VX Innovator Suits All Levels of CAD/CAM Users

By Margaret S. Gurney

VX Innovator is a foundational product with a built-in 3D learning system called Show-n-Tell. It is also expandable to handle advanced design, digital model reconstruction, mold & die design, and 2- to 5-axis milling.

Designed to make high-end CAD/CAM accessible for entry-level CAD/CAM users tackling challenging designs, VX Innovator from VX Corporation (Melbourne, FL) is a scalable solution described as the perfect all-around tool for getting started — yet it can handle heavy-duty design work and, at $995, is affordable by anyone’s standards.

“We designed VX Innovator to meet two important needs in the engineering,  manufacturing community. Firstly, provide a low-cost, no-hassle design solution with built-in learning to make it easy for users to get up and running fast,”  says Bob Fischer, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at VX Corporation. “Secondly, give clients a guaranteed growth path into advanced modeling, reverse engineering, mold &  die, and machining.”

VX Corporation says that VX Innovator, which contains a set of modeling and assembly tools for conceptual and mechanical design, can be upgraded to any level of CAD/CAM including full mold & die, design, and manufacturing. It is built on the VX Overdrive kernel, which is designed to ensure a seamless migration to all other VX products for advancing to Class A Surfacing, shape morphing, reverse engineering, rapid prototyping, mold & die design, 2- to 5-axis machining,  and more.

VX Innovator also provides open-shape modeling and basic surfacing tools as well as a complete set of translators. Tutorials complete the package.

Specific Tools
VX Innovator lets you create and deliver 2D drawing layouts of parts and assemblies including BOMs. Engineering managers and design reviewers can check drawings and models created with VX Designer, mold & die, or models developed with other CAD systems. Plus, VX Innovator can help you quote jobs by importing, measuring, and making quick 2D layouts.

Show-n-Tell built-in learning center tutorials allow users to learn VX Innovator at their own pace on their own schedule. Note the Menu at left showing options.

VX Innovator is a true hybrid modeler using modeling tools, which, the company says, work seamlessly with surface and solid geometry — no solid required. Plus, healing and surface editing tools are available to work with non-solid geometry.

The company says VX Innovator allows you to add style to your models with complex sweeps, lofts,  and domes, and includes an entire suite of detailing and layout tools for communicating design concepts for manufacturing and quoting.

VX Innovator provides assembly tools for top-down and bottom-up design, allowing users to ensure assembly part fit and range of motion. Your engineering and training investment, says VX Corporation, is protected since Innovator can scale to other, higher-level VX product bundles.

Basic features of VX Innovator include parametric modeling, hybrid modeling, import and work with solids, import and work with surfaces, healing tools, complex modeling, 2D detailing; and true assembly modeling. The scalability in VX Innovator enables true assembly modeling, mold & die, and 2x, 3x, and 5x machining.

VX Innovator is suited for design review, detailing, and quoting jobs, according to VX Corporation.

VX Innovator comes preloaded with built-in tutorials — it contains all the tools to help you learn how to use it. Its built-in support mechanism, which works with Show-n-Tell,  provides tutorials on how to use the program. With four tutorials, and two more on the way, a company spokesman explains the built-in tutorials not only make it great for existing as well as new users, but the Show-n-Tell product lets you make up a drawing, helping you validate assemblies, introducing healing tools, and importing parts for quoting.

One can start with Innovator and expand into Designer (for reverse engineering), design the concept, simulate (as in the mold & die suite), or add machining — all from using the same product line offered by VX, and not a combination of other products that might not be as seamless. One can truly grow with this product and its built-in learning tools, without the added expense of a course.

Within Reach
VX Innovator enables engineers to design using such features as the hybrid solid and surfaces modeling kernel, advanced parametric solid modeling (reduce sketching with QuickShape and ReadySketch, and open shape modeling); and surfacing (Loft,  Sweep & Dome as well as basic surface editing).

VX Innovator is said to speed the creation of mechanisms and mechanical assemblies.

It offers the ability to convert an image into a sketch for 3D modeling; advanced assembly modeling (top down, in-place assembly modeling, and exploded views); interface checking,  model repair and healing, and 2D layout and drafting (section views, detail views, auxiliary views; complete dimensioning and annotation; and assembly BOM and ballooning). Plus, industry-standard CAD formats offer support (DXF, DWG,  IGES, STEP, X_T, VDA); and Show-n-Tell is a virtual 3D Book, complete with tutorials and authoring tools (see DE’s September 2008 coverage linked below).

VX Innovator’s list price is $995. Company spokesmen tell us that the V14 release is due on March 1, 2008. At that time, the Show-n-Tell learning system will be expanded with more downloadable 3D tutorials covering the range of intermediate and advanced topics.

For details, visit VX Corporation.

Read why DE’s editors chose this as a Pick of the Week.

Read the VX Innovator product page.

Access the VX Innovator Product Data Sheet.

See the built-in Show-n-Tell Learning system and related videos.

Request an online demonstration of VX Innovator.

View a VX Corporation-generated competitive comparison between VX Innovator and others applications.

Read earlier DE coverage of VX Corporation’s Show-n-Tell.

Check out VX Corporation’s gallery.

Margaret S. Gurney is new products editor at Desktop Engineering magazine.