DriveWorks
Encyclopedia
DriveWorks is a design automation program that runs on Microsoft Windows
and is developed by DriveWorks Ltd.
DriveWorks can automate the design or sales function internally or over the internet. Or it can connect to any existing sales configurator to automate the design function.
Gold Partner in the Knowledge-Based Engineering
category. 2007 saw DriveWorks win Start-IT magazine's Power of Partnerships Award and later that year SolidWorks decided to include DriveWorksXpress into its core product. DriveWorks is 100% privately held by business partners Glen Smith and Maria Sarkar http://blogs.driveworks.co.uk/maria/.
Typically a design engineer would initially create the rule set for the automation of the design function. However, different skill sets within an organization can contribute. For instance a sales engineer may apply the rules for producing a quote, an IT technician may apply the rules to connect to and utilize a company’s business data.
The DriveWorks approach is typically: -
DriveWorks allows personnel within an organization to accomplish this because of its ease of use approach. The main syntax for the formulation of rules adopts the Microsoft Excel format. Wizards within the software's rule builder allow connections to ODBC compliant databases to export or retrieve and filter data, without requiring SQL experience.
However, DriveWorks does include the ability for custom code to be applied through its Application programming interface
(API). Additionally various routines can be executed on chosen events using VBA
macros.
DriveWorks includes various diagnostic tools that reproduce the user experience, rule calculation and data generation process in run-time. This allows trouble-free adjustment of the rule set to achieve the most accurate results.
The DriveWorks API allows custom plug-ins to be written to perform additional or supplementary tasks that add to the automation project. These plug-ins can be run pre-specification or post specification.
Examples of pre-specification plugins include: -
Examples of post-specification plugins include: -
When set up, the DriveWorks software allows the user to fill out the form that has been produced, then the manufacturing and sales documents will be created automatically.
Additionally DriveWorksXpress is free inside SolidWorks 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and later.
DriveWorks Xpress
DriveWorks Xpress is included in every new seat of SolidWorks. It allows the user to create multiple variations of their SolidWorks parts, assemblies and drawings.
Commercial Products
DriveWorks Solo
Released in September 2009, DriveWorks Solo provides all the rule capabilities of DriveWorks Pro - Administrator. A fully functional user form designer is also included along with the ability to drive template documents. DriveWorks Solo and SolidWorks generate the custom 3D designs, detailed manufacturing drawings and quote for each new custom design automatically.
- DriveWorks Administrator
- DriveWorks User
- DriveWorks Autopilot
- DriveWorks Live
- DriveWorks 3D Preview
DriveWorks Pro - Administrator
The DriveWorks core product provides all the functionality to set up and run the automation project. Additional functionality includes a user form designer, testing and diagnostic tools, and a local model generation add-in for SolidWorks
.
DriveWorks Pro - User
DriveWorks Users can fill out the forms created by the DriveWorks Administrator to generate new specifications. The User CANNOT change the rules.
DriveWorks Pro - Autopilot
This module manages and controls all the data that needs to be produced.
DriveWorks Pro - Live
The addition of DriveWorks Live allows specifications to be made over the internet without the need for additional web programming. Web themes can even be modified either through the inbuilt wizard or totally customized to suit corporate branding.
DriveWorks Pro - 3D Preview
Working in conjunction with DriveWorks Live, DriveWorks 3D Preview allows the user to display a 3D Preview of their products online.
Subscription Services
DriveWorks has an initial purchase price with a yearly subscription service termed "maintenance". The subscription service entitles the user to free service packs, new versions, comprehensive hotline support, access to the customer website which contains helpful information, including 'How To' videos, an online knowledge base, enhancement request form, and discussion forums.
Current Version:
DriveWorks 8 SP3.0
DriveWorks fully supports Windows 7 x32 and x64.
(PDM) application, while others could read specifications made in an alternative application and convert them to automate the design of a product in DriveWorks.
(API) with SDK for macro and third party development.
and Microsoft Excel
formats and XML
. But many other file formats can be produced from these such as DXF, PDF, HTML
etc.
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and is developed by DriveWorks Ltd.
DriveWorks can automate the design or sales function internally or over the internet. Or it can connect to any existing sales configurator to automate the design function.
History
DriveWorks was introduced in 2001 as the first application to provide non-programmers with the ability to automate the design function. Typical competitive products available at the time of this first release involved bespoke programming in an unfamiliar language. In 2002 DriveWorks was certified as the first SolidWorksSolidWorks
SolidWorks is a 3D mechanical CAD program that runs on Microsoft Windows and is being developed by Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes, S. A. . SolidWorks is currently used by over 1.3 million engineers and designers at more than 130,000 companies worldwide...
Gold Partner in the Knowledge-Based Engineering
Knowledge-based engineering
Knowledge-based engineering is a discipline with roots in computer-aided design and knowledge-based systems but has several definitions and roles depending upon the context. An early role was support tool for a design engineer generally within the context of product design...
category. 2007 saw DriveWorks win Start-IT magazine's Power of Partnerships Award and later that year SolidWorks decided to include DriveWorksXpress into its core product. DriveWorks is 100% privately held by business partners Glen Smith and Maria Sarkar http://blogs.driveworks.co.uk/maria/.
Market
DriveWorks is used by Engineer to Order companies (typically companies that design 'the same, but different products') to automatically design their products that meet a customer’s exact requirements. It is used to generate both manufacturing and sales documents. Its customer base ranges from small to large companies, and covers a very wide cross section of manufacturing market segments. Commercial sales are made through an indirect channel of resellers throughout the world. Directly competitive products to DriveWorks include Rulestream and Inventor Intent.The DriveWorks approach
The DriveWorks approach is typically: -
- The capturing of parameters from a SolidWorks model, Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel document, which forms the basis of all combinations that are to be produced from it.
- The next step is to then define the inputs that are required to specify the product - essentially designing a user form or multiple forms.
- Rules are then constructed that link the inputs to the captured models or documents.
DriveWorks allows personnel within an organization to accomplish this because of its ease of use approach. The main syntax for the formulation of rules adopts the Microsoft Excel format. Wizards within the software's rule builder allow connections to ODBC compliant databases to export or retrieve and filter data, without requiring SQL experience.
However, DriveWorks does include the ability for custom code to be applied through its Application programming interface
Application programming interface
An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other...
(API). Additionally various routines can be executed on chosen events using VBA
VBA
VBA can mean:* Virtual backup appliance, a virtual machine used to back up other virtual machines* Visual Basic for Applications, the application edition of Microsoft's Visual Basic programming language...
macros.
DriveWorks includes various diagnostic tools that reproduce the user experience, rule calculation and data generation process in run-time. This allows trouble-free adjustment of the rule set to achieve the most accurate results.
The DriveWorks API allows custom plug-ins to be written to perform additional or supplementary tasks that add to the automation project. These plug-ins can be run pre-specification or post specification.
Examples of pre-specification plugins include: -
- Connection to a data source (databaseDatabaseA database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
, xmlXMLExtensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
or text fileText fileA text file is a kind of computer file that is structured as a sequence of lines of electronic text. A text file exists within a computer file system...
) to extract and translate information into a DriveWorks specification - Connection to a CAD file to extract key points and translate into multiple DriveWorks specifications
Examples of post-specification plugins include: -
- Parsing the assembly structure of multiple models specified as a contract to export a contract bill of materialsBill of materialsA bill of materials is a list of the raw materials, sub-assemblies, intermediate assemblies, sub-components, components, parts and the quantities of each needed to manufacture an end product...
(BOM) - Communicating with a Product Data ManagementProduct Data ManagementProduct data management is the business function often within product lifecycle management that is responsible for the creation, management and publication of product data...
application for checking automatically generated data into a vault
When set up, the DriveWorks software allows the user to fill out the form that has been produced, then the manufacturing and sales documents will be created automatically.
Editions
DriveWorks software is available in a number of commercial editions.Additionally DriveWorksXpress is free inside SolidWorks 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and later.
DriveWorks Xpress
DriveWorks Xpress is included in every new seat of SolidWorks. It allows the user to create multiple variations of their SolidWorks parts, assemblies and drawings.
Commercial Products
- DriveWorks Solo
DriveWorks Solo
Released in September 2009, DriveWorks Solo provides all the rule capabilities of DriveWorks Pro - Administrator. A fully functional user form designer is also included along with the ability to drive template documents. DriveWorks Solo and SolidWorks generate the custom 3D designs, detailed manufacturing drawings and quote for each new custom design automatically.
- DriveWorks Pro - which is made up of a number of modules
- DriveWorks Administrator
- DriveWorks User
- DriveWorks Autopilot
- DriveWorks Live
- DriveWorks 3D Preview
DriveWorks Pro - Administrator
The DriveWorks core product provides all the functionality to set up and run the automation project. Additional functionality includes a user form designer, testing and diagnostic tools, and a local model generation add-in for SolidWorks
SolidWorks
SolidWorks is a 3D mechanical CAD program that runs on Microsoft Windows and is being developed by Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes, S. A. . SolidWorks is currently used by over 1.3 million engineers and designers at more than 130,000 companies worldwide...
.
DriveWorks Pro - User
DriveWorks Users can fill out the forms created by the DriveWorks Administrator to generate new specifications. The User CANNOT change the rules.
DriveWorks Pro - Autopilot
This module manages and controls all the data that needs to be produced.
DriveWorks Pro - Live
The addition of DriveWorks Live allows specifications to be made over the internet without the need for additional web programming. Web themes can even be modified either through the inbuilt wizard or totally customized to suit corporate branding.
DriveWorks Pro - 3D Preview
Working in conjunction with DriveWorks Live, DriveWorks 3D Preview allows the user to display a 3D Preview of their products online.
Subscription Services
DriveWorks has an initial purchase price with a yearly subscription service termed "maintenance". The subscription service entitles the user to free service packs, new versions, comprehensive hotline support, access to the customer website which contains helpful information, including 'How To' videos, an online knowledge base, enhancement request form, and discussion forums.
Version History
Past Versions- DriveWorks 1.0
- DriveWorks 2.0
- DriveWorks 3.0
- DriveWorks 4.0
- DriveWorks 5.0
- DriveWorks 6.0
- DriveWorks 7.0
- DriveWorks 8.0
Current Version:
DriveWorks 8 SP3.0
DriveWorks fully supports Windows 7 x32 and x64.
Add-in Products
DriveWorks allows for the seamless integration of third-party modules, through the API. Some of these modules are small and introduce minor functionality, such as entering all automatically generated data into a Product data managementProduct Data Management
Product data management is the business function often within product lifecycle management that is responsible for the creation, management and publication of product data...
(PDM) application, while others could read specifications made in an alternative application and convert them to automate the design of a product in DriveWorks.
API
DriveWorks includes an Application Programming InterfaceApplication programming interface
An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other...
(API) with SDK for macro and third party development.
Output File format
DriveWorks can automatically create many file formats as standard, such as native SolidWorks files, native Microsoft WordMicrosoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
and Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a proprietary commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications...
formats and XML
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
. But many other file formats can be produced from these such as DXF, PDF, HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
etc.