Solidworks users spend “blue tokens” on AI drawings, insights and more
Oh, boy…
The end is near, Skynet already online.
Token gonna be the only currency for everything.
It’s no surprise… AI functionality is an ongoing cost that scales directly with usage. None of the major AI tools are currently anywhere close to profitable. They can’t just plop free AI in there unless possibly you have your own paid for compute.
I do think it’s interesting that the most popular thing is assembly performance. This screenshot just shows Leo presenting the exact same data that’s in the existing “performance evaluation” tool, just in a sidebar instead of a popup dialog. Granted, I haven’t used it, maybe it goes on to suggest specific actions or something, but I don’t see anything here that makes me think I’d be happy to pay my $0.02 to hear Leo’s $0.02.
For a new user, it probably worth the $0.02 to learn something.
Most of them will just keep paying $0.02 for the same answer.
Not complaining. Someone need to pay.
That’s kinda sorta my problem with it though. Unless it says at the end “By the way, you can directly access this information through the Tools-Evaluate-Performance Evaluation command”, they aren’t even learning something. Leo’s just selling fish without telling people that the poles are over there in the corner to use for free.
Suppressing parts will increase performance, what a revelation.
I’d be more impressed is it said “Some moron modeled helical threads on all your fasteners which creates more graphics for your already underpowered laptop to handle. Suppressing the extra thread features and other unneceesary detail and creating a new simplified configuration will vastly improve your day and perception of SolidWorks”
I think generating simple drawings using AI could definitely be useful. SolidWorks already has quite a few tools that can handle drawing tasks automatically, so combining them into a single streamlined workflow makes a lot of sense.
Take simple sheet metal bent parts, for example: a press brake operator usually needs very specific dimensions in specific places, formatted according to a set company standard. Automating a process like that down to a stage where it just “requires visual inspection” is entirely feasible.
That’s the real concern, not AI, not the AI companies, not that SW is pushing AI. What’s concerning is the portion of population that doesn’t care about the fishing poles, doesn’t care to know where the fish come from. Just as long as the fish are provided to them is all that matters.
Yep, and right now (as far as the AI industry overall goes), the fish are being given away free or well below cost. That cost is currently being subsidized by VC and overvalued IPOs. All the big AIs are buring cash, hoping to get enough people dependent enough on fish that they will be willing to pay the actual cost of the fish.
for some things (like coding) i’ll just take the fish. i dont need the poles & dont care to store them in my brain housing group… for other things, i use ai to show me how the poles work. very handy for home & auto repair, especially since I dont know crap from shinola about trouble shooting electrical issues. That’s where I want to learn and not be dependent on it.
personally, I think if it were left up to ai to dimension drawings, it would place all the dims in stupid locations, and leave out information. then it’d come back and say “you’re right, i shouldve included that call out”
The problem is, AI is fuzzy.
Math is not fuzzy. 1+1 = 2, not 1.66324 or 2.47543.
Engineering is not fuzzy.
Drawing is not fuzzy.
For AI to work with them, it need lots of “guide rails”. Which completely remove the reason to use AI. A simple old school rule based decision is enough.
Also noticed AI getting less creative. Generated pictures/photos are all similar style. More user accepted the result, the more AI reuse same result.
you forgot to add (most of the time…) 
My crystal ball say not fuzzy.
I’ll try the 8 ball…
Sometimes our engineering puts waterlines through ejector pins 
High pressure water help the pin eject 
Approximately 5,300 years elapsed between the invention of the earliest wheeled wagons and the invention of the first steam locomotive railway.
I’m beginning to feel as though I’m not going to even make it through my 35+ year career without seeing everything I’ve learned, created and implemented become completely irrelevant…
I joke.. (kind of) .. but none of this excites me.. it just makes me wish I was closer to retirement.
I have 3 weeks left. 
Ai is only creative by accident, kind of like that elephant that paints pictures. Enough iterations will eventually product something creative.
I suppose in the end, all junior level engineers and drafters will no longer create drawings, and senior level people will just check and correct what the AI did.
what platform?