Bricsys Technology Russia
Alright, we are back after the mid-morning lunch (at 12:15? Well, that's how Europe rolls) with info about direct modeling in BricsCAD.
The Bricsys vision for MCAD (mechanical CAD design) is...
- Design in 3D as easily as in 2D
- Create and edit entities directly, independent of the design's history
- Import geometry and edit it like it was created in BricsCAD
- Collaborate with other MCAD systems
- Change 2D and 3D parameters at any stage of the design process
Compared to other MCAD systems, Bricsys says they are...
- Solidworks -- BricsCAD never requires users to re-design parametric models from scratch
- SpaceClaim -- BricsCAD respects design intent in direct modeling
- AutoCAD -- BricsCAD is as good as AutoCAD in 2D and better in 3D
What's new in Direct Modeling in BricsCAD V17
See the earlier blog entry (below) for information about what else is new in direct modeling in V17. See our Twitter stream @upfrontezine and #bricsys2016 for more photos and new functions.
Component Based Features
New feature in BricsCAD V17 allows custom parameterized symbol libraries for BIM and sheet metal design. For example, drag a louver part from library into a sheet metal part. Material is kept on special layers, one for subtracted volumes (like holes), another for added volumes (like the added louver). 3D constraints control the feature, and unneeded parameters can be hidden.
Here's the crucial part: when you drag a 3D part into a BricsCAD drawing, it automatically merges with the existing 3D model. Once in there, you can tweak its parameters (constraints) to resize it, and the model updates in real time. Generated 2D drawings are updated in real time, as well (although there is a setting to turn off real-time updates, if preferred).
Generated Drawing Views
Generated drawings have been in BricsCAD for a couple of releases, and so they get some more updates in V17. (Generated drawings are 2D views made from 3D models semi-automatically and then updated automatically). The new AutoVpFitting variable preserves scale, size, view center, and viewport size. Selected entities can be removed from views. Partial section views can be created. Detail views can be attached by leaders to the parent view. Section views move along with parent view automatically, as the parent view is moved about the sheet. Can change detail boundaries from rectangular to circular to other shapes. Drawings can be attached with dimensions; these also are associative, so when the 3D model is changed, the dimension in the drawings are updated automatically.
Physical Properties
Now here's a feature that AutoCAD used to have, but then abandoned years ago: material properties. This is where you assign a material to a part (like steel) and analysis reflects the mass. BricsCAD V17 has a materials database for MCAD and BIM models which add physical properties to 3D parts. The material is reflected in 2D drawings and sections as appropriate hatch patterns (see figure below). Impressively, materials can be imported from other CAD systems, should their drawings contain such information -- such as from Solidworks, Pro/E, and Inventor.
If a part does not have a material, it can inherit material properties from other parts; indeed, "inherit" is the default. Properties include density, specific heat, and thermal conductivity. More can be added. Naturally, the properties are reported in BOMs (bills of material). LISP gets a new function to inquire the material data: bmListGet.
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