The CAD Insider

PROSTEP PDF Generator 3D Receives Best of Show for PTC Live Global 2014

BOSTON (PTC Live Global 2014) - PROSTEP, headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, is founded and is still owned by major automotive OEMs and suppliers. They have cared enough about CAD and PLM data migration, conversion and collaboration for over 20 years, making them an international standard. With their PROSTEP PDF Generator 3D, they leverage an interesting file format that allows to display and share 3D data very easily.

 

PROSTEP PDF Generator is a 64-bit server based application for enterprises and can interface with ERP, PDM and PLM software. It can accommodate large volumes of data and up to 50 users. It is priced at 10,000 Euros ($12,000).

 

 Nominated for Best of Show for PTC Live Global 2014 by TenLinks judge, Ralf Steck

For more information

http://www.prostep.com/en

Convert It, Fix It, Reuse It with ITI TranscenData

ANAHEIM, CA (PTC LIve Global 2013), June 11, 2013 - Looking to switch from one CAD program to another? You can outsource it. There's probably a hundred services that will offer to do it for you, half of them in India. But suppose you don't want your valuable CAD data flying around the world into some company you never heard of. ITI TrancenData, which bills itself as a leader of CAD data exchange, provides a software alternative¹. The software is quite sophisticated, to the point of even being ablle to "fudge" a fillet type not found in your new CAD program -- something your Indian translation service may have done but would probably have neglected to mention. With ITI, you get a report of such discrepancies.

ITI translation software is smart enough to handle incompatible features when converting between MCAD programs.

I suspect the price of this application is more than the average Indian would charge. ITI does not publish a price list and prefers to quote based on individual projects.

ITI acquired Proficiency a few years ago, and now offers software by the same name to translate CAD models, specifically MCAD models. As MCAD models are complex, containing not just geometry, but also features, sketches, metadata, history, more. I asked if it was 100% accurate -- or even close.

"We can get up to 90%," said Tony Provencal, senior tech consultant for ITI. "Nobody can do 100%." The rest is a manual clean up process, I imagine.

Tony goes through an impressive list of ITI's tools meant to translate, heal, even reuse CAD data.

CADfix will "defeature" a CAD model, which essentially removes items nonessential to analysis, like tiny holes in a not critical area, thus preventing your CAE program from getting lost in the details, working too hard or too long.

Tony also shows me CADIQ, ITI's application for CAD model "quality and validation." CADIQ lets you compare two variations of a model side by side. The models are synched², so both move even if one is moved, highlighting any differences (in concept, this is similar to Kubotek's Compare, a standalone product we reviewed on CADdigest.com). CADIQ will detect variations between  a revised part and the original. It will also let you see how a part might suffer from a less than perfect conversion, for example, you can see how an IGES conversion left out an important detail -- before you send the part to a customer. CADIQ performs a host of other checks, including part misalignment. I saw CADIQ find mismatched holes on mating parts that could have prevented a screw from being inserted  - something your CAD program wouldn't reveal unless you took the trouble to add the screw and perform an interference check.

For more information, see ITI TrancenData site. 

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1. Competitor software for CAD data translation are Core Technologies and Elysium. A more complete list is found on TenLinks.com.http://www.tenlinks.com/cad/translation/software.htm

2. I did not see how the part get synched in the first place but it occurs to me as I write this that each part could come in with its own orientation and location. I suspect "automatic face matching is what does the trick for CADIQ. 

CCE CATIA to SolidWorks Translator is Free!

DALLAS, TX (Siemens PLM Connection 2013) June 4, 2013 - SolidWorks - CATIA conversions have been the source of much consternation among users, most of whom don't understand how two programs owned by the same company (Dassault Systemes) won't play well with each other.

The problem may have been somewhat alleviated with the latest edition of SolidWorks, but what of users who have not upgraded? As Josh Mings reported, there is a Dassault CATIA to SolidWorks converter (see SolidSmack post) but it cost $3K up front with another $1K a year for maintenance. I couldn't find it on Dassault's site or SolidWorks' site but i should not be surprised since it's not something that Dassault is likely to promote -- maybe for fear that it will cause a mass migration to their cheaper product.

Into the void came a few companies offering the much needed conversion, either with expensive off-the-shelf software (Can Elysium really charge $10K?) or cheapo apps by little known companies that will probably waste your time, as well as data translation specialists who would offer to customize a solution (you can imagine what that might cost!).

But here in the most unlikely place --the annual gathering of NX and Teamcenter users in Dallas --the solution to the SolidWorks/CATIA interoperability conundrum seems to present itself.

I pay a visit to the CCE booth. CCE is a heavyweight in the interoperability arena. They have launched a labs site and are determined to give away software. Its like Autodesk Labs, though on a smaller scale. in fact, there are only 4 products on it. Two are CAD viewers, one of which handles large assemblies. But most important is the CATIA V5 to SolidWorks translator. In 32 bit and 64 bit version. It's free. You have to log in (using Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter) and so CCE may end up with a way to contact you, but isn't that a small price to pay for what may have been a longtime source of frustration or as an alternative to pricey or shady alternatives?

See CCE labs site to download CAT5Works-Express: SolidWorks Integrated CATIA V5 translator. 

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Update: CCE's converter also supports older SolidWorks 2009 and 2010 and CATIA V5 up to R18. Paid products on the CCE Lab site supportss latest versions.

Interoperability -- A Modest Proposal

According to David Prawel, of LongView Advisors, who spoke at the recent COE 2007 show, the lack of interoperability costs the big manufacturers more than the total valuation of the CAD companies. One executive joked to Prawel that they should buy the CAD companies and fix the problem.

Prawel also called the firing of the Airbus CEO in the wake of the Airbus project delay "a good thing." It brings the issue of interoperability to the highest level of management.

Also, 30% of people can't perceive 3D on a flat screen

Even more disturbing, though off the subject:

• 1/3 of high school graduates will never read another book after graduation
• 42% of college graduates will never read another book
• 80% of households haven't read a book in the last year