Max Freeman, once Alibre vice president of marketing before it was acquired by 3D Systems, is now leading the 15-person company as it reestablishes its independence.
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Max Freeman was vice president of marketing at Alibre, an MCAD company, in 2011. Alibre fought against all odds, stiff competition and aggressive pricing that bottomed out at $97 to gain a solid (pun intended) userbase that may have reached 30,000 users.
But CEO J Paul Grayson, who founded the company in 1997 in Texas, sold Alibre to 3D Systems to retire with his horses on a ranch. 3D Systems, a 3D printer company, was buying everything in sight, including enough software to create a software division. A dumbed-down version of Alibre, Cubify Design, was going to help consumers create 3D models. It never really took off. The entire Cubify division was abandoned. The lesson learned was that consumers were nowhere near ready to model in 3D, much less manufacture parts in their home.
The professional version of Alibre was renamed Geomagic Design and became the solid modeler for the Geomagic software division of 3D Systems, named for the 3D-scanning and mesh software, also acquired by 3D Systems.
While Alibre might have functioned as a front-end modeling tool for professionals, 3D Systems had other software that modeled in 3D. The company seemed to be losing interest in an engineering-style 3D modeler, and the product languished. A period of about 18 months produced no updates. Users were grumbling and falling away.
Max Freeman rode back in like a white knight with a vision to bring back the solid modeler. He picked up the rights to the software, along with a core group of five ex-Alibre executives, and since June of 2017 has been selling Alibre under its original name and almost the same company name, Alibre, LLC. Listed with Freeman are Ashok Srinivasan, chief technology officer, former Alibre vice president of development, and Jonathan Pace, chief operating officer, former Alibre vice president of global sales.
“Our main goal, since the relaunch, has been to fix the bugs and implement enhancements users have requested,” Freeman said.
Why Would Anyone Buy Alibre Software?
Alibre re-enters the world very different than the world it left for two reasons: Onshape and Autodesk Fusion 360—robust, modern CAD and cloud-based CAD.
“But not everyone wants cloud-based CAD,” Freeman said. “A lot of our customers like knowing that their data is inside the same four walls they are.”
One of these customers is Lew Merrick, who spoke to engineering.com from his job at TCAA Enterprises in Washington state, where he works as the principal and senior design and development mechanical engineer. An Alibre user since 2009, he joked that he is at the same time Alibre’s biggest fan and biggest critic. The outspoken Merrick can be found on the Alibre forum giving both users and the company advice. He stuck with Alibre through the 3D Systems acquisition and divestiture, a period in which he feels the solid modeler got scant attention and little respect. He feels like it is now in good hands.
Alibre is “on the verge of being the most powerful and flexible CAD system there is,” according to Merrick. “There are maybe five or six things that are more easily and reliably done with SOLIDWORKS, but there are 40 or 50 things that are easier and more reliable with Alibre.”
What Is Alibre?
Alibre is an ACIS-based, parametric solid modeling software similar to SpaceClaim, KeyCreator, GstarCAD and ZWCAD.
How Much?
Alibre sells two versions. Alibre Design Expert, top of the line, is $2,000 a seat and includes rendering and sheet metal. Alibre’s Design Professional is $1,000 and has the basics, part and assembly modeling and drawing, export formats of popular CAD software programs and more.
Existing Alibre users can upgrade by going on maintenance. Alibre prices maintenance at $300/year (professional) and $400/year (expert) for U.S. and Canada users. International users can contact their resellers who are free to set their own prices.