SolidWorks Unveils a Clippy-Like Tool, Only on Steroids

In a highly entertaining presentation at a press conference this morning, SolidWorks Engineers Aaron Kelly and Fielder Hiss demo’ed some of the most noteworthy of the 250 enhancements in SolidWorks 2007, 90% of which they said are customer-driven. Kelly explained that the philosophy behind many of those new features was to find ways to help the engineer be more productive by not having to be a software expert or spend time wrestling with the system. “Applying fillets was one of those problems,” he explained. “Engineers would spend half their time trying to figure out why they couldn’t apply a fillet to a particular area.”

That will no longer be the case with the new SolidWorks’ Intelligent Feature Technology (or SWIFT, for short). A tool that promises to be far superior to the hapless Clippy, the SWIFT FilletXpert (along with SketchExpert and MateXpert) performs specific functions—like adding or removing a fillet—while at the same time troubleshooting any critical issues and fixing the problem automatically.

And in a morning filled with automotive-related success stories involving SolidWorks, including a lively presentation by James Achard, lead engineer at Skip Barber, COO Jeff Ray drew huge laughs for his discussion of a new hybrid car: A street-legal, jet powered VW Beetle designed by a SolidWorks customer.

Click here for SolidWorks 2007