Mike Puckett's Blog

Which is Faster for Solidworks: Vista or XP?

The debate rages on as to which operating system is better.  Well since we all use Solidworks, if we focus on performance for just that, which is faster?  Well over on the Solidworks forums, Mike Meuse posted a tale of his experiment to directly answer that question.  I think you may be suprized at his results.

Link to the original post: Battel of the operating systems

Quoted text of post:

Well, we are testing Vista 64 performance and Solidworks 64 performance for upcoming machine purchases. So as Engineering Manager I was the guinia pig (I don't do any "real" work anyway). I have been playing with Vista 64 Buisness and Solidworks 64 for a while with some minor issues. Mostly my issues are graphics related, a lag for the toolbar icons to respond when the mouse hovers over them but, only in large assemblies (1500 + parts). Otherwise it seems to run well. Before I get into the testing I will comment I like Vista 64, it performs well and has been very stable. Solidworks 64 also has been very stable, I have had fewer crashes running the 64 bit Solidworks. On to the testing...

So with all the comments on how slow Vista is I needed to verify for myself. THe first problem is my Dell Precision M90 was not entirely 64 bit ready....I needed a new processor so I purchased and installed a new Intel T7400 Core 2 Duo, 2.16 GHz 4 MB L2 cache. I chose this CPU because another M90 in the building has that cpu and I wanted to compare performance. I also purchased a new hard drive for the install so I could readilly switch back to XP any time I wanted. My first impressions after getting all the software loaded on was mostly favorable. I only have 1 program that has issues with Vista 64 (Microsoft Visual Studio 2003, figures Microsoft wouldn't build their own product compatible). My initial impression running Solidworks 64 is it appears pretty fast (once I corrected a minor configuration error). But still how does it really compare so on to the testing. I chose 2 types of tests the "Hole Punch" test and the SPEC.org Solidworks 2007 benchmark. I used the hole punch test because I saw it used as a performance measure here in the forums but, I felt it did not completely test the system performance. The 3 systems used:

1. Precision M90 - Vista 64 Buisness
Intel T7400 Core 2 Duo 2.16 Ghz 4 MB Cache
4 GB Ram
Nvidia FX 2500M 512 MB video card
250 GB 5200 rpm SATA HDD
Solidworks 64 SP 3.1

2. Precision M90 - XP 32 Pro
Intel T7400 Core 2 Duo 2.16 Ghz 4 MB Cache
4 GB Ram
Nvidia FX 2500M 512 MB video card
80 GB 5200 rpm SATA HDD
Solidworks 32 SP3.1

3. Precision M90 - XP 32 Pro
Intel T7400 Core 2 Duo 2.16 Ghz 4 MB Cache
2 GB Ram
Nvidia FX 2500M 512 MB video card
120 GB 5200 rpm SATA HDD
Solidworks 32 SP3.1

Performance testing:

System 1

Hole Punch Test 150.4 sec. (Without all the Vista Bling running)
Hole Punch Test 152.1 sec (With all Vista Bling running)
Solidworks Benchmark 2007 226.32 sec (Without Vista Bling running)

Benchmark breakdown:

Graphics 75.53 sec
CPU 63.77 sec
I/O 83.68 sec
Small case 8.14 sec
Tire 6.88
GTX assem 4.25 sec
GTX Transparent 9.36 sec
Engine 13.48 sec

System 2

Hole Punch Test 136.6 sec.
Solidworks Benchmark 2007 252.48 sec

Benchmark breakdown:

Graphics 94.75 sec
CPU 63.86 sec
I/O 93.87 sec
Small case 8.14 sec
Tire 5.63 sec
GTX assem 18.61 sec
GTX Transparent 18.57 sec
Engine 16.26 sec

System 3

Hole Punch Test 143.7 sec.
Solidworks Benchmark 2007 247.84 sec

Benchmark breakdown:

Graphics 84.52 sec
CPU 65.68 sec
I/O 97.64 sec
Small case 5.73 sec
Tire 3.77 sec
GTX assem 18.20 sec
GTX Transparent 18.18 sec
Engine 15.86 sec

Comments:

1. I am surprised by the differences between the hole punch test and the Benchmark test.
2. Vista 64 with Solidworks 64 did come out on top
3. The tests between system 2 and 3 surprised me a bit also. I ran the test a second time to make sure I did not make a mistake.
4. I did also run for comparison a Dell Precision 670 workstation with dual Zeons. But because of the poor performance I left it out.


Mike

DWG Anywhere?

The kids over at Solidworks Labs this week released their newest toy titled Blueprint Now.  Basically what you get is an online resource to store, access, and yes even modify your DWG files!  Does this mean you can call up your Autodesk reseller and cancel your Autocad subscription?  Well maybe not just yet.  You have limited functionality meaning that I suspect we will see this program take off like wild fire.  One thing you can expect, and get from the program is improved functionality.  Want to draw a line, you click the line tool and it stays active until your finished, no more selecting the line tool over and over.

The whole trend to tearing down the walls around 2D Cad began back with the release of DWG Editor by Solidworks.  With that programs introduction, and its inclusion with Solidworks for free, the beginning of 2D Cad becoming something close to freeware or shareware really began.  Its a product that at one time was the only way to get work done, but as the move to 3D continues, the value of 2D Cad systems continues to drop.  For instance here at our company, we use 2D Cad for legacy drawings.  We didn't have a need to go out and purchase a 2D Cad system, because as an owner of 4 seats of Solidworks, we are entitled to 8 installations of DWG Editor.  That meant we could use that money elsewhere.  An easy way to equate it is to go back to the early days of the Internet when AOL was charging hourly fees for their service.  I can personally remember AOL bills exceeding $150 for 14.4 dial-up!  As technology grew, and the market got more fierce, they were forced to offer a $19.99 flat monthly fee, and now you can get their service for free.

So like I mentioned, the Blueprint Now application is still very basic, but its a foundation that I can see big things being built upon.  Do you think that one day we will see a full blown DWG Editor style program available on the web, free for everyone?

Who Is The Solidworks Geek?

If he is one of those guys that got to kick it with the beauties on that Beauty & The Geek Show, then sign me up!

In fact, the Solidworks Geek is one of the newest blogs to join the growing list of people out there on the Internet blogging about the software itself.

The author has some pretty good insight into ASME standards (who feels sorry for this guy?) and features a weekly tip dealing with every engineers favorite standards system.

So head on over to The SWGEEK blog page and check it out.  Don't forget to add him to your RSS feed reader, and if you have some time while on his site, be sure to leave him a comment.

Chino Planes of Fame Air Show 2008

This past weekend was the annual Chino Planes of Fame Air Show. The show is put on by the museum which means lots of old privately owned aircraft, but they also get the military to bring out a couple of F-16 Vipers to display, and then demonstrate. Here are a few of the 1,088 pictures I took:

 

Solidworks World Withdrawls?

If you are starting to feel withdrawls from not having attended a Cad conference in a few months, and the 266 days until the first general session of Solidworks World 2009 is just too far away, well you may be in luck.  For those that have the ability to travel, then the Dassult Developers Conference is for you.

So pack your bags, get your appetite for frogs legs going, and jump across the Atlantic to join all the other Frenchies for a couple of days of everything Dassult.  I wonder if they will have an English speaking keynote speaker so 95% of the attendees will spend the rest of the day trying to figure out exactly what he said?

Solidworks 2008 Service Pack 4.0 Early Visability...

Solidworks today released the EV of service pack 4 for Solidworks 2008.  Mr EV scoop himself has the info here: Rock Solid Perspective

Well the information about Solidworks 2009 Beta is starting to get dumped on me in the amount of Claw Bathtubs (seariuosly, am I that young that I had to Google that to figure out what it was??? (read link)).

The latest info comes from a Solidworks employees newsletter that I came across.  While it pretty much covers what I posted Last Week, it does show that things are moving along!

Here is the info:

NEW! Join the SolidWorks 2009 Beta Program - SolidWorks Beta 2009 is just around the corner and with Beta 2009 scheduled for early June. Highlights include :

• Open to ALL subs customers. No separate signup needed - Just before the program begins, a link will be available on the Customer Portal and the

  VAR

  Resource

  Center

• Shorter 8 Week Program : 8 weeks compared to the traditional 15 weeks period that was used in past beta programs.
• More Prizes
• For more info Email:

Wrapping Up Boston…

Why does it seem that vacations seem to end just as fast as they begin? Here are a few pictures from around the city:

That last picture is a Solidworks designed product in action! The BigBelly solar powered trashcan was located throughout the city.

Thanks again to the entire Solidworks family for being so hospitable last week. Especially Jeremy Luchini, and Treena Landers for allowing me to spend some of my vacation in Concord.

Official Solidworks 2009 Beta Information

So here are the official details of the Beta program for Solidworks 2009.  I got the opportunity to sit down with the Beta team and get all the insight into this year’s program.  There are a few new and unique changes to the program that I think will make the overall program more successful.

Before we get into the details, I want to take a minute to explain what the Beta program is about, and what participating in it means.  First and foremost the Beta program is put out there so that Solidworks users across a variety of industries can help to make the final build of the software as good as possible.  One scenario that was given to me was about company holding out to upgrade to a new version, and how that can affect the software.  In just a few weeks service pack 4 for Solidworks 2008 will be released for early visibility.  Now let’s say that a company chooses this time to finally switch to Solidworks 2008.  All of a sudden, an error that was never found is uncovered, and now there is a need for a hot fix to get it taken care of.   If just one engineer from that company had participated in the Beta of 2008, that error would have been fixed well before a final release.

So I would encourage everyone out there to at least give Solidworks 2009 Beta a spin, even if it’s just for a few days to see how it works.  It doesn’t cost you anything, and it’s a great lunchtime activity!  So onto the details:

The Beta program for Solidworks 2009 will officially launch in early June 2008

This year’s program will shrink down from a 15 week period to an 8 week program.  In the past few years, as the program lingered on, people lost interest, so the idea was to shorten it to keep the interest going throughout the entire run. This explains why we haven’t seen the program launch yet, so all the rumors of them not being ready or whatever else the black helicopter crowd wants to dream up, can be put to rest. 

In past years, Beta participants joined via an email link sent out to those who responded.  This year the Beta program will be available to everyone via the customer portal.  When the program goes live, there will be a special section on the customer portal where you can download Beta software, track your issue submissions, points, and general news regarding the program.  At this point, it’s a good idea to make sure you have a login into the customer portal. 

If you want a hint into how to score lots of points, explore the more obscure areas of the software and the entire interface including installation techniques, and software distribution.

So keep an eye out on the various blogs, and also via email for when the official release happens.  After seeing what I have seen for 2009, I am certain you will want to be part of shaping the final product scheduled to be released in early October of this year!  Thanks again to the Beta team for taking some time to speak with me about the program.

Solidworks Headquarters Day 2

Today wrapped up the second and final day at Solidworks in Concord Mass. The two days I got to spend roaming the halls were great. I got tons of insight into how Solidworks the software is created, and got to see how this incredible team of people brings it all together. The past two days could never have come together if it wasn't for all the help and organization from Jeremy Luchini. Jeremy made sure that while I was here I had access to people I wanted to talk to, and he made sure that I had a great time. I want to thank him for his hospitality, and for making me feel at home.

What I learned most while being here is that inside the walls of that building are a group of people that are passionate about delivering a software package that rivals no other. At every level of the company everyone talks about wanting to integrate customer requests, produce a faster and more efficient platform and to all around increase the overall quality of the product. While meeting with all the different people I spoke with, just about every one of them wanted to know what could be done to make a better product. I was amazed at how many people wanted to talk to me to get some insight into the community, or even get some feedback on the product. These people are listening to the feedback they receive, and doing whatever they can to improve Solidworks. My one recommendation would for all the key people in Solidworks to get out there and visit some customers, or a user group to gain even more insight into how the Solidworks community interacts. Probably some of the coolest stuff I saw of course was Solidworks 2009 Alpha. Getting to sit down and drive the software with a variety of the development guys was a great opportunity to display to them just how intuitive or not intuitive the new features in 2009 are.

So overall I had a great time. I got to do more than I thought I would, and speak with more people than I imagined. After being here all I can say is that as users of Solidworks, we should all feel pretty good that there is such a large group of people focused on delivering a software product we can all use to be successful.

Thanks again to everyone at 300 Baker Ave!

Solidworks Headquarters Visit Day 1

So today was my first day here in Concord Mass visiting Solidworks. What sticks in my mind most is the difference between a software company, and a manufacturing company like I work for. There is no machinery, no loud equipment, and for the most part it basically looks like an office building! What stands out the most is the multiple computer server rooms that no doubt are the back bone of the customer portal and download center that we all access for various reasons.

Today I got to speak with a variety of people in different departments. Most notably were the people that are deeply involved in the Alpha phase of 2009. Without disclosing information that I agreed to not talk about due to non-disclosure agreements, all I can say is that all the features that were previewed at Solidworks World in San Diego, have been developed very well, and should be well integrated into Solidworks 2009!

Of course the highlight of the day was the company meeting held at the end of the day for all the employees. They gave away various awards, talked about how well the company was doing, and also talked about how Solidworks 2010 is already entering into early design phases! Also part of the reason I was here was to give my presentation to the general audience. Now for those that have been to Solidworks World, this meeting was a mini version of it. There were multiple cameras, a giant screen, a stage, and a very well staged production coordinated by the upper management team headed by Treena Landers. In attendance were most of the Solidworks all stars including Jeff Ray, and Jon Hirshteck.

After the meeting was done, there was a very nice buffet style dinner that had just about every bar-b-que delicacy you could imagine along with plenty of beer and wine to go around. After all the good food was gone, and the delicious dessert had been devoured, we headed across the street to the Papa-Razzi Bar & Grill. Along with the quarterly meeting that was being held that I spoke at, all the territory technical managers are in town to receive their official Solidworks 2009 training and roll-out information. Next door to the Papa Razzi Inn is a hotel where most of them are staying. Now while bloggers like myself, and various other bloggers may seem to really get into the Solidworks software, the TTM's are fanatics about it. Consider them a step above bloggers and user group leaders when it comes to their passion for the Solidworks software. Now that's not to say they are the blind sheep being lead to the slaughter house. As I have mentioned before, alcohol is the great equalizer, and tonight was no exception. What was surprising was that all these guys not only have a desire to make issues they discover known, more importantly, they do everything they can to get them solved. Seeing how passionate these guys are about contributing to help produce the best software package out there tells me that as a user, we are all in good hands!

So tomorrow I have a few meetings lined up including some discussion with some FloWorks guys to get a customer issue solved, and also a meeting with the head of Solidworks 2009 Beta that will hopefully allow me to reveal some pretty new and exciting news regarding the beta program scheduled to launch later this month, so definitely stay tuned! For now I leave you with some images from today:

Questions for Solidworks?

I figure since I will be there, I may as well ask what you want to know?  So if you have a question you would like answered, comment back to this post and i will try to get them answered!

Moldflow, Autodesk, and Solidworks?

With the announcement late last week of the take over of Moldflow by Autodesk, could there be a silver lining for Solidworks users?  For those not familiar with what Moldflow is, its a software package that simulates the filling of a plastic part that would be molded in a mold.  Our company uses it to determine gate locations, venting, and to simulate knit lines and potential cooling problems.  If you had Solidworks 2007 you may remember having Moldflow Express which has been replaced by FloWorks Express.  Moldflow Express was a lite version of Moldflow.

So what could this potentially mean to Solidworks customers?  Most likely nothing, but hopefully it will mean the acquisition by Solidworks of one of the other plastic filling simulation software companies out there?  In the Mold Making industry, Solidworks definitely owns the market, so hopefully they will see an opportunity to fend off Autodesks attempt to swipe away some customers.  Having used Moldflow software for a few years now, I can see how the marriage of Moldflow and Autodesk will workout just fine.  The Moldflow interface is not very intuitive, and its very difficult to navigate around, so most Autodesk product users should feel right at home.  Its problematic enough that I make using it a last resort so I wont have to fight my way through it every time I'm using it.  We even stopped our maintenance agreement because we didn't feel we were getting our monies worth. 

While using Moldflow I found myself several times wishing that Solidworks had a mold filling analysis program that would work as you would expect it.  So now that Autodesk is attempting to regain some of the mold building market, let's hope Solidworks will cash in some chips and snatch up a similar software company to keep that from happening.

Heading To Boston..

Ok, so I'm actually heading to Concord, but I have to go through Boston to get there!  I am go to Concord to attend the quarterly meeting of Solidworks.  I was invited a few months back to speak about my various interactions with Solidworks like the blog, the user group, and how we use it at work. 

Along with speaking in front of everyone, I will also get to take an inside look at how Solidworks the company functions.  I have also requested to talk to some people in a couple of different areas to get some insight into their jobs, and how Solidworks the product becomes what it does.

So stay tuned over the next few days as I update my trip.  And to those of you in concord reading this, if you see me around, be sure to say hi!