Who’s ready for 3DEXPERIENCE® World? Ready or not, our annual user event is right around the corner and will be taking place in Nashville, TN, February 12-15. Since we’re getting close, I thought it would be a great time to introduce you to some members of the SOLIDWORKS® portfolio management team who work on the SOLIDWORKS browser-based roles and other solutions.

Meet three engineers on the team who are as passionate about bringing SOLIDWORKS products to market as they are about pursuing their adventurous hobbies. Check out their sessions at 3DEXPERIENCE World to learn about browser-based roles, then grab a beer and get some tips on fishing, backpacking, building motorcycles, and more.

Meet Craig Therrien, Senior Product Portfolio Manager

Y’all probably recognize Craig as he’s been with SOLIDWORKS almost 20 years and in the CAD industry for three decades. He joined the company in 2005 and is currently a senior product manager for SOLIDWORKS desktop, 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS and 3D Mold Creator solutions.

Craig is from the Boston area and currently resides in Boxford. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and has held many positions including designer, consultant, CAD product manager, and CAD company founder.

One of Craig’s favorite moments at a World user event “was watching our product marketing team put on a spoof of Star Trek while introducing new SOLIDWORKS features, and then out came Leonard Nimoy (who played Spock in the 1960’s series) as a special guest. “I really enjoy watching my friends at SOLIDWORKS get on stage and act silly!” Who else remembers this one from SOLIDWORKS World 2008? Below is a YouTube video if you missed it.

To find out what Craig’s number-one favorite moment was you can ask him yourself at World this year. Catch his session, “Tips and Techniques on Combining Sub-D Surfacing and Parametric Modeling,” which will provide an overview and demonstration of how to use 3D Sculptor to create highly stylized and ergonomically shaped designs quickly. Craig will also provide his recommendations and techniques for combining 3D Sculptor’s Sub-D modeling with traditional parametric modeling using both 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS and 3D Creator.

Meet Chris Pagliarini, Product Portfolio Manager

Chris held an internship at SOLIDWORKS in 2016 and joined the company in 2017. He is currently a product manager who focuses on the 3D Creator and Manufacturing Definition Creator roles.

Chris is from Boston where he currently resides. He has a degree in mechanical engineering and has been a dedicated SOLIDWORKS user for more than 10 years. “SOLIDWORKS is a great design solution and won me over since I first laid eyes on it.” In fact, SOLIDWORKS is the reason he became an engineer. He discovered his passion for design and engineering after being introduced to the tool at a young age.

He has experience in several areas from research, sheet metal design, equipment packaging and enclosures, model-based design, and aerospace and defense design. During his free time, he enjoys exploring new technology, golfing, skiing, and fishing.

What a catch, Chris! You can connect with him to talk fishing or browser-based roles in this session, “SOLIDWORKS on Cloud 9.” Learn how to expand your SOLIDWORKS toolkit with 3D Creator and 3D Sculptor in this session, which will include an overview of the tools, how to access them, and tips and tricks to maximize your design flexibility. This session will help beginners, intermediate, and advanced users understand the additional tools available today to elevate your design to the cloud.

Best leave the golfing tips to the experts.

Meet Daniel (Dan) McGinn, Product Portfolio Manager

Dan joined SOLIDWORKS in 2019 after an internship with the company in 2018 and is a product manager who works primarily on the browser-based roles, including 3D Sculptor and 3D Structure Creator. He has been working with CAD software for 10 years and has experience with structure design, machine design, and robotics.

Dan is also from Boston where he currently resides. He has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and has always been interested in building things since he was young and now helps design software like 3D Structure Creator.

When he’s not working you can find Dan traveling, skiing, backpacking, and surfboarding.

When asked about backpack camping tips and tricks, he recommended the Jetboil backpacking stove, which he said is ideal when hiking a lot of peaks, and when you don’t have much time for cooking. “It’s great for MRE’s [Meals Ready to Eat] because all you have to do is boil water.”

As for his tips and tricks on software, you can catch Dan in his session, “Collaborate With Browser-Based Roles and SOLIDWORKS to Boost Productivity.” This session will cover how to speed up the design process when collaborating with 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS and how to leverage the design capabilities on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform like subdivision (Sub-D) modeling using browser-based roles.

As you can see, you’ll be in good company in Nashville surrounded by some adventurous and inspiring engineers at 3DEXPERIENCE World. So why wait? Best start packing your boots and cowboy hats as 3DEXPERIENCE World is just two and a half weeks away. We’ve seen Gian Paolo Bassi in a cowboy hat before, but will the new SOLIDWORKS CEO Manish Kumar go country? We can’t wait for this year’s event. It’s sure to be a good time, y’all!

Those are just a few of the presentations the team is presenting. See the Session Catalog to see all their sessions, along with more sessions on browser-based roles, including 3D SheetMetal Creator and 3D Mold Creator sessions. And of course, don’t miss sessions on the cloud-connected roles, including 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS, Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS, 3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight, and Electrical Schematic Designer. Stay tuned for a blog on the cloud-connected sessions and presenters coming soon.

To register or sign up for sessions visit www.3dexperienceworld.com or click on the banner below.