CADDIT and partners based in Sydney, Australia. www.caddit.net shares CAD and design software support services online for Autodesk AutoCAD compatible applications, CAD CAM CNC software including PTC Pro/ENGINEER, Alibre Design, progeCAD, Mathcad and more.
Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:08:00 +0000 - Mathcad 15 is now available from CADDIT Australia. According to the official release, "Mathcad 15.0 includes over 25 new functions, more robust reference libraries and integration with third-party tools, including the latest version of Microsoft Excel. Additionally, the Mathcad 15.0 integration with existing engineering platforms like Pro/ENGINEER®, as well as with PTC’s Windchill® solutions, Windchill PDMLink® and Windchill ProductPoint®, enables better management of critical engineering content, making it easier to share and reuse information leading to standardization and best practices." More than three years have passed since Mathcad 14 was released in the beginning of 2007.
Some new features in Mathcad 15 include: • Mathcad 15 is Windows 7 compatible (officially supported on Windows7) • Design of Experiments (DoE) – Over 25 new functions to reduce the time and expense of conducting experiments using DoE. • Data link for the latest versions of Microsoft Excel® – Mathcad functions include READEXCEL(), WRITEEXCEL(), READFILE, an Excel data import wizard and an Excel Add-in. • Integration to Knovel® Math content – (more information below). • Integration with Kornucopia® software – Reduce time and effort spent on analysis by providing functions and templates using Mathcad-based documented workflows. Improves interpretations and value of experimental data and simulation results.
A complete product brochure for Mathcad 15 can be downloaded HERE.
Mathcad 15 license options are Individual node locked or registered user, Floating (network) and Global. Node locked licenses are fixed to a specific PC, floating licenses can each have one user at a time, by anyone on a local network (i.e. three network users all using Mathcad at the same time will need three floating licenses, etc) Schools and universities may also choose from the Student Edition, Professor Edition (node locked) and University Editions (floating). The Single User license will be effectively discontinued.
All PTC active support customers now receive: • 24x5 technical support • No charge access to all software updates and upgrades • Access to the Knowledge Base which includes searchable product specific content and resources • Discounts on product level upgrades • Online web support and License Management tools • “Tips and Techniques” web casts for product demos and basic training • Gold Loyalty Program discounts with partners including Dell, Knovel, Lenovo.
In addition to the above, Mathcad customers are also entitled to: • An additional license at no charge to be used on the Home PC of a user utilizing a network license in the office. • Node Locked customers receive 1 Home Use License for each active license • Floating customers receive 2 Home Use licenses for every 1 seat they maintain. • Up to 10 Free content downloads from Knovel (more information below). Mathcad customers will particularly be interested in Knovel Math which provides fully documented Mathcad worksheets from Roarks Formulas for Stress and Strain- 7th Edition, Hicks Handbook of Civil Engineering Calculations, and the Foundation Engineering Handbook.
A new partner for updated Mathcad Extended Libraries: With past versions, PTC Mathcad included Library Extensions for Mechanical, Civil and Electrical engineering. PTC has a new relationship with content provider Knovel, who maintain updated library extensions for Mathcad called Knovel Math. Those with Mathcad 14 can also use the old Library Extensions from that version on Mathcad 15, as well.
For more information about Mathcad 15 in Australia, contact a local partner HERE. A trial user version of Mathcad 15 is not yet ready. Mathcad 14 in Australia can still be directly downloaded from CADDIT.net HERE. Trial users from regions outside Australia should contact either their own local PTC partner or download the trial directly from PTC.
Tue, 22 Jun 2010 09:51:00 +0000 - Mei (name changed) is a Chinese factory worker who makes toys sold overseas. She works 12 hours except on Saturday when she is permitted to only work six hours. She lives in a small flat with her husband and one child. She was pregnant with a second but the local authorities forced her to have an abortion. For two years she managed raising their living child alone, because her husband was being detained under suspicion of having ties to a certain religion. This is not Hollywood, this is nothing remarkable, this is common people's life.. in mainland China.
The phenomenon of outsourcing to China took on a complete new dimension in the USA, with the sudden success of what some consider the single largest retail scandal in American history - Wal*Mart. According to the PBS documentary STORE WARS: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town:
Made in the U.S.A?Despite a well-publicized "Made in the U.S.A." campaign, 85 percent of the stores' items are made overseas, often in Third World sweatshops. In fact, only after Wal-Mart's "Buy American" ad campaign was in full swing did the company become the country's largest importer of Chinese goods in any industry. By taking its orders abroad, Wal-Mart has forced many U.S. manufacturers out of business.
Most Americans never saw past the red-white-and-blue logo of this seemingly phony patriotism. Wal*Mart stock price skyrocketed with its success. Wal*Mart would ultimately get away with "selling the American economy" to Chinese elite on an unprecedented scale. Other retailers - by choice or by necessity - also increased Chinese imports. The Chinese elite came to understand that a great weakness of their western counterparts was the overwhelming self-centeredness of some. And as Wal*Mart showed everyone, you only need some. Convince one to outsource - two more follow. Others resist, but as their own products loose markets to cheaper competition, they too are soon forced to follow suit in a massive avalanche of outsourcing.
This is how China came to own their manufacturing, their technology, their suppliers and their market - for the price of a cheap pair of sandals and $2 a day wages paid in sweat shops that nobody else had to look at. So, for those who want to move to China, there is good news. We just keep outsourcing to China, and more of China's influence will come to us.
Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:15:00 +0000 - Alibre is a powerful but easy-to-use 3D mechanical CAD package which is distributed and supported in Australia through CADDIT.net. Beginning in mid-May, Alibre no longer offered a "Standard" version of their CAD software. Alibre Design "Standard" has been replaced with the Alibre Design "Personal" version, mainly for hobby use. Also, the free version referred to as "Alibre Design Xpress" will no longer be available to new users. Current users of these products, however, should be able to continue using them as-is without any change to their software. A note to those who purchased Alibre Design from us during our last promotion, well done - you have a package worth about $1000 for under $200.Alibre Design Personal now has some new limitations in comparison to its predecessor, Alibre Design Standard:
Single install license (no take-home license, multiple keys etc)
Advanced Import / Export features are deactivated
Import DWG / DXF is still enabled
Export .STL is still enabled for 3D printers
Publish 3D PDF (for models only) is still available
No STEP, IGES, SAT, Rhino, image files
Files are not enumerated unless you select All files (*.*)
Turn-off Advanced Detail Drawing (see further..)
No Bill of Materials
No Detail, Section, Partial, or Broken views
No views for Centers, Cosmetic Threads, External Threads, or No Hole Call-outs
CAD users looking for competent 3D mechanical CAD software are really encouraged to at least go with Alibre Design Professional now. Algor DesignCheck FEA is now called "Simulation Express" from Autodesk and will continue to be available as before. Alibre also has a new partner for delivering photo-realistic rendering to all Alibre Design Professional and Alibre Design Expert users. Luxion's KeyShot For CAD is now included in both versions and is available in Australia from CADDIT. Other Luxion users include PTC, Cadkey, SpaceClaim and Rhino. NOTE Alibre expects to also have new KeyShot BIP file export enabled within Alibre Design by the end of June.
KeyShot For CAD allows Alibre Pro and Expert users to create full photo-realistic images for their model within minutes. And - much like Alibre itself - Keyshot is easy to use. Drag-and-drop materials, preset lighting, and real-time updates give you the final result all the time. KeyShot is the first and only rendering application that offers real-time ray-tracing. This means that your model is constantly being rendered as you zoom, pan, rotate, and apply materials and lighting presets. For more information about Alibre Design 3D CAD in Australia feel free to CONTACT CADDIT.net. A free 30-day PROFESSIONAL trial of Alibre Design can be downloaded HERE.
Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:57:00 +0000 - progeCAD 2010 Professional 10.0.8.9 is available from CADDIT with several more small bug fixes for issues reported from our forum, customer and user feedback. These fixes include:
- Fixed "copy as block" when name is already defined in the destination drawing - Fixed a hatch display regen bug - Fixed polar Lisp function - Wblock file format now uses system DWG default version (2007) - Fixed point dragging when ORTHO and ESNAP are On - Occasional crash on auto-save issues have been addressed - Fixed memory leaks found with the MIRROR command - Fixed some issues with display of some non-Latin characters - Fixed graphics visualization issue after REDO Current progeCAD 2010 users also having an Internet connection will be upgraded automatically if the automatic update tool is enabled. No manual download will be necessary when the update works in that case. On some systems it may be necessary to first login as administrator before this update can be performed.
Other CAD users are encouraged to download this latest as a version free trial. progeCAD 2010 Professional will run for 30 days before users can choose to license it or not. Current license options for progeCAD include single-seat, floating network licenses, mobile USB, large office licenses and more. SME small and medium enterprise may also inquire as to our quantity discounts for 5- 10- and 20-license packs. progeCAD is free for schools who join the CADDIT progeCAD educational program in Australia and New Zealand. Other questions about progeCAD software can be directed to our support office in Liverpool, Australia.
Mon, 07 Jun 2010 02:48:00 +0000 - A new free PTC Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire DVD software kit is available in Australia for evaluation from CADDIT Australia. This free "Pro/ENGINEER Experience" kit includes an interactive tutorial DVD (disk #1) and an easy-to-register 30 day full evaluation version of Pro/ENGINEER software (disk #2). Pro/ENGINEER is a high-end 3D modelling, manufacturing and simulation PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) platform used in industrial and product design, automotive and aerospace, marine and manufacturing for delivering a total single platform which can scale to meet the needs of any design requirement. Some of the improvements in Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5.0 include:
Completely new 2D detail drafting environment (this was first revealed on our blog here). The new framework uses the ribbon-like Fluent UI command navigation from Microsoft. Improved plot preview and use of Adobe TrueType fonts in text.
New social product development capabilities using Pro/ENGINEER’s brand new ProductPoint® platform, built on Microsoft®SharePoint® to better enable design teams to work together.
Enhanced Weld Design - New weld features, symbol annotations, and simulation enhancements enable you to design, document and analyze welded structures. You can analyze weldment models up to 10X faster, shown below:
Realtime photo-realistic rendering with raytracing support for shadows and reflections. Pro/ENGINEER Advanced Rendering Extension (ARX) now includes the mental images rendering engine for unsurpassed realism.
Machine simulation can drive slot motor components along curves, quickly create belts to account for kinematic and dynamic coupling, analyze dynamic gears, and model 3D contacts. More high-end analysis capabilities with expanded support for heterogeneous units, improvements to icon and label displays, an intuitive dashboard UI for surface and volume regions, and support for materials plasticity.
Improved 5-axis CNC machining quickly and easily duplicate tool paths and leverage the process manager for turning operations, such as area turning, grooving and profile turning.
Exchange Autodesk Inventor® and SolidWorks® files, including non-geometric data exchange capabilities - you can preserve 3D notes, annotations and metadata in neutral formats. And the new 3D import wizards and usability enhancements for AutobuildZ™ and Import DataDoctor™.
Improvements in speed, ease of use, completely new Pro/ENGINEER Spark Analysis and Manikin Extensions, a new "Rib Tool" for plastic part design and many other enhancements...
This DVD kit is a valuable, limited time opportunity for companies to have easy access to the latest parametric CAD design technology in Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5. For those interested in data management and the new Social Product Development technology, a chance to work with a live ProductPoint PDM server will also be provided. Special discount prices for Pro/ENGINEER licenses are also available until the end of June.
Australian SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) companies, individual company staff members or management can request this kit from CADDIT HERE (Australia only). In other countries you may need to contact your local PTC partner or contact PTC directly.
Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:51:00 +0000 - One of the sometimes overlooked (this author included) features of TransMagic 3D CAD translation software is its free 3D model viewer. TransMagic read and write a number of file formats using native libraries - CATIA, SolidWorks, JT, Siemens NX / Unigraphics, Autodesk Inventor, Pro/ENGINEER - as well as neutral formats like STEP, IGES & STL - the advantage being native, reliable 3D CAD translation between high-end CAD systems of very good quality. However what should be done to share a CAD file with a client or colleague who has no 3D CAD system at all?
Enter TransMagic's 3D web page publishing feature. This video briefly demonstrates using TransMagic to publish a STEP file to HTML and open with Windows Internet Explorer.
Saving a CAD model or assembly as an HTML page from TransMagic will create (at least) two linked files using the file name given - one HTML file which can be loaded from Windows Internet Explorer & an associated HOOPS ".hsf" file containing the actual 3D parts which use the HTML as a "container". Simply, zip or unzip both files together, upload send in email or save to the same hard disk (or server) location and open the HTML from Internet Explorer with the .HSF file present in the same directory. You can view this video's actual HTML page for yourself HERE.
Of course, HTML code can be edited to change colors, add a company logo or product information and web links as desired - so it is far more effective in making product presentations than a binary viewer - and transmits far more successfully in email. It also adds the possibility (perhaps also using TransMagic's batch-convert option) to publish 3D part catalogs on a website that visitors can navigate and "inspect" in real time 3D.
Wed, 21 Apr 2010 06:35:00 +0000 - Did you know that every seat of Pro/ENGINEER now includes full-featured CAD/CAM milling, mechanical assembly FEA simulation, human factor analysis ("Manikin" analysis) piping and cabling design?*Here is a list of functionality now delivered to every Pro/ENGINEER user with updated maintenance: CAM Lite – (Expert Machinist) Pro/ENGINEER Foundation XE includes a basic 2 ½-axis CNC milling license, allowing machining of prismatic parts in 5-axis positioning. There are no “Menu Manager" menus; interface is completely icon/dialog driven. Pro/ENGINEER NC Lite follows a simple workflow:
Specify final part and original material stock
"Work cell" definition - specify milling machine type and machine zero
Toolpath strategies - define machining "features" to block list
Toolpath calculation is virtually automatic when all parameters are defined
Post CNC machine G-code (generic FANUC post processor included)
Toolpath definitions are stored independently of machine features. More specific additional NC G-code POST processors can be used, they should be acquired from AustinNC or other developers.
CAE Lite – "Mechanica Lite" Pro/MECHANICA finite element analysis and simulation ("FEA") for maximum 100 surfaces. CAE Lite enables you to perform static structural analysis on parts and assemblies so you can virtually test your product earlier in the design cycle. Intuitive interface walks users through analysis setup: • Static Structural Analysis for Parts and Assemblies • Apply Loads and Constraints (Displacement, Pin, Ball, Planar) • Full results functionality • Results Probing, Animation, etc… Leverages Pro/ENGINEER Mechanica technology. Complete upward model compatibility to the full version of Pro/ENGINEER Mechanica for large-scale analysis.
Manikin Lite Find out how a human might interact with your design with ergonomic studies. Any Pro/ENGINEER user may load, place, edit placement and manipulate a manikin in the product scene. Explore the base concept of digital human modeling, directly inside Pro/ENGINEER! • Limited selection of full manikin design extension tools for manipulation (2D drag and apply posture only) • Manikin Extension adds the capabilities to check reach envelopes, vision cones, first person vision window • Manikin LITE analysis extension offers Pro/ENGINEER users several important ergonomic analysis software tools for product designs.
Pro/ENGINEER Piping and Cabling Design & Pro/ENGINEER Routed Systems Designer Lite Produce all cabling and piping 2D and 3D diagramming in a single solution Calculate mass properties, and automatically generate customizable BOM, wire lists, and flattened harnesses Evaluate pipelines for manufacturability and interference
Until 11 May 2010, CADDIT.net is sharing in a global limited-time 15% discount for all upgrades to progeCAD 2010 Professional. This includes discounts to the following basic upgrade options:
The procedure for upgrading progeCAD online is simple: select the matching progeCAD upgrade for your current license, fill out the bottom text box of the product page with your current serial code(s) and complete the order as usual.
It is also possible online to migrate or convert different CAD licenses to progeCAD Professional, Network or USB versions.
To upgrade from an older version of AutoCAD LT (2004 or newer), IntelliCAD 6, certain versions of TurboCAD Professional, Vectorworks, Microstation, BricsCAD and other software HERE. As with direct upgrades for progeCAD, upgrading simply requires entering a valid license code and a description of the old CAD software in the bottom text box provided. Always check this cross-over order form for a list of software currently qualifying for upgrade.
To convert from either progeCAD Professional stand-alone license or another CAD package to progeCAD Professional USB version, use this order page and select which system you are upgrading from the drop-down menu "product-current" toward the bottom of the order page, as well as filling out the current serial number. The final price for the USB upgrade varies depending from which previous CAD program that one upgrades from.
For example, why "upgrade" from AutoCAD LT 2006 to progeCAD Professional 2010? Here are some reasons: AutoCAD DWG 2010 file editing, Windows Vista & Windows 7 support, 3D modeling and rendering, AutoLISP and VBA programming, Google Earth export, Express Tools, Quick Dimensioning, PDF import, Raster to Vector tools, gradient hatching - all offered in progeCAD at modest cost - but not in AutoCAD LT 2006. In fact, while the gap between AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD widens, the gap between progeCAD and AutoCAD is narrowing.
Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:12:00 +0000 - Sydney, Australia - CADDIT and progeSOFT are happy to announce the milestone software release of progeCAD 2010. Also to be known as "progeCAD CLASSIC", this will be the final and best release ever available on the established IntelliCAD 6 platform (future versions will be based on new IntelliCAD 7 DRX technology). AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT software compatibility has been a priority. This unique "bridge" release delivers many features users have requested:
AutoCAD 2010 DWG file read/write Windows 7 compatibility PDF import & export with layers support Brand New Property Palette, with hide & fly-out. Brand New Boundary Hatch Interface, including gradient hatching Advanced CTB (Greyscale print and Screening) Polygon Layout Viewport Boundaries in Paper space SOLPROF - 2D profile image extraction from ACIS solids Improved Selection Windows with Dynamic Entity Highlighting
progeCAD 2010 now supports export to the following file formats: PDF, 3DS (Autodesk 3D Studio MAX), POV (Povray raytracer), Lightwave, ACIS .SAT, SVG (XML format), O2C, GoogleEarth KML, DWG and DXF (also a number of raster image formats).
Performance & stability improvements have been made throughout progeCAD. Real time pan, zoom, file operation, printing, 3D shading while rotating 3D models (via "shade" command + CTRL-Right Mouse Button), 3D operation has improved, paper space operation - all these aspects have been improved upon as well. The greatest advantage remains Windows 7 and AutoCAD 2010 support.
Why called "progeCAD CLASSIC"? While it is a new product, progeCAD 2010 represents the final version based on time-proven IntelliCAD 6 technology, a few parts of which evidently still trace back to the very early days of IntelliCAD. Future progeCAD releases will use a new DRX technology from the completely rewritten IntelliCAD 7. So from a certain historical point of view, progeCAD 2010 is perhaps the greatest direct realization of a software design that started fourteen years ago. To salute this long-standing achievement, CADDIT has dubbed progeCAD 2010 a "CLASSIC".
Alibre Design can be downloaded directly from CADDIT Australia HERE. This software will run in 30-day trial Professional mode before reverting to Alibre Design Xpress. All prices are listed ex-GST.
New pricing for upgrades and maintenance have also been published on CADDIT for Australia. For a complete price list of Alibre Design software and add-ons, see the CADDIT online shop HERE.
One common network configuration for business file storage and printing is the use of Linux file and print servers on low-cost PC hardware. The advantages of UNIX & Linux servers in an SMB office automation environment are:
Linux (also some UNIX, i.e. Solaris) is free to download
Linux is secure, fast and stable
Linux is scalable and highly configurable
Microsoft Windows, on the other hand, does work very well for supporting graphical end-user applications. progeCAD is a strongly graphical, end-user application for AutoCAD-compatible Computer Aided Design. To connect Windows PCs to a Linux back-office, we use Samba server. Samba is free Linux server software for sharing Windows folders or printers on a network:However, Samba will slow progeCAD's performance if not correctly configured. Samba is packaged for a wide variety of Linux types ("distributions") and installation is best carried out with free packages available for your version of Linux. Here are some more tips for setting up a network USB printer.
Once the USB printer is itself correctly configured by the local Linux printing subsystem (CUPS, LPRNG, UNIX LPR) the printer is then "shared" by its queue name onto the Windows SMB network in the Samba configuration (usually smb.conf, section shown here for Debian Linux - see Samba website for complete configuration details):
[printers] comment = Sample Printers path = /var/spool/samba create mode = 0700 browseable = yes writable = yes guest ok = yes public = yes printable = yes use client driver = no printer admin = root
[My5500] comment = Demo Example HP 5500 colour (change this with your own printer) path = /var/spool/samba browseable = yes writable = no guest ok = yes printable = yes default devmode = yes use client driver = no printer admin = root, administrator
Explanation: Driver configuration can either be client-side or server-side. We strongly recommend server-side drivers (default devmode = yes, use client driver = no) for speed and reliability. Only the Linux administrator is here given permission to "set up" the printer on the server side (printer admin = root). However this creates some challenges. The Windows driver will need to be "uploaded" to the Linux server. We will need to create an additional Samba configuration for allowing this:
Once smb.conf is saved, Samba needs to be restarted. A quick network browse of our Linux machine from Windows (i.e. from Windows Explorer type '\\server-name') should list the shared printers and folders on that 'server-name'. NOTE: For security purposes we have only allowed "root" (and administrator) any kind of admin rights to the Samba printers. Our problem is that Windows doesn't have a UNIX user called "root". We get around this by initially connecting to our new shared printer from the DOS / Command prompt as follows:
runas /netonly /user:root "rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /p /t3 /n\\server-name\printername" (i.e. \\pc123\My5510 in this example)
You should be prompted for the Linux password for "root", and then prompted whether you want to select a Windows driver at this time - click "No".
A spartan Properties Box for this printer should appear. Click on the "Advanced" tab along the top of the box and click the "New Driver.." button. Select a 'Generic -> Ms Publisher Color Printer' if you want to send Postscript to your Linux printer (this is a good idea, CUPS will automatically reformat Postscript files to something usable by the actual USB printer hardware if correctly configured). Windows should begin uploading the local driver from your PC to the Samba server. Now click the "Apply" button at the bottom of the properties box and you should see several more tabs appear in this dialogue box if everything goes as planned. You may now close this Properties Box.
Because "administrator" is also listed as an admin for our My5500 printer, Windows administrator can make centrally-stored changes to this Samba printer (like setting paper size from Letter to A4, or changing the Postscript mode). NOTE that we have thus far only highlighted steps to configure Samba printers on the server side. Now we can finally add this as a Windows printer by navigating to \\server-name in Windows Explorer, right-clicking the printer and clicking "connect" from the drop-down menu that appears.
This post does not completely cover Samba configuration, only those tips found best practice for printing. We have found the above approach to offer best performance and reliability for printing to Samba server on Linux in progeCAD IntelliCAD (as well as Microsoft Office applications) from Windows. However other procedures may work better for different plotters and we welcome your comments here.
Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:59:00 +0000 - The upcoming release of Alibre Design 12.1 (SP1) will include major enhancement to the basic CAM software included free with Alibre Design Expert, as well as the four- and five-axis options available for Alibre CAM Professional and Alibre CAM Expert.Improvement to the Alibre CAM Interface will make CNC programming inside Alibre Design much easier and enjoyable to do. Here is one comparison between the crowded old (left) tab interface and the new (right) cascading style:
But more than the lookand feel of Alibre CAM will change. A new entry method has been added to 2.5 axis profile milling operations allowing you to have more control over the entry angle.You can now create tabs/bridges for 2.5 axis profiling operations. You can specify the bridge height and length. You can also specify whether you want to use a particular number of bridges which will be equally distributed around the profiles or you can set an exact distance between bridges. Below is an example of the same cut-outs using 5 bridges and 10 bridges per profile.
The Tool Libraries will allow "drag and drop" of pre-defined tools into the active tool set. There will also be an option to immediately preview a tool upon creation.
Alibre CAM 2.0 will now support avoidance regions to specify where the tool should not cut, for example to avoid clamps holding the stock material down on your CNC machine. Flat faces can be directly selected as machining / avoidance regions instead of having to use sketches. You can also select the starting point for the engagement of the tool for Machining Operations defined by sketches.
Alibre CAM Standard will offer along-path-3D-entry for 3 axis horizontal finishing offers more control over surface finish for steep areas of parts. Specifying the engage angle and path height allows you to control the smoothness of the engage motion, helping to eliminate unwanted marks on the cut part that would otherwise need to be buffed out later. Alibre CAM Professional will also enjoy improvements to 4 axis milling.
Alibre CAM Expert will add a new 3D Offset profiling method, 3D Offset pocketing for making constant offset tool paths on the part surfaces, 3 axis pencil tracing now offers multiple passes & 3 axis valley re-machining allows split cuts, step over and cut control. Tool Holder Collision determines the minimum tool length required to avoid collision.
Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:46:00 +0000 - A special one-day progeCAD CAD training course will be held Thursday, 28 January 2010 in Newcastle, NSW Australia. Special pricing for this event in Australia should especially appeal to small businesses on the Australian East Coast. All materials needed for participating in the class will be provided upon arrival. The class will be divided into four sessions on basic and advanced design. Lunch will be catered for.
progeCAD is a powerful tool for AutoCAD-compatible CAD drawing. progeCAD offers most of the same commands and DWG file format support, but at a much lower cost compared to AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT software. Recent years have also seen many customer-driven improvements in speed and flexibility. In 2009 progeCAD added in-place text editing, paper space sheet size display and 3D Google Earth model export. New buyers are now also enjoy a free upgrade to the 2010 version upon release. A 30 day trial version can be downloaded from CADDIT.
Newcastle Computer Training is centrally located on Wood Street, Newcastle NSW not far from major highways and public transportation. A wide choice of accommodation is also available. All software, hardware and needed training materials will be provided on site.
Specific questions about next class content material are being answered by CADDIT on (02) 8777 5588. Registration for progeCAD Training 2010 can be completed by phoning or by registering online at HERE at CADDIT.
Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:00:00 +0000 - 1. Pro/ENGINEER seems harder to use All CAD software has some learning curve, and requires some training to use correctly. The more functionality software offers, the more that there is to learn about it (claims to the contrary usually have less to to with engineering design and more to do with clever marketing). Jeffrey Rowe, Editor at MCADCafe writes regarding the latest Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire release:
"Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5.0, is a refreshing continuation of 4.0 Instead of again just piling on an additional zillion new features and capabilities that relatively few designers use, PTC (like some of its competitors) chose to improve Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5.0 in other ways that matter to most customers, namely, software stability, better consistency across modeling functions, and promotion of more efficient work flows."
Three examples of this expressed in business are PowerSki (USA), Hayter (UK), Haald Engineering (Australia) Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5 further updated its 2D detail drawing interface with a familiar "command ribbon", similar to many other Windows applications. Pro/ENGINEER also holds a tradition of delivering more control over the final design than competing systems. And, unlike many bloated CAD systems today, much of Pro/ENGINEER is still leanly coded using C language.
2. Pro/ENGINEER doesn't support surface modelling False. Simply put, Pro/ENGINEER has supported parametric surface modelling for years, with no additional license required to create parametric surface models. PTC tightly integrates surface machining with its manufacturing software.
3. I heard Pro/ENGINEER is really expensive "For those still in the 2D realm and looking to switch, one thing worth considering is that Pro/Engineer is often perceived as an expensive option, particularly when you consider the price erosion in the mainstream market. This is not really the case anymore and the starting costs are comparable to its competition" - Al Dean, MCADonline.
In Australia, Pro Engineer is being offered at prices lower that its mainstream market competitors, CATIA and Unigraphics NX, perhaps Autodesk. In fact, a recent study in the Australian market found the total cost of ownership for Pro/Engineer to be lower than many mid-range products including Autodesk Inventor and SolidWorks.
4. Pro/ENGINEER can't collaborate Nothing could be further from the truth. Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire was designed from the start to make use of web technology. Pro/ENGINEER was the first CAD solution to be enabled for social product development. Wildfire offers file import/export including both ACIS & Parasolid, as well as Autodesk Inventor import and more. Windchill, ProductLink, ProjectLink and PTC ProductPoint PDM for Microsoft Office Sharepoint server are all examples of Pro/ENGINEER design team support.
As of 2010, CADDIT will be joining PTC a Pro/ENGINEER Reseller in Australia. For more information, we can be contacted per phone, fax, email, etc as shown HERE.
Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:11:00 +0000 - Vendor-neutral design collaboration over the network, CAD model repair and healing, cross-platform solid model translation, model analysis and measurement, batch translation, perspective rendering - these are just a few features enhanced by the latest release of TransMagic in Australia / New Zealand by CADDIT. TransMagic converts CATIA, SolidWorks, Unigraphics, JT, Pro/ENGINEER, Inventor and many other 3D formats.
TransMagic R8 sp3 enhancements include:
TransMagic is now fully supported on both Intel 64-bit and Windows 7 systems.
Drastically improved rendering performance for re-rendering geometry changes. The rendering engine now intelligently determines only what has changed and re-renders only that vs. re-rendering the entire scene after small changes.
New "Show Un-Repaired Geometry" dialog that gets launched when appropriately during the Auto-Repair Wizard
TransMagic now offers two different methods for stock size calculation "bounding box" - precise and fast.
CATIA V5 Environment now created on a per user account basis - allows any account type to establish the TM V5 Environment automatically without any user rights issue.
Siemens Unigraphics JT Facet Resolution can now be one of five settings for "normal deviation" and correspond to the following settings: Lowest accuracy (fastest) = 45 degrees, Low = 30 degrees, Normal = 15 degrees, High = 10 degrees, Highest accuracy (slowest) = 5 degrees
Added JT assembly output types: Single File Assembly Entire assembly in one file. Typical Assembly Assembly JT files + part JT files. Typical Assembly w/Directory Typical assembly JT file + directory. All Assembly Files Each assembly is a JT file including parts.
Upgraded to JT Open 5.3.
More enhancements to stability, speed, command-line interface and batch mode CAD file translations.
TransMagic native 64-Bit permanently changes the landscape for large CAD file translation by solving this common manufacturing problem. TransMagic reports that the new platform offers 10-20% better performance and a tremendous increase in CAD software file size capability. Translating multi-gigabyte files on a single computer is now a reality, with TransMagic 64-Bit.
TransMagic users with active maintenance can upgrade to SP3 free of charge. TransMagic 8 sp3 can be downloaded directly from CADDIT in Australia HERE. CADDIT can be contacted about options for TransMagic 64-bit, batch mode and command-line translation enterprise solutions HERE.
Until 31 December 2009, new buyers any CADDIT CP-System progePLAN module will get the second one for free, provided that the user also purchases the yearly maintenance plan for both modules (@AUD$140.00 each). This offer will only be available by direct request to CADDIT, please contact us for more details. All new users will also receive a free upgrade to soon-to-be released CAD-Profi 7.
progePLAN/CAD-Profi System is a comprehensive collection of four individually licensed, specialized 2D design modules for:
Electrical and industrial circuit wiring, lighting, fire & safety, power distribution or telecommunications plans and schematics
HVAC and plumbing, water-supply-and-sewage, medical, cooling duct installation and gas distribution design
Mechanical design, parametric steel profiles, comprehensive mechanical parts library, steel pipes, industrial equipment of heat exchangers
Architecture Design for building planners to easily draw basic architectural design using walls, parametric windows, doors and more.
Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:56:00 +0000 - Alibre has granted authorization to CADDIT Australia to offer the latest version of Alibre Design version 12 with at least AUD$1200 saving (84%) for these last few weeks of 2009. Why are we posting this to our blog? 1.This is not an Alibre 11 sale. This sale applies to the newly released Alibre Design version 12, including the features discussed earlier on our blog HERE. 2.It's a near give-away. Even if a company already uses another 3D CAD/CAM system, Alibre Design easily supplements as a stand-alone sub-assembly designer, detail drawing workstation or even just a STEP or DWG viewer.
Pricing for Alibre Design from CADDIT Australia until 12AM 1 January 2010 EST: Alibre Design Standard: 239.84+GST Alibre Design Standard: 859.00+GST Alibre Design Standard: 1199.00+GST
Sydney, Australia - CADDIT has announced several very exciting developments for progeCAD (design software) users.
First, we are happy to confirm that progeCAD 2010 is now deep in development. This coming release of our favorite low-cost "AutoCAD clone" will include several important new features, such as ability to read and write the new AutoCAD 2010 DWG file format. progeCAD 2010 Professional will also offer unprescedented speed and stability, based on the new IntelliCAD 6.6 toolkit.
Second, as of Friday, 06 November 2009 AEST, all new and upgrade purchases of progeCAD 2009 Professional from CADDIT will be elligable for a free upgrade to an equivalent 2010 version license upon release. This "buy 2009 today - get 2010 tomorrow" offer applies to all new and upgrade progeCAD Professional, progeCAD USB, progeCAD Network NLM licenses purchased on or after this date. It also applies to "cross-over" upgrades from AutoCAD LT, IntelliCAD, TurboCAD, ArchiCAD, Chief Architect and several other design software programs after this date. As last year, large scale corporate users will benefit the most from this offer. Users' progeCAD 2009 license(s) will be deactivated once that user has successfuly upgraded to 2010.
A follow up announcement will be made here when progeCAD 2010 is actually released.
Third, we are in final preparation of a new release for progeCAD Smart! progeCAD Smart 2009 will be available strictly for non-business use only. proegCAD Smart! is not open-source software. Design professionals, engineers, contractors, businesses and enterprises should use progeCAD Professional in 30-day trial mode for evaluation. Company employees should not use progeCAD Smart! for this purpose. More information will be available upon announcing the product release.
progeCAD development and support has advanced considerably. CADDIT enjoys direct access to product developers, internal bug tracking and extensive manufacturer support. We encourage users to give the latest 2009 release a free try. Australia and New Zealand users may download the full version progeCAD trial HERE, or request a free progeCAD CD HERE.
Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:11:00 +0000 - Phoenix, AZ, October 26, 2009 – The Open Design Alliance (ODA) today announced the availability of a new enhancement request system designed to improve communication between ODA Sustaining and Founding Members and ODA development.
As a member-driven organization, the ODA has consistently delivered technology that stems directly from the focus set by members through long-term development relationships and close communication. The newly implemented enhancement request system further strengthens the role of members within the organization by enabling them to enter and vote on new requests for ODA platform components, enhancements, and features. Members will also be able to collaborate on requests with each other and with ODA development.
ODA Chief Technical Officer Neil Peterson stated, “The ODA has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. As the size of our organization and the sophistication of our platform increases, we need to adopt infrastructure tools which are better suited to handling the increased communication load. The new enhancement request system will play a key role in future growth by providing an organized framework for expressing and prioritizing new ideas and development goals. It’s a strong addition to the membership infrastructure of the ODA.”
Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000 - Sydney, Australia - CADDIT announced today the Australia / New Zealand international release of progeCAD Professional 2009 9.0.28. This important upgrade offers several requested performance, reliability and DWG-compatibility enhancements. Over two months in development and testing has been invested in the release of 9.0.28. This upgrade is free to all progeCAD Professional 2009 stand-alone, network, USB and office license customers.
progeCAD is CAD design software offering many features found in Autodesk AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, at much lower cost. This includes AutoCAD DWG™ / DXF™ / DWF™ 2009 editing, 3D Google Earth Export, Spell Checker, Quick Dimension, Polar Tracking, eSnap (like oSnap™), PDF import / export, ACIS 3D solid modeling, raster to vector conversion and advanced hatching using a similar interface to AutoCAD. progeCAD has become very popular in Australia as one of the most reliable alternatives to AutoCAD for small to medium business - especially in the Australian architectural design and large mining industries.
CADDIT offers IT professionals optional direct access to local installation and technical support for their design CAD software from their Liverpool-Sydney offices in New South Wales. The latest free update for current progeCAD users was over two months in development, and includes many enhancements requested locally in Australia, including:
• Improved SAVE performances • Fixed Text Style combo • Fixed Layout print settings recording • TRIM options selection fixed • Fixed CopyClip and PasteClip between progeCAD<->AutoCAD • Fixed block insertion point set in the BLOCK dialog • Disabled BLOCK command during REFEDIT mode • Fixed UNDO option in TRIM and EXTEND command, used after FENCE and CROSSING option
progeCAD 2009 users who have direct internet access and the progeSOFT autoupdate feature enabled should be notified of the upgrade automatically. progeCAD users with limited or no direct internet access to their progeCAD workstation can download the new version and install it directly over their existing 2009 installation.
Previous version IntelliCAD and AutoCAD LT users are also encouraged to try the latest progeCAD 9.0.28 release free for 30 days in full-function trial mode. German progeCAD users can visit progeCAD Deutschland for information about the latest version.
Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:53:00 +0000 - Outsourcing manufacturing and even development to overseas companies became a fact of life with international agreements and the economic globalization which quickly followed. Foreign export subsidies abroad and lowered import tariffs at home offer a powerful case for simply sourcing what we want from somewhere else. The benefit to consumers are cheaper display prices. However, the products themselves can have hidden costs which total much higher than the display price. Here are just threecosts not on the price tag:
Safety: September 2009 saw the latest chapter in a long string of expensive and time-consuming product recalls of items manufactured in China. Just the other day one of our staff found themselves face to face with this reality in their own home, having narrowly avoided possible injury when the powder metal blade retainer for their new, one-day-old imported lawn mower cracked a large chunk off after just ten minutes of operation. This safety-critical part was stamped from powder metal and probably given insufficient oven time to bake - which means there are hundreds - thousands somewhere just like it. Back at the store our colleague watched as the entire model line seemed to have a similar flaw and started immediately getting pulled from the floor. How much could that have cost someone?
Economic: Training overseas personnel has opened the door to a flood of skillful black-market copycats, counterfeiters, patent and trademark pirates who apply inside knowledge to cleverly reproduce almost any product illegally, which becomes expensive and difficult to police. Local jobs and skills are lost overseas forever. Eventually, the local economy finds itself borrowing from China to buy from China.
Human Rights: Those employed overseas in the manufacture of low cost goods for export often discover their original expectations wrong, working in appalling conditions, with no way back out. Middlemen, business brokers and investors receive the entire net profit from the supply-demand relationship.
The real differential in the final consumer's decision is actually not cost, but timing. When presented a choice between "pay now or pay later", MBA 101 states that credit-based consumerism such as what is encouraged in the USA will pick "pay later" - even if it means paying more. Darwinism 101 responds that if cutting out fierce business competition could therefore be timed early, it technically justifies almost any other consequence in quality, ethics or community interest. Darwin knows that consumers will still have opportunity to pay their fare share of it all, just a bit "later".
Uncontrolled serial product outsourcing can be a disaster. Not surprisingly, there is growing understanding about the importance of highly selective outsourcing, supplier evaluation, certification and inspection by qualified local staff and agency, while maintaining tight product control, domestic R&D, and a healthy ratio of credible domestic suppliers and know-how at home.
Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:45:00 +0000 - Sydney, Australia - CADDIT announces that the Australia localized version for Alibre Design is available for free download HERE. Alibre V12 offers new features and enhancements over V11, particularly when working with large assemblies and in "shaded & visible edges (wireframe edge)" graphics mode. CADDIT recommends Alibre Design V12 as Alibre's strongest feature/dollar CAD value product release yet. A full list of enhancements can be read in the Alibre Design README document after installation.
It's worth noting that a few adjustments have been made in packaging. Alibre Design Expert now includes Alibre Translate (for reading CATIA, Inventor, Pro/ENGINEER, SolidWorks, SolidEdge etc) free. Alibre Design expert also includes Alibre CAM 3 axis CNC milling, Alibre Vault PDM, Machinist Toolbox and Alibre Motion for mechanical simulation.
Both Alibre Design Expert and Professional versions include a single license for Algor DesignCheck single part linear FEA, direct editing, extended part libraries and Hypershot Web photo-realistic 3D rendering studio.
Current users of Alibre Design 11, as well as those who recently took advantage of the recent Alibre Standard promotion sale, may upgrade their account to version 12 by clicking HERE, logging in and following the instructions to download the new Alibre 12 trial version. NOTE: Alibre 11 users in Australia will need paid and active Alibre Maintenance to upgrade to version 12. Alibre 11 users may still buy into maintenance by clicking HERE.
The full procedure for Alibre 11 upgrade to version 12 is also available in this PDF document. Comments about this new release of Alibre Design can be posted to our new Alibre Forum.
Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:14:00 +0000 - I have been working in CAD support for over a decade. But it's not often that I read a CAD homepage like these quotes, as of 04.10.2009, from what was once Chief Architect in Australia (original misspelling included):
"Chief Architect Inc's USA short sighted management has made the decision that in an effort to support all Chief Architect users 'more efficiently' (?) they will totally eliminate the middle men.. i.e. their remaining commercial Chief Architect dealers acoss the world, before the end of the year.. and have started the ball rolling by terminating the contracts of Gordon McDermott and his dedicated team at BayCAD in New Zealand.. and of course ourselves here at Chief Australia.
May we however suggest that you read between the lines, and instead of the words 'more efficently' substitute.. 'now we'll be able to have ALL of the income from sales and support internationally.. not just the major portion of it'.
From a personal point of view.. we have spent thirteen years building up this business, and dedicated it almost exclusively to the sale and support of Chief Architect software. It has now just been totally destroyed by Chief Architect Inc with only 60 days notice.. notice initally delivered by email no less! So now we're all unemployed!...
Interestingly, there has been no contact with us at all from Greg Wells, the President of Chief Architect.. not a quick phone call offering a word of thanks, no golden handshake (God forbid).. or even so much a letter of appreciation for our years of hard work in establishing and building Chief Architect's user base here in Australia.. just a single sentence in an email that they sent out to our customers.
So on behalf of our loyal Australian users we'd just like to say..
Thanks for nothing Chief Architect!"
WOW.
I wasn't actually surprised by the story, had already heard it from another former reseller. And although this kind of disloyalty disgusts me, it doesn't necessarily surprise me either. I find the apparent ingratitude from Chief Architect USA somewhat bold. But I would be surprised if a seasoned mid range CAD developer would really be so out of touch and so naive to believe that many will continue paying an Aussie-four-grand for an engineering package that doesn't offer local support. I guess time will tell what they really have in mind...
Sydney, 10 September 2009 - Parametric Technology Corporation (Nasdaq: PMTC) Asia Pacific Channel has formally enlisted CADDIT for service and support of their engineering software portfolio. This takes place as new staff join the CADDIT central office in Liverpool, Australia. PTC Mathcad can now also be downloaded directly from CADDIT in Australia, with a bonus pack of seven industry add-on modules.
Mathcad offers a unique "What You See is What You Get (WYSIWYG)" calculation whiteboard for visually solving complex engineering, scientific, medical and mathematical problems in algebra, trigonometry or calculus. Resulting 2D and 3D graphs may be arranged as the user needs along with original formulas, text, notations and graphics. Mathcad is better suited than average software such as Excel for documenting important technical or mathematical concepts. Mathcad is used by a large number of Fortune 1000 companies including Boeing, General Electric, IBM and Kellogg.
CADDIT.net offers an easy-to-use website for quickly comparing and buying CAD design and engineering software in Australia. Special pricing for Mathcad student/academic version as well as business and enterprise license discounts are now offered directly on CADDIT as well. “We are very fortunate to have recently acquired new staff who truly understand this software, and we will shortly be hosting a series of live webinars demonstrating how Mathcad can be a very inexpensive way for industry to solve common problems” states the company director regarding their new support of this powerful scientific and visualization software tool.
Selected preview sections for the upcoming scientific webinar series can be seen on the CADDIT forum.
CADDIT is currently offering Mathcad with a bonus pack of seven add-on modules: the full electrical, civil and mechanical engineering libraries, Wavelets and data analysis extension packs together with the Mathcad image and signal processing extensions. A 25% discount on single pc nodelock commercial licenses is available from the CADDIT.net website (for Australia only).
Download Mathcad for a free full-function demo from CADDIT.net in Australia HERE (Australia only).
Sun, 06 Sep 2009 10:35:00 +0000 - This announcement is in English and German (German version below). Weimar-Germany, September, 6th 2009 – progeCAD-Deutschland has launched the release of free tutorials for progeCAD Professional in German language. The tutorials are supposed to assist CAD beginners as well as advanced users in working with progeCAD effectively. The tutorials come in the form of an E-Book.
The first part is entitled "progeCAD-Tutorial 1". It addresses the absolute CAD-Beginner and is intended to make the start with progeCAD Pro as easy as possible. In 9 brief chapters basic file and drawing functions are explained. The examples contain also command sequences, which can be tested out immediately in the progeCAD command line. For better understanding many screen shots were added.
Weimar-Deutschland, 6.September 2009 – progeCAD-Deutschland hat mit der Veröffentlichung von kostenlosen, deutschsprachigen Tutorials für das Programm progeCAD Professional begonnen. Die Tutorials sollen CAD-Anfängern als auch fortgeschrittenen Benutzern dabei helfen, progeCAD Professional effektiv zu nutzen. Die Tutorials haben die Form eines E-Books.
Der erste Teil trägt den Titel "progeCAD-Tutorial 1". Er richtet sich an den absoluten CAD-Anfänger und soll den Start mit progeCAD Pro so einfach wie möglich machen. In 9 kurzen Kapiteln werden grundlegende Datei- und Zeichenfunktionen erklärt. Die Beispiele enthalten auch “Befehlsfolgen”, die sofort mit der Befehlszeile in progeCAD Pro ausgetest werden können. Zum besseren Verständnis wurden auch viele Screenshots eingefügt.
However, Samba will slow progeCAD's performance if not correctly configured. Samba is packaged for a wide variety of Linux types ("distributions") and installation is best carried out with free packages available for your version of Linux. Here are some more tips for setting up a network USB printer.
But more than the lookand feel of Alibre CAM will change. A new entry method has been added to 2.5 axis profile 
