CAD Forum

Just curious, this product has been around for many years along with the 3DSWYM site but does any company actually use it? Sometimes I see mention of small startups but no major companies.

Since the SolidWorks userbase hasn't really gravitated over, all of these changes seem like an attempt to convert the userbase.

Jason, that's what I hear from an insider. It's a conversion tactic combined with an upper level irrational belief in a vision that industry and press just do not seem to buy into.

What happened to build a good product, if it really is good at what it does, the users will come on their own. Word will get around, build up your fan base and evangelists. But you need a good and open community for that.

These executives think they are some kind of visionaries. You can hear it at 3dx World in their speeches. But they don't have their finger on the pulse of the community, they have their hands around it's throat.

jcapriotti wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 2:00 pm What happened to build a good product, if it really is good at what it does, the users will come on their own. Word will get around, build up your fan base and evangelists. But you need a good and open community for that.

These executives think they are some kind of visionaries. You can hear it at 3dx World in their speeches. But they don't have their finger on the pulse of the community, they have their hands around it's throat.

. . . and their heads up their . . . never mind.

Case Studies：

https://www.solidworks.com/customer-sto ... s%22%5D%7D
https://www.3ds.com/insights/customer-s ... e%22%5D%7D

linsd wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 6:32 am Case Studies：

https://www.solidworks.com/customer-sto ... s%22%5D%7D
https://www.3ds.com/insights/customer-s ... e%22%5D%7D

I didn't read all of those but most are startups or some obscure small company. The ones using SolidWorks looks like they were trying the conceptual product. SolidWorks is weaker in that area and rather than close that gap, they've developed it in 3dx.

This also poses another question. What's the difference in 3dx Solidworks and 3dx Catia?

I too have been wondering and would like to know this information.

It's hard to know because of all the smoke and mirrors in the messages being tossed about. I had a pretty good guess of what it looks like when this question was answered once in 3DEW2021, it was asked numerous times, I only heard it answered once. I'm paraphrasing what I understood the answer to be (if someone wants they can find the recording) but is was along these lines: it is huge and multiplying by large factors every quarter. There were no concrete data offered, only relative points with no datum. So if the number of subscriptions doubled from 2020Q2 to 2020Q3 then quadrupled (or something) from 2020Q3 to 2020Q4 that sounds like huge, impressive growth. Unless the unprovided data was that it doubled from 100 to 200 then quadrupled from 200 to 800?

I can only assume that if the numbers were truly impressive then they would be used to support claims of how wonderful the product is; just like the number of SW users is used and the number of SWW/3DEW attendees is used, because they are impressive numbers.

matt wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 1:31 pm Jason, that's what I hear from an insider. It's a conversion tactic combined with an upper level irrational belief in a vision that industry and press just do not seem to buy into.

I'm not sure I would agree with the "Not buy into" part as much as "Haven't migrated fully to" yet.

I'm less bullish on the "Cloud" aspect of 3DX than I am the collaboration aspect. Again not having used the software I can't say how it works or how well it does at this. But without question being able to see, share, explain, collaborate on designs, preferably in real time is a significant advantage.

I actually think the potential for this has been even more exposed with all the "Virtual meetings" that the pandemic has forced us into. Personally virtual meetings are FAR more productive in my experience that in person meetings and virtual collaboration can be as well.

jcapriotti wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 2:00 pm You can hear it at 3dx World in their speeches.

I've heard much better speeches in Amway events

MJuric wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 1:45 pm

matt wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 1:31 pm Jason, that's what I hear from an insider. It's a conversion tactic combined with an upper level irrational belief in a vision that industry and press just do not seem to buy into.

I'm not sure I would agree with the "Not buy into" part as much as "Haven't migrated fully to" yet.

I'm less bullish on the "Cloud" aspect of 3DX than I am the collaboration aspect. Again not having used the software I can't say how it works or how well it does at this. But without question being able to see, share, explain, collaborate on designs, preferably in real time is a significant advantage.

I actually think the potential for this has been even more exposed with all the "Virtual meetings" that the pandemic has forced us into. Personally virtual meetings are FAR more productive in my experience that in person meetings and virtual collaboration can be as well.

I agree that the C-19 changes resulting in working from home and virtual meetings have clearly demonstrated the abilities to work remotely. Easy/seamless collaboration has dramatically risen in importance. I have been watching Onshape for a good while now and as far as I can see they are doing the collaboration better than anyone else. I have a client 12 time zones away and we can both be moving the mouse on the same part to explain and understand each other.

I have another two years left on my maintenance with SWX, but after that I'll just be keeping it as is and likely be moving to Onshape, unless I can get a partial refund and cancel my maintenance early.

Small update here - this is what I feared would come & there it is. Which makes this whole thing a total $#!+ show for a help 'forum':
Even Alin takes part... I'm sad now.

berg_lauritz wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:12 am Small update here - this is what I feared would come & there it is. Which makes this whole thing a total $#!+ show for a help 'forum':

Screenshot 2021-03-16 101056.jpg

Even Alin takes part... I'm sad now.

Not necessarily. I've noticed that some of the discussions and/or questions are already being copied from the SW forum to the 3D-XYZ platform, and I saw what looks like that same post from him in the SW forum.

There is hardly any activity on any of the "Communities". Look at CATIA or ENOVIA user communities, not much going on there, some of the posts are news stories I guess from Dassault employees. A Disasterpiece in the making.

jcapriotti wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 1:23 pm Just curious, this product has been around for many years along with the 3DSWYM site but does any company actually use it? Sometimes I see mention of small startups but no major companies.

Since the SolidWorks userbase hasn't really gravitated over, all of these changes seem like an attempt to convert the userbase.

Yes, I do use the 3DSwym platform...to post links to this forum for anyone looking for help with SW...

mattpeneguy wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 1:19 pm

jcapriotti wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 1:23 pm Just curious, this product has been around for many years along with the 3DSWYM site but does any company actually use it? Sometimes I see mention of small startups but no major companies.

Since the SolidWorks userbase hasn't really gravitated over, all of these changes seem like an attempt to convert the userbase.

Yes, I do use the 3DSwym platform...to post links to this forum for anyone looking for help with SW...

What's 3DExperience and 3DSWYM? I don't recall ever seeing either.

idesignhaus wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 5:30 pm What's 3DExperience and 3DSWYM? I don't recall ever seeing either.

Ohhhh...boy, have you missed out! https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/247614

TL;DR......DSS is killing the current forum and moving it to a Facebook-type app that is locked behind a Google-proof wall, therefore will not be visible to search engines. The current content will "supposedly" be transferred, but no one is holding their breath.



Yeah, it's super dumb. That's the reason for the phenomenal acceleration of this site (it was born a week ago).

idesignhaus wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 5:30 pm What's 3DExperience and 3DSWYM? I don't recall ever seeing either.

Jeff, that wasn't in purple, so I can't tell if you're serious or not. Good to see you here by the way. Just to catch you up, SolidWorks is trading up for 3dexperience, and 3dswym is their new forum for lack of a better word. You must be working a lot to have missed out on 3dexperience and 3dswym.

Right, sorry.

What's 3DExperience and 3DSWYM? I don't recall ever seeing either.

On the other hand, it's not even sarcastic. Last I'd seen, there was no "there" there.

And---thanks for setting up an alternative! Great to see so many already jumping over.

mike miller wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 5:38 pm

idesignhaus wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 5:30 pm What's 3DExperience and 3DSWYM? I don't recall ever seeing either.

Ohhhh...boy, have you missed out! https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/247614

TL;DR......DSS is killing the current forum and moving it to a Facebook-type app that is locked behind a Google-proof wall, therefore will not be visible to search engines. The current content will "supposedly" be transferred, but no one is holding their breath.



Yeah, it's super dumb. That's the reason for the phenomenal acceleration of this site (it was born a week ago).

Thanks, Mike!

I just drifted into the original SW forum earlier today and hadn't yet seen that thread---am picking my way through it now.

No surprise with any of this forum-moving stuff, right? They've been complaining about (and blaming) the Jive platform a long time. Even so, and back to my question, what is 3DExperience and 3DSWYM? Is it a tool that accomplishes something useful for SolidWorks users? Is it ether? Vapor? Mimed-out hand gestures? Is it a tool that accomplishes something useful for Dassault suits?

In the meantime, I'll go back and read the rest of that thread in search of enlightenment.

OK, I made it to the tenth page of the SW forum thread before my attention lapsed to more interesting things, like snow falling. Zoomed to the end and it's at 35 pages! Yow! Folks have lots to say about all this. I'm probably skipping over some juicy drama, but I think I'm good with that.

idesignhaus wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 7:37 pm OK, I made it to the tenth page of the SW forum thread before my attention lapsed to more interesting things, like snow falling. Zoomed to the end and it's at 35 pages! Yow! Folks have lots to say about all this. I'm probably skipping over some juicy drama, but I think I'm good with that.

You missed a good one then.

Ah, yes, page 34. Excellent, you save me lots of time for a decent laugh. Thanks!

idesignhaus wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 6:23 pm In the meantime, I'll go back and read the rest of that thread in search of enlightenment.

. . . and how did that work out? Find much enlightenment?

Overall, I'm part of the WTF crowd when it comes to the 3DExperience. But I do think it contains some important pieces (if you can ever find them in that pile of junk more than once), especially Collaborative Designer for SolidWorks cloud based PDM (or PLM). The name is ridiculous and its seems the product launch was poor (I don't know, maybe they put all their promotion into 3DX World? Which I didn't go to), but the PDM seems good! For example: https://youtu.be/t8w3mBpCAVM?t=619 It has integration with regular SolidWorks, as well as Creo, Inventor, Altium, Solid Edge, and Catia. So far it looks like what I've been waiting for in PDM, but there are many details I don't know. It costs about $1500/year for a CAD user, and there are two cheaper levels below that (you can add or remove "roles").

matt wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 5:41 pm

idesignhaus wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 5:30 pm What's 3DExperience and 3DSWYM? I don't recall ever seeing either.

Jeff, that wasn't in purple, so I can't tell if you're serious or not. Good to see you here by the way. Just to catch you up, SolidWorks is trading up for 3dexperience, and 3dswym is their sorry excuse for a new forum for lack of a better word. You must be working a lot to have missed out on 3dexperience and 3dswym.

FTFY @matt

Brian-M wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:39 pm Overall, I'm part of the WTF crowd when it comes to the 3DExperience. But I do think it contains some important pieces (if you can ever find them in that pile of junk more than once), especially Collaborative Designer for SolidWorks cloud based PDM (or PLM). The name is ridiculous and its seems the product launch was poor (I don't know, maybe they put all their promotion into 3DX World? Which I didn't go to), but the PDM seems good! For example: https://youtu.be/t8w3mBpCAVM?t=619 It has integration with regular SolidWorks, as well as Creo, Inventor, Altium, Solid Edge, and Catia. So far it looks like what I've been waiting for in PDM, but there are many details I don't know. It costs about $1500/year for a CAD user, and there are two cheaper levels below that (you can add or remove "roles").

I haven't watched the youtube, but I've seen enough demos and they never show you the downside or what isn't ready for production use...They always leave that to the user to figure out. So, if you do decide you are interested, I'd highly recommend you extensively test it.

Brian-M wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:39 pm Overall, I'm part of the WTF crowd when it comes to the 3DExperience. But I do think it contains some important pieces (if you can ever find them in that pile of junk more than once), especially Collaborative Designer for SolidWorks cloud based PDM (or PLM). The name is ridiculous and its seems the product launch was poor (I don't know, maybe they put all their promotion into 3DX World? Which I didn't go to), but the PDM seems good! For example: https://youtu.be/t8w3mBpCAVM?t=619 It has integration with regular SolidWorks, as well as Creo, Inventor, Altium, Solid Edge, and Catia. So far it looks like what I've been waiting for in PDM, but there are many details I don't know. It costs about $1500/year for a CAD user, and there are two cheaper levels below that (you can add or remove "roles").

That's the thing, as a product for collaboration, some of the apps don't look half bad. But then they tried to shoehorn in this idea of a "Forum or Community" to replace the existing forums and what do you know, it stinks for that. They should stick to product design and making it easier to work together on products. Why waste resources on forums when that's not what you do.

The new official SW forum is an epic example of foot shooting. Where crickets will live and chirp loudly. Sad!

idesignhaus wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 5:52 pm Right, sorry.

What's 3DExperience and 3DSWYM? I don't recall ever seeing either.

On the other hand, it's not even sarcastic. Last I'd seen, there was no "there" there.

I posted in another thread somewhere, no idea at this point because I'm bouncing between the three forums.

3DSwym is little more than a "Collaboration" app that is included in all the "3DExpereince suite of programs. If you got DEsignX or any of the other things you'd get 3Dswym. It's essentially an internal, to the software, DS's version of "Microsoft Teams".

What you see at the 3Dswym forums is merely the atrocity that exists because they tried to use that app to support a large public forum...which it was never intended to do.

JLR is supposed to be using 3DEXPERIENCE for the development of product. That was announced back in 2018. I haven't heard anything on how that is going. You also had an annoucement from Safran (French aviation) in 2019 and Lockheed in 2019 as well. Once again, haven't heard boo from anyone in these organizations.

It does look like it has a huge internal communities of customers and suppliers: So technically it can handle the traffic.
Question is how it handle a nest of sub-communities.
Or we'll see 1000 new communities on the left to scroll?
Also seeing Ryan has 1400 notification is concerning.

Frederick_Law wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 10:07 am It does look like it has a huge internal communities of customers and suppliers:
3DSwym-19.jpg

So technically it can handle the traffic.
Question is how it handle a nest of sub-communities.
Or we'll see 1000 new communities on the left to scroll?
Also seeing Ryan has 1400 notification is concerning.

Earlier discussion on this essentially said that "Internal communities" where used at the company level to essentially make groups of teams. In essence you'd organize it much like your company is organized. CEO might be part of several management Communities but would not be part of individual project communities. You'd probably break each community down to 0-10/15 people or so.

The communities that had large numbers of members would essentially end up being "Informational" communities not "functional" communities. So you might have a company wide community that everyone in the company was part of but essentially it would be meant to be a one way communicator like a company wide e-mail. If you've ever been involved or seen a company wide e-mail were people decided to "Reply to all" and try to carry on conversations....well that is what 3Dsywm is as a large public forum.

Looks like it'll be a long list of forever post:

Frederick_Law wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 10:46 am Looks like it'll be a long list of forever post:
3DSwym-26.jpg

Is the new forum for Solidworks up and running over at Swym? I know they are suppose to nuke the old one tomorrow but didn't notice if the new one was up yet. I did a search, didn't find it.

berg_lauritz wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:12 am Small update here - this is what I feared would come & there it is. Which makes this whole thing a total $#!+ show for a help 'forum':

Screenshot 2021-03-16 101056.jpg

Even Alin takes part... I'm sad now.

Alin has obligations, please do not throw him in the bunch. He does with what he can control.

AlexLachance wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:29 am

berg_lauritz wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:12 am Small update here - this is what I feared would come & there it is. Which makes this whole thing a total $#!+ show for a help 'forum':

Screenshot 2021-03-16 101056.jpg

Even Alin takes part... I'm sad now.

Alin has obligations, please do not throw him in the bunch. He does with what he can control.

Doesn't Alin work for a VAR? They really have no choice but to spread the word and drink the Koolaid as their livelihood depends on it. I'd say there's several VARS posting on the 3DSywm forum that already existed. My guess is that they were told that doing so would be a good idea.

I noted in an earlier post that a significant portion of the traffic over there was DS and VAR employees compared to the old forum which was almost entirely users.

Looks like there's something there now. I tried clicking on a post by Ryan Priddy to see how to set the search to the "forum" page, and this is what I got: I'm inviting over here to discuss it...
Looks like I've got to be an author to post anything...And the box to request that is just "Loading" after I clicked to send the request...Oh, well...

Alin work in Javelin.
I won't blame him for trying.
I do admire his positivity.
Respect for life.

mattpeneguy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:50 am Looks like there's something there now. I tried clicking on a post by Ryan Priddy to see how to set the search to the "forum" page, and this is what I got:
loading.gif
I'm inviting over here to discuss it...
Looks like I've got to be an author to post anything...And the box to request that is just "Loading" after I clicked to send the request...Oh, well...

Yeah that wasn't there earlier. Just did a test post...guess what no mandatory tags. In short at this point you'll never be able to find new content based on a certain group. Looks like all the old posts have tags though.

mattpeneguy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:50 am Looks like there's something there now. I tried clicking on a post by Ryan Priddy to see how to set the search to the "forum" page, and this is what I got:
loading.gif
I'm inviting over here to discuss it...
Looks like I've got to be an author to post anything...And the box to request that is just "Loading" after I clicked to send the request...Oh, well...

Just in case anyone is wondering they didn't implement any, as far as I can see, of the plethora of requests that where asked for in the "3dExperience Swym" forum". They are still asking for feedback and they promise THIS TIME they'll listen

MJuric wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:05 pm [Looks like all the old posts have tags though.

SOLIDWORKS GENERAL?
Very f king useful tags.

Frederick_Law wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:44 pm

MJuric wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:05 pm [Looks like all the old posts have tags though.

SOLIDWORKS GENERAL?
Very f king useful tags.

Who's this Solidworks General?...Is that @Alin or @gupta9665 ?...No they're at least Admirals...

MJuric wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:09 pm

mattpeneguy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:50 am Looks like there's something there now. I tried clicking on a post by Ryan Priddy to see how to set the search to the "forum" page, and this is what I got:
loading.gif
I'm inviting over here to discuss it...
Looks like I've got to be an author to post anything...And the box to request that is just "Loading" after I clicked to send the request...Oh, well...

Just in case anyone is wondering they didn't implement any, as far as I can see, of the plethora of requests that where asked for in the "3dExperience Swym" forum". They are still asking for feedback and they promise THIS TIME they'll listen

Sucks for those who actually took the time like Dave Laban..

AlexLachance wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 1:25 pm

MJuric wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:09 pm

mattpeneguy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:50 am Looks like there's something there now. I tried clicking on a post by Ryan Priddy to see how to set the search to the "forum" page, and this is what I got:
loading.gif
I'm inviting over here to discuss it...
Looks like I've got to be an author to post anything...And the box to request that is just "Loading" after I clicked to send the request...Oh, well...

Just in case anyone is wondering they didn't implement any, as far as I can see, of the plethora of requests that where asked for in the "3dExperience Swym" forum". They are still asking for feedback and they promise THIS TIME they'll listen

Sucks for those who actually took the time like Dave Laban..

I can tell you from relevant experience that LISTENING is hard work, but MAKING DECISIONS and DOING SOMETHING are much harder. Aside from resources, that's the big difference between here and there.

AlexLachance wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 1:25 pm

MJuric wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:09 pm

mattpeneguy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:50 am Looks like there's something there now. I tried clicking on a post by Ryan Priddy to see how to set the search to the "forum" page, and this is what I got:
loading.gif
I'm inviting over here to discuss it...
Looks like I've got to be an author to post anything...And the box to request that is just "Loading" after I clicked to send the request...Oh, well...

Just in case anyone is wondering they didn't implement any, as far as I can see, of the plethora of requests that where asked for in the "3dExperience Swym" forum". They are still asking for feedback and they promise THIS TIME they'll listen

Sucks for those who actually took the time like Dave Laban..

There were a bunch of people making a bunch of suggestions on the existing forum over there and not many of them were implemented. The major ones brought up that essentially make the forum unusable for large groups were not even considered.

https://forum.solidworks.com/external-l ... jWv7YZEsRg

Get this i got a message saying I'm an Author but still can 't do anything over there, what a confusing Web interface on 3DSSYM, not even worth the time to use. Worst interface ever seen, I can even make a better web site with Wordpress!! So i voted for this site over there!!

mattpeneguy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 3:45 pm image.png
https://forum.solidworks.com/external-l ... jWv7YZEsRg

You know that no one will be voting on that because in three posts it will be off the front page never to return to the top. No one will see it.

I hesitate to participate much in this discussion, but out of curiosity I went over there. I couldn't be all THAT bad, right? I got signed in easily enough. I got to vote in the "who's doing this right" poll. That was fun. After that I try to browse around, which is difficult enough, and all I see is a wall of hate. People really don't like what's happening. And then my "bell" had a couple of dings in it, so I clicked on it: Huh?
I haven't been over there to ask for anything. I don't think I've posted anything at all. And suddenly I'm an author?

I kinda feel bad for everybody. Employees. Customers. Everybody. This has the look of something that just didn't get much public discussion. It's like you're in someone's private nightmare. it all means something to someone, but figuring it out based on what most of us know about social media and public forums ... It's a little embarrassing.

The public outcry from the V6 problem about 10 years ago eventually caused a lot of backpedaling at DS, and I imagine someone or some group wound up with a lot of egg on their face. But this. This is even worse than 10 years ago. They are going to start losing customers if this is the new direction of the company. It's painful to watch. I don't even know how they would start to correct something like this. It's not like they missed by an inch. Somebody had an idea that just didn't translate into reality very well.