CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
25 February 2013
Product News
Delcam Upgrades PartMaker Modeling
Delcam’s PartMaker Division has released PartMaker Modeling 2013, the new version of its 3D CAD for CAM application that provides users with the ability to create 3D solid models from scratch as well as to repair and modify 3D engineering data of any origin.
PartMaker Modeling is the most powerful 3D CAD system available alongside a production-oriented CAM product on the market today. The 2013 release features a host of new productivity enhancements, including a number of new features that make it even easier to use as well as enhancements to its unique "Direct Modeling” technology.
One of the most important new features in PartMaker Modeling 2013 is the ability to rewind the solid history tree of a model to any position using a graphical slider. Edits can then be made, either by applying the Solid Doctor to repair problematic data or by using the full range of direct modelling tools in PartMaker Modeling 2013, without losing the history of the model. Once the required edits have been completed, the rewind point can be moved or deleted; the complete solid history is then re-built automatically.
There have also been a variety of changes made to PartMaker Modeling 2013 to make it even easier to use. For example, the command input box is now more boldly featured in the user interface, which will make it easier for new users to come up to speed faster. Additionally, new work planes can be more easily snapped to existing solid faces. This makes adding new solid features to "dumb” solid models even easier. Solid features can also now be grouped, to create more organized, easy to manage feature trees.
Another change that will also save significant amounts of time is that clicking the right mouse button now has the same effect as pressing "Apply” or "OK” on all forms. This is particularly useful when carrying out repetitive tasks such as filleting around a complex model. The user can now select each edge to be filleted, click the right mouse button and then move on to the next edge. Similarly, a series of holes can be created more quickly just by selecting the desired position and clicking the right button for each hole.
A more flexible replace-face option now allows faces of one solid to be replaced with faces from a separate solid, while new hole types allow faster creation of holes for standard cap-head screws and bolts. Additionally, the power and flexibility of chamfering in both 2D and 3D have been much improved in PartMaker Modeling 2013.
In addition, the Solid Doctor has been made more flexible with the ability to relax or tighten the linking tolerances on specific edges. This is important for subsequent modelling as tolerance issues can affect the reliability of Boolean operations.
PartMaker Modeling 2013 also includes a powerful new ‘nesting’ functionality, for performing automatic nesting of 2D shapes.
"With greater engineering demands being placed on customers, offering PartMaker users a complete production machining engineering platform, all supported by the same company, is paramount in allowing our users to stay ahead,” says PartMaker Division President, Hanan Fishman. "The improvements made in PartMaker Modeling 2013 will further help PartMaker users needing to work with or create 3D engineering data continue not only to survive, but thrive.”
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