A DECADE OF SOLIDWORKS DVDs

Back in the Game...

For a few years I was the Territory Technical Manager  (TTM - SOLIDWORKS) at Dassault Systemes (DS) for Australia and New Zealand. As part of my role I got to see the new SOLIDWORKS release before the resellers and general public, and have a teeny weeny bit of influence in new versions which was kind of cool.

Since I've been "back in the game" deciding on what computer I need (the one from 2007 doesn't really cut it as a work machine), how I was going to conduct my work and invoice (of course). I realised that I have to install my CAD software again. I knew I was going to install SOLIDWORKS 2015, but I was looking through my software discs and found I had kept all them that I was entitled to including the first box I got from the reseller at the time. I thought I'd give you a little run-down on some of the changes I noticed over that time.

Of course we always get to see the What's New for the new version of software - where you get to see all the work the development gals and guys have done presented at a reseller launch, but when I entered the design world again, looking at my old DVD cover versions I noticed some of changes to the DVD package over time. When I counted all the releases in amounted to 10 years!
So here I present to you A DECADE OF SOLIDWORKS DVDs

SolidWorks 2006 

  In SolidWorks 2006, there were 4 discs and they were the CD (Compact Disc) type, of course - DVD as standard came a while later. The box came with SolidWizard introductory license and some other content too. On install, each disc had to be loaded depending on what you had purchased.

  The box is quite big for what's actually inside - What came with the box (below) before, there used to be a manual that had to fit in, then that got superseded by the What's New manual.  Nowadays there's only the DVDs and maybe a little bit of advertising. Not sure what the first customer box looks today, but I guess that the packaging is smaller...

  And then each year, when you're a subscriber (or you paid for an upgrade), you would get the upgrade discs posted out to you. You'd find the brown plain box with the DVDs inside.

SolidWorks 2007 

 "Powerful 3D CAD software" there were 2 sets of DVDs in the box so it was double the height a normal DVD cover, with the hero image of the satellite model: you may have seen in a demo presented to you by the reseller technical sales team at various shows or when they came to visit. Notice the Simulation colours showing through - nice touch.

SolidWorks 2008 

  In SolidWorks 2008 "Design Better Products" followed a similar path - even though it was the same image.

SolidWorks 2009

  For SolidWorks 2009 - somehow I lost that one but I took a screen grab from another website - notice they kept the catch phrase from the previous year "Design Better Products" - Must have been a good incentive to use the software. The hero image is a high performance vehicle in this one. 

SolidWorks 2010 

  You'll find the logo with the multi-colour logo above the word SolidWorks. About that logo: - I used to think it was "DDS" or something like that  - but actually the little "boomerang" shape starts the top of a 3 to makes the 3DS image. You can visit the DS website here. Notice the hero image is a bit more industrial design oriented.

SOLIDWORKS 2011

  DS went from SolidWorks (with the big S and W) to all capital letters. Personally I liked the change - it's easier to type from some respects ;-). No catch phrase on this one. Notice the Holmatro Spreader hero image. I think this was about the time Composer became prominent.

SOLIDWORKS 2012

Each new SOLIDWORKS release is launched at around October, so for 2012 it was released in 2011. As 2011 was the first year that I was working at DS, I was off subscription; I figured I wasn't going to be using software for work any time soon - if I wanted to model things up for fun, I would have access to the latest and greatest anyway. 

So I didn't manage to get the cover and couldn't seem to find a reference for it. The hero image may have been the Sea Scooter but I'm not sure...

SOLIDWORKS 2013 

So in 2013, now the hero image is of the Martin Jet pack guy. Notice the 3DS logo change toward the bottom right - it sits in line with the word SOLIDWORKS and "SOLID" is bold, along with the compass logo down on the bottom right.

SOLIDWORKS 2014 

Now, unfortunately I didn't have this version either but you can find an image here. In that one they used the personal off road vehicle - a bit like a skate board on tracks with handles to steer.

SOLIDWORKS 2015

And finally, for SOLIDWORKS 2015 No more graphics, minimalist and simple. Dassault Systemes "Compass" as the strong feature here - the 3DEXPERIENCE prominent: front and centred.  On the Compass, the red 3D highlighted - What's in the box? - that's SOLIDWORKS. (-:

That's a Wrap

I hoped you like that little indulgence - I guess if you're not a SOLIDWORKS geek this may not be interesting but in the next post, I'll be sharing a highlight from 2015 that you may not have been aware of and you may benefit from!