CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive

27 January 2009

Product News

ITI TranscenData Releases CADIQ 6.0

ITI TranscenData announced the release of CADIQ 6.0 as the latest edition of its 3D CAD model validation and product data quality product. CADIQ identifies shape and fit problems and validates 3D CAD geometry, part features definitions and assembly product structure.

Quality issues and introduced changes discovered by CADIQ often affect reusability of engineering data in downstream processes such as analysis, manufacturing and data migration. Validation leads to a deeper understanding of a company's CAD system revision, data exchange, legacy CAD data remastering, feature based translation or product configuration processes. Without CADIQ validation, interoperability issues often go undiscovered, pose greater challenges to simulation or manufacturing groups and typically require rework to the model or assembly. This results in costly production and time-to-market delays.

Adobe 3D PDF Reports

With CADIQ 6.0, users can now take validation results and publish into 3D PDF reports to enable free distribution of validated product models. 3D PDF is developed by Adobe and includes full CAD and product structure data from most major CAD formats. Users that do not use CADIQ can now have access to CAD model quality or side-by-side validation results.

CADIQ users can generate 3D PDF reports through automatic generation during a CADIQ controller/analysis session or from the CADIQ viewer. Within the viewer, users create custom views that mark-up an active session and capture the product model, viewpoint, diagnostics, diagnostic markers and comments associated with diagnostic views. Examining diagnostic results within a 3D PDF is done through a combination of menu options at the top of the report, dynamic 3D PDF mouse and keyboard commands or through attachments to the report.

CADIQ generated PDF reports can be opened with Adobe Acrobat for further editing, mark-up, attachments and more options such that core CADIQ 3D PDF reports can be combined with with other PDF based needs. Once a 3D PDF report has been enhanced via Adobe Acrobat, it can again be saved and opened by users of the free Adobe Reader product.

Validation Technology with Process Expertise

There is an assortment of quality checking and validation technologies in the market but few come backed with the expertise to understand customer needs and deploy a robust solution. CADIQ validation technology combined with validation methodologies provides a predictive element early in the design process by allowing companies to interrogate product models for conditions that could cause problems for simulation or manufacturing groups. This early warning capability empowers the design group to proactively change models and avoid the delays that are created by adding by more work to downstream processes.

"ITI TranscenData shapes its validation project management approach to fit the client's quality initiative, management policy or product development approach. ITI adheres to a flexible set of guidelines to ensure successful delivery of the solution within the time and budget constraints." says Doug Cheney, CADIQ Product Manager and CAD Interoperability Consultant at ITI TranscenData. "When comparing and validating a set of 3D CAD models, ITI validation methodologies combined with CADIQ technology are the electron microscope of CAD. These processes not only automate the inspection and validation functions, but also identify problem areas in the model that cannot be detected by the human eye. The result is significant workflow improvements and confidence in the integrity and value of an organization's engineering data."

Additional Enhancements:

•  Updated quality and validation analysis technology based on advanced face matching

•  3D PDF creation with custom views, diagnostic highlights and synchronized side-by-side CAD models

•  Direct assembly analysis (no flattening) for CATIA V5, NX, Pro/Engineer, SolidWorks, Parasolid and STEP

•  Assembly structure quality diagnostics

•  Transparency highlighting graphics display option

•  Expanded and reformatted help documentation

•  3D mouse (SpaceBall & Explorer) support

•  Improved batch analysis performance with CAD session reuse

•  Up to date CATIA V4.2.5, CATIA V5R19, NX6, NXI6, Pro/Engineer WF4, Parasolid 19 support in addition to most older/legacy CAD formats

•  Pro/ENGINEER nested family tables support

•  New Tooling Diagnostics such as "Narrow Space Between Solids"

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