As the U.S. presidential election approaches, much is being made about what's coming out of Ohio. The Buckeye State is very important for many reasons, not least of which is the new version of CADIQ 9.1 from Ohio-based International TechneGroup Incorporated (ITI).
This validation software for CAD models is used by many designers to check model-based definition (MBD). Reliable, consistently updated versions of these kinds of software are needed to keep up with a mutable downstream environment like MBD.
In any operation large or small, when working with crucial CAD models, you'll encounter various problems to anticipate along your supply chain in terms of simulation, manufacturing, tooling and reusing models.
CADIQ Verification
Any CAD model validation application worth its weight in salt (which digitally, I suppose, would be 0 grains) will not only seek out intended and unintended changes in a CAD model's geometry and product manufacturing information (PMI), but also translate into the still ever-so-important 3D PDF file format. The true test comes with how fast you can document and amend unexpected quirks in quality, unusual (and often irritating) translation issues and engineering change orders.
CAD Compatibility
CADIQ is compatible with Solid Edge, SOLIDWORKS, Parasolid, IGES, 3D PDF (U3D and PRC), CATIA V4 and V5, Siemens NX, Creo and Autodesk Inventor, among others.
According to Don Hemmelgarn, ITI's senior executive vice president of CAD/CAM/CAE interoperability, “By natively comparing geometry, design features and PMI to identify significant differences, [CADIQ] has been selected by consortia and industry standards groups, including the 3DPDF Consortium, PDES and LOTAR, as their validation partner.”
Hemmelgarn wants you to know that the changes are good, but what are some of the specific enhancements?
STEP Model Validation Enhancements
STEP is an ISO standard–neutral file exchange and one of its common uses is for long-term data archival. This means it's critical to validate geometry and detect PMI problems in STEP data before it is used downstream in the supply chain, especially in model-based enterprise environments. The reason for this is that traditional drawings have disappeared.
But what about evaluating mass properties and generating face sampling points on the native model? Can these be added to an already-complex STEP file?
Yes, along with other improvements, v9.1 of CADIQ has more detailed quality checking, as well as a new prototype revision comparison for assembly PMI in Creo to mess with.
Enhancements include:
- Additional diagnostics to the CADIQ analyzer
- PMI quality checking and comparison of parts and assembly
- CADIQ verification of translated CAD models
- PMI CADIQ verification of translated CAD models, identifying changes in PMI
- Ability to use CADIQ in both desktop and server environments