The Dawn of CAD 2.0
excerpted from
Full article is available for a fee
Deelip Menezes, September
21, 2007 Whether by intent or side effect, proprietary file
formats lock 3D CAD users into one vendor. The architecture of today’s
parametric solid modeling systems make it close to impossible for their
solid models to be worked upon in another parametric system without
losing parametric information. Users wanting to achieve interoperability
between two parametric modeling systems can do so only using neutral
file formats such as IGES, STEP, SAT, etc., wherein the solid models
come in as dumb solids, making it impossible to edit the parametric
features of such models.
The solution to the problem is not a new parametric modeling capable
neutral file format. Surprisingly, the solution has come in the form of
a whole new modeling technique. I believe this technique, and the
software behind it, represents such a leap forward that I call it CAD
2.0, the CAD equivalent of Web 2.0. It is the next generation of CAD
software. This is the modeling technique employed by several products,
some new and some established. To me, the quintessential example of this
new genre is SpaceClaim Professional 2007, innovative software developed
by SpaceClaim Corporation (http://www.spaceclaim.com).
You may wonder how a modeling technique can solve a data
interoperability problem. It is quite simple.
The Modeling Technique
SpaceClaim can take a dumb solid model and quickly recognizes its
features. Thereafter, intuitive editing tools offer the power of
parametric modeling without the hassle of a feature tree.
OK, so what does this fancy modeling technique have to do with the
data interoperability problem? Well, everything. If you can do
“parametric” modeling on a dumb solid, then an IGES, STEP or SAT file is
as good as the original proprietary file created by a parametric
modeler. Any solid modeling system should be able to import and export
to one or all of these neutral formats.
In such a CAD 2.0 world, proprietary formats, even if they exist,
will not matter much. Although data exchange across different systems
occurs through neutral formats alone, it will be as if both the sending
and receiving systems recognize each other’s parametric data, because
both CAD 2.0 systems recognize the features automatically when loading
the models. For example, create a box in one CAD 2.0 system, apply a
fillet and save the model as a SAT file. Then import the SAT file into
another CAD 2.0 system, change the fillet radius, add a hole feature and
save it back as a SAT file. Thereafter, import this modified SAT file
back in the first CAD 2.0 system and it will still be possible to edit
the hole and fillet as if they both were created in the first system.
The model has made a round trip, but it seems as if it was modeled
entirely in the first CAD 2.0 system. There was no loss of parametric
data, no interoperability problem. Follow the sequence in the
illustrations below.
Fillet in the first CAD 2.0 system.
Increased fillet radius, added hole in second CAD 2.0 system.
Moved hole to corner, added fillets in first CAD 2.0 system.
Read more
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