CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
12 March 2009
Product News
LEDAS Takes 3D History-Free Parametric Design to the Next Level by Releasing Driving Dimensions 1.0 Plugin for Google SketchUp
LEDAS Ltd released version 1.0 of its Driving Dimensions plugin for Google SketchUp, a free 3D modeling software application. The plugin offers parameterization tools, which considerably reduces the time required to make parametric changes to the existing 3D models and opens new modeling capabilities for SketchUp users.
Version 1.0 supports all basic types of driving dimensions: edge length, arc/circle radius, distance between vertices/edges/ faces, and angle between edges/faces. Any number of driving dimensions can be resolved simultaneously to define the geometry of a model under design. Driving dimensions can be set manually or automatically with the help of the original inferred dimensions mechanism. The parametric design available for all SketchUp users with Driving Dimensions plugin is history-free: any existing model can be modified independently of its design history. The plugin is available for free downloading at www.DrivingDimensions.com.
Since October 2008 four preliminary versions of this plugin with incrementally extended functionality have been tested by more than 5,000 SketchUp users from 95 countries worldwide. LEDAS has received significant feedback through different user communities; here are just a few responses:
"an interesting concept”, "an easy-to-use plugin”, "really useful, I sketch models and then I can scale them accurately”, "it solves the major reason I didn't use SketchUp ", "I've been waiting for this since the first time I used SketchUp".
"We are completely satisfied with user activity during the test period”, said Dmitry Ushakov, Director of Product Management, LEDAS Ltd. “Several important suggestions made by our users have already been implemented in version 1.0 or will be implemented in the forthcoming versions later this year. Developing a software solution that so many people are looking for is a great responsibility, but also a great pleasure for our team. We hope to continue fruitful collaboration with our users."
One of the key new features of version 1.0 is the Inferred Dimensions functionality. After activation in the Options dialog it will automatically add inferred driving dimensions when using such built-in tools as Rectangle and Push/Pull. These inferred dimensions do not differ from ones created manually and can be easily edited or removed. Users who create parametric models from scratch will save a lot of design time using the inferred dimensions mechanism. A detailed tutorial on using inferred dimensions is available at http://www.DrivingDimensions.com.
Driving Dimensions 1.0 features a significant redesign of the GUI elements (icons, cursors, dialogs), which now look similar to the ones built in SketchUp. One of the new buttons added to the Driving Dimensions toolbar allows users to update the values of existing driving dimensions by remeasuring the corresponding geometric entities, while another new button opens the Options dialog, where Driving Dimensions creation and update modes can be switched. Driving Dimensions 1.0 is based on LGS 3D 1.5 geometric solver that runs 30% faster on typical update scenarios than the previous version 1.4.
Driving Dimensions 1.0 for SketchUp is shipped in two versions: free or professional. The free version is not intended for commercial purposes and does not allow users to add more than twenty five driving dimensions to the same model. However, any model created with the Driving Dimensions 1.0 Pro version ($45 per single user license) can be viewed and edited parametrically with the free version – independently of the number of driving dimensions used. Both versions are fully compatible with SketchUp 6, Pro 6, 7, and Pro 7 running on Windows 2000/XP/Vista.
“Driving Dimensions for SketchUp is only the first step on our way to new markets”, said David Levin, CEO and founder of LEDAS Ltd. "We have been in the service-oriented market for CAD/PLM/ERP software development for ten years, offering our LGS (LEDAS Geometric Solver) as well as our competence in performing unique mathematics-intensive software outsourcing projects.
Recently, we have decided to turn directly to the end users by providing world-class parametric technologies integrated into popular 3D modeling software for a reasonable price.” Some examples of integration of Driving Dimensions into different CAD systems (including AutoCAD and Rhino 3D) can be found in Driving Dimensions Labs at http://drivingdimensions.com/labs.php.
About Driving Dimensions
Driving Dimensions are end-user applications developed by LEDAS as plugins for popular 2D and 3D modeling systems to provide advanced parameterization capabilities to their users. Driving Dimensions are based on the Variational Direct Modeling technology, which uses direct (history-free) editing model elements, preserving its design intent, expressed by explicit and implicit driving dimensions (linear, angular, radial) and geometric constraints.
Simultaneous satisfaction of geometric and dimensional constraints is achieved with LGS variational geometric solver, which is being developed by LEDAS since 2001 and is available for licensing to all CAD developers. More information about Driving Dimensions portfolio of applications can be found at http://www.DrivingDimensions.com.
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