SolidWorks User Group Technical Summit! Have you attended one lately?
- the highest point or part, as of a hill, a line of travel, or any object; top; apex.
- the highest point of attainment or aspiration: the summit of one’s ambition.
- the highest state or degree.
I really like parts of all 3 of the definitions of summit; apex, aspiration, state. Summit make me think of something lofty that you look towards. The intent of the SolidWorks User Group (SWUGN) Technical Summits is to give users of all levels a day of training from fellow users of SolidWorks and also a chance to casually network with your peers. So why haven’t you attended a SWUGN Technical Summit? With a total fee of just $40 which covers multiple training sessions, breakfast AND lunch, how can you go wrong. I’ve enjoyed the privelege of attending 3 SolidWorks Technical Summits over the past 3 years and I have presented at 2 of them. My latest escapade involved a fellow SolidWorks user, teacher, user group leader and all around Good Egg, Randall Bock. I met Randall at SolidWorks World 2009 in Orlando and we became quick friends. He mentioned that one of the SWUGN Technical Summits was going to be held in his stomping grounds (Penn State University) in June. When I arrived home from World, I asked my wife how she felt about spending our vacation in Pennsylvania. We agreed it would be nice to see since there was so much to experience and we had never been there. This way we could mark another state off our maps. Fast forward to May. After getting a short scare from work that a project may be due, it wasn’t, I finalized my travel plans for the Happy Valley Summit. Randall and family (Brenda, Sarah and Evan) were nice enough to invite us to their family farm for a day of leisure after our long drive in. The weather was great and we had a fantastic day (thanks again Brenda, that strawberry cake I won’t soon forget)!
Building a Volcano
Yum! Milkshakes
Summit day!
Tuesday started with a brisk walk from my hotel to the on campus venue called the HUB. I helped with the setup as did some of the other presenters and some of Randall’s students. Richard Doyle (SWUGN himself) was getting the opening session ready to go. The expected turnout was in excess of 90 so we were all excited. Breakfast was served and Richard jumped right in at 8:00 to kick everything off.
HVSWUG Summit is open!
Breakfast is served
Richard addressing the attendees
Session 1 Assemblies with Greg Yohn
Session 1 Simulation with Randall Bock
Session 2 Mold Design with Mike Puckett
Session 2 PDM with Mike Sabocheck
Lunch Buffet
Session 3 Drawings with Rich Hall
Session 4 CAD Management with Richard Doyle
Session 4 Rendering with Arthur Young-Spivey
Session 5 Surfacing with Muggs Ferguson
- Session 5 Weldments with Timothy Theiler
I would like to thank SolidWorks and Richard Doyle for giving the users the chance to participate in training sessions like this. Even though the trip was long for me, the rewards were worth the effort. So, I ask again, are you still wondering why you should attend?
Man, I should have finished this last night.
"so three men walk into a bar....."
