I like many of us use only a limited tool set which are available with any software. Our jobs entail certain designs & criteria which limits what we need to use. As time goes by our knowledge & experience extends as does our technique.
………..and then some of us finally wake up and when the need arises we finally use a tool we wish we had or known about many years before!
Today I had one such moment!
Finally I used Task Scheduler & so wished I could have turned back time.
In early 2006 both Mercedes-Benz & Fiat released new model vehicle which were to become the bases of all our current products. They also did something which they hadn’t done before & that was to release CAD data of their vehicles!
DVD full of files (STEP from Catia5) that need to be open & Saved as SolidWorks Parts. Which would allow us to build a complete body shell (Assembly)
Hours…..Days………. Weeks of works was required for the different makes & models.
It’s been a few years since then and the need arose today to delve back into the array of discs.
Although I’ve known about Task Scheduler for a while, there has not been the need for practical use, until NOW – so nothing left to do but jump right in:
Start> All Programs> SolidWorks 2011> SolidWorks Tools> SolidWorks Task Scheduler
SolidWorks Task Scheduler Windows Opens
As we need to open STEP Files> Select Import Files
Import File Window Opens> Add File
Select all the required Files
Name Task Title> Select> required Start Time> Select Finish
Sit back, make some tea, have a beer, get some sleep or do something productive.
Either way SolidWorks takes care of the boring laborious task and auto opens then open’s the part (STEP) and Saves in the selected Folder
Displays and reports the progress!
In this case about an hour later I have all the parts I need to build a door or two!
SolidWorks Task Scheduler can do much more, but for me being able to batch convert hundreds of files makes it a winner!
I might be slow to try sometimes ………………… but I got there in the end!
Michael Lord 
Leave a Reply