Imagine having an idea for a model you’re working on and not having your workstation nearby to implement it immediately; you might lose the idea or forget about it. However, you can avoid that by using Solidworks Xdesign to innovate, collaborate, and create fabulous designs at any time and from any device. What is Solidworks Xdesign?

What is SolidWorks Xdesign?

Solidworks Xdesign is a 3D, parametric solid modelling program released by Dassault Systèmes. Xdesign is a feature-based parametric solid modeller that runs entirely within a web browser. The toolset is simple to use and uses cloud technology, allowing you to take CAD wherever you go. It uses the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, a different modelling kernel than SolidWorks’ Parasolid. It integrates a variety of cloud-based apps into a single interconnected environment.

Furthermore, because Xdesign is browser-based, slow software is not needed! This cloud-based CAD software can be opened and used on any device with an internet connection! You can now take your designs to the next level by bringing your CAD software and files with you wherever you go.

Solidworks Xdesign is a fresh approach to CAD design. It is more than just a cloud-based translation of traditional CAD capabilities. Instead, it makes an elegant and innovative approach to conventional design tasks. Solidworks Xdesign is the ideal design tool. It combines user-friendliness with cutting-edge design methodologies and cloud collaboration from within your browser. You can create parametric models and assemblies or rely on Xdesign’s Design Guidance to recommend solutions. You could also share designs and collaborate with others in your design community to gauge customer reactions.

It also does not require any installation. All you need to get started with Solidworks Xdesign is a web browser and your login credentials. It enables near-instantaneous deployment, allowing businesses to add to their CAD portfolio as needed quickly. ‘Embedded Data Management‘ is included in Xdesign. With Solidworks Xdesign, all models are stored and managed in the cloud. Iterations are created, providing the user with scalable data management capabilities right out of the box – no deployments or setup required for traditional PDM systems. Every user (depending on their security and access rights) can access data from any device, at any time, to complete critical tasks. Users can easily manage and review models, as well as take part in community discussions.

 

How to use SolidWorks Xdesign?

Xdesign is a browser-based 3D modelling solution that allows designers and engineers to create, review, and evaluate 3D models using simple parametric modelling tools. It helps your organization deliver innovative products to market faster by accelerating the design-to-manufacturing process with flexible workflows and real-time collaboration. With proper knowledge of what is Solidworks Xdesign, you need to learn how to use Solidworks Xdesign features.

1. Basic Features of CAD

Xdesign combines the Solidworks CAD functionality you are familiar with and some advancements in 3D design. For example, the microphone holder below is a single body part designed in Xdesign and has all the features listed in the design manager; it could be rolled back, suppressed, and edited at any point in the design history and the component updated to reflect the changes. Xdesign uses the 3D features you have seen in Solidworks that any CAD user needs at their fingertips. The base feature can begin as an extrude, revolve, sweep, loft, etc. Once the base geometry is created, all the other elements like fillets, chamfers, shells, and patterns can be added to build the design.

2. Multibody molding is also a primary feature of Xdesign, which allows flexibility in your design process where individual bodies can be replicated, combined, cut, and deleted as needed to create the geometry you want.

3. Surface modelling is also one of the primary capabilities of xDesign. Some of the commands you may be familiar with, i.e., surface extrude, revolve, sweep, and loft, are available as operations directly inside the dialog boxes that appear for standard commands. This feature gives you flexibility in how you want your geometry to be created and can be swapped in and out of solid modelling or surface modelling as needed. In addition, some other traditional surfacing commands, i.e., surface extends and trims, are incorporated for you to be able to refine the surface contours you created.

4. Scribble Sketch: Sketching will be available in Xdesign, using the same technology as the Solidworks Industrial Design product introduced last year. Users can use this feature set to sketch in an accessible form and then apply design intelligence to their sketch. Approximate circles, for example, will become actual circles, and lines that “almost touch” will snap together. The Xdesign version of this functionality, dubbed “Scribble Sketch,” will give users access to Industrial Designer’s more straightforward sketching features. It will also capture sketches drawn on a mobile device with fingers rather than a stylus. The ability to recognize a circle or an arc is essential for mobile users who use their fingers to input data. When a user is satisfied with a sketch, they can save it as a model, extrude it, and add features. It means that tablets can realistically be used to capture the early stages of a design concept.

5. This software’s Design Guidance feature allows users to simulate their models during the design process. The software’s built-in topology optimization will enable it to guide users into an optimal design with minimal input. Because this information is available at the start of the design process, users can make critical design decisions about the shape of the component early in the modelling process. It reduces iterations and design changes, shortening the design process and significantly reducing time to market.

6. Cloud-Based Modeling: Models in xDesign are created and stored entirely online. CAD can be accessed and used immediately on any internet-connected device, including a PC, Mac, or tablet. There is no need for a desktop installation or a serial number; just log in and start designing. Cloud-based computer-aided design and data management is also a significant benefit for design teams that require the flexibility to work in multiple locations. So, you’ll have instant access to CAD and all your files, whether at the office or at home. Furthermore, because the platform includes data management tools, you can be confident that you are always working with the most recent version of your files.

 How Does Solidworks Xdesign Differ From Solidworks CAD?

Solidworks Xdesign features, like all Solidworks products, are tailored to specific engineering needs. Its core strengths are the benefits mentioned above, broadly summarized as online platform accessibility, design guidance, and community collaboration. When it comes to assembly design, Solidworks CAD remains the undisputed leader. It is still the go-to product for high-end configurable mechanism design. When it comes to product documentation, SolidWorks remains the market leader. SolidWorks still has no equal when creating production-level detailed drawings using inspection or MBD. 

Conclusion

The Solidworks Xdesign platform exposes you to many new solutions and features that can help you make your life easier and design faster. Going through this post will give you an overview of what is Solidworks Xdesign and how to use the features.