What's new in V15, part i
It's the afternoon, and now we are hearing about the new stuff from Bricsys -- the stuff that bloggers live for.
CEO Erik de Keyser admits that the first release of sheet metal in BricsCAD a couple years ago was not great, but the sheet metal functions showed that it was possible to do such technology in a sub-$1000 CAD package -- and one that is considered 2D at that -- and that the data could be stored in DWG files, no special file format needed, like with Inventor.
Sheet metal part designed in BricsCAD
So, why is BricsCAD better than Solidworks for sheet metal? It is because BricsCAD is history-free, meaning any geometry can be edited -- there is no difference in editing imported 3D models and native ones. Like Solidworks, however, BricsCAD also offers parametrics.
Let's get into what's new in sheet metal for V15. (Sneak preview: V15 gets the ribbon.) The mechanical workspace shows the ribbon, although you can use the menu and toolbar if you prefer. On the ribbon, there is a section specific to sheet metal design.
New sheet metal functions:
- Full parameter control for native sheet metal, and unfolding
- Can covert any imported 3D model into sheet metal, with automatic recognition of flanges and reliefs
- Can switch between items, such as change a blend into a junction; or delete a flange, blend,or junction. (This cannot be done with history-based MCAD systems)
- User defined parametric components
- BOMs can add and remove columns, can customize columns, and insert parameters and results of parameters.
Direct modeling is also improved in V15:
- Automatically detect boundary regions
- Boolean modes
- Dynamic taper angle
- File sides of constrained objects
- Distance constraint between circle centers
And in generated drawings, a wholesale redesign:
- High-quality wireframe and hidden line modes
- Choose between 2D wireframe and 3D, which allows visual styles
- Detail annotation views with full associativity
- Export drawings from paper space to model space to preserve IP
- Automatic updates of models
(The projectors at this conference center are dreadful, and so the photos here are ungreat.) Here is the workflow for sheetmetal design in V15:
Here a sheet metal part is being designed. A new unfolding algorithm for V15 was completely rewritten. In this view, it is not yet optimized; later, the demo jock added reliefts, and then did nesting of several parts on a single sheet.
Here a lawn mower model was imported into BricsCAD as an assembly. From this import, sheet metal parts were created, and then unfolded -- the primary reason for bringing the model into BricsCAD.
In addition, the demo jock modified some parts and placed them back into the assembly.
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