SolidWorks Help Files

More often than not, I don’t dog SolidWorks. It’s my bread and butter. Honestly, were it not for SolidWorks, I wouldn’t be where I am today. But, ugh, the help files. This is a sore subject for many SolidWorks users, and for good reason. Truth be told, the help files are lacking in many areas. It looks pretty complete, doesn’t it? Lots of areas are, apparently, covered.

help-file

Take a closer look, though:

faq

Maybe it’s just me, but the FAQ section looks pretty sparse. Only mates and sketch relations? Seriously? What about settings information? This is a question I see on the forums all the time. I’m sure that something could be worked out with Ben and the FAQ section on solidmentor.com.

Skipping down, let’s look at the help section on templates.

template

Here’s the problem: It only skims the surface. It tells you the very basics of creating a template, but doesn’t mention anything about setting your system options so that the templates you create are the ones that SolidWorks uses. The blurb about drawing templates doesn’t even mention saving your sheet format. It is, as Mr. Lombard would say, half-baked. There are sections that are pretty complete, but then others that seem to have been dropped between the washer and dryer and forgotten about. I’d have to say, too, that if it’s an add-in it should get a mention in the help section (i.e. DriveWorksXpress).

I think my biggest problem with the help files is all the hyperlinks. Let’s say you want to find out about sub-assemblies, so you use the index and bring up the sub-assembly section. As you’re reading, you see a link to ‘insert a new, empty sub-assembly’. Then, while reading that you see a link to ‘virtual components’. Then you see…well, you get the idea.

Here’s the thing, how do you solve it? What can SolidWorks do to make the help files more helpful? This, my dear reader, is the $25,000 question. I don’t know that you can get away from the rat-hole that is hyperlinks. It needs to be easily updateable. Do you make it an online/wikipedia thing? Something that is ever changing? How would you go about protecting it?

This is one of those conversations that I could go on and on having. Most everyone agrees that the help files need help, including some at SolidWorks. Does this mean we’ll see a change in the help files? One can only hope.

Share and Enjoy:

March 4, 2009 · Posted in SolidWorks Community

Comments

Neil

Sadly this is an o-l-d-e topic.
People put up the same ideas and suggestions year after year to no effect.
I am tired of reading what SW are going to do and then have them put it back in the too hard basket again.
How about they do something radical and start making an improvement right now, today, even in the middle of a release.
The only idea I have to add to the wiki proposal is to grant users in general the right to mark up a full existing Help document with comments and flags where they feel or know it isnt good enough.
It isnt necessary or desireable for everyone to write or edit stuff but it sure would help to identify actual parts of the Help that are too limited, confusing, or even wrong that SW need to work on.
Perhaps people could download a PDF of particular section of the Help they want to contribute to and mark up and return it to the SW doco people.
I think Adobe Reader has this facility and review tools if the rights are available.
I am pretty sure sticky notes, highlight, cross out etc. are part of it.
It would mean users wouldnt need to download the whole thing and the returning suggested revisions could be redistributed to the appropriate SW personnel.
So for instance 23 marked up Sheetmetal Help note section PDF go to the Sheetmetal manager and the doco person with that topic responsibility.
Some people might just identify problem sentences while others might write a passage better explaining something.
I guess this also might be a good way of getting assistance with translation

JeffMirisola

Neil,
Thanks for the input. I'm hoping that the people responsible, like Donna, will take notice and actually make the necessary changes/updates. Unfortunately, I'd say it's a waiting game now.

Joe Carter

Hey Jeff!

The biggest complaint I hear (I am an AE with Jeff's former VAR) about the help files is how the search works... if you search for "SketchExpert", you'll get a big goose-egg! You have to know that SW is using the cute "SketchXpert" spelling instead... *sigh*

I have to say that I usually trumpet the praises of the help files, as they were a godsend to me when I was hired on when there were NO experienced AE's on staff.

Joe C.

JeffMirisola

Hey Joe,
Thanks for stopping by. The search function in the help files is only a little more useful than the one in knowledge base.
I got more use out of the tutorials than anything when I was learning. Now, there are so many resources out there (forums, blogs, etc), that new users can get answers quicker and easier.

Jeff

Donna Allman

Hi Jeff,

I read your posting with great interest. This is exactly the kind of input we're looking for as we (the Documentation group) work on our "fill the doc gaps" project for 2010 and beyond. We have also begun to rearchitect the Help, which affects the linking strategy and helps us locate the gaps.

So keep them coming, Jeff -- the more specific the better.

JeffMirisola

Donna,
Always nice to know that SolidWorks is listening. I know that I, and my readers (not to mention the vast majority of SolidWorks users), would love to know how are you going about gathering your information.

Donna Allman

In SW 2010, you will be able to give feedback on individual help topics.

Neil

oooooh! what a good idea -suddenly Donna who we never heard of before is very popular :D

...on second thought though, I suppose that really means the feedback received in 2010 *may* lead to something being started for 2011...still...sounds promising... Donna gets a star for effort ;) fine, fine...

Rod_Uding

The online wiki would be the way to go in my book. Toss in some consistent tags to search on and it could be the cat's meow.

JeffMirisola

The problem with an online wiki is how do you control what gets put into it? It's something that would have to have some sort of "approval" loop. Who manages that aspect of it? Or, on the other hand, maybe you have "approved" contributors who can add to the wiki as needed?

Rod_Uding

Here are my points on the Wiki:

1: Verified admins, start with the SW help writers.
2: Verified contributors. Start with the SW bloggers such as yourself who care about this.
3: Recommended contributors. Persons suggested by the admins and contributors
4: General users. Can look, but not touch.
5: Posting area that questions are posted and reviewed by groups of admins and contributors. This will develop the help wiki as questions are posted.

This is a starting idea. I would also refer to Ben Eadie's Solidmentor wiki as a reference for building a help wiki.

JeffMirisola

Excellent suggestion, Rod.
I think using SolidMentor's wiki as a reference would be a step in the right direction as well.
I was hoping to generate more conversation on this topic, with the ultimate goal of bending SolidWorks' ear.

Joe@Quest

Reseller and SW AE's would be another good resource in that list.

JeffMirisola

I don't know, Joe...do you really think AE's can be trusted? :-)

Joe

current ones can... former ones are trouble.

Dale

I wonder if it would be possible to create some sort of cross reference between the help menu and the online tutorials, or even better the now integrates SolidProfessor tab?

While I don't know how well a publicly based "tags," system would work, it seems like one organized by SW could create an easily updated structure that wouldn't be to hard for 3rd party solutions like SolidProf to tap into.

JeffMirisola

I don't know, Dale. What I do know is that something needs to get done. As easy as SolidWorks may be to use, there are finer points that need to be better explained and said explanations should be readily available in the help files.

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While most of what I write will be about SolidWorks, or partner products, from time to time I've been known to go off on random rants about whatever crosses my mind.

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