Computervision Corp, Bedford, Massachusetts, has announced an overwhelming series of over 30 additions to its CADDS 4X software, including major new software modules for mechanical design, manufacturing and database management. It highlights the NURBSurface Design for designing and editing complex surfaces; CVNC Five-Axis numerical control programming; and a new release of the PDM data management program. NURBSurface Design is an interactive design tool intended to enable designers to model more effectively the complex sculptured surfaces in car bodies, aerospace structures, turbine blades, castings, forgings and ship hulls. It is designed for use with the company’s Advanced Surface Design, Solidesign and Imagedesign geometric modelling products. It sells for $7,500 in the US and is available now. CVNC Five-Axis Numerical Control Programming handles complex surface machining on CADDS 4X models composed of large collections of Advanced Surface Design surfaces. It integrates with CADDS 4X geometric modelling software, and includes tool orientation controls, automatic collision and gouge avoidance, and tool shape support for ball-end and endmills with or without corner radii. CVNC Five-Axis, which includes four modules covering two- through five-axis numerical control, is $22,500. Product Data Manager Release 3.0 adds five major features to the data and project management program. PDM provides centralised control of design data bases, ensures data integrity by preventing unauthorised access and provides a flexible parts revision and release control system. Mechanical software additions The new additions include command lists, authority groups, expanded PDM file naming, enhanced universal backup, and optional PDM IGES. PDM starts at $70,000. There are also new CADDS 4X software modules for mechanical design and drafting, manufacturing, electronics and architecture / engineering / construction. The mechanical software additions include Assembly Component Libraries, a module that enables designers to access three-dimensional wireframe data of a catalogue part and insert it into a CADDS 4X model, rather than copying it from a book into the system; Multi-Part Access, which permits rapid viewing and referencing of any CADDS 4X part in an assembly without having to load the database associated with that part; and Wiring Diagram Design, which automates wiring design, engineering and documentation for systems with both el-ectronic and mechanical elements. Other mechanical additions include Solidesign enhancements, ANSI Standard Dimensioning enhancements and metrics. In manufacturing, additions include CVNC Punch Press Programming, a numerical control part programming system that provides high-volume tape preparation; and CVNC Enhancements to the entire Computervision numerical control product line. Other developments in manufacturing include additional postprocessing capabilities, and enhancements to Moldesign, Factoryvision and Automeasure. The new release of CADDS 4X software also adds the electronic modules Computervision introduced at the June Design Automation Conference in Miami. Among those products were Autoboard SMT, Logic Design enhancements, a new digital simulation package from HHB Systems, and new semi-custom IC tools from Silvar Lisco. Also added to the electronics product line are new ECAM postprocessors, a new interface to thermal analysis software from Pacific Numerix, and documentation enhancements to Autoboard. There are also two additions to the AEC software portion of CADDS 4X: a Utility Network Package that enables large amounts of non-graphic mapping data to be made available within a CADDS 4X graphics data base; and Triangular Irregular Networks, an enhancement to the existing CADDS 4X Digital Terrain Modelling Capabilities. Delivery is 30 days.
