design. This new product is called SOLIDWORKS PCB and offers seamless integration into the SOLIDWORKS mechanical tool. Altium, a leader in the printed circuit board (PCB) industry, worked with SOLIDWORKS to develop this groundbreaking tool. For more information, please visit the page for the precursor to SOLIDWORKS PCB.

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