ZW3D Quarterly Technical Report-2020 Q2

The ZW3D Technical Report for the last quarter has aroused many echoes, and it’s so encouraging that it did help our users. The one for the second quarter is ready, let’s get started! Sneak peek at the technical report for 2020 Q2 8 hottest questions:

• How to solve the sudden failure of a start-up?
• Why Keyshot cannot be started after activation?
• How to customize the Document Aware Toolbars?
• How to fully synchronize the working environments of ZW3D?
• What do the different colors of assembly constraints mean in ZW3D?
• How to trim pins quickly?
• How the Solid Verify (Rapid to end) performs in ZW3D?
• What kind of files can the Operation List be exported to in ZW3D?

The latest product news:

• Product Release: ZW3D 2020 SP and ZW3D 2021 Beta
• Blog Post: How to design a press roller for masks?
• Blog Post: How to design an infrared thermometer in ZW3D?
• Blog Post: More in-depth introduction of Solid-Surface Hybrid Modeling with cases
• Tutorial for FTI

1.     Top Questions and Solutions

1.1 General

Question 1： I am using ZW3D and Keyshot as the render solution. But when I activate both of them, the Keyshot cannot be used. Why?

Solution: It may be caused by not activating in the correct order. You need to activate ZW3D first, and Keyshot later. The other way round, you’ll need to tick the option for Keyshot in License Manager to successfully activate it. [caption id="attachment_2458" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Figure 1. Check the option for Keyshot in License Manager to activate it[/caption]

Question 2： Dear ZWSOFT, I am using 2019 now. It runs well all the time, and it can satisfy my design very well. But today, all of sudden, it cannot be started. How can I solve it?

Solution: It may be caused by the update of Windows and the driver. When you come across such an issue, please run CMD in the search box of the computer to open the Command Prompt window, and drag your ZW3D shortcut or ZW3D.exe to the window. After that, input “-diagnose” at the end of the text, press Enter to get the result and send it to us. We will help you solve the issue accordingly.

Question 3: I found that the toolbar on the top of the modeling environment is very easy to use. May I put some commonly used features here? How can I do that?

Solution: Certainly, you can. For example, if you use the section view a lot, you can add it to the Document Aware Toolbars. Then you can just turn it on/off by one click without going to the Ribbon again and again. Follow the steps and the video below to know how. 1) Right-click the blank area of the Ribbon, and select Customize in the right-click menu. 2) Switch to the Transfer tab, select and search the command you want to add by filters and the search box. 3) Choose Document Aware Toolbars in the Environment box, and then drag the command to the desired location. [caption id="attachment_2466" align="aligncenter" width="800"]

Video1. Customize the Document Aware Toolbars[/caption]

1.2 CAD

Question 4: I’ve been spending time in two offices for the past couple of weeks due to the COVID-19. I use a file synchronization program to copy all relevant work files and directories to an external hard drive, with which I work at the remote location and update at the main location. However, when opening files at the remote location from the external drive, the “History” of some files is blank and some of the changes I made at the main location are not reproduced at the remote location. I have a feeling that there’s a ZW3D directory which I should have included in file synchronization but I do not know what it is. Thanks.

Solution: The reason may be that some of the files have been saved in the ZW3D default file folder, and that’s why you miss synchronizing those files. [caption id="attachment_2460" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Figure 2. The default saving path in ZW3D[/caption]

So it is strongly recommended that you set the Working Folder at the very beginning when you use ZW3D, to ensure that all the files you need are correctly saved and synchronized. You can change the working folder at any time if necessary. The setting will be saved in Configuration.

Figure 3. Set Working Folder in ZW3D[/caption]

Question 5: I am using ZW3D 2020, and I found that there are some colors for the constraints in the Assembly manager. What do they mean respectively?

Solution: Yes, ZW3D 2020 introduces more colors to figure out the conditions of constraints: BLACK - Everything is good. BLUE - The component is blanked. RED - The constraint is over-defined and needs to be corrected. MAGENTA – The constraint is over defined but the object is in the correct position. In other words, you are getting the result you want but the constraint is still in conflict.

1.3 Mold

Question 6: I am using ZW3D 2020, and I found it very easy to learn, and the workflow is quite clear for mold design. However, it is really a pain when I need to trim the pins. Are there any faster ways to get it done?

Solution: Yes, there is good news on this point. In 2020, it may take more than 1 minute to do Trim Pin because you need to create a surface firstly before trimming. But in 2021, you can trim the pins directly, only by 1 step in several seconds. The comparison video can tell how convenient it is. [caption id="attachment_2467" align="aligncenter" width="800"]

Video 2. Trim pins by 1 step in ZW3D 2021[/caption]

1.4 CAM

Question 7: I tested Rapid to end of Solid Verify in ZW3D. It is not that fast. Is there any plan to improve this?

Solution: We got such feedback from our users last year, so we have been focusing on improving its efficiency, and we did it in the upcoming 2021 version. Here are some testing data to show you how fast it has become.

Question 8: Can I export the Operation List to an excel file?

Solution: Yes. In ZW3D 2021, Operation List can be exported to both html and excel files. You can also define the template according to your needs.

2.     The Latest news about ZW3D

1) Product Release: Based on the requests from our users, we’ve improved ZW3D 2020 and released its SP version. Welcome to download and have a try!

2) Product Release: ZW3D 2021 Beta has just been released with tons of new features and enhancements. Welcome to have a try and give feedback to us!

3) Blog Post: How to design a press roller for masks in ZW3D?

4) Blog Post: How to design an infrared thermometer in ZW3D?

5) Blog Post: More in-depth introduction of Solid-Surface Hybrid Modeling with cases

6) Tutorial for FTI is ready, you can check here to get it. It will be integrated into ZW3D 2021.   Is the above info helpful for you? Welcome to share your questions and comments.