SOLIDWORKS 2024: Explore Top 10 DraftSight 2024 Design Enhancements

SOLIDWORKS has pioneered making design accessible to all designers and engineers. They offer powerful and user-friendly product development solutions that enable you to create, collaborate, and deliver innovative product experiences. SOLIDWORKS 2024 continues this legacy while introducing new possibilities to enhance the way you design, communicate, and manage your 3D models with SOLIDWORKS. Work smarter, work faster, and work together with SOLIDWORKS 2024. 

DraftSight 2024 is a comprehensive design solution that utilizes the DWG format. It comes with an improved user interface, tool palettes, and layer palette, along with the ability to merge layers for reduced file size. The new version also introduces data links for seamless integration with Excel and efficient reference attachment. Additionally, it offers enhanced hatch editing, improved layer control, and a Mac OS Ribbon UI. One of the most distinguishing features of DraftSight 2024 is its ability to import CATIA drawings as DWG files. Let’s dive into this blog post. We will explore the top 10 enhancements in DraftSight 2024 to Improve your team’s productivity by working smarter and faster with the latest DraftSight enhancements.

DraftSight 2024 features include the ability to edit part references, full support for drafting standards like ANSI, and the capacity to import CATIA V5 drawings. You can also create custom component properties for part reference, among other functionalities. By using these features, you can increase your productivity, collaborate more effectively with your supply chain, and ensure that you meet your company’s standards. Explore these new functionalities now and discover how they can benefit you. Discover all of the new features in DraftSight 2024.

1. Support for CATIA Drawings: Empower all users to seamlessly import CATIA model space drawings either from a local disk or directly from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Import a CATIA drawing, and it behaves as any other DWG file, so you can edit the drawing. This streamlined process fosters enhanced collaboration with your supply chain, providing clear and precise communication channels for seamless project coordination and execution.
2. Tool Palettes: Access all your frequently used commands and features conveniently consolidated in a single location. Ensure all newly created entities conform to the predefined standards across drawings. Experience the advantages of expediting drawing creation while maintaining steadfast consistency, resulting in optimized workflows and enhanced productivity.
3. Layer Palette: Take command of your layers effortlessly with the Layer Palette, offering comprehensive control over all layer functions in a single, convenient location. Merge layers for easier control and management. Specify how objects in inactive layer groups appear in the drawing areas using the Visibility Enhancement command. Experience the benefits of enhancing drawing legibility through effortless control over the display of inactive layer groups, streamlining your design process with improved visibility and precision.
4. Export Sheet: Effortlessly export all visible entities from the active sheet viewports in model space to generate a new drawing. Enhance the readability of the specific section, area, or view of the drawing with exported entities that are scaled views of model space, title block, and other annotative entities, such as dimensions and notes. Experience the advantages of swiftly creating new drawings from existing files, preserving intricate details, and ensuring seamless continuity, thereby enhancing productivity and efficiency.
5. Enhanced User Interface: Effortlessly navigate through standard views with the intuitive View navigator, enabling swift transitions between different perspectives. Use the default user Dark mode interface to help reduce eyestrain and enhance feature function visibility. Experience the advantages of seamless 3D model navigation and reduced strain on the eyes, fostering improved productivity and comfort during extended work sessions.
6. DraftSight Mechanical: Revitalize DWG files originating from legacy 2D mechanical CAD tools using our new 2D drafting product. Seamlessly generate accurate Bills of Materials (BOMs), parts lists, and balloons by leveraging part references created with either legacy 2D mechanical CAD tools or our DraftSight Mechanical platform. Edit part references (such as number, quantity, description, and vendors) created with legacy 2D mechanical CAD tools. Rely on full support of drafting standards, such as ANSI, ISO, Din, JIS, and BSI. Experience heightened productivity and time savings as you effortlessly create, edit, and manage both legacy and newly generated mechanical DWG files, streamlining your design process for enhanced efficiency.
7. Customizable BOM: Customize your Bill of Materials (BOM) to your exact specifications by effortlessly listing and displaying any custom property you desire. You can create custom component properties to accurately represent part references, BOMs, parts lists, and balloons according to your unique needs. Choose a component property among any company-specific property (e.g., unit, standard, NC number, order number, part number, revision number for PDM, ERP). By adhering to your company’s standards or specific requirements, you can unlock significant time savings, boost productivity, and streamline your workflows effectively, ensuring seamless operations and enhanced efficiency.
8. Reshaping Hatches: Put an end to confusion in sectional view cross-hatching, where multiple components or materials come together. Easily customize component cross-hatching by manipulating grip points. Experience the benefits of enhanced clarity in your drawings’ section views as custom cross-hatching adds a layer of clarity, simplifying interpretation and facilitating a better understanding of complex assemblies.
9. Measure Tool: Utilize the new Measure command, which consolidates three separate commands into one seamless operation with customizable options. Enjoy increased productivity as you effortlessly switch between measuring area, distance, and angle when analyzing DWG files. With this streamlined process, investigating designs becomes more efficient, saving valuable time and enhancing workflow productivity.
10. Ribbon Menus for MacOS: Take advantage of the ribbon menu in macOS to streamline your design process. Experience faster workflows without the need to search for commands, thanks to the enhanced user interface. Enjoy the benefits of quickly and easily accessing your drawing commands, improving efficiency and productivity as you work on your projects.

At ProtoTech Solutions, we’re pioneers in crafting Import/Export plugins for various CAD/CAM software, leveraging cutting-edge technologies. Our plugins seamlessly integrate with SOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD, Fusion 360, Maya, Inventor, Solid Edge, and other leading CAD/CAM platforms, empowering users to streamline workflows and enhance productivity. Our 100+ plugins are available on the Autodesk app store, trusted by professionals worldwide for quality and innovation.

Take your SOLIDWORKS 2024 designs to new heights with the advanced ProtoTech exporter plugins! These plugins are designed to help you export your data into a range of formats, including 3D PDF, CATIA V5, WebGL, OBJ, GLTF, and JT. By using these plugins, you can improve your productivity, save time, and collaborate more effectively with your team and stakeholders.

SOLIDWORKS has long been at the forefront of democratizing design, empowering designers and engineers of all levels with powerful and intuitive tools. With the introduction of SOLIDWORKS 2024, this legacy of innovation continues, offering even more possibilities to revolutionize the design process.

By integrating advanced features and refining user experience, SOLIDWORKS 2024 promises to elevate productivity and efficiency to new heights. Moreover, with the unveiling of the top 10 enhancements in DraftSight 2024, teams can expect a significant boost in their collaborative efforts, enabling them to work smarter and faster than ever before.

Whether it’s streamlining workflows, enhancing communication, or managing 3D models more effectively, SOLIDWORKS 2024 empowers designers and engineers to unleash their creativity and bring their ideas to life with unprecedented ease. Embrace the future of design with SOLIDWORKS 2024, and discover the limitless possibilities that await in the world of product development.