Briefings: June 2005

By DE Editors

Maple Gets More Powerful, More Intuitive Version 10 Makes it Less Complex to Solve and Document Complex Math

On May 16, Maplesoft unwrapped Maple version 10, a major release of its flagship numeric and symbolic mathematics and documentation system. Maple 10 shifts the emphasis from creating math to making math more accessible by equipping users with a single tool to perform advanced mathematics and to capture and share analyses. None of that is to imply that Maple 10 neglects its heritage as a numeric and symbolic mathematics powerhouse. In fact, more than 18 major areas of functionality have been upgraded or enhanced in version 10.

 

Maple 10 seamlessly combines numeric and symbolic calculations, explorations, mathematical notation, documentation, buttons and sliders, graphics, and animations that can be shared and reused. It enables users to convey information in a familiar way, such as a textbook or technical paper, as well as via executable, self-checking documents.

 

Maple 10 gives engineers the ability to apply units and/or tolerance to any variable or constant. Units and tolerance will be carried through all calculations, letting engineers check both the final units and tolerance or degree of uncertainty of the result.

Maple 10’s MathML Equation Editor lets users interactively create textbook-quality equations in natural mathematical notation. It includes expression templates, a handwriting palette, thousands of mathematical symbols, automatic equation numbering, and so on. Maple now includes a graphing calculator, allowing access to the full power of Maple via a familiar, intuitive interface.

Other features include  automated point-and-click plot builder, more than 190 task templates and interactive task assistants for fill-in-the-blank problem solving, and a point-and-click ODE (ordinary differential equations) analyzer. Look for a review of Maple 10 this summer in DE.

Maplesoft  • Waterloo, ONT  •  maplesoft.com

QuadriSpace has added the Granite Import Module based on the PTC Granite Interoperability Kernel to its Document3D line of products that enable users to create documents, publications, and presentations from 3D designs. This latest add-on extends the ability to import solid models. Pro/Engineer users can now import 3D CAD files directly and quickly create interactive and printed documents. The new module also supports a variety of other 3D interchange formats such as STEP, IGES, VDA, SAT, and Parasolid. CAD users and downstream users can leverage existing 3D models and 2D drawings for a variety of uses.

By using 3D CAD tools for design and Document3D for documentation, companies realize shorter design cycles and up-to-date documentation, says QuadriSpace. Additionally, as designs change, outdated documents can be updated by simply importing the revised design into the documents.

Document3D simplifies the creation of documents from 3D designs and provides an easy transition from print to interactive 3D documentation. The resulting documents are suitable for engineering documents, assembly instructions, service and operational procedures, product demos, training manuals, and sales presentations.

QuadriSpace  •  Allen, TX  •  document3d.com

PTC  •  Needham, MA  •  ptc.com

Leaders of the Rapid Prototyping (RP) industry announced free medical support for victims of the war in Iraq during a May 10 briefing at the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing Conference in Dearborn, MI. “RP for Baghdad” is a joint humanitarian effort led by Fried Vancraen of Materialise, Abe Reichental of 3D Systems, Scott Crump of Stratasys, and Tom Clay of Z Corporation to provide medical models for the treatment of victims in Iraq.

The effort will focus on the most severely injured: those with serious head injuries or missing limbs. The Iraqi League for Medical Professionals is providing the infrastructure for this service. People with serious injuries will first be CT scanned at a medical facility and the data from the scan will be processed using Mimics software from Materialise to generate a 3D Model of the anatomy. 3D Systems, Stratasys, and Z Corporation will provide physical models based on the virtual model. The models will be delivered back to a surgeon in Iraq who can use this bone replica to plan and practice for surgery. As the project progresses, the plan is to build RP parts for socket construction in artificial limbs.

The use of RP in the medical field starts with the digital CT scan data, from which it’s possible to print exact replicas of human body parts. Surgeons use these models to study and prepare for complex surgeries. This procedure was used to separate conjoined Egyptian twins in October 2003.

RP for Baghdad is looking for medical model builders and cash. Please visit rp4baghdad.org, then click on the “Can I Help?” tab to support this effort.

Noran Engineering Inc. has announced the release of NEiNastran V8.4 for Linux and Windows. Version 8.4 incorporates more than 70 customer-driven enhancements, according to the company.

Key Solver improvements include support for huge models of more than 7 million degrees of freedom in Windows XP as well as enhanced nonlinear and dynamic solutions that are said to increase performance by 2 to 10 times. Other enhancements include more accurate and robust quad shell elements, automated cyclic symmetric boundary conditions, a faster Lanczos Eigensolver, Craig-Bampton reduction for substructuring and super-element generation, Modal Assurance Criteria (MAC), and Modal Cross Orthogonality (MXO) plots. Additionally, V8.4 has new productivity tools for aerospace, maritime, and automotive users.

NEiNastran ‘s editor has also been enhanced with full-post processing capability. Improvements include a new graphics kernel, enhanced post-processing utilities, and global settings. Automatic x,y plotting of modal effective mass, 3D x,y,z modal animation, and graphs of analysis correlation matrices now can be displayed in a visual Windows format as an aid to complex analysis and problem solving. For complete details, go the Noran Engineering website.

Noran Engineering   •  Westminster, CA  •  nenastran.com

UGS Corp. has announced a new release of its JT2Go viewer solution. JT2Go-JT Open Edition introduces a new capability to author a variety of Microsoft documents with embedded JT2Go viewers called JT Documents. Users throughout the supply chain can use the new JT2Go release to view JT Documents, while JT Open Program members will have a key enabling them to publish JT Documents.

The JT2Go solution is a no-charge, 3D viewing product that enables companies to share JT data globally. UGS says that thousands of users have already downloaded JT2Go, which enables viewing of the JT format, a widely used lightweight 3D data format. JT Open is a UGS initiative driven by global leaders to promote the development and proliferation of the JT format.

The new JT Document capability in JT2Go enables users to view 3D JT data directly in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel documents with embedded JT2Go viewers. While the authoring of JT Documents is currently available only to JT Open Program members, all users can view JT Documents once they have the new release of the JT2Go solution installed. For more information, visit jt2go.com.