3DConnexion 3D Mice are the Top Pick for Design Professionals

If you’re in the market for 3D mice, 3DConnexion is the top choice for all visual and design professionals.  3DConnexion products are fully compatible with all of the top 3D applications.  A 3D mouse allows you to interact naturally via rotating, zooming and panning, which is not possible with a traditional mouse and keyboard. 

For a limited time, you can get 10% off the SpacePilot Pro and SpaceMouse Pro 3D Mouse from Ally PLM at http://allyplm.com/3dconnexion/.  Hurry before the offer ends.  

3D Mouse Benefits:

-- Productivity Increases – Simultaneous navigation, creation and editing gains averaging 21%
-- Comfort Enhancements – Mouse clicks and movement reduced up to 50%
-- Performance Design – Sketch or 3D, superior navigation allows model exploring to minimize design error

3DConnexion 3D mice are an essential part of 3-dimensional design tool kits at 3D design studios.  Framework Creative Ltd specializes in visualization, spatial, interior and product design, with services ranging from concept level to detailed design.

Jason Inglis, CAD Administrator at Ditch Witch recalls: “I have four different variations of the 3DConnexion in my shop.  The fluidity in which it allows me to design is unmatched.”

Nathan Emler, Drafting Checker at Ariel Corporation says: “I have found that in the years I have been using 3dConnexion's 3D mice that they have proven to be very durable and reliable.  Once you become accustomed to using one that when it is not available for using CAD software it is like not having a mouse for windows.  It is possible to get the job done but it is not very pleasant“.

Watch as Big Buck Bunny explains the equation -- 3D Mice + 3D Content = 3D Fun.    

Tim Larsen
Marketing Manager
Ally PLM Solutions

Download the Solid Edge ST5 - Maintenance Pack 6 Now

Solid Edge ST5 - Maintenance Pack 6 Announcement:  

The latest Maintenance Pack (MP6) for Solid Edge ST5 is now available for download.
You can download the Maintenance Pack here: http://ftp.ugs.com/solid_edge/ST5/SolidEdge/

A valid WebKey account is needed to access Maintenance Pack downloads.  To create a WebKey you need your Customer Sold-To ID and your WebKey Access Code, both found under Solid Edge Help, About.  You can create your WebKey account here:https://plmapps.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/webkey/

Installing Maintenance Packs is quick and easy. Some known security issues arise with installing any software on Windows 7 OS regarding User Access Control (UAC); these same issues exist when installing MPs.  Windows UAC should be turned off and after unbundling the download run the .exe as administrator by right mouse clicking on the file and selecting Run as Administrator from the quick menu. Most UAC security issues can be avoided by installing Solid Edge to a location on the client machine anywhere other than the default “Program Files” folder.  As long as the user has full write permission to a folder location such as C:\SolidEdge\ these issues should not arise.

Ally PLM encourages all of our customers to stay current with released Maintenance Packs.  Maintenance Packs deliver the most current updates and resolution of PRs to your software platform.  You can find detailed information regarding the PRs that a Maintenance Pack addresses in the “readme” .txt file found with the MP download.

The Ally PLM Technical Support Team is available to answer any questions and provide support for all of your needs; including Maintenance packs.  You can contact the Ally PLM Technical Support Team via email at technical.support@allyplm.com or via phone at (513) 984-0480 Option: 4

Matt Johnson

Application Engineer

Ally PLM Solutions

Solid Edge ST4 Maintenance Pack 12 Download Available Now

Solid Edge ST4 - Maintenance Pack 12 Announcement:  

The latest Solid Edge ST4 Maintenance Pack (MP12) is now available for download.
You can download the Maintenance Pack at: http://ftp.ugs.com/solid_edge/ST4/SolidEdge/

A valid WebKey account is needed to access Maintenance Pack downloads.  To create a WebKey you need your Customer Sold-To ID and your WebKey Access Code, both found under Solid Edge Help, About.  You can create your WebKey account here:https://plmapps.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/webkey/

Installing Maintenance Packs is quick and easy. Some known security issues arise with installing any software on Windows 7 OS regarding User Access Control (UAC); these same issues exist when installing MPs.  Windows UAC should be turned off and after unbundling the download run the .exe as administrator by right mouse clicking on the file and selecting Run as Administrator from the quick menu. Most UAC security issues can be avoided by installing Solid Edge to a location on the client machine anywhere other than the default “Program Files” folder.  As long as the user has full write permission to a folder location such as C:\SolidEdge\ these issues should not arise.

Ally PLM encourages all of our customers to stay current with released Maintenance Packs.  Maintenance Packs deliver the most current updates and resolution of PRs to your software platform.  You can find detailed information regarding the PRs that a Maintenance Pack addresses in the “readme” .txt file found with the MP download.

The Ally PLM Technical Support Team is available to answer any questions and provide support for all of your needs; including Maintenance packs.  You can contact the Ally PLM Technical Support Team via email at technical.support@allyplm.com or via phone at (513) 984-0480 Option: 4

Matt Johnson

Application Engineer

Ally PLM Solutions

Free Solid Edge or NX training through Workforce One and Ally PLM

Workforce One is a program through the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services which links job seekers and employers by providing unique training opportunities in the engineering and design sector through the Workforce Investment Act. These programs teach high-level skills to prepare the unemployed workforce for specialized careers in technology. Ally PLM Solutions has partnered with Workforce One and Ohio WIA One Stop Centers to provide several options registered applicants can take advantage of at no cost to the applicant.

Ally PLM Solutions offers two programs through Workforce One:

• Solid Edge Fundamentals Training
• Essentials for NX Designers

Both courses will teach students basic CAD drafting and design; a vital skill for engineers, manufacturers, and other design technology technicians. Major companies use Solid Edge and NX CAD software in their everyday functions in the automotive, aerospace and defense, medical devices, electronics, and many other industries. Competency in either of these programs is a specialized skill and a very attractive attribute to employers in the fastest growing job sectors.

There are a few simple steps to take to enroll in this program:

Step 1: Attend an orientation at your county’s Workforce Investment Act Ohio One Stop Center. Click here to find your county’s location. Orientations are every Wednesday at 2:30 PM. Attendees don’t need to bring anything to this meeting. The purpose is to educate about WIA’s services and how they can be effectively utilized. This is where applications for WIA’s services can be obtained.

Step 2: Complete and submit your application to your county’s WIA One Stop Center. Usually your application will be processed within a few hours of submission, so the sooner you submit, the sooner you can realize the benefits of WIA’s services; including free training from Ally PLM Solutions.

Step 3: Choose Solid Edge or NX training from Ally PLM Solutions. You will work with a representative from the WIA One Stop Center who will help you enroll in either Solid Edge or NX training at no cost to you.

Step 4: Contact the WIA One Stop Center to give employment updates. Following your free training, your WIA One Stop Center will request that you contact them once a quarter for one year to update them on your employment status. In these brief conversations a WIA representative will offer further assistance in helping you achieve your career goals.

Receiving the benefits of the WIA and Workforce One is extremely easy and renders huge benefits. Solid Edge and NX training courses are only 5 days long and can be taken at Ally PLM’s corporate office in Cincinnati, Ohio, or even online. Students will be led by an engineer with extensive industry experience and will learn all the capabilities and an overall concrete understanding of Solid Edge or NX software.

The skills you will gain from Ally PLM Solutions are highly specialized and are sought out by employers every single day. Individuals who receive unemployment, food stamps, or cash assistance benefits or have received them in the past 6 months are automatically eligible. To find out if you are eligible for WIA’s services, attend an orientation at your county’s One Stop center Wednesday’s at 2:30 PM. For more information, visit Ohio's WIA website.

To learn more about Ally PLM Solutions and Solid Edge or NX software, visit our website. 

Bridget Hatfield

Ally PLM Solutions

Solid Edge University 2013 Welcomes Local Application Engineers

The Solid Edge User Community has continued to find ways to improve and expand since its inception in 1997.  This year, Ally PLM will have a few of their very own presenting at Solid Edge University.  Cincinnati, OH is the location for the Solid Edge event from June 24-27, 2013.  Solid Edge University 2013 provides a complete list of benefits:

-Comprehensive Training
-Networking Potential
-Hands-On Experience
-Increased Productivity via User Enhancements

Ally PLM Solutions, Inc. is excited to announce that two of their very own, Madison Rye and Matt Johnson, will be presenting at this years’ SEU13. Along with Madison and Matt, Nate Emler of Ariel Corporation will be presenting as well.

Madison Rye is an Application Engineering Manager at Ally PLM, and her session will cover Model Analysis in Solid Edge Simulation.  The presentation will target designers and engineers looking for an overview of vibration theory and modal analysis in simulation.  This presentation will expand the Solid Edge user’s engineering analysis capabilities. 

Matt Johnson, Application Engineer at Ally PLM, will be presenting on the topic of Advanced Assembly Techniques Leveraging Synchronous Technology.  Users with assembly environment experience will gain useful insight and work with master model assemblies to apply the top-down approach. 

Ariel Corporation’s Nate Emler, Engineering Programmer, will be presenting at SEU13 on the Best Practices in Developing Cast/Machine Models. Ariel Corporation is one of Ally PLM’s customers, and they leverage Solid Edge to completely utilize their engineering capabilities.   Nate will teach designers how to create a linked casting and machining model that is easy to update. 

View the other courses offered for Solid Edge University here

SEU13 is adding new presenters each day, so maybe you’d enjoy sharing your testimony of how well Solid Edge has worked for you.  Call here to make your submission today!

Take full advantage of the $50 discounted Early Bird registration, available until June 7, 2013 - Register here.  Along with those great savings, Solid Edge University is offering up an astonishing 3 colleagues for the price of 2!  Bring two colleagues with you, and you get in absolutely FREE!  

Tim Larsen
Ally PLM Solutions

Converting a 3 axis operation to a 5 axis operation with NX CAM

The Tilt Tool Axis option can be a very useful when determining how to machine areas that are difficult to reach with standard tooling.  This option was introduced in NX8.0.  When trying to cut difficult to reach areas, options were limited to creating a new 5 axis operation or using longer tooling before the Tilt Tool Axis option was available.  Now, you can take a 3 axis operation such as Surface Contouring or Z level operations and convert the operation into a 5 axis operation on the fly.

As you can see in this example, the tool holder comes in contact with the part on the steep wall toward the lower portion of the operation.  This is a Z Level Profile operation with the tool axis vector set to the +ZM axis.

To convert this operation to a 5 axis operation automatically, the Tilt Tool Axis option can be used. 

First, right click on the operation and select “Tool Path” and then select “Tilt Tool Axis”:

Next, set the desired tilt and clearance settings in the Tool Path Tilt dialog box:

NX automatically adjusts the tool path by tilting the tool to avoid the collision areas.  As seen in the pictures below, the tool axis vector remains along the +ZM axis until the tool reaches the problem area and automatically tilts to avoid the steep wall.

As we can see, this functionality can be very helpful when cutting steep areas.  This option can also be used for avoiding clamps and fixtures.  For more information, please contact Ally PLM Solutions at www.allyplm.com/contact.

Chad Varney

Application Engineer

Ally PLM Solutions

Expanded Online Training Offered by Ally PLM Solutions

Ally PLM Solutions now offers all of their interactive training courses online. Students can realize significant benefits from online training which includes cost and time savings by cutting out the travel. Ally PLM utilizes GoToMeeting for these sessions which supports live screen sharing.

Online sessions offer all the same benefits of in-person sessions. Students will be guided by an experienced Ally PLM engineer to learn all of the capabilities of our software offerings, tips and tricks, and how to best leverage our products to increase engineering and design productivity. Screen sharing allows for real-time demonstrations and feedback and connects the user directly to the instructor.

The requirements for online training are simple and can be found by clicking here.  All training sessions are held from 9:00AM-4:30PM EST unless otherwise noted. We have several different online course offerings for our products which include:

• Solid Edge Fundamentals
• Solid Edge Synchronous Technology Update
• Essentials for NX Designers
• NX CAM Fundamentals (NEW)

To view all of our online training courses and to register for a class, visit our training overview website. Now anyone can take advantage of Ally PLM’s comprehensive and unique training opportunities whether they’re located in Cincinnati, outside Ohio, or even outside the United States.

Bridget Hatfield

Ally PLM Solutions

Brand new NX Training Opportunity from Ally PLM Solutions

Ally PLM Solutions will hold its first ever NX CAM Fundamentals Training Overview on June 17, 2013. This 5-day course can be taken at the Ally PLM Corporate Office in Cincinnati, Ohio, or online (available after the June 17-21 course). This unique training opportunity will bring the NX user to a higher level of productivity and a better overall understanding of the software’s capabilities that cannot be gained elsewhere. Ally PLM’s professional staff and precisely designed NX CAM curriculum will exceed the expectations of students.

This interactive training teaches students to develop models, assemblies, shop documentation, and efficient manufacturing in 2 ½ and 3 axis tool paths. It is designed to increase CAM productivity by providing guided instruction in part modeling for manufacturing, assemblies for manufacturing, and efficient axis milling CAM programming techniques. Students will work directly with one of Ally PLM’s engineers to solidify concepts and processes related to the successful use of NX.

The agenda for NX CAM Fundamentals Training Overview includes:

• General User Interface
• Synchronous Modeling
• Tool and Holder Creation
• Tool Path Editing
• Shop Documentation

To see the full agenda, to find out more about this course, and to register, visit our NX for CAM Fundamentals Training Overview website.

To take full advantage of NX training from Ally PLM solutions, be sure to also explore our Essentials for NX Designers course.  The next offering is May 6-10. Students who take the May course will receive a FREE iPad Mini. To find out more and to register for Essentials for NX designers, visit our website.

Bridget Hatfield

Ally PLM Solutions