Welcome to this new edition of the SOLIDWORKS Support Monthly News, coauthored by members of the SOLIDWORKS Technical Support teams worldwide.

Crowd Pleaser: Message windows in SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2016 now contain links to specific Knowledge Base solutions

By Jay Seaglar

We know that sometimes SOLIDWORKS Simulation messages can leave you scratching your head. We try to make them as user-friendly as possible, but the reality is that behind the scenes, SOLIDWORKS Simulation is more complicated than the designer-friendly UI suggests. So much more complicated, that in fact it can be quite difficult to fully explain a message and what you should do to resolve the issue within a small message window. After all, nobody would want to see something like this:

And in case you are wondering: no, that’s not the actual text of a message in the software – I created this fake message text using image editing software to make a point!

So what have we done to improve the user experience for messages in SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2016? Well, many of users already know that the SOLIDWORKS Knowledge Base (KB) is a great resource for additional valuable information about pretty much anything and everything you might want to know about the software. Rather than try to reinvent the wheel and expand the text of existing messages, we decided to focus on making it more convenient for you to access this information. We have added direct links within the message window text with the goal of directing you to specific KB solutions about the exact message. For example, in SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2016, the same ‘Excessive displacements’ message might now look similar to this:

This also lets us keep the technical content up to date because we can improve a KB solution and have the change go live instantly, rather than waiting for the next Service Pack of the software. We need your help though – if you come across a message that does not link to a KB solution on the exact topic that you are looking for, please use the ‘Comments’ section of the ‘Search Feedback’ form to let us know. Check out S-067049 for detailed instructions. Pretty soon, the vast majority of messages will be linked to specific KB solutions, helping you get the most out of SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

Tip: If you are using SOLIDWORKS 2016 SP0, open a new browser tab or window then log in to the Customer Portal before you click on a link in a SOLIDWORKS Simulation message. And don’t worry, we expect to have this minor usability bump smoothed out in SOLIDWORKS 2016 SP1.

Spotlight on Features: Striving towards more intelligent feature patterns

SOLIDWORKS 2015 features a new and more intelligent way to create linear patterns. This pattern uses existing geometry as reference and adapt to those circumstances. You can now choose among three options:

• Option 1: Up to Reference with fixed number of feature pattern instances.
• Option 2: Up to reference with feature instance separation gap
• Option 3: Up to body and feature reference with gap feature distance

This highly detailed technical article will explain how each option works and their respective pros and cons.

Read the full article here.

Noteworthy Solutions from the SOLIDWORKS Knowledge Base

When installing SOLIDWORKS, why does error “A later version of Bonjour is already installed on this computer” appear?
This error is due to a new version of Bonjour being installed by default in the newest version of iTunes. SOLIDWORKS installs Bonjour 3.0.0.10 while iTunes 12.3 installs Bonjour 3.1.0.1
To address this problem, try the following steps with your IT department’s assistance if required:
1. Navigate to ‘Add or Remove Programs’
2. Select ‘Bonjour’ > ‘Uninstall’
3. Now install SOLIDWORKS and this error should not appear
There have not been any reported problems with using the older version of Bonjour with iTunes 12 yet, but if you would like to have the newest version of Bonjour you can reinstall iTunes and Bonjour will be upgraded to 3.1.0.1.
Additionally, please contact your VAR to submit a service request on your behalf to received updates for when SPR 913986 is implemented. From Solution Id: S-069946

What is another possible fix for the Microsoft KB3072630 if the workaround in the following solutions does not fix the issue: https://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/TechKB3072630.htm?
If you have followed the steps listed in the other solutions and you are still experiencing the issue with your installation of SOLIDWORKS please try the steps in Solution Id: S-069652

In SOLIDWORKS® , why are some fonts missing from the installations in Windows® 10 ?
Some of these fonts are missing because these may not be installed on your system. Many fonts that are shipped in prior versions of Windows® have been moved into optional features in Windows® 10. As a result , you may find SOLIDWORKS®  document is using a font that is no longer installed on your computer. To address this problem, try the steps in Solution Id: S-069921

What could cause the SOLIDWORKS® Enterprise PDM Convert, Print and Design Checker task to fail executing after installing or upgrading SOLIDWORKS® on the task host?
If your upgrade or install of SOLIDWORKS on the task host was performed after July 15th, 2015 the most likely explanation for failed Enterprise PDM tasks is a known conflict caused by Microsoft® update KB 3072630. This update makes changes to the Windows Installer.
Since the Enterprise PDM Task (SWTaskAddIn) will use the SOLIDWORKS API to run macros when executing a task and because Microsoft KB3072630 will affect the API, the Task add-in may fail (see details in S-069497). If your task is failing and you have KB3072630 installed on the task host on your system and you suspect that this may be the reason, please try the steps explained in Solution Id: S-069714 (with your IT department’s assistance if required).

I received the message “ Irregular (not properly resolved) cells in mesh” in version 2015 SP4 but not in version 2014?
The SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation developers reported that similar ‘irregular cells’ were in the previous version too, but starting from version 2015 SP4 this new message was added as a warning. To avoid ‘irregular cells’ users can sometimes further refine the local regions or just ignore them if the results are not significantly affected. Usually these cells are found in quite difficult complex geometry locations where it is not possible to further refine. Such cell is fully filled by solid or fluid, because of the impossibility to treat the local geometry correctly. See the full explanation in Solution Id: S-069407.

Does SOLIDWORKS® Flow Simulation create a session log file that provides details similar to what the Journal file or Performance file does for SOLIDWORKS?
Yes. To view this SOLIDWORKS® Flow Simulation log file:
1) In Windows® Explorer, type ‘%temp%’ to access the user temp folder (typically ‘C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Temp’).
2) Open the file ‘ngp.log’ in a text viewer such as Notepad.
From Solution Id: S-069597.

Nonuniform pressure or force – example of hydrostatic pressure (2015 and up)
The interface for non-uniform (variable) loads has changed in version 2015. Solution Id: S-069799 explains how to correctly apply an hydrostatic pressure in SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2015 and up.

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That’s it for this month. Thanks for reading this edition of SOLIDWORKS Support News.

Originally posted by Julien Boissat in the SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog.