Siemens Releases Solid Edge ST8

Designers and engineers at Ross Robotics in Taplow Buckinghamshire, UK, designed the Armourdillo modular robot completely in Solid Edge. Image courtesy of Siemens PLM Software Inc.

Siemens PLM Software has announced the upcoming release of Solid Edge ST8, the latest version of its 3D design, simulation, manufacturing and design management applications. This new release, says Siemens, includes new functionality and enhancements that increase design speed and can help improve your ability to leverage synchronous technology (ST). Additionally, you can now install the full version of Solid Edge ST8 on tablets running Microsoft Windows 8.1. At the same time it announced Solid Edge ST8, Siemens also launched a new online store called the Solid Edge App Marketplace.

Siemens describes synchronous technology as combining the speed and flexibility of direct modeling with the precise control of dimension-driven design. The company adds that flexible modeling incorporating synchronous technology frees you to intuitively produce realistic, accurate designs faster, reducing time-to-market.

With Solid Edge ST8, improvements to synchronous design intent management, complex sketching and 3D feature recognition accelerate your modeling process by enabling you to focus on designs rather than the design tools, according to the company. For example, the software’s streamlined synchronous modeling interface displays only relevant intent. As you make edits to the model, you are presented with just the information that impacts the modification directly.

New visual drawing comparison capabilities in Solid Edge ST8 help you visually identify differences between drawing revisions. Image courtesy of Siemens PLM Software Inc.

Siemens reports that simplification of large and complex assembly capabilities in Solid Edge ST8, combined with its ability to accurately simulate and predict kinematic conditions, greatly accelerates the assembly design process and significantly reduces the need for physical prototypes. Solid Edge ST8 also provides extended access to in-product learning tools, the Solid Edge online community and the new Solid Edge App Marketplace.

Solid Edge ST8 provides access to in-product learning tools and the Solid Edge online community forum. The forum is always accessible to users, even during design sessions. Image courtesy of Siemens PLM Software Inc.

Solid Edge ST8, says Siemens, provides full support for the Windows 8.1 multi-touch interface on the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet. With Solid Edge ST8 running on the Surface Pro, you can interact with Solid Edge using the Surface Pro touchscreen, click-in Surface Type Cover, mouse and the Surface Pen. You can run design sessions that include large assemblies and complex parts, and you can use finger gestures on the touchscreen to pan, zoom and rotate your view. You can also change a design, validate it using Solid Edge Simulation as well as display photorealistic images and animations.

Beginning with version ST8, you can now run full Solid Edge design projects on Microsoft Windows 8.1 tablets. Image courtesy of Siemens PLM Software Inc.

Solid Edge ST8 also now provides new table-driven patterns as well as visual drawing comparison capabilities for identifying differences between drawing revisions. The table-driven patterns capability lets you create irregularly arranged patterns driven by a spreadsheet. Version ST8 further extends the recognition of hole patterns within imported geometry by now recognizing regular repetitions of any geometry as a circular, rectangular, or even user-defined pattern.

With Solid Edge ST8 you can drive patterns of model features from a spreadsheet, which can help facilitate the design of irregularly shaped arrays. Image courtesy of Siemens PLM Software Inc.

Miscellaneous enhancements include the ability to capture weld beads applied within one assembly as part files and apply them to alternate assemblies, the ability to locate geometry from upper-level components while editing in-place parts or subassemblies, numerous wire routing workflow enhancements, accelerated data searches and the ability to build a parts list of item numbers specific to a selected portion of a structure, excluding all other components.

Siemens defines its new Solid Edge App Marketplace as a one-stop shop for add-on solutions that extend the capabilities of Solid Edge and help users further enhance their product development productivity. At the Solid Edge App Marketplace, you can search for, compare and purchase partner-developed apps for Solid Edge.

“Solid Edge ST8 significantly enhances accessibility and ease of use,” said John Miller, senior vice president, Mainstream Engineering Software, Siemens PLM Software, in a press statement. “We believe it is important for our customers to have a choice of how they purchase and deploy Solid Edge. Whether they select a perpetual or subscription license, a desktop workstation or a fully mobile platform, we are able to provide companies of all sizes the right solution for their business needs. As a result, Solid Edge customers are able to design better and realize innovation.”

Solid Edge ST8 is scheduled to ship this summer. For more information, click here.

Watch how the new design intent enhancements in Solid Edge ST8 work.

Learn more about running Solid Edge ST8 on the Microsoft Surface Pro tablet.

Download a PDF detailing what’s new in Solid Edge ST8.

Download a 45-day trial of Solid Edge or stream Solid Edge live for 20 hours.

See why DE’s editors selected Solid Edge ST8 from Siemens’ PLM Software as their Pick of the Week.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.