2009 Bible
This post has been a long time coming. The SolidWorks 2009 Bible is in the final stages of completion. A few more edits to reflect still-changing software, and then off to the printer.
There are a few notable things about this new version. The first is that this version is going to have some additional depth to it because the technical editor was Ricky Jordan. Ricky is a real SolidWorks user with a broad depth of knowledge about the software, a keen mind, and is a good deal more even keeled than I am. I think it is important to balance out my crazy opinions with someone who is a little more careful. Ricky added a lot to the overall content and a lot of perspective on many of the tools. This book would not have been the same without his careful and well considered critiques.
I can say confidently that the 2009 edition of this book should hold together more tightly than the 2007 edition because the editing has been done more carefully, and there were a lot of lessons learned from the first time around. The 2007 book was really my first full length book. The folks at Wiley were patient with teaching the ropes on this mammoth 1100 page piece of writing.
The early chapters of the book were slightly rearranged, recombined, and edited so that I could add a new chapter on Visualization Techniques. Of course this includes the use of the new RealView tools, and Appearances. I have neatly skipped over the 2008 release, and have focussed on the 2009 interface and tools.
The 2009 book has removed some of the irrelevant commentary, and tried to be more efficient with words and images.
Later in the book, I removed a VERY lame API chapter, and replaced it with a chapter on Plastics and Mold Tools. Also, since SolidWorks Animator was pulled down into the base product and renamed to SolidWorks MotionManager, I wrote a new chapter for that as well.
Several of the chapter updates were painful due to the amount of work required. The new Tools, Options appendix is probably 50% new with all of the changes to Document Properties, especially Custom Standards. There were many happy moments as I edited out sections of the text that referred to bugs that had been fixed in the last two years. There were also a few frustrating moments when checking other bugs, and finding them still there.
If you have not read one of my books before, I just want to get a few things out in the open. First, I am not an educator, and I do not write text books. I am an industry professional, and I write about real usage of the software. I write from my experience using the software. I don’t spend a lot of time using other packages, so my work hours are focussed on this one software.
I do not focus on tutorials. Each chapter does have a tutorial at the end, but generally just as a way to show how to use the tools. I think tutorials are best for low level information, but can’t really convey answers to the question “why”. When you are done with a tutorial, you know how to build whatever you built in the tutorial, but you really don’t understand how the tools work. The old difference between giving a fish, and teaching how to fish.
I try to give as much detailed information as I possibly can. If I have to do the same example 5 different ways to show something, well, that’s what I’ll do. In a book this size completely written by a single person, and without help from the software developer, there are going to be omissions. I ONLY had 1100 pages, and to be truly thorough would have taken several hundred more pages and months of additional research. So please forgive me if it’s imperfect.
The books are full of tips, best practice, bonus stuff that’s not documented elsewhere, warnings about bugs, and techniques that I’ve gathered from years of real modeling work. The books I write are not so much geared toward beginners as toward more experienced users. Sure, beginners can learn from them, but the books are really meant as a desk reference, where you look up a particular topic and read about it. I have heard of people reading the books through cover to cover, but that’s not something I recommend.
Something that’s a little uncomfortable to acknowledge is that some people on Amazon have rated the 2007 book very poorly. In some cases the criticism was well deserved, and in other cases it was more a question of reader expectations than of flaws in the book. So if you’re in one of these categories, you might consider doing yourself and me a big favor, and go buy a different book. If you are expecting a very basic hold-my-hand tutorial, you will not like my books. Any of them. If you think you should know how to model multibody parts before assemblies, you won’t like my books. If all you really need to know is how to import AutoCAD data and make 2D drawings, you won’t like my books. If you are looking for something that makes it easy for an Inventor user to transition to SolidWorks, you won’t like my books. If you are a student or job applicant looking to learn enough SolidWorks skills to get by in a class or an interview by reading a few pages one evening, you’re not going to like my books. If you think SolidWorks is a perfect piece of software, and it never rains in your world, you will hate my books. All of them. I tend to talk about real usage, which means I’m constantly referring to workarounds and bugs and hidden functionality and out of the way techniques.
The people who are going to like my stuff are users who want to improve. If you are curious about how stuff works, and if you think knowing how it works will help you do a better job, then my books are for you. If you are detail oriented and want to know what all of the options do, you’ll like my books.
So, the 2009 book is looking like it will be available in November or December. You can pre-order it from me if you like, and I’ll sign and ship the book to you as soon as I get them. I can accept PayPal. The link below will cost you $45 and will include shipping within the US. If you live somewhere other than the US, please email me, and we can work it out. International shipping for this book costs anywhere from $12 – $35. All numbers in US funds.
I wanna ask – is it possible to download the cd content with all the sldpart files from somewhere or somehow ?
I purchased the pdf version of the book from [edited] .
I paid 42 US but I need also these sldpart files from the supporting cd .
Can you help me or it’s not possible ?
It was a problem for me to buy the book from amazon.com because it’s possible to leave my country for half an year and that’s why I purchased the electronic version from [edited].
My publisher tells me the site is legit. They also have this to say:
I’m using the 2009 Bible for my advanced SW class. It’s a great book. My students work in industry so they don’t need a lot of handholding examples – though a couple for class time helps! Class starts in 3 hours. I was all excited to explore in class Chapter6 Tutorial1.sldprt on the CD because it includes errors. Unfortunately the file exists on the CD only in SW 2009 and as you know the current SW educational version is 2008. So if you’re a student or a teacher you can’t use the CD even if you do have the physical book.
I love this book. I want to shout it’s praises from the mountain tops. I want to help make it an even better book. Can we do something about this CD?
Wow, I really appreciate the comments. That’s really nice.
About the version compatibility problem, (sigh), why can’t we ask SolidWorks to solve this problem? They create it in both the facts that the edu version is a year behind and that they can’t read up-rev docs! Even greedy money grubbing Microsoft enables Word 2003 to read Word 2007! I actually try to discourage people from academia from using my books specifically because 99% of the complaints I get are from academia (and students trying to pirate software or books – what’s up with that misplaced sense of entitlement?!?) I’m not an educator, and I can’t write from that point of view. I realize that most of the rest of the books are written by academics, and frankly, I think that makes my book even more attractive.
Anyway, if you have a CD from a 2007 Bible, you might be able to use the equivalent files. That would be one possibility. I can’t re-model all the files in down-rev software. People asked for the Surfacing files in down-rev, and wow, that would be a ton of work.
One solution would be for me to include the files from the previous book, but then there would be someone with pirated SW06 and they would want files in that version. At least some of the files are new, and describe new functionality, which the old versions can’t use anyway.
I really do sympathize with your problem, but I’m not sure how far I actually want to commit . If I start doing stuff for the academic community, next it will be lesson plans, and an instructors guide, and those will have to be free… I’m just a guy trying to make a living. I know this sounds like a pile of bad excuses, but put yourself here. I’ll tell you what. It looks like the 2010 version is going to happen. I’ll include some files as down-rev as I can. New files, I can’t guarantee that I’ll model down-rev, but existing ones I’ll do as much as I can.
Mr Lombard,
I followed up the above with an email to matt@dezignstuff on 3/29/2009 subject line “SW 09 Bible Feedback; My Assistance? Classroom Material.” suggesting I might be able to help with the courseware challenge. I’m following up here because you probably get buried with email so mine could easily have been overlooked. I would simply like to insure that you receive my proposal. I’d be happy to resend if that helps.
David Elliott
aka ProteusDesign
though I suppose an email might have helped
proteusdesign@charter.net
@proteusdesign
David,
I’m just not sure that’s somewhere I want to go. I lived through my educational experience, and I certainly appreciate educators, but I don’t count myself as one of them, or purport to have any skills in creating materials that educators would want. There are so many books out there already written by educators that I kind of wanted mine to be a departure from that, not that there’s anything wrong with being an educator, but I don’t want to pretend to be something I’m not.
Bought the book and started reviewing it…really like it!..content is great… I was wondering where the ebook pdf is since its not on the cd as the installation popup message says it is?
“This CD-ROM contains a pdf of the book and Adobe Reader to view the ebook”
bluegoo,
I assume you’re talking about the 09 bible? try here: http://dezignstuff.com/swparts/09bible.pdf for a limited time
Hope you dont mind Matt I grabbed the pdf too.
The books are very good.
I was impressed with the layout and illustration of the Complex Surfacing Bible.
There is really a lot of good stuff in these pages.
Things I had forgotten too or didnt know even.
Havent really looked at the 09 Bible closely yet.
Way back when I started with SW the only way to learn things was to hang around comp.cad.solidworks.
No Solid Professor then.
You certainly couldnt get enough from the SW Help ..actually you still can’t..but thats an ugly old subject to raise here..
I am still very grateful to everyone that participated at that forum over the years – pity it took an abrupt dive.
Anyway anyone who buys your books will jump start their knowledge considerably.
Although beginners may feel they have joined in a conversation part way through there is a lot they can grow into and a great number of useful clues to latch onto.
I would recommended these to any keen SW user and I think people will appreciate the openness and honesty with which you have dealt with the known bugs and shortcomings of some of the features at this time.
Well done.
Hello,
I am just poping in to give you a heads up, I have tried to purchase this book from three different Barnes and Noble locations and I cannot find a copy that the companion CD is not destroyed.
Then buy one from me, and I’ll guarantee its good. I’ll even open it and try it if you don’t mind getting a book with a broken CD seal.
Where can I download the files for the Solidworks Bible 2009, the dvd/cd didn’t come with the book. Do you have an ftp site or something where I can get the files.
hello Mr. Lombard,
great book the surfacing bible which i recently got ,
since you know a lot about SW, i’ve got this problem from which
we both can (maybe ) learn a lot, maybe you would like to help,
in a .SLDPRT i insert a .SLDPRT and want to mate(move/copy body constraints) them together but anyway i try it only takes up to 1 to 2 mates each try ( and second m/c body constraints overrides the former) the third mate which i need doesnt work,
Matt,
I bought your book and it was delivered last week. So far so good. I really bought it thinking the 09 Bible was on the CD in PDF format. Is that available? If I have to purchase a CD I am willing to do that. Lots of airline travel, really need it in PDF. Please advise.
hola mat, casi no hablo ingles lo entiendo poco. veras el motivo por el cual te escribo es para ver si me puedes ayudar con unas dudas que tengo de solid works no se como dibujar un tornillo completo, él tornillo no lo necesito pero necesito hacer roscado y la cabeza ya que a mi me sirven para realizar otra pieza, espero puedas ayudarme.
help me pls.
thank you
see you.
Yeah, I had to look up a couple of words, like roscado, but I think I understand what you are asking for. I run a design/modeling consultancy, and I’d be glad to help you in that capacity if you are interested. You can email me at matt(at)dezignstuff(dot)com. You can put threads on a lot of things, I’d have to see the details to know what you are talking about specifically. thanks.
@ljubchev
dear sir/madam,
i recently installed solidworks 2009 on window vista 32 bit sp2 computer. software works good but some of the component and features does not work including extrude hole function and stating error given below
error: could not find tge standards database ‘c:\program files\solidworks\data\databases\swbrowser.mdb’
i will be grateful if you will get me back on my email and tell me details, how can i solve it out
or forward it to concerned dept in solidworks
please do not hesitate to contact me for further information
thank you very much
cheers
Raj Verma
Hi Matt,
I was about to buy this book on Amazon, but saw a listing for preorder for SolidWorks Bible 2010. That’s what I’m currently using, so should I wait for it? If it’s due out soon (a month or so) I’d rather wait, but I can’t tell from that site. Also, if it’s more profitable for you if I buy it from this site, that’s what I’ll do.
Thanks for such a good reference.
Pat,
Yeah, the 2010 version is due out in about 3 weeks. I used to sell and ship books, but I’ve stopped doing that because I don’t like dealing with international shipping. thanks for your interest.