Latest CATIA V5 and Creo versions, updated manipulator and image export in Lab, dashed line properties support in Web Toolkit, PMI and B-Rep simplifier enhancements in CAD Exchanger 3.18.0
Get access to more production scenarios in SDK thanks to expanded API of semantic PMI, improve UX of your web applications with enhanced multi-touch gestures handling, and take high-quality screenshots without unnecessary elements in Lab.
This spring we present CAD Exchanger 3.18.0 with extended set format versions, SDK and Web Toolkit upgrades, CAD Exchanger Lab enhancements, and B-Rep simplifier improvements.
Upgraded manipulator UI, modified screenshot rendering and bug fixes in CAD Exchanger Lab
We constantly improve our product to make it work perfectly and now are happy to present what changes we have made to get closer to this goal. CAD Exchanger Lab allows users to generate screenshots through the PNG export. We removed the view cube from the generated screenshots during the image export. In addition, anti-aliasing is now enabled by default for the clear outlines representation on the screenshots.
The manipulator style was changed to be semi-transparent during active rotation in order not to cover the object, which is especially important when zooming out.
The changes were also applied to “Properties”: when using the slider to change opacity, the colors are displayed correctly, and when assembly transparency is zero, the object disappears completely.
CAD Exchanger SDK enhancements
Expanded API of semantic PMI
CAD Exchanger SDK has a new surface finish component that contains data related to surface texture: surface texture requirements and lay, machining allowance, manufacturing method, and much more. Now users can programmatically read this entity and reuse it in downstream applications.
B-Rep simplifier upgrade
In 3.18.0, we pay special attention to B-Rep simplifier, one of our important features for reducing memory footprint, faster loading and processing of massive B-Rep models. The B-Rep simplification module includes a collection of algorithms to remove small bodies, blind and through holes, сompute simplified model, defeature holes, fillets, and others in one step. As a result, the model contains fewer faces and becomes more lightweight, which is quite useful in computational simulations and in the case of file transfers.
Customers of CAD Exchanger SDK noticed that the name of the tool Hole remover does not quite match its functionality. Our developers have changed the parameters, and now this tool fully removes holes in the geometry, relying on four parameters: Extent, Volume, Diagonal Thresholds, and Perform Interference Check. Read our post to know more about B-Rep simplifier.
Web Toolkit Updates
Web Toolkit is widely used for the development of web applications running publicly or on-premise, that’s why we try to improve this tool every release. This time we had some improvements including both bug fixes and breaking changes.
We have added dashed line properties support that earlier was in CAD Exchanger SDK only and improved multi-touch gestures handling. From 3.18.0, Web Toolkit on mobile allows you to rotate the model with up to four fingers, select touch points, and zoom smoothly. Speaking of it, the camera handler now allows users to zoom at pointer position (to the point of interest).
New supported format versions: CATIA V5R32, V5R33 and Creo 8, 9
Now CAD Exchanger can read geometry from CATIA V5R32 and V5R33, including parts and assembly files.
In the previous release, we added graphical PMI to Creo format but decided not to stop just there. From 3.18.0, CAD Exchanger supports Creo 8 and 9 and offers conversion to numerous CAD formats.
There are also some important changes in Collada, glTF, and Parasolid with a focus on improving compatibility and stability. You can check a full list of new features in the CHANGES.txt file.
What’s next?
We release an updated edition of CAD Exchanger software every six weeks, so it’s time to check out our recent changes in practice. If you haven’t tested CAD Exchanger yet, choose a product you are interested in on our website and start a free trial.
For those who are already our clients and want to test the new version, we offer to create an account in the Customer Corner and download CAD Exchanger 3.18.0.
