Javascript disabled.

We use clean, safe Javascript to make our sites easier to navigate. Please consider enabling Javascript for this site.

Archive for March, 2009

SolidSmack Love Your Comments So Much, We Give Melons To Chihuahuas

31 Mar, 2009 by Josh Mings in NEWS
3D Human CAD Models

Yes, it’s true. We here at SolidSmack lover your comments. In fact we love them so much, in addition to providing reasonably sized delectables to tiny dogs, we keep the Disqus comment system updated… and apologize to people whose comments have been sitting in the Spam folder for three week. yeah, sorry about that.

If you haven’t commented recently or at all, check out the bottom of each post. You can use you facebook account, create a Disqus profile or just stay anonymous.

There’s also new options for ‘Like’ing a comment (see below). Whatever you do, rest assure, your comments will be embraced… in a cool and not at all creepy way.

Image: doggy and melon Flickr

Thatza Spicy GPU! New NVIDIA Quadro FX Graphics Cards. Best One for SolidWorks?

31 Mar, 2009 by Josh Mings in TECH

If you’re a fan of meatballs and Nvidia Graphics Cards or “GPU’s” you’re gonna throw noodles in the air and set the table for the new Quadro FX family that has just come into town.

Nvidia has release their 10th generation cards and the “Strongest Professional Graphics Lineup in History” is the byline every GPU manufacturer wishes they could claim. Does it stand up to the new Quadro line-up that has been a staple of graphics professionals and CAD users?

Let’s take a look and see which one would work best for SolidWorks and other 3D CAD tools.
(more…)

7 Bits o’ Fuctionality SolidWorks Could Add While Your Models Load

30 Mar, 2009 by Josh Mings in CAD

Yes, you’re sitting waiting for a drawing to load again. You look out the pretend window you’ve drawn on the wall with a dull sharpie and sigh as you long to eat at that taco place your grandpa took you to years ago. *Sigh* May as well get some coffee, it’ll only be a few more minutes.

Curses! That guy is in front of the coffee maker… AGAIN. That guy’s going to bare the brunt of our rage today and take a good listening to as we spew forth our misdirected rage. He’ll never mix his imitation creamer there again.

So many times it comes down to waiting and waiting for drawings and models to load. There’s lots of ways to make assemblies and drawings load faster, but there’s gonna be that lag time on occasion. Here’s four seven things, fresh off the top of my head.
(more…)

Friday Smackdown: Ceramic Face Jacket

27 Mar, 2009 by Josh Mings in SMACKDOWN

Oh! That’s a feisty one. It’s as if my sense of choosing a properly ripened melon has gone numb from shock, horror and these indescribably cool links.

Philip Straub – The amazingly colorful and future imagination of this multi-talented artist.
Barcelona 1908 – Yes, your penchant for grainy video of old cityscapes will soon be quenched. Ah, the old country.
YouShouldHaveSeenThis.com – Greg Rutter’s Definitive List of The 99 Things You Should Have Already Experienced On The Internet Unless You’re a Loser or Old or Something
Issuu.com – You Publish. Create a portfolio, a magazine, or a obsessively large book on the history of you and cornmeal.
The photographic dictionary – How would you define words through photos. hmmm. ponder. ponder.
Time management is Rubbish – This is how it’s done, if you wnat to get anything done and still be partially sane.
Pop Culture Charts – Because it’s important to know obscure data about sitcoms and trilogies.

Bonus!
FlickerMood – Type animation agian!!? yeah, but this one is really freakin’ super cool. The last one you ever need to see.
Labuat – You absolutely MUST wait for this to load and then enjoy. simply beautiful!

5 Successful Practices for… EVERYONE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD

26 Mar, 2009 by Josh Mings in CULTURE

Strap an unnecessary amount of shiny metal objects to your clothing and take a swig of intensity. We’re about to step inside the realm of very vague advice… and then totally slam it with the most practical information your fingers have ever bleed scrapping to get a hold of.

Out of all the practices in the world what could be the best, most successful ones? Turns out, it’s 5. exactly 5. not 4 or 6, but 5. Did ya ever think it would only be that many? Here’s what’s going on.

Bradford Waugh wrote a very relevant article over at Product Design Hub today called 5 Successful Practices For New Grads. Good stuff, but it failed to give some details I think you definitely need to know.

Not just for new grads
And get this, it’s not just for new grads. As a matter of fact, it’s probably even more relevant for people getting laid-off, looking for work or preparing themselves to just be dang, freakin’ cool.

So, were gonna take Brad’s 5 practices and shed a little more light on ‘em. Let’s do this.
(more…)

SolidWorks Flickr Finds: The Rockin’est Visual Essay You May Ever See

26 Mar, 2009 by Josh Mings in ROCKIN'

Look, I know you’ve seen your share of provocative ‘visual essays’ that just make your wits reel with multi-dimensional perceptions of life and the universe, but this one is really cool looking, and it smells of PhotoWorks rendering.

This lil’ experiment in visual prose is from Darren Ng. You may remember his impressive apartment refurb done in SolidWorks. Try to guess how he did this. Maybe he’ll be nice and let us know.

What’s really interesting is how similar this task is to what we as designers and engineers have to do each day.

Here are the details…
(more…)

Ask the Reader: What Would You Do if You Got Laid-Off?

25 Mar, 2009 by Josh Mings in CULTURE, RESOURCES

If you’ve taken a look outside your cubicle lately you’ve probably noticed that the sky has not only fallen for many engineers, but has also nearly imploded due to the increasing supply of talent. What to do.

It’s really easy to get down about this even if you still have a job, but it’s also a good time to explore some options. This may be a little late for some, but perhaps we can shoot some ideas out to people who have gotten the axe with little time to spare.

So what are your ideas? your suggestions? for those who have or are just about to get the ol’ Sayonara?

Photograph by Anna Knott (Model: Keith Gallagher)

Shake Your Model Maker. How To Be Better at SolidWorks in 5 Minutes Flat

24 Mar, 2009 by Josh Mings in CAD

Ok, you’re in a room of SolidWorks experts and starting to sweat. You feel like bustin’ out you modely moves, but wonder if they’re good enough. You start to twitch a little and get into the groove, but only the cat gnawing it’s paw in the corner seems to notice you shakin’ like André 3000.

Fact is, there’s almost always someone that can shake it better… so to speak. This, however, doesn’t mean you can’t eventually take over the world with your 3D modeling mojo.

Best thing about it, you can get better fast… in 5 minutes flat from what I’ve seen. Let the beat drop.

(more…)

What’s in the Box?! If Only Surfacing Was This Easy.

24 Mar, 2009 by Josh Mings in ROCKIN'

A very kind reader and master of SolidWorks surfacing technology sent me a really fun link that plays on the idea of ‘unboxing the box’ – as in, removing the notion that surrounds cars of being boxy and inefficient.

It’s from Audi and produced by 1st Ave Machine. They make shaping cardboard look way easy, like babies could do it. If you’ve actually worked with cardboard however, it can be quite difficult to shape. Painful even, especially when that box cutter slips.

Anyway, what I think is especially cool and significant to our 3D CAD interests, is the idea of creating 3-dimensional geometry around us, or rather on us… or us on the 3D geometry. Sound odd? Watch the video to see what I’m talkin’ about.
(more…)

Sick and Tired: LET’S ROCK. The Subtle Art of Applying 3D to Your Misery

23 Mar, 2009 by Josh Mings in CULTURE

I’m feeling sick today. Kind of like my head weighs five times the rest of my body. I should probably be in bed right? I also need to get a bunch of stuff done… check drawings, release drawings, write posts, paint the trim, trim the hedges…. BRING IT ON.

That’s right, I don’t like it anymore than anyone else, but there’s just some things that back you into a corner and start wailing unffectionately on you, like getting sick. And it doesn’t help if you actually need to get some things done.

However, there’s ways around these unfortunate times when your desire to beat the tar out of life is beating you. Here’s how you can look it in the eye, assume the stance and do a sickly looking, flying roundhouse kick right in it’s face.
(more…)