Editor’s Pick: SpaceClaim Announces SpaceClaim Engineer 2011+

By DE Editors

Dear Desktop Engineering Reader:

Oulette was too hung over to function, so he told me I was in charge. I had slung eggs in luncheonettes, but now I had to feed 600 in the college dining hall. I had 90 minutes—and no qualifications—to pull off something this large. Desperate to keep cash coming for next semester’s tuition, I started cracking. A lot of engineering outfits work that way. Analysts, engineers, and technicians often get cracking with 3D parametric CAD that they’re not qualified to run because time and situational paranoia hang over them. One of the beauties of 3D direct modeling is that your do-bees can execute their jobs as if they were CAD experts without disturbing the real CAD pro.

SpaceClaim was one of the first outfits to advance the idea that direct modeling working in parallel with parametric modeling held a key to design and manufacturing process efficiency. They argued that direct modeling empowered analysts, engineers, sales engineers, technicians, even marketing to press ahead in their jobs without waiting for the CAD maven, or disrupting her or his workflow. People could grab a copy of the design or start creating a 3D concept and do what needed to be done. This empowered the organization to produce 3D files that clearly demonstrated to the CAD jock the job at hand or strutted your skills before clients without delay. Like any insight, SpaceClaim first met with raspberries. Now everyone talks their talk.

SpaceClaim has just released the 2011+ version of its SpaceClaim Engineer 3D direct modeling system, and it seems to advance its direct modeling vision a bit further. This edition sees improvements and upgrades with the software’s concept modeling, design review, and simulation capabilities. It also offers extensive new manufacturing features.

The new manufacturing capabilities address NC machining, jig and fixture design, and mold manufacturing. New sheet metal capabilities include things like double wall support, tabs, hinges, and curve wrapping. SpaceClaim Engineer 2011+ also has tighter integration with Luxion’s KeyShot 3D design and visualization software and, as a SpaceClaim user, you have free access to the TraceParts library of CAD part models.

What this all means is that SpaceClaim can now also help those working with manufacturing, rendering, or part picking move ahead without delaying your processes or idling until somebody else can get them what they need. The particulars of these new features and improvements in SpaceClaim Engineer 2011+ are covered in today’s Pick of the Week write-up and in the (registration-free) videos you’ll find linked to the end of the write-up.

I cracked a lot of eggs in that kitchen while Oulette slept off his bender. There was no other way and no time. In business, time is not on your side. You have to get cracking every minute. Thankfully, there are ways to structure your process and reclaim precious time. SpaceClaim could be one such way for you. You can take a crack at it by signing up for a trial.

Thanks, pal.—Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood
Editor at Large, Desktop Engineering

Read today’s Pick of the Week write-up.

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