DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I selected a project proposed by a member of staff but my supervisor is a different member of staff is this a mistake?

No, this is not a mistake. The project proposal database is populated with a variety of projects suggested by staff. In many cases these are the result of collaboration between research groups of academic or industrial collaborators. The project proposer is a point of contact to discuss the proposal prior to selection of projects but may not necessarily be your allocated supervisor.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

Should I make enquiries about a potential project prior to project selection?

Yes, you may find upon discussion that there are further opportunities to alter the project to better suit your area of interest. Some proposals may also change after the release of the database for selection. Further there may be requirements in certain projects for specific skill sets or attributes that need to be met before the project can be assigned to a student. On occasion the discussion may even take the shape of a formal interview to ensure compatibility between the proposed project and the student.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I want to propose my own project, can I do that?

Yes. There is a function within our project database to draft your own proposal. In these instances it is important to contact staff to discuss preliminarily if the project would be suitable to your area of study. You should also select alternatives from the project database if your proposed project is not considered suitable.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

Do I have to complete any form of Ethics approval?

Yes, all projects must make appropriate ethical considerations. The department provides a Departmental Ethics Checklist for this purpose available through the class myplace site, link here. If any considerations highlighted on this checklist have a “yes” response the matter will need to be taken further for additional ethical review – this is a significantly longer process and can significantly delay the project.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

DM932/EF900 - My project work will be conducted almost completely independently without involving anyone else/subjects; do I still need to complete the Ethics checklist?

Yes, you still must complete the checklist. That is, you must confirm that no further ethical approval is required by completing the Departmental Ethics Checklist.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

Do I have to complete a Risk Assessment?

Yes, all projects must make appropriate risk assessment considerations. There is a guidance document available on the class myplace site to assist with this, link here.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

My work is conducted almost completely independently without involving any equipment other than a computer; do I still need to complete a risk assessment?

Yes. Even if your study environment places you within minimal risk you must complete a considered risk assessment.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I will be working at some other sites with specific machinery that already has risk assessment material, what should I do in this case?

Any equipment you plan to utilise during the course of DM932 PG Individual Project must be identified and appropriate safe working practices must be documented. If this documentation already exists you must provide copies included with your Risk Assessment form indicating you will comply with these existing documents whilst undertaking DM932 PG Individual Project. The Risk Assessment must be signed by both yourself and your supervisor as part of your Outline Project Proposal Submission. Some further guidance on Risk Assessments has also just been uploaded to the class myplace site.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

Can my project focus change?

Yes. It is fully appreciated that, as a project progresses, a student’s understanding of the field will advance and as such the project may alter in nature through this progression. Any such alterations should be discussed with your supervisor and for any significant changes you should inform the class co-ordinator by email.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I haven’t had a reply to an email, what should I do?

Staff have many responsibilities and you must be aware that replies to emails will not be immediate and you should appreciate that staff generally have very full calendars and require appropriate time to respond to requests and complete actions. For instance, if you need a signature for a risk assessment form a member of staff is unlikely to be able to review, agree and sign such a document the morning that the submission is due. You are advised to be proactive and allow reasonable time for responses.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I haven’t had a reply to an email in a really long time?

In the instance that you feel a reply to correspondence is lacking after reasonable attempts you should contact the class co-ordinator. There may be various reasons for someone not to respond, for instance, supervisors, can occasionally experience extenuating circumstances and may not be in a position to respond.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I want to meet my supervisor prior to a submission.

You should plan and allow for an appropriate timeframe accommodating a meeting, considering any potential consequent actions, in their schedules. Any such requests should be adequately ahead of time to allow making the necessary arrangements. Deadlines are all available in advance on the class myplace site and documented in the class regulations.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I didn’t reply to some emails and I haven’t heard from my supervisor in a while, shouldn’t they be contacting me?

No. At post graduate level the responsibility of a project rests with the student, not the supervisor. That is, it is the student’s responsibility to be proactive in progressing their project. It is not the responsibility of supervisors to chase you if you do not respond to emails or fail to attend meetings.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I could not get my project printed in time for the deadline, can I get an extension?

No. Extensions will not be granted for issues that are avoidable through proper contingency planning. Issues such as transport to the department for submission, printer errors, delays in obtaining a supervisors signature due to unrealistic time being allocated to the request, etc. will not be considered for extension. Only extenuating circumstances out with a student’s control with verifiable evidence will be considered for an extension.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I believe I have extenuating circumstances that have affected my project, what should I do?

Documentation of the associated extenuating circumstances should be provided to University Student Business in the McCance building who will handle each incident specifically. You should also contact the class co-ordinator, as promptly as possible, to inform them that extenuating circumstances have been encountered. Further guidance on extenuating/mitigating circumstances can be obtained from the university website, link here.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

Postgraduate Individual Project (DM932) There are several deadlines identified in the class regulations, which ones are formal submissions and which are for project progression guidance?

There are three formal submissions for DM932 PG Individual Project: the Project Outline Report, the Justification Report and the Final Dissertation. All other actions and deliverables identified in the project timeline are for guidance and recommendation; your supervisor may request these by submission to them directly.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

My project is with a company who have confidentiality concerns, what options are there to address this?

There are two approaches that can be adopted. Any reference to the company within the thesis is anonymised or a moratorium can be placed upon the dissertation to restrict access for 2-3 years. Your submitted work is retained by the university for other students to access. To restrict access a moratorium may be placed upon your dissertation for two years (may be extended up to three years) following submission. More information on this can be found through the university website, link here.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

My company wants a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to be signed, will the university do that?

No. An NDA is a legal agreement at the discretion of the student and it is their sole responsibility. We, the University, would not enter a formal agreement based on student’s work.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

Do we have to pass our submissions through Turnitin?

Yes, departmental policy is that you should obtain a similarity of less than 10% with no greater similarity from a single source of greater than 1%.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

My Turnitin came out higher than the percentage allowed by the departmental policy, what happens now?

You are not being marked by automation, these are the threshold values set by the department, a percentage higher than that specified will mean your work will be marked with a view towards scrutiny for plagiarism or collusion. A score of higher than 10% does not mean you will automatically be penalised but will be subject to scrutiny, equally a score of less does not mean you are exempt for scrutiny either if a marker suspects academic dishonesty. All marking is carried out by staff who utilise Turnitin as a checking tool prior to their own marking. Further information on plagiarism, collusion or academic dishonesty can be found through the university website, link here.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I’m completing my project in conjunction with my company/an industrial collaborator; I can regard the final outcome for the company and company report as my final submission for DM932 PG Individual Project correct?

Not necessarily, DM932 PG Individual Project is a distinct class and represents a distinct body of work in its own right which you are completing in order to furnish yourself with a Master qualification accredited by the University of Strathclyde. You must meet the requirements set out for the class to complete the class and gain the qualification. It is common for projects to be conducted in collaboration with a company however it is possible for students to completely satisfy the company’s needs from a project but not complete the class satisfactorily! Equally it is possible for students not to meet the needs of a company but pass the class (for instance by characterising why a particular endeavour will not be successful for the company).

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I have to submit a report to my company would it should be the same report shouldn’t it?

Not necessarily, it is possible for students to submit a different document for completion of the class to a report they may submit to their company. This may also be advisable depending on your company’s requests; for instance line managers might not be interested in reading an academic literature review but for DM932 University staff certainly will be. Equally however your company may request a copy of your full dissertation.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I’m studying part time on a PG Diploma course but ultimately wish to graduate with an MSc. I don’t participate in DM932 PG Individual Project until my second year correct?

No. Any individual wishing to graduate with an MSc must complete DM932 PG Individual Project as per the timetable stipulated in myplace. DME932 begins the same time as MSc registered students, in your FIRST year of a part time two year course. It will not appear on your Pegasus class list as it is dependent upon satisfactory completion of your taught classes and approval from the Examination Board that you can progress for consideration for a Masters. The Examination Board would normally make that decision after all of your taught classes have been assessed, normally June of the 2nd year of study for part-time students.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I am studying part time on a PG Diploma Course but DM932 PG Individual Project does not appear on my Pegasus class list. Why is that?

Official enrolment on DM932 PG Individual Project depends on satisfactory completion of your taught classes and will only appear once this is completed and the decision is verified for you to officially progress to the MSc level (and the appropriate fees are settled). However, you must still begin your DM932 PG Individual Project in accordance with the class timetable, including allocation of supervision and deadlines in the first year. That is, part-time students who have not progressed in accordance with the part-time DM932 schedule will not be able to transfer to masters retrospectively.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I am undertaking an Eng.D, DM932 PG Individual Project is the start of my project for the Eng.D correct?

No. DM932 PG Individual Project is a distinct class that you must complete as part of your taught first year of the Eng.D programme. As part of your class requirements you must adhere to class deadlines and conditions. It is acknowledged that your project can be closely aligned with your intended Eng.D topic area, but in order to satisfy and gain credits for the class you must meet the class conditions as identified by the class registrar and the associated class regulations, which are available through myplace.

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I am undertaking an Eng.D and I don’t choose my project from the project database; it is dictated by my research so I don’t need to do anything for project selection, correct?

No. In the case of an Eng.D student undertaking the class your project may well be stipulated to be in-line with your Eng.D project but it must still meet the conditions of DM932 PG Individual Project. As such, the class co-ordinator and registrar must approve the project and allocate supervision. In order to do this you are required to complete a preliminary project proposal using the project database so that we may make such an approval, in the same manner as someone self-proposing a project. You should follow the same procedure as any student proposing a project or proposing one in collaboration with industry. This should be documented in the same format as those identified in the project database (link available through myplace).

DM932/EF900 Postgraduate Individual Project

I am undertaking an Eng.D and understand that DM932 PG Individual Project is a class in its own right. But, my project may not be that far along as it will take a further 3 years to complete. So it is OK not to progress with DM932 as my project will span 4 years, correct?

No, you must undertake a distinct body of work that is completed for the dissertation submission. The DM932 may closely align to further studies (e.g. research project) but it must be an independent body of work in its own right. For clarity your Eng.D Research Project and DM932 PG Individual Project classes are distinct entities. It is possible that you suggest the same title, potentially be allocated the same supervisor, or have other overlaps. However, you must ultimately meet the specific conditions of DM932 to attain the appropriate credits.

Homeworking

Can I get a student copy of Microsoft Office?

Yes, Office365 ProPlus is a service which is now available to all registered undergraduate and postgraduate taught students who have an Office365 account. Further details and an installation guide are available here: https://www.strath.ac.uk/ithelpdesk/helptopics/email/office365/proplus/

Homeworking

I am off campus and do not have access to electronics prototyping systems, such as Arduino, what could I do?

TinkerCAD provides an online simulator for Arduino with an extension library of parts which allows you to develop circuits, circuit/system diagrams, animations of working prototypes and code which can be later be transferred to a real Arduino. Accounts are free for students https://www.tinkercad.com/circuits

Homeworking

Get the Student version of SolidWorks

As part of our SolidWorks Education Campus License we get access to student licenses for use on personal laptops and PCs. Because we have a limited number of licenses they can be used only by DMEM, MAE and other eligible students so we require you to accept an agreement that you will not pass on the license information nor install the software on more than one computer without authorisation from a member of staff. You will also have to agree not to use the software for research or commercial purposes.

Go here for further information and to request the license information and agree to the terms:    https://www.dmem.strath.ac.uk/goto/GetSolidWorks

You will need to log in with your University email and password to access the agreement form.

The current version available for download is SolidWorks 2023, sometimes also referred to as SolidWorks 2023-2024; the Education edition is released after the Commercial edition and the next version is not due until late spring/early summer.

Homeworking

Student Handbook

You can find your handbook on the DMEM Student Information SharePoint site.
Undergraduate (BEng/MEng, BSc/MSci) - https://strath.sharepoint.com/sites/DMEM_Student_Information/Shared%20Documents/Current%20Students/Student%20Handbooks/2022-23/UG/UG_Handbook_DMEM_2022-23.pdf

Postgraduate Taught (PgDip/MSc) - https://strath.sharepoint.com/sites/DMEM_Student_Information/Shared%20Documents/Current%20Students/Student%20Handbooks/2021-22/PG/PGT_Handbook_DMEM_2021-2022.pdf

Postgraduate Taught (PgDip/MSc) January 2022 intake - https://strath.sharepoint.com/sites/DMEM_Student_Information/Shared%20Documents/Current%20Students/Student%20Handbooks/2021-22/PG/PGT_Handbook_DMEM_January-intake_2022.pdf

Postgraduate Research (PhD, MPhil, EngD) - Link to be added

Homeworking

I am off campus, I have a computer, but it does not have the OS/processor/memory/graphics to run SolidWorks. What could I do?

The best option is likely to be using a Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD). See this FAQ answer:

https://supportal.dmem.strath.ac.uk/HelpDesk/direct_homeworking_FAQ.php?q=4247

Autodesk provides all of their products free for educational purposes including Inventor (engineering), Fusion 360 (Product Design), AutoCAD (2D mainly and some 3D) and Alias (Advanced Surface Modelling). There is Mac compatibility, however, your machine may struggle with these too if older https://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/featured

If you are working on surface modelling for product design in modules like DM300 and DM982, Rhino3D is a very good package which is available in DMEM labs and there is a 90 day fully functional trial available for download. The package works on both Windows and Mac https://www.rhino3d.com/download

Where it is difficult to install a package on your machine, then it is worth trying Onshape. This is a cloud based CAD package (no install, runs entirely in an internet browser on Windows, Mac or Linux) which provides many of the same features as SolidWorks, including surfacing, solid modelling, FEA and 2D layouts. Free accounts are available for education https://www.onshape.com/education-plan

Homeworking

I have a CAD model and need to visualise it in a realistic environment for a client or in my folio, how could I do this? [Augmented Reality, AR]

Try Augmented Reality (AR). Free or low cost apps allow you to superimpose your model in the room you are in using a clever QR code system. For example edrawings from solidworks and vurforia from PTC can do this.

Homeworking

I need some guidance on creating folios for my design project work, where can I get that?

We have provided a set of curated Folio generation tutorials at the DMEM Student Resource Myplace page. this includes: document settup, Graphics, Text layout, Page Layout, Finale and Branding. Direct link here https://classes.myplace.strath.ac.uk/mod/book/view.php?id=792299

Homeworking

Can I access the DMEM E-book Library from home?

Yes. DMEM has curated a collection of e-books relevant to DMEM modules and courses which is accessible through a physical QR code library on the wall of the DMEM studio. The same collection of titles, which is growing, can also be accessed through the DMEM Student resource page here: https://classes.myplace.strath.ac.uk/mod/lti/view.php?id=1014425

Homeworking

I am off campus and do not have access to physical prototyping materials or equipment, what could I do?

In this case images, pencil sketches, renders, simple homemade (well made) models are the best way forward. Do as much research online as you can, use that research to inform your design/idea/product. Remember that showing why something will not work (at the moment) is just as valid as showing a positive result. Your research will support your project. You may come across something surprising.

Some designs and forms can be made to high standard at home using paper, card, cardboard etc using a craft knife/scalpel and various off the shelf stuff. PVA, all purpose glue (UHU) rules, protractors, masking tape etc….

When folding or creasing card you can use a ball point pen (on the unseen side if possible) to create a crease for bending. Before you fold/assemble/glue your model check if you need to cut any holes or add details beforehand. This may be impossible and messy to do afterwards. Make every cut and crease count. Make sure your blade is sharp. Measure twice, cut once. If you get glue on your hands or fingers wipe it off before handling your model further. There is almost nothing worse than glue where it is not wanted on a model. There is a lot of good stuff (some rubbish) on Youtube demonstrating how to work with card/paper and cardboard. Take a look.

Some good ones are: 30x40 Design Workshop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfj2-A5rJoQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGRIAIVEMzs – This one in particular is good

Eric Strebel (an Industrial Designer in the US) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6s3lGH4MyI&t=398s – Model making a cube with a notch – good for technique In fact, he’s got content on all sorts: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFzr6ae9Uv-a_tCmHmkw49g

Some good books are:

Jackson, P. (2011). Folding Techniques for Designers-From Sheet to Form. Laurence King Publishing. Jackson, P. (2012). Structural packaging: design your own boxes and 3-D forms. London: Laurence King Publishing. Yoshiharu S.; Takashi K.; Masazo T.; Shinji M. (1991) Models and Prototypes. Books Nippan.

Making models and maquettes by hand and experiencing the design and materials will make you a better more rounded designer. If it goes wrong? Reflect on it and make it again, only better.

Homeworking

Can I get Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign and if not what should I do?

Adobe software is very expensive and they no longer offer perpetual licenses so you can use the software only as long as you keep paying. They offer a reduced rate for students however even that is still expensive particularly for relatively infrequent users: https://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/plans.html?promoid=NV3KR7S1&mv=other

The University has a site license for the Affinity graphics software suite - Photo, Publisher and Designer - and free 1 year licenses are available to all students to use on personal computers. The Affinity products are broadly equivalent to Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator and are now legitimate alternatives with many design houses using these products instead of Adobe. Should you prefer to buy your own license, their pricing is very competitive (often discounted) and is a one off payment. They are also currently providing a 90 day trial for students https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/
More information and a link to request a student license can be found on 'DMEM Student Resource Page' on Myplace: https://classes.myplace.strath.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=21821#section-36

Note that often the preference for either Adobe or Affinity is their exact colour control for printing. However, excellent results (onscreen and in print) and most of the same onscreen effects and features can be achieved using different and freely available software.

Free Photoshop alternatives:
GIMP is an open source (free) photo editor which has a very similar feature set to Adobe Photoshop – there is very little that could not be achieved with GIMP and there is good community support and tutorials available https://www.gimp.org/

Free Indesign alternatives:
Much can be achieved with PowerPoint in terms of page design and layout. As a Strathclyde student you should also be able to access Microsoft Publisher which has a very small learning curve and is effective for creating folio, brochure and poster layouts. An open source alternative is Scribus https://www.scribus.net/

Free Illustrator alternatives:
Illustration and creation of vector graphics is probably a less commonly utilised tool for DMEM students. However, there are good opportunities in folio creation for this and there is a very good open source alternative in Inkscape https://inkscape.org/

This article brings up more options, some of which are paid but have free versions: https://lifehacker.com/27-free-alternatives-to-adobes-expensive-app-subscripti-1831737178

Homeworking

I want to undertake in depth material selection for my project and have heard of Granta (CES) EduPack; is this available to me?

There used to be a student version of EduPack which could be installed on personal devices but unfortunately since Ansys took over the product this is no longer available.

Granta EduPack is installed on the University Windows Virtual Desktops and is also available on the JW308 Digital Design and Manufacture Studio (DDMS) and JW706 Studio computers.

The premier book on materials selection for product designers, following the same procedures as EduPack is available as an Ebook from the library Ashby, M., Johnson, K., & Elsevier. (2014). Materials and design : The art and science of material selection in product design / [internet resource] (Third ed.). https://suprimo.lib.strath.ac.uk/permalink/f/k7ss9a/SUALMA51121414020002996

Often knowing what other things are made and how they are made is a good starting point for material selection. We also have the ebook online for this excellent book: Lefteri, C. (2012). Making it [internet resource] : Manufacturing techniques for product design (2nd ed.). London: Laurence King Pub. https://suprimo.lib.strath.ac.uk/permalink/f/k7ss9a/SUALMA5185815460002996

SolidWorks has an extensive materials library and the analysis done in SolidWorks linked with the materials library is a very effective way of selecting and justifying materials choices. Another amazing feature of our SolidWorks license is that it has the Matereality (https://www.matereality.com/about) materials selection database built in. Here is a video providing a quick demonstration https://youtu.be/iUhmK-qSRAU

Homeworking

I don’t have a document/photo scanner at home, what is a good way of getting hand written or sketched work into my folio / report?

DMEM photocopiers can be used as scanners into which you feed multiple sheets, single of double sided. Scans are converted to PDF and emailed to you. Please note emails bigger than 20 MB may not send and therefore by mindful of scanning large documents with lots of images; try splitting up.

It nearly safe to assume that a majority of DMEM students have either an apple or android phone. If that is you, then consider using your phone for easy and quality scanning.

CamScanner (for iOS or Android) or Office Lens (for iOS, Android or Microsoft). Both of these are mainly meant for document scanning (as well as receipts and business cards), but their image scanning is great too. Both have great edge detection and perspective fixing… so no wonky images at odd angles to tidy up. Both include optical character recognition (OCR), so depending on how neat your writing is, they will automatically capture that in an editable format too.

Other worthy scanning apps are Scanbot (super fast if you have lots of separate sketches to scan in one go), Evernote’s Scannable, and TinyScanner (iOS or Android). Evernote itself has a great image scanner, and will save your photos directly to your Evernote or to any other one of your favourite clouds. If you don’t use Evernote, then the stand-alone Scannable app is worth a try.

Adobe Capture CC (iOS and Android) can capture your sketches as vectorised images. It does a tremendous job of cleaning up, clarifying and smoothing out the lines of the sketch.

SketchBook by Autodesk (iOS and Android). SketchBook not only lets you import an image as a new shot from your camera, but it lets you erase the colour of the paper behind the sketch, so that it sits on a transparent background. This is super useful if you want to add layers of colour ‘behind’ your sketch.

Homeworking

I need help with Finite Element Analysis (FEA), what is available?

We cover this for the first time in DM303 Engineering Design in year 3. Referring back to that material on myplace should help with the basics of setting up a static study in SolidWorks as well as mesh control, advanced fixtures and loads through split lines and optimisation studies.

The level 5 DM923 Product Modelling and Visualisation class also provides an introduction to FEA.

There are many examples and tutorials online, however, selecting which to do will be determined by the design scenario that is to be analysed. There are some good introductory examples included in SolidWorks tutorial library, and an excellent enhanced version of the inbuilt tutorials is included in: Akin, J. E. (2010). Finite element analysis concepts: via SolidWorks. World Scientific. Available here: https://www.clear.rice.edu/mech403/HelpFiles/FEAC_final.pdf

SDC publishing also provides a number of very useful books on the topic with lots of examples and model files. Some of these books are in Strathclyde Library, but also have extensive previews on google books (so extensive that they are useable). For example: Shih, R. (2014). Introduction to finite element analysis using solidworks simulation 2014. SDC publications. Nudehi, S., & Steffen, J. (2018). Analysis of Machine Elements Using SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2018. SDC Publications.

There is also a good general ebook on FEA for designers in the online university library Kurowski, P., & Society of Automotive Engineers, publisher. (2017). Finite element analysis for design engineers / [internet resource] (Second ed., Society of Automotive Engineers. Electronic publications). Available here: https://suprimo.lib.strath.ac.uk/permalink/f/2esacs/SUALMA5179423320002996

Longer term DMEM will be providing opportunities to become certified as Solidworks Simulation user. Updates will be provided.

Homeworking

I need to work with my project team who are all in different locations, how could I do this?

Many students will naturally use the tools they are used to, Facebook Messenger, whatsapp, google docs, skype... If your team are all familiar and happy to use these then that could be the best option.

Zoom is a very good meeting software platform which can provide easy and professional settup of meetings with team mates, clients or academic staff. Many prefer it over skype. Meetings can be voice only, webcam for face to face and it is possible for all participants to share screens for discussing documents or work collaboratively on software such as SolidWorks. It is available to use for staff and students at: https://strath.zoom.us/ Click 'host' to immediately start a meeting and invite people to join through email.

All students have access to up to 1TB of space on Onedrive for Business. Files and folders can be shared amongst team members to ensure work is backed up and available to everyone. Access and find out more here https://www.strath.ac.uk/professionalservices/it/saveandshare/onedrive/

Homeworking

I want to improve my sketching at home, what could I do?

There are lots of videos, etc. offering advice on how to draw things. Many are freely available on YouTube, some are linked below.

Scott Robertson is a designer and design educator who has worked on another of high-level projects, including concept art for Minority Report, design work for Nike, Nissan, Mattel Toys and Sony Entertainment. “How to Draw” by Scott Robertson http://scottrobertsonworkshops.com/h2dr/videos/ Username: howtodraw Password: howtodraw

“How to Render” by Scott Robertson http://scottrobertsonworkshops.com/h2re/videos/ Username: howtorender Password: howtorender

From YouTube: Spencer Nugent is “Sketch-a-day” and uploads lots of videos documenting his drawing process https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBtSgEZk914z5InEs_U2J3w

The Design Sketchbook has a series of videos on how to draw, as well as regular drawing content. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOzx6PA0tgemJl1Ypd_1FTA

There are many others, but these should keep you all going initially until the next MADE on Wednesdays sketching workshop in DMEM!

Homeworking

I would like support from technical staff for my project or assignment whilst off campus, what is the best way to get this?

Technicians are available for advice online. If you need to ask us for advice please first email us with your questions. Unless it is a simple question please send us images and a synopsis of your project/idea, what you want to make and what you need to achieve. Remember that you are familiar with your design, we will not be and so need more background information and images to allow us help you.

If you are not sure which Technician to ask just email one of us and we’ll advise

scott.gubbins@strath.ac.uk d.bertolaccini@strath.ac.uk (Dino) thomas.condie@strath.ac.uk (Tam) dale.gibson@strath.ac.uk neil.shepherd@strath.ac.uk duncan.lindsay@strath.ac.uk

Once we have had the chance to review your work, we can then look to discuss things further via email, zoom, skype or phone.

There are many online resources available to you, this could be the library or youtube. There will be stuff on myplace also. Unless you have already done so, a physical model will be difficult for anyone to make. So images, pencil sketches, renders, simple homemade (well made) models will suffice. Do as much research online as you can, use that research to inform your design/idea/product. Remember that showing why something will not work (at the moment) is just as valid as showing a positive result. Your research will support your project. You may come across something surprising.

Homeworking

I want to access my files (Onedrive for Business, H: and I: drives) at home, how do I do that?

The recommended cloud storage option for all Strathclyde students is OneDrive for Business (OfB) which can be accessed here: https://www.strath.ac.uk/professionalservices/it/saveandshare/onedrive/ Files on OneDrive are available on PCs in the Centrally Managed Labs and on the Windows Virtual Desktops as well as being available via a web interface or the OneDrive for Business client on a personal PC.

The H: and I: drives are useful for some use cases however access from offsite is slightly more difficult and the amount of storage space on offer is much less that on OneDrive. If you definitely need to use H: or I: then you can find details of how to access it here: https://www.strath.ac.uk/professionalservices/is/help/indepth/networkdrives/

Note that Strathcloud was switched off at the end of August 2023 and is no longer available.

Homeworking

I think / know I have personal circumstance which are affecting my studies and assessments, what should I do?

Please remember that class registrars, project supervisors, your adviser of studies and the overall Teaching and Learning Team in DMEM are here to support and advise you.

For your circumstances to be taken into account, you must follow the Personal Circumstances Procedure outlined by the university here: https://www.strath.ac.uk/sees/studentpolicies/policies/appealscomplaintsdiscipline/personalcircumstancesprocedure/

This page very clearly sets out how to record and evidence your personal circumstances, how to request an extension and what other allowances might be made.

There is also a link, on that page, to the well-being services in the university to support you further https://www.strath.ac.uk/professionalservices/disabilityandwellbeing/

From March 2020, all mental health and wellbeing, disability and counselling appointments are being offered via video or telephone. Students also have the option of obtaining online support via email if this is preferable. disability-wellbeing@strath.ac.uk

Students, and staff, can obtain immediate access to support via SilverCloud, our online CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) e-learning platform: https://www.strath.ac.uk/wellbeing/stressandmentalhealth/self-help/ .

Homeworking

I am off campus, how do I access specialist DMEM and University software?

The University has deployed a Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) environment to allow specialist teaching applications to be made available to the University community for use off campus and from a wide range of devices. These can be accessed using a web brower at:

http://aka.ms/wvdarmweb

or you can get better performance by downloading the Remote Desktop Client from:
https://aka.ms/wvd/clients

Currently (2021-22) there are two WVDs available: "Express '21" with Office and Project and "Student '21" which has most of the software available in the centrally managed labs including

• SolidWorks 2021
• Rhino 6
• DFMA
• EDGECAM 2020.0
• Granta (formerly CES) EduPack 2021

There is more detail about the WVDs at:

https://www.strath.ac.uk/professionalservices/it/use/offcampus/virtualdesktop/

Homeworking

I am having a problem with SolidWorks

There are a few issues with SolidWorks that we tend to see more commonly:

1) Error message when installing: "Microsoft SQL Server failed to install. Instance name TEW_SQLEXPRESS is already in use. To continue, specify a unique instance name."

This happens when the SolidWorks installer tries to add a SQL Server database but can't because there is an existing version with the same name. The simplest fix is to choose Custom installation and remove SolidWorks Electrical from the options. We don't usually use SolidWorks Electrical but if you are sure you require it then you either need to uninstall the existing SQL Server Express instance or change the installation configuration for SolidWorks Electrical to give the database instance a different name.

2) Error message when installing: "Unsupported SQL Server Version. SQL Server 2016 or later is required"

SQL Server 2014 Express was installed by SolidWorks 2021 and several prior versions but SolidWorks 2022 no longer supports this version. It is needed only for SolidWorks Electrical so options are either to uninstall SQL Server (from Add/Remove Programs) or do a Custom Install and omit SolidWorks Electrical.

3) When I try to close SolidWorks I get an error message that says “The operating system is not presently configured to run this application.”

This is a known conflict between SolidWorks 2020 and Office 365. This page has one solution involving installing an older version of the Microsoft Access Database Engine: https://hawkridgesys.com/kb/users-using-solidworks-2020-sp4-finding-error-the-operating-system-is-not-presently-configured-to-run-this-application and this page tells you how to roll back Office updates: https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/243634?commentID=1074291#comment-1074291