Interoperability solution promises an instant fix

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 6, 2005

CADfix 7.0 boasts a host of new features designed to reflect the needs of both new and advanced users, with particular focus on the CAE market.

TranscenData Europe has launched version 7.0 of CADfix, its leading engineering data interoperability solution.

CADfix 7.0 boasts a host of new features designed to reflect the needs of both new and advanced users, with particular focus on the CAE market.

New for version 7.0 is the ability to import native files directly from UG, SolidWorks and Inventor, as well as updated support for the latest versions of all major CAD systems including Pro/E Wildfire and Catia V5, and the ACIS and Parasolid kernels.

As with all CADfix releases, updates and enhancements are included for the standard IGES and Step interfaces.

To reflect CADfix's increasing use within the CAE market, version 7.0 also supports the latest CAE systems and includes a new export capability to the Centaur CFD mesher.

CADfix 7.0 also boasts impressive new feature selection, recognition and defeaturing algorithms, particularly important for the CAE market.

The user interface of version 7.0 features several enhancements, all designed for clarity and ease of use for both novice and experienced CADfix operators.

A new "always active" selection facility gives the user quick on-screen entity picking, and a powerful new "feature selection" mode automatically highlights complex features in the model, such as groups of connected faces or fillets, ready for processing.

These rapid selection methods can be used in conjunction with a new Instant Fix toolbar that presents some of the commonly used CADfix tools, such as entity deletion, creation and simplification, as immediate action buttons.

A notable function included as an Instant Fix tool is the new "feature removal" for the intelligent removal of fillets, chamfers, steps, holes and protrusions.

With the new selection methods and "instant fixes" a user can quickly select features from the screen, such as a chain of fillets, and apply the feature removal with one simple button press.

CAD models can also now be interrogated, and parts selected, via a new model structure tree.

This lists all entities within the model, their definitions and relationships to each other, and gives the ability to view and modify assigned attributes such as colours, layer and label.

John Meaney, Sales and Marketing Director at TranscenData Europe comments: "Anyone involved in design engineering will know how much the industry is changing and developing at the moment".

"Within the business of data exchange there are two seemingly irreconcilable challenges: one is to ease the translation of increasingly complex geometries between CAD systems (or from CAD to CAE), the other is to enable less specialist operators to carry out this translation work".

"At TranscenData, we have created CADfix 7.0 to meet both of these challenges".

"We're delighted to bring to market a product that enhances CADfix's reputation as a high-end translator, able to offer reliable translation in the most complex geometric environments".

"At the same time the Instant Fix capability opens the door for novice users, who can expect the same level of reliability and accuracy at the touch of a button".