Editor's Pick: Spatial Advances CAD Interoperability & 3D ACIS Modeler

By Anthony J. Lockwood

Dear Desktop Engineering Reader:

Spatial recently announced Release 19 of its 3D ACIS Modeler and 3D InterOp Suite. You'll benefit from this in two ways. Well, more than two, but, as MBA types say, two big picture ways make this good news for you.

First, ACIS provides core solid modeling, geometry, and graphics functionality and power to more than 350 CAD/CAM/CAE, EDA, metrology, and simulation applications. It minimizes the time developers need to spend taking care of all that stuff, which means ACIS enables engineering software developers to focus on their company's core technology. So, by making ACIS more robust, Spatial makes it easier for developers to make better software for you.

The second big thing here is that Spatial improved its data translation and interoperability power. Anything that makes it easier and faster for you to import and export files from one application to another means reduced costs, less wasted time, and faster time to market.

ACIS R19 offers such enhancements as 3D Springback, more support for large radius blending, sheet body offset, new APIs for improved workflows, and 3D edge offset for CMM (coordinate measuring machine) applications. R19 also has such tools as hidden line removal, deformable modeling, advanced covering, and defeaturing. Many more specifics are in today's Pick of the Week write-up. Click the links to the release notes.

R19's interoperability enhancements are a big thing. Probably nothing but agendaless meetings wastes more engineering time than fighting with file export and import. The new version of the 3D InterOp Suite adds new advanced interoperability with major MCAD applications as well as better support for PMI (production manufacturing information) translations.

One cool thing Spatial did that I want to mention is that they made their product documentation available in an open, Wiki format. Not only does online documentation provide full and -- as Wikis are known to do -- completely engrossing access to technical information, but this means that you can share your ideas about programming and improving ACIS with Spatial and the wider development community.

Enabling the wider engineering software community is what Spatial does. Something like 1.75 million of you rely on ACIS-based software. With R19's new features your applications will be more robust and more interoperable, and your development projects easier. That's to everyone's benefit. Check out today's write-up for details on ACIS R19.

Thanks Pal. -- Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood

Editor at Large, Desktop Engineering Magazine