Wayne White

Before joining TriMech in 2012, Wayne worked in companies large and small, and in industries including automotive and battery technology. This path led him to TriMech, where he began as a general application engineer supporting clients working with SOLIDWORKS desktop products. Today, he supports clients in their move to the cloud and, through training and support, ensures they take full advantage of the power of the 3DX platform.

How did you make the shift to focusing on 3DEXPERIENCE within TriMech’s collection of products and services?

I have worked for Matt Kokoski throughout my career with TriMech. Beginning about 2017, he started to ask me for help supporting 3DX because it was new at the time and he was a team of one. I was already watching the trend of everything moving to the cloud and wanted to be part of that, so eventually I asked Matt if I could work on 3DX full time.

I have used cloud-based products personally for more than 15 years and I knew the benefits related to data management and backup, and just connecting large amounts of information and making it more usable.

Plus, I liked the idea of marrying CAD with the cloud.

It can be challenging to be on the leading edge of change, since people are naturally resistant. How do you deal with this?

Some people are still resistant to moving to the cloud. That’s not unique to engineering or manufacturing – there’s a societal shift in how we’re using software.

Our most successful 3DEXPERIENCE clients are those who are willing to put some time into making a few simple changes and trying new things. You have to say, “ok, this workflow doesn’t work the same way anymore, I’m open to adapting.”

People like what they’re used to. You build a history of knowledge and skills and we’re presenting you with a different technology and asking you to retool your brain. The first hurdle is encouraging people to make a change, and we do that through education.

Do clients have misconceptions about what it means to use 3DX?

One misconception is that the cloud is not as secure as storing your data at your physical location behind a locked door. We provide clients with all the information they need about Dassault Systèmes’ ISO-certified management systems and risk management practices to protect their data and privacy.

Speaking of education, how do you support client learning?

There are several options. To start, the MySOLIDWORKS platform has excellent on-demand video content that you can watch when it suits you.

And within The TriMech Group, we have training options that are live and interactive. This gives clients a chance to ask very specific questions, which they always do.

I always recommend TriMech 3DEXPERIENCE training because this is how you will truly understand what the platform is capable of. This is how you learn to make informed decisions about how you want to use the environment to suit your specific needs. Training exposes you to features and benefits of the platform that you’re not likely to tap into otherwise.

It makes sense to invest in the best possible use of the system where all your critical data and communication is stored.

Beyond training, we’re always here to answer questions by phone or by email.

Is there an ideal client for 3DX?

Honestly, 3DX can suit the full range of clients. I will say that small- and medium-sized businesses that don’t currently have a data management solution in place are often the most ready to run with it.

Having said that, very large companies have successfully migrated their existing data into 3DEXPERIENCE; it just takes a bit of time to make the transition.

What are the most attractive features of 3DEXPERIENCE that are making clients move to 3DX as a data management solution?

The first thing I would say is that it’s data management out of the box. The second thing is that 3DX offers rules-based standardization among all users, keeping consistency across the board. 3DX is the problem-solver that leads to efficient data management and effective team collaboration.

For 25 years, people got used to managing their own data. The problem of course is that people leave organizations and trying to pick up where that person left off is a daunting task. Nobody can afford to have errors and delays because of inconsistent data management practices.

3DEXPERIENCE Platform

Why should people choose 3DEXPERIENCE training offered by TriMech Group?

Our training courses are home grown and continually evolving, and we bring all of our years of experience using and supporting 3DEXPERIENCE.

We’ve worked with many different types of clients and know what works best in uploading files, setting workflows and revision schemes, rules that are critical to success, etc.

In our six-hour course, for example, we outline everything the client has to look out for in order to make informed decisions about what will work in their organization. We show them the steps, and all the variables that come into play along the way.

It’s really important to consider the needs of existing SOLIDWORKS users vs. non-users, and we cater to both.

Is the 3DEXPERIENCE training content flexible enough to evolve over time?

We’re always making changes. There are common technical questions that most clients have, and we always answer those; at the same time, we definitely reconfigure the training based on interactions with clients and training participants.

Being cloud-based, 3DX itself changes more frequently that SOLIDWORKS desktop users would be used to. Adjusting the training based on platform updates is critical. I actually had a call yesterday from a client interested in taking the training for a second time.

We can add new modules or courses as new 3DX elements are introduced or as we learn more about what a certain group of clients needs. Right now, I’m working on content for more role-specific training courses.

What makes a successful learning environment for a trainee?

People should come ready to participate. I encourage a comfortable learning space by telling everyone that I also started at zero with 3DEXPERIENCE, and that all questions are welcome. Even when we’re learning together online, you can easily communicate with the instructor. I want people to ask the questions that make their learning valuable.

Businesses who invest in training and development for their people clearly demonstrate that the organization is committed to the platform and this leads to greater success overall.

Why does your team stand out?

I’m proud of the TriMech 3DEXPERIENCE training team because I feel we are among the most advanced. We can answer the basic questions about how 3DX works and we’re also well past that. We’re on top of the evolution of the platform in a proactive way. Combine that with our experience up to this point, and we can quickly solve issues that clients run into.

3DX is a massive platform with far-reaching applications and our client base is diverse. The exciting part is watching clients push the boundaries of its capabilities. Imagine an organization with more than 100 users across many different departments.

We can support any client, small or large, anywhere in the world. For me, this is special and different from my first 10 years in the business. It’s cool that I’m on calls with people in Europe, India, and China.

Are you interested in TriMech 3DEXPERIENCE Training or Support?

Learn more about the 3DEXPERIENCE training courses available and the 3DEXPERIENCE support options for TriMech clients »

During this customize SOLIDWORKS User Interface on-demand webinar you will learn:

Watch as TriMech Solutions Consultant, Haley Huffman, shows you how to customize the SOLIDWORKS to best fit your needs when it comes to mouse gestures, keyboard shortcuts, shortcut bars, and toolbars.

• Customizing toolbars
• Creating/changing keyboard shortcuts
• Creating Shortcut bars
• Creating Mouse Gestures

In this SOLIDWORKS Licensing 101 on-demand webinar

Watch as TriMech Application Engineer, Ben Colley, covers the SOLIDWORKS licensing landscape as it stands today, and tackles some of the common questions related to the topic and, hopefully, make your process of choosing the right SOLIDWORKS package a lot easier.

During this Webinar you will learn:

• SOLIDWORKS License Types: Perpetual, term, standalone, network, named-user, SOLIDWORKS Cloud… what’s the difference?
• What changed with SOLIDWORKS this year?
• What does “Cloud Services” mean?

Watch as TriMech Elite Applications Engineer, Sawyer Gara, walks us through the How SOLIDWORKS Electrical and PDM integration tool. SOLIDWORKS PDM is a powerful CAD-aware data management tool that can handle almost anything you throw at it and SOLIDWORKS Electrical is our best-in-class electrical schematic design tool that is integrated into Electro-Mechanical Design Process.

Traditionally, our SOLIDWORKS Electrical Designs have lived solely outside of our vault and short of using the SOLIDWORKS Electrical Viewer, most of our team did not have visibility to the projects. Now there is a direct integration for SOLIDWORKS Electrical to work with our SOLIDWORKS PDM Vault.

During this SOLIDWORKS Electrical and PDM On-demand Webinar you will learn:

• How it all works
• Key options during the set up process
• Things to keep in mind
• Where do we go from here

TriMech Systems Architect, Data Management, Andrew Lidstone, shows how to easily access your archives and how to make sure you always have a backup of your archive server settings. You will also learn how to manually backup your vault and set up a maintenance plan if you need to schedule backups.

During this SOLIDWORKS PDM Backups On-Demand Webinar, you will learn:

• How to locate your SOLIDWORKS PDM Archives
• How to create a backup of your Archive Server settings
• How to manually create a one-time backup of the SOLIDWORKS PDM vault database in SQL Management Studio
• How to set up a maintenance plan in SQL Server Standard to schedule backups of the SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional database

To help minimize your frustrations and maximize your capabilities, TriMech has compiled this SOLIDWORKS Recommended Hardware guide to aid you in the process of upgrading or purchasing new hardware.

In this guide you will find SOLIDWORKS 2024 hardware recommendations for:

• Processor (CPU)
• System memory (RAM)
• Graphics card
• Hard drives
• Operating system
• SOLIDWORKS Network License (SNL) Server
• Add-in considerations (including eDrawings, SOLIDWORKS PDM and SOLIDWORKS Visualize)

Complete the form to download the guide instantly.

NOTE: Once you’ve activated the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, you can begin using the Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS role as well as access the Cloud Data Management and Share & Markup tools that are part of the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services.

How to Activate the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

After your order is confirmed, your company’s Platform Administrator will receive an email. This contains the terms and conditions that they’ll need to read and agree to before using the platform.

3DEXPERIENCE Activation Welcome Email

The Administrator must then click the ‘Make Me Administrator’ link in the email and log in with their 3DEXPERIENCE ID to activate your licenses and invite other members to the platform.

Check out this article to learn how to invite other users and assign them roles.

What is a 3DEXPERIENCE ID?

Your 3DEXPERIENCE ID is your login to the entire 3DEXPERIENCE platform. You’ll have just the one 3DEXPERIENCE ID per email address, so you can use the same one to log into any tenant and view files that you are granted access to.

3DEXPERIENCE Log In Screen

3DEXPERIENCE IDs are free to create and give you access to the Dassault Systèmes communities.

These have replaced SOLIDWORKS IDs that were previously used to log into your SOLIDWORKS accounts and legacy portals and forums. Effectively, your SOLIDWORKS ID has been upgraded to a 3DEXPERIENCE ID and all of your account information will have been transferred.

What if I don’t have the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform Activation Email?

If you haven’t received the email, or have misplaced it, then please contact your Account Manager or local support team, and we’ll be happy to assist.

You can find the details of your local Technical Support team at the bottom of this post.