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Ceo Wilfried Graebert is easing us into their new software, a 2D mechanical version of ARES. They don’t want to compete with Solidworks, and so the new product is easy-to-use 2D. (Indeed, the 3D door is closed to Graebert, because of their relationship with Dassault Systemes.)
Since 2D mechanical is no longer taught in schools, so the user interface is simple. One target is factory planning, which combines architectural with mechanical. “We want to cover both sides of it,” concludes Mr Graebert.
Hans Stahnke is OEM and Partner Manager at Graebert, and he tells us about his company’s road to ARES Mechanical.
Hans Stahnke introduces ARES Mechanical
Dassault asked Graebert to migrate Toolbox from Solidworks to DraftSight Pro, because its biggest competitor is the free version of DraftSight. And then Graebert asked 2D users, what does it take to make a 2D MCAD software relevant for today and tomorrow? It turns out that breweries are now designed in 3D, but oil processing plants are still done initially in 2D.
And so ARES Mechanical has these functions:
- Special user interface for a different type of user, one who does not use CAD six hours a day
- Smart features that save clicks
For example, the Hatch command lists (in the ribbon) the most common mechanical hatch patterns. While the Hatch dialog box is still there, it is not necessary. Hatches are placed automatically on the Hatch layer; freezing the layer turns off all hatches.
ARES Mechanical has the same Toolbox as DraftSight, as well as the DraftSight API, of course.
Parametrics will be added to dynamic blocks in ARES 2016. In 2015, there is geometric and dimensional constraints, along with the parameters palette. Missing from the initial release is autoconstraints. In the futures, objects with constraints will be included.
ARES Mechanical showing off Cadenas parts manager, which operates from the cloud
What's Next for ARES Mechanical
- Managing inner and outer contours
- Identifying dimensions that were modified by hand (needed for change requests)
- Collaboration with mobile CAD, such as SiteMaster and ARES Touch, through the cloud
- Redesign of frequently-used dialog boxes with default values
- Standardization, such as title blocks with all standards settings preset
- Installation with predefined standards
- Optimizing snaps to the object in focus, and is layer-dependent
- Functions specific to factory planning, with minimum distances, etc
- Migrations tools from ME10 and DWG-based software that won't be mentioned
- Specific API
Sign up for the beta at www.graebert.com/aresmechanical, which is expected in January 2015. Graebert expects to spend all of 2015 developing Mechanical further, before it is released. For now it is a separate product, but in the future it will be moved to be a plug-in to ARES.
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