SOLID CONCEPTS RELEASES NEW CAD INTERFACES AT NATIONAL MANUFACTURING WEEK

Pro/ENGINEER, I-DEAS Web Access and Parasolids added to the growing list of data formats viewable in SolidView/Pro

"Manufacturers have learned that involving Manufacturing and Purchasing, and even Sales and Marketing in the product development process can lead to better products in less time. However, non-engineering organizations have always been hampered by the fact that they don't have easy access to the design data in a format they can use. If they wait for traditional drawings, it's usually too late to have much of an impact. If they try to keep up with the myriad of CAD systems used internally and by suppliers, they'd quickly run out of time, money, and patience", said Ray Bradford, vice-president of Software for Solid Concepts. "With the SolidView family of products, non-engineering users can have access to up-to-date 2D and 3D design data on their desktop PCs."

According to Bradford, even highly CAD-literate engineering organizations benefit when the rest of the company uses SolidView. "With SolidView, anyone can create their own views and take their own measurements. This allows the CAD operators to spend less time editing notes and dimensions and more time creating new designs. With the free SolidView/Lite viewer, suppliers can take their own measurements so they don't need to have someone go back to the CAD system to extract a dimension that was unclear or missing."

Page 1 SolidView/Lite is a free 2D/3D viewer that works in conjunction with SolidView/Pro and SolidView to facilitate 3D communication. SolidView/Pro's exclusive publishing function lets users store their 2D and 3D CAD data in Solid File eXchange (SFX) format, along with the free SolidView/Lite viewer. The resulting file can be emailed to suppliers or downloaded to allow free access to the design data. Without the free SolidView/Lite viewer, suppliers would be forced to purchase compatible viewing software.

Unlike other formats, such as VRML or STL, SFX files are highly compact and may contain various security options to protect selected design features. Typical users of SolidView products include purchasing managers, QA inspectors, sales people, shop floor personnel, third-party suppliers, or just about anyone who would normally use 2D drawings to evaluate CAD designs.

In addition to the new CAD interfaces, SolidView/Pro also has options for importing Catia, Unigraphics, IGES and VDA data. Visitors to Solid Concepts' Booth, #1057, at the National Design Engineering Show will receive a free SolidView CD-ROM. This CD contains the free SolidView/Lite viewer, as well as full function copies of SolidView/Pro and SolidView.

Solid Concepts Inc. is the world's leading supplier of third-party software for the rapid prototyping industry and is a recognized leader in rapid prototyping and manufacturing. Founded in 1991, the Company has enjoyed tremendous growth, fueled by a commitment to service and constant technical innovation. Solid Concepts Inc. is a privately held corporation headquarted in Valencia, California. Additional information on SolidView and Solid Concepts can be obtained from www.solidconcepts.com.

SolidView® is a registered trademark of Solid Concepts Inc. Other names are property of their respective owners.

The following high-resolution TIFF image can be downloaded from: ftp.solidconcepts.com/sldview/images

Name: proe.tif
Caption: SolidView/Pro's extensive measurement functions coupled with a direct Pro/E interface enables non-CAD users to create their own views and dimensions without any CAD hardware, software or training.