FEA FOR ELECTRICAL FIELDS
Capability: The educational versions of the 2-D programs EStat and PerMag have the capabilities of the full applications, but are limited to 12,500 nodes and eight material regions. The programs offer finite element analysis for electromagnetics. EStat determines electric fields in dielectric or conductive media. Advanced capabilities include support for anisotropic materials and the option to define continuous variations of potential, dielectric constant, or conductivity from mathematical functions. PerMag covers all aspects of magnetostatics, including saturation effects in soft materials and permanent magnets with non-linear demagnetization curves. The package includes Mesh, an automatic conformal mesh generator with a built-in drawing editor and DXF import capability.
Hardware: PC running Windows, any version.
Developer: Field Precision, P.O. Box 13595, Albuquerque, N.M. 87192; (505) 220-3975; fax (617) 752-9077; www.fieldp.com.
Cost: Free.
Click here for more information.
CIRCUIT BOARD ANALYSIS
Capability: The computational fluid dynamics software CoolitPCB version four allows printed circuit board designers to do board level analysis, predict the thermal behavior of their designs, and find optimum component placement on their boards. Users can construct detailed models of ball grid arrays, dual inline packages, and quad flat packages. They can select integrated circuit models from hundreds in the application’s new add-on, the Integrated Circuit Packages Library. Users can modify the models and save the results. These models can then be converted into compact models for computation.
Hardware: PC running Windows 2000, NT, or XP.
Developer: Daat Research Corp., P.O. Box 5484, Hanover, NH 03755-5484; (603) 643-2999; fax (603) 448-2941; www.CoolitPCB.com.
Cost: $3,200 for an annual, node-locked license; $1,500 for the IC Package Dialog and Library.
Click here for more information.
DESIGN ACROSS MEDIA
Capability: Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium makes it easy to move design content across print, Web, interactive, film, video, and mobile applications. Applications within the suite include Adobe ConnectNow for real-time collaboration. Another application gives users the capability to paint and animate 3-D models using tools in Photoshop CS4 Extended. Also included are Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and Flash applications.
Hardware: PC running Windows XP or Vista, or the Mac OS X platform.
Developer: Adobe Systems Inc., 345 Park Ave., San Jose, CA 95110-2704; (408) 536-6000; fax (408) 537-6000; www.adobe.com.
Cost: $1,799.
Click here for more information.
LEARN SOLIDWORKS
Capability: A multimedia training company has released its SolidProfessor Professional Bundle, a learning system for SolidWorks 2009. It includes seven courses for SolidWorks 2009 in a multimedia format. The first three courses—3-D Skills, Core Concepts, and Drawings—are designed to help new users build a fundamental foundation. The other courses—Advanced Parts, Advanced Assemblies, Sheet Metal Design, and Update Training—address the needs of more experienced designers.
Hardware: PC running Windows 2000 or NT.
Developer: SolidProfessor, 121 Broadway, Suite 557, San Diego, CA 92101; (866) 966-6977; fax (619) 342-4849; www.solidprofessor.com.
Cost: $599.
Click here for more information.
SUPPORT VTK
Capability: Visualization Toolkit VTK files are open-source plug-ins for Alibre Design, AutoCAD, and Solid Edge. The developer’s toolkit stores geometric data in a file format known as VTK. Because few CAD applications have the ability to read and write VTK files, the developer has developed these VTK data exchange plug-ins for the CAD systems it supports. The plug-ins provide 3-D computer graphics, image processing, and visualization. They also support older versions of these CAD systems.
Hardware: PC running Windows 2000 or NT.
Developer: Sycode, S1/116, Nova Cidade Complex, NH 17, Alto Porvorim, Goa 403521, India; (91-982) 2689298; fax (91-832) 2416615; www.sycode.com.
Cost: $250.
Click here for more information.
HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE
Capability: The AutoCAD developer now offers its CAD software prebundled with a graphics card and a computer workstation for an all-in-one hardware, graphics, and CAD solution. The technology package includes an HP xw4600 workstation, an NVIDIA Quadro graphics card, and a license of AutoCAD 2009 software. The package is particularly helpful for those migrating from 2-D to 3-D design, according to the CAD developer.
Hardware: Included.
Developer: Autodesk, 111 McInnis Pkwy., San Rafael, CA 94903; (800) 964-6432; www.autodesk.com.
Cost: $3,995 to start.
Click here for more information.
DESIGN APPLICATION
Capability: The CAD program ZWCAD 2009 features DWG format compatibility. The application acts as a platform for professional application developers. It also includes more than 20,000 drawings. The DRX programming interface—similar to ARX in AutoCAD—allows designers to expand ZWCAD 2009 and to develop their own applications with greater efficiency. Many functions have been rewritten in this release to assure greater stability. An automated backup function now protects users against operating system crashes.
Hardware: PC running Windows 2000, XP, or NT.
Developer: ZWCAD Software Co. Ltd., Room 508, No.886, Tianhe North Road, Guangzhou 510635, China; (86-20) 38259726; www.zwcad.org.
Cost: $700.
Click here for more information.
GRAPHICS AND TAGS
Capability: SolidWorks Labs has added four new applications for free download for users of the SolidWorks CAD program. One of the applications, Treehouse, lets users create a graphical representation of their assembly before beginning design work. Once complete, the image can be imported into any product data manufacturing system. Another, Tagger, uses tags to inject relevant information into design files. Users open a file to see a list of tags used in that document or click on a term to highlight features tagged with that term. Presentation Studio shows engineers how to create interactive PDF files for non-CAD users such as customers, marketers, salespersons, and executives. Collada Export can export solid models in a 3-D object and motion format for use in robotics development programs.
Hardware: PC running Windows and SolidWorks.
Developer: SolidWorks Corp., 300 Baker Ave., Concord, MA 01742; (800) 693-9000; www.solidworks.com.
Cost: Available for free download at http://labs.solidworks.com/.
Click here for more information.
QUICK CAD
Capability: The 3-D mechanical CAD program Alibre Design Xpress has been upgraded to version 11. This version provides a subset of the functionality found in the developer’s commercial products. It now includes SolidWorks file compatibility, enabling customers to read native SolidWorks files directly. The upgraded package doubles performance and productivity within assembly operations compared to past versions. The upgrade also includes speed enhancements to the 2-D drawing functions. In this version, the entire code base has been migrated to the .NET platform for easier installation, better graphics device driver support, and stability.
Hardware: PC running Windows 98, 2000, or NT.
Developer: Alibre Inc., 1701 N. Greenville Ave., Suite 702, Richardson, TX 65081; (972) 671-8492; fax (972) 671-8493; www.alibre.com.
Cost: Free.
Click here for more information. |
