CONCORD, Mass., June 9, 2008 — SolidWorks Corporation today released the next generation of its leading 3D CAD software for students and educators, SolidWorks® Education Edition 2008-2009, which delivers all the powerful capabilities of SolidWorks 2008 Office Premium plus new analysis software, curriculum, and more.

Students from middle school through graduate school will immediately notice the most sweeping enhancement, a new, intuitive, time-saving user interface (UI). Students can work more efficiently than ever because the UI gives them new opportunities to interact directly with the model in addition to intuitive menu options.

A streamlined workflow anticipates which tools students will need in the context of the specific task they are undertaking and presents them for use. The interface increases useful window real estate, reduces mouse travel, provides innovative customization options, and offers task-based command selection. These attributes have helped establish SolidWorks as the easiest to use 3D CAD software system, focusing students on their designs and minimizing distractions.

“SolidWorks Education Edition 2008-2009 makes it even easier for students to rapidly realize their design and engineering visions,” said Kim Alan Olson, instructor of tool design engineering at Moraine Park Technical College in West Bend, Wisc. “It improves usability and eliminates complexity without in any way dumbing it down for our students. If anything, SolidWorks’ easy-to-use capabilities expose students early to engineering principles they’ll encounter in the professional environment down the road.”

SolidWorks Education Edition 2008-2009 for the first time includes COSMOSFloXpress, an easy-to-use fluid dynamics application that calculates how fluid flows through a part model. Based on this analysis, students can easily find and fix problem areas in their designs. More advanced students can graduate to COSMOSFloWorks™, a full-featured computational fluid dynamics and thermal analysis application in SolidWorks Education Edition. SolidWorks Education Edition now offers the most comprehensive integrated analysis capabilities in education software.

New model racing car curriculum

SolidWorks Education Edition 2008-2009 includes a new F1 in Schools™ curriculum for teaching middle and high school students about SolidWorks software, 3D CAD, and analysis. The curriculum includes lessons for designing, analyzing, simulating, rendering – then actually constructing – a scale model Formula One racing car. Students can enter regional, national, and global competitions.

SWIFT overcomes traditional CAD obstacles

In addition to the interface, analysis software, and curriculum, SolidWorks Education Edition 2008-2009 incorporates more than 250 user-requested enhancements introduced in SolidWorks 2008, including powerful new features built on SolidWorks Intelligent Feature Technology (SWIFT).

SWIFT Instant3D, one of several unique new features built on the SWIFT framework, lets users create and modify 3D model features simply by manipulating drag handles directly on the model. Users don’t need to deal with esoteric commands, dialog boxes, and extensive data input other CAD systems require. “Live cross-sections” enable users to make edits by dragging edges while looking at a slice of the model.

In addition, SWIFT DimXpert automatically sets geometric dimensions and tolerances on parts, saving time and providing expert information every design team needs. DFMXpress promotes design for manufacturability, preventing costly downstream design errors by automatically flagging elements that are difficult, expensive, or impossible to machine.

“A design is just a fantasy unless it can be manufactured, and these two features especially give educators ways to raise the consciousness of students without requiring new software, machine tools, or curricula,” said Marie Planchard, director of worldwide education markets for SolidWorks Corporation. “It’s just a matter of switching the tools on, interacting with them, and exploring what’s happening.”

More academic institutions and engineering schools have chosen SolidWorks than any other 3D CAD software.

Availability and pricing

SolidWorks 2008 is available now for purchase in 13 languages worldwide through SolidWorks authorized resellers. Contact a SolidWorks authorized reseller for pricing. To locate one in your region, visit www.solidworks.com/locateVAR/. To learn more about the SolidWorks Education Program visit: www.solidworks.com/education.