Get 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers for $99 a Year
It’s fun making stuff.
That’s why Makers or DIYers don’t like going to the store. Or ordering things on Amazon. Makers want to—and thrive on—creating their own solutions. They feel proud of figuring it out themselves.
Just ask Jason Pohl, former lead designer at Orange County Choppers and longtime SOLIDWORKS® user. Jason is constantly designing and building things he could easily buy, but then he’d miss the fun of creating his own solutions. (More details about one of Jason’s recent Maker projects below.)
While making stuff is great fun, personal projects come with challenges. One is budget, or lack thereof. This new offer is accessible to Makers because of its affordable price. Makers now can benefit from the power of digital design tools for only $9.99 a month, or $99 a year for the entire package.
3DEXPERIENCE® SOLIDWORKS for Makers includes SOLIDWORKS Professional, connected to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, cloud-based 3D Sculptor for conceptual design that leverages subdivision modeling, and 3D Creator for parametric modeling on the cloud. You’ll have instant access to an online community designed to connect you with fellow makers and share your work, get tips and tricks, and get inspired. Plus, you can access a support community to help you create amazing things with 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers.
Jason used some of the tools bundled into 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers to develop a brand-new wallet with his signature creative flair.
The Coolest Wallet Ever
Instead of buying toys for their kids, Makers and DIYers often prefer to make them. Instead of buying a new wallet to replace an old one (wrapped in duct tape), Makers fashion a new wallet themselves. Jason Pohl has done both projects—among many others—from his shop at home. Here’s how he approached a recent wallet project from concept, to 3D model, to working part.
SOLIDWORKS: What inspired you to make your own wallet?
Jason Pohl: I wanted to create something to help me organize my driver's license and my essential cards, like my insurance card, credit cards, and things like that, something that was different from the traditional wallet. I came up with this “snapback” idea for a wallet. It pivots and magnetically closes.
Photo rendered in SOLIDWORKS Visualize, bundled with 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers
SOLIDWORKS: Describe some of the elements of your process.
Jason Pohl: I always start with a sketchbook—a good old-fashioned piece of paper—and start throwing lines on it. Does that make me old school? Anyway, when I am ready, I begin drawing using a Wacom Cintiq tablet. I find the most successful way for me to design something is to initially put all my ideas out there, just keep putting all my design ideas on paper. I always say it takes a hundred bad ideas to get that one good idea.
SOLIDWORKS: Designers, engineers, and Makers tend to get too attached to one idea. I like that you are open to trying out several ideas first before proceeding any further with a project.
Jason Pohl: Yep. I crank out as many ideas as I can in the initial stage. For this project I sketched up a bunch of different wallets and just kept turning the page and sketching, keeping the ideas that I liked as I went. When I finally had a design on paper that I was excited about, I took it to my Wacom Cintiq tablet and sketched some more on top of my favorite line-drawing idea. Then I experimented by putting some real dimensions on it.
SOLIDWORKS: What aesthetic elements evolved as being most important to you on the wallet project?
Jason Pohl: I knew that I wanted it to be an organic piece. What I was really drawn to, and it sounds crazy to say it, was river rock. Like a nice, polished rock that's been at the bottom of a riverbed for a while—smooth and shiny, you know?
SOLIDWORKS: Now the challenge is making that 2D drawing in 3D space.
Jason Pohl: Actually I love this part, especially when using my favorite tool that’s part of 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers, 3D Sculptor, which has an app called xShape. The app makes it super easy to create smooth organic surfaces—almost like sculpting digital clay. So I just started with a quick cube, pulled the end, and bam!—I knew it was going to work.
Once I got the shape exactly how I wanted it, I jumped right back into SOLIDWORKS and began putting the dimensions on the wallet to make sure it was the perfect size to accommodate all the cards I typically carry. It was a breeze working with the same design between the two products—SOLIDWORKS and xShape, which are both included in the 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers tool set.
SOLIDWORKS: You mentioned earlier that you wanted this to be a snapback wallet.
Jason Pohl: I thought the easiest and quickest way to do that part of the wallet was to use magnetic inserts that would protect my cards from falling out. That way, when I open and close the wallet, it keeps everything in place.
SOLIDWORKS: What was your prototyping process on this project?
Jason Pohl: First I did a cardboard cutout just to ensure the dimensions were right; then I 3D printed it to get a feel for it going in and out of my pocket. At that point, I loaded it with my cards and started using it.
SOLIDWORKS: How are you feeling about the design so far?
Jason Pohl: I created the organic shape I wanted for this project. But then I wondered how to make it shiny. So I thought, Why not make this out of aluminum? I cut some stock and I loaded it up on my Tormach 1100MX CNC mill.
SOLIDWORKS: That is one sleek-looking wallet!
Jason Pohl: Thanks. I am happy with how it turned out, and I hope this shows other Makers how a simple process can make an idea a reality. Using the professional design tools offered in 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers made this process super smooth. I hope to see what other Makers are doing at the Made in 3D community that anyone can join. Remember to post your projects for everyone to see so we can help and inspire each other!
Are You Ready for 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers?
If you enjoy the adventure of filling a need with something you build yourself, you are likely a Maker.
At SOLIDWORKS we find that Makers come in all shapes and sizes, including
- Commercial SOLIDWORKS users who want access to the same industry-leading software they use at work for personal projects they make at home
- People that participate in Makerspaces, FabLabs, Maker Faires, Comic-Con, and other Maker-related events
- DIYers worldwide who want to improve their craft with the aid of 3D
- People that have a small shop or some tools in their garage to work on personal projects from time to time
Note that all 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers model and drawing files are digitally watermarked with a gear icon. These files cannot be brought into a commercial SOLIDWORKS program, but they can be imported via neutral files such as STEP or IGES. Other than that, 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers has all the bells and whistles of the commercial product. Also, the Maker offering is for Makers earning less than $2,000 a year from their creations.
Keep in mind the awesome benefits that you’ll get from the online Maker community and the Maker offer’s support community - created to connect you with fellow Makers to share your work, get tips, and stay involved in a community that can help you to learn and use SOLIDWORKS tools for your personal projects.
Click here to learn more about or to buy 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers today.
