Google SketchUp Pro 8 has been released. This latest release of Google SketchUp includes a batch of exciting new features. It’s even easier to build site context models for your projects using Google’s ever-growing collection of geo-data. A new collection of “Solid” tools for doing common additive/subtractive modelling operations streamline the modelling process and LayOut is packed with new features that make it easier to document your models professionally.

modo is an innovative 3D modelling, painting and rendering software designed to accelerate the creation of world-class models, associated colour and normal maps, and ultra high-quality renderings. modo delivers the next evolution of 3D modelling, painting and rendering in a single integrated and accelerated package for the Mac and PC. And now, modo is a true end-to-end solution that includes true 3D sculpting tools, animation and network rendering! More than just features, modo is a truly elegant integration of technology, raw horsepower and refined workflow.

modo Kits: Accelerate to Final Image modo Kits help you achieve the professional results you want, faster than ever. Our experts take on a challenging problem, such as lighting or creating realistic looking materials, and develop a tailored solution that takes advantage of modo’s ability to quickly combine Preset objects, materials, and environments with your own work. Kits are collections of “smart content” that both save you time, and and introduce you to new, sophisticated techniques for leveraging modo.

imageSynth 2 allows artists to quickly process existing images into new seamless textures, synthetic images and backgrounds, and generate super high-resolution images from low resolution sources. imageSynth 2 works for you in two ways: you can start the program right inside Adobe Creative Suite Photoshop as a plug-in texture editor. Or you can launch imageSynth as a standalone program for creating your own custom, perfectly tiled textures from any graphic image sources.

Pricing and Availability
modo, imageSynth and modo Kits are available now from our online store

3DVinci today announced the immediate availability of their new book for Google SketchUp Pro users - Google SketchUp 7 Hands-On: Layout.

This book takes you from start to finish with LayOut 2.1. Detailed, step-by-step exercises will guide you every step of the way, from exporting your model into a presentation, to working with scenes, layers and styles, creating templates, clipping objects, drawing shapes, creating text and labels, working with scrapbooks, and applying hatches and fills.

Comprehensive upgrade provides powerful image quality, rendering and workflow enhancements and offers updated version of popular motion graphics module – MoGraph 2 – jam-packed with new functionality to inspire breathtaking 3D animations.

MAXON Computer, a leading developer of professional 3D software, today announced the immediate availability of CINEMA 4D Release 11.5, a comprehensive upgrade to its highly-acclaimed 3D modeling, painting, animation and rendering software. Loaded with new features, CINEMA 4D R11.5 provides improved workflow and productivity, enabling professionals to create high-quality stills and animations quicker and easier than ever before. This release is the culmination of MAXON’s leading-edge technology and development. It features a substantially re-tooled and accelerated render engine, an all -new Picture Viewer, enhanced interoperability with leading compositing applications, and a major upgrade to its popular MoGraph module, which features an integrated Dynamics Engine and a host of new additions. CINEMA 4D Release 11.5 also provides full support for the latest operating system offerings from Apple and Microsoft, including Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Windows 7, respectively.

"MAXON is committed to providing powerful enhancements to CINEMA 4D that really improve the productivity of users across various disciplines, including film, broadcast, architecture, product visualization, games, multimedia and more," states Harald Egel, MAXON co-founder and CEO. "The many improvements in the new Release 11.5 will help all customers gain even better results, save valuable time and resources."

"CINEMA 4D gives my design team the ability to make miracles happen within ridiculously tight deadlines," said John LePore, associate creative director for Perception NYC. "The new features and enhancements in Release 11.5, especially those in MoGraph 2, truly augment an already mind-blowing arsenal of creative tools."

Key Highlights of CINEMA 4D Release 11.5

Superior Rendering Performance Including New Bucket Rendering
Significant re-tooling of the render engine in R11.5 helps artists render more rapidly and efficiently. R11.5 takes advantage of state-of-the-art multi-core processors and adds new features such as render instancing and bucket rendering to provide users tremendous improvements in efficiency. Render-intensive tasks such as sub-polygon displacement have been accelerated immensely. CINEMA 4D users can now create scenes of greater complexity, as even billions of polygons can be rendered on modest hardware.

Enhanced Picture Viewer
The new Picture Viewer in R11.5 offers a vast set of creative tools for reviewing and editing images and animations, saving artists valuable time. Features include a render history with the ability to compare renderings, image filtering and adjustments, post filter effects, and improved layer management. The RAM player also enables users to play back animations with sound even whilst the rest of the job is still being rendered. This gives users the ability to check animations for problems as they render.

Improved Interoperability and Integration
Users of Release 11.5 can now more easily integrate CINEMA 4D into existing production pipelines:

• Numerous improvements have been made to CINEMA 4D’s highly praised connectivity to Adobe® After Effects®, including support for additional object types.
• Support for Apple® Motion now includes the export of 3D data.
• Support for Autodesk® FBX® 2010.0 allows for quick and easy interchange between a variety of 3D applications.

Powerful New Motion Graphics Capabilities
The motion graphics module MoGraph – a staple with CINEMA 4D motion graphics artists due to its quick workflow, fast rendering and easy export to compositing applications – has been upgraded to version 2 and provides powerful new motion graphics functionality. New features in MoGraph 2 include: MoDynamics, an optimized physics simulation package with which hundreds of objects can easily be made to collide or be affected by such forces as gravity or friction; PolyFX for providing quick and easy explosion effects; MoSpline for cloning existing splines and animating them with forces and effectors; and many more exciting features for broadcast artists.

Support For New Operating Systems
MAXON continues to build upon its legacy of providing compatibility with the latest advanced operating system release features:
Apple – R11.5 is fully compatible with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, including access to up to 64GB of virtual memory.
Microsoft – R11.5 is fully compatible with Windows 7, including enhanced file dialog.

Pricing and Availability
CINEMA 4D R11.5 and the optional MoGraph 2 module is available now from our online store

August 5th & 6th 2009. Hosted by Coventry University School of Art & Design as part of their Summer School Series Roland DG (UK) Limited, Patrick Thorn & Co and Cadsoft Solutions Limited are holding a free two day reverse engineering and CNC training event.

If you want to see how digitising, laser scanning, prototyping solutions can integrate with Rhino, then this is an ideal event to get some free hands on experience and advice. Emphasis will be on using the captured data with Rhino's mesh and surface tools to construct clean geometry for prototyping and production.

Places are limited so please follow these links to see the agenda and to register.

Successful registrants will be informed if there is a place available.

Registration closes Midnight Monday August 3rd

Cadsoft Solutions Limited extend their range with the inclusion of nVidia’s award winning QUADRO® GPU Solutions for Mac OS X and Windows.

NVIDIA®, the inventor of the GPU, provides a full range of robust professional solutions, spanning from graphics boards, visual computing systems, to software development tools that have become the standard for professional visualization environments. Whether you're a designer developing the latest automobile, a 3D artist working on the next blockbuster film, or a financial trader on Wall Street, NVIDIA® Quadro® solutions deliver unmatched power and performance from a rock-solid stable platform.

NVIDIA® QUADRO® PLEX solutions are integral to solving today's most complex, graphics and compute intensive problems. As a multi-GPU visual computing system (VCS), the Quadro Plex delivers breakthrough levels of productivity and capability, giving geophysicists, scientists, engineers, and other technical professionals the visual supercomputing power they need to tackle today's biggest challenges.

NVIDIA® QUADRO® FX professional graphics solutions, built on over a decade of innovation, are the chosen platform by professional designers, engineers, and scientist for visual computing. Based on the NVIDIA® CUDA™ architecture and fully certified on all industry-leading professional applications, Quadro FX solutions provide new capabilities in interactivity and visual quality with unmatched performance.

NVIDIA® QUADRO® NVS multi-display business graphics solutions deliver reliable hardware and software for a stable business environment.

PixDim
PixDim is a Photogrammetry Plug-In for Google SketchUp Pro which allows you to use your existing DSLR camera as a 3D Digitiser / Measuring Device.

For more information take a look at the PixDim page.


Rhinophoto
Rhionophoto is a Photogrammetry Plug-In for Rhinoceros which allows you to use your existing DSLR camera as a 3D Digitiser / Scanner.

For more information take a look at the Rhinophoto page.

Congratulations to Richard in our office who won 4th Place in Brabantia's recent Pan European Iron in Style competition.

You can take a look at all the entries on the Iron in Style website.

From 31 July 2009, upgrades from Piranesi 4 and earlier will no longer be available and support for these versions will be withdrawn.

Existing users protect your investment and Upgrade Now from as little as £90.00 + VAT

As of 15th January 2009 Google are increasing the prices of all SketchUp Pro licenses.

These new prices are based on currency exchange rates as of 15th December 2008 and are intended to harmonise UK £ pricing with European € pricing.

If you are considering purchasing either new SketchUp Pro license(s) or upgrading your existing SketchUp Pro licence(s) then beat the increase and Order Now from our Online Store.

Google SketchUp Pro 7 has been released. This latest release of SketchUp is even more intuitive with a host of new tools for power users. Enhancements include:

· Dynamic Components
· Custom Component Attributes
· Tabular Reports in HTML or CSV Formats
· LayOut 2
· StyleBuilder
· Improved Inferences
· Automatic Break of Crossing Lines
· Vector Rendering

MAXON Computer, a leading developer of professional 3D modeling, painting, animation and rendering solutions, today unveiled CINEMA 4D Release 11 (R11), the next generation of its highly acclaimed 3D animation software suite. The super-charged release is packed with advanced capabilities that deliver dramatically improved ease of use and workflow, image quality and integration into any production pipeline. CINEMA 4D R11 highlights include a non-linear animation system, new global illumination render engine and dramatically improved render speed. Customers also benefit from the powerful Projection Man matte painting system, developed by MAXON for Sony Pictures Imageworks, support for the COLLADA™ file format and CineMan - a RenderMan-compliant tool that connects to Pixar's industry-leading rendering solution. Additionally, multiple improvements were made to MAXON's popular texture painting toolset BodyPaint 3D Release 4. All of these capabilities and more serve to underscore MAXON's ongoing and deep commitment to helping 3D digital artists further advance creativity and control.

"MAXON has spent the last 20 years developing some of the industry's most advanced 3D software technologies; continually raising the bar for 3D animation software excellence," said Harald Egel, CEO and co-founder, MAXON. "CINEMA 4D R11 is no exception. This release contains the next-generation features our customers worldwide have come to expect from MAXON."

Expanded integration options, new workflow tools and boosts in performance for both PC and Mac users sit at the heart of the new release. On average, rendering speeds are now more than twice as fast as the previous version. CINEMA 4D R11 also boasts an all-new Cocoa-based architecture supporting 64-bit processing under Mac OS X Leopard.

"We are pleased, that MAXON has created the CineMan connection to Pixar's RenderMan directly from within CINEMA 4D," said Chris Ford, Business Director - RenderMan at Pixar. "Now MAXON customers can benefit from Pixar's Academy Award-winning rendering technology, featured in Ratatouille, The Incredibles and many others."

"Our customers told us what they needed and we listened," said Paul Babb, president and CEO of the MAXON US office . "This exciting new version is as ideal for the novice as it is for the power user who wants to produce compelling imagery in today's fast-paced environments."

SU Podium 1.5 Mac OS X has been released!! The Mac version is identical to the
Windows version of Podium except it works as a plug-in to SketchUp 5 and 6
on Mac OS X. If you are an existing Podium 1.5 users and want to switch to
the Mac version, the conversion is free. Simply download the full program
and use your original serial number distributed to you when you purchased
Podium.

For new users, there is a free Podium 1.5 Mac evaluation version. As with
the Windows version, the free version is limited only in the image
resolution sizes. The sizes are 230 X 120 and 500 X 500 pixels.

What is new in Flamingo 2.0

Enhanced user interface
Content browser with drag-and-drop support
Environment Manager with support for multiple environments and templates
Reflected environment option (global)
Global illumination light dome with HDRI support
Material preview in Rendered display mode
Sun and parallel light soft shadows
Improved soft shadows, blurry transparency, and blurry reflection
New decal interface with preview
Post-render, real-time depth of field
Post-render, real-time glare
Post-render, real-time haze
Materials and plants saved in the 3DM file with pack-and-go.
Foliage density per plant
Batch rendering using scripts
Render views by name
Image size and resolution saved in the file
Save photometric images to file
Support for Piranesi EPix
Multiple camera styles including cylindrical and spherical projections
Texture baking
Larger resolution image management
RPC 3.0 support
Polygonal groundcover
Decal across multiple objects
Clipping planes
Shadow control per object
Missing material/decal bitmap report

D-Cubed 2D DCM to power parametric sketching in the Punch! Shark and Shark FX CAD applications

PLANO, Texas, December 13, 2007 – Siemens PLM Software, a division of Siemens Automation and Drives (A&D) and a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, and Punch! Software, LLC of Kansas City, Mo., a leading provider of 3D design software, today announced that the D Cubed™ 2D Dimensional Constraint Manager (2D DCM) parametric sketching engine has been licensed for use in Punch! Software’s Shark and Shark FX CAD applications for mechanical and architectural design.

The 2D DCM, a key geometric software technology from Siemens PLM Software’s PLM Components portfolio, is used in most of the world’s successful CAD applications. It is licensed by software vendors seeking to improve the productivity of their customers and the market appeal of their applications using the leading parametric sketching engine.

Shark and Shark FX are the evolution of Punch! Software’s Concepts Unlimited CAD system. The most significant advance is the introduction of the new parametric constraint system based on the D-Cubed 2D DCM. Shark and Shark FX are available on both Windows and Mac OS X platforms.

“With its proven capability and value, the 2D DCM is a must have technology for Shark and Shark FX,” said Paul Bay, CEO of Punch! Software. “We have been delighted with how simple and cost-effective it has been to license and integrate this compelling solution from Siemens PLM Software.”

“We are very pleased that Punch! Software has selected our market-leading 2D DCM constraint technology to extend their product suite,” said Bruce Feldt, vice president of Open Tools for Siemens PLM Software. “This new relationship will benefit a substantial community of CAD users, and underlines the continued success of Siemens PLM Software’s open business model in providing world-class component technology to the most innovative application vendors.”

Cadsoft Solutions Limited extend their range with the inclusion of 3Dconnexions’s award winning 3D navigation devices for Mac OS X and Windows.

Why use a 3D navigation device instead of a mouse?
Unlock the true power of 3D applications with a 3D navigation device and experience an addictive level of control.

Get 50% fewer mouse clicks and 30% greater productivity.
Not only will you benefit from the ease of performing intricate adjustments to camera views and models, by moving away from a one-hand interrupt driven process to an integrated process using both hands you will streamline your workflow and maximise your efficiency.

With four options to choose from, don’t delay, get using a 3Dconnexion navigation device.

SpacePilot
A true breakthrough in the world of natural, intuitive user-interface devices. With SpacePilot’s adaptive sensing technology, commands become available on the LCD and dynamically update when you switch applications or work modes within an application. Plus, its six-degrees of freedom optical sensors, 21- key console and ergonomic design combine to deliver unprecedented control and fewer distractions.

SpaceExplorer
The hands-down winner when it comes to mid-priced 3D navigation devices for design professionals. SpaceExplorer can be used by either hand comfortably and features an array of easy-to-reach function keys labelled and pre-programmed with commands from leading design applications.

SpaceNavigator
SpaceNavigator makes advanced 3D navigation accessible and affordable for architects, artists, designers, enthusiasts, students and anyone else who wants to enjoy the 3D experience using Google Earth, SketchUp, or more than 100 of today’s most popular and powerful 3D applications.  

SpaceTraveler
SpaceTraveler’s tiny footprint enables you to accelerate your productivity at work, at home, or even on the plane. But don’t let its small size fool you; SpaceTraveler is a powerful 3D navigation device with six optical sensors and eight programmable buttons.

Punch! Software today announced the newest release of the Punch! Concepts v4 family of CAD products for Macintosh® and Windows® design communities who need fast, flexible, and intuitive tools for turning ideas into precise designs.

Apple Macintosh Universal Binary
The Concepts product family now natively supports Apple Power PC and Apple Intel architectures providing a significant all around performance boost on Mac Intel based machines. Benchmarks show performance increases of 300 percent for most operations. Concepts Unlimited user Michael Young commented, “Concepts v4 is an absolute dream application with its stunning user interface and speed on my new MacBook Pro!”

Share Data with Other CAD/CAM/CAE Applications
The release includes enhancements to support IGES, STEP, AutoCAD® 2007, CATIA v4, Pro/E, and Adobe Illustrator. The updated AutoCAD translator adds enhanced support for paper space and drawing views. The Pro/E translator now supports Wildfire v3 parts and assemblies. Concepts Unlimited user Christian Kuehn commented on the Pro/E translator. “I recently imported a Pro/E assembly file that referenced 95 part files into Concepts on my MacBook Pro. I was elated to find a complete and editable file!”

Updated Core Technology
At the core of Concepts is ACIS®, a highly sophisticated 2D/3D precision modeling engine from Spatial. The v4 release includes the latest update from Spatial which represents over a year of enhancements including hundreds of changes improving that ultimately improve the user experience associated with challenging modeling tasks such as blending, chamfering, shelling, faceting, booleans, and local face operations.

Enhanced Photorealistic Rendering
Generating high quality photo realistic images with Concepts Unlimited is now easier with the new dynamic update option for tweaking material attributes. The new option provides the opportunity to preview changes directly in the drawing while still changing settings in the material editor. This new feature allows the ability to quickly view changes in attribute settings directly on the object in the drawing window. The new release also provides additional procedural materials for the roofing and paving users.

Punch! Software, the home design software market leader seven years running, today announced the acquisition of CADSoft Solutions Inc. CSI is a leading provider of precision based computer aided design (CAD) applications for Windows® and Macintosh® platforms.

“The acquisition of CSI takes us one step closer to our goal of becoming the leading global provider for design solutions. It extends our offerings to include precision CAD products suitable for the general architectural and mechanical CAD communities,” says Paul Bay, Punch! Software CEO. “In addition, releasing a CAD product line will allow Punch! to further expand its product portfolio and overall reach in the retail and online marketplace.”

The acquisition brings along the CSI development team led by industry CAD veteran Tim Olson, now Vice President of Development for Punch! Software. Commenting on the acquisition Tim Olson said “This acquisition provides an exciting opportunity to introduce more users to the innovative approach to modeling, developed by CSI, that encourages a variety of design communities to explore the benefits of 2D and 3D precision modeling”

Punch! Software LLC is a provider of home design and landscape design software products. Servicing retail home design, a sub-market of the architecture, engineering, and construction software market, Punch! provides homeowners, designers, and professionals the ability to perform all aspects of home/landscape design, including 3D walkthrough technology. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, the Company has been operating since 1998. Punch! was the fastest growing software company in the U.S. in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002.

Since its founding in 1998, Punch! Software quickly became the dominant market leader in the home design software category in both retail and online sales. With over two million units shipped and seven of the top eleven retail home design products, Punch! Software will use the same blueprint for success to introduce precision modeling to its established retail, internet, and professional sales channels.

CSI today announced the release of Concepts Unlimited 3.0 Service Pack 1. Concepts Unlimited, CSI’s flagship product for precision conceptual computer aided design, targets Macintosh® and Windows® design communities who need fast, flexible, and intuitive tools for turning ideas into precise designs.

Complex Shape Design Simplified

Concepts Unlimited Service Pack 1 adds to its collection of surface modeling tools a new option for constructing shapes using boundaries and guide curves. This tool preserves n-sided boundary tangencies as well as allows the user to control the shape between the boundaries by specifying points and curves as guides. Once created, the guides can be intuitively pushed and pulled to explore new shapes.

Core Technology Updates

The new release also incorporates a major update from Spatial, the creators of the popular ACIS® 3D modeling kernel. The updated kernel features several hundred changes addressing performance, stability, and enhancement issues. This includes improvements to advanced blending, chamfering, shelling, and complex surface modeling operations. The kernel update also includes enhancements to the IGES, STEP, PRO/E, and CATIA v4 translators allowing Concepts Unlimited to precisely share data with other CAD/CAM/CAE systems.

Italian Localization Support

CSI is pleased to announce that Concepts Unlimited Service Pack 1 has been successfully localized for Italian with trial versions available next week. Italian reseller Mind@Ware will be demonstrating the new localized version plus the MicroScribe implementation September 28th at the Design Library in Milan.

Other Notable Features

The new releases also incorporate a variety of changes that continue to improve designer productivity and ease of use. Key enhancements include:
• Tool bar data entry fields updated for architectural display formats
• Up to 4X faster performance for reading/writing specific file types
• Improved support for DWG/DXF files
• Improved pen weight and styles support
• Twisting and stretching enhancements
• Improved bill of material (BOM) handling
• Numerous updates to the AeroPack tools for aircraft design
• 75+ other issues addressed

CSI today announced the newest release of Concepts Unlimited, the third version of our flagship product for conceptual computer aided design. Concepts Unlimited targets Macintosh® and Windows® design communities who need fast, flexible, and intuitive tools for turning ideas into precise 2D and 3D designs.

Innovative User Interface
Version 3 introduces major innovations regarding the user interface that makes creating 3D designs not only easier but more enjoyable. Core to the new release is the introduction of the Tool Bar which organizes and displays helpful prompts, hints, and tips in an intuitive manner. The Tool Bar also provides rapid access to intelligent data entry windows for creating and modifying shapes without screen cluttering dialog boxes. Plus the new interface includes all new stunning alpha blended tool icons and cursors. Version 3 additionally introduces innovative changes to the snap inference technology by providing users with custom controls over transparency, background, and textual color thus improving the visual feedback associated with dynamic point snapping.

Enhanced Modeling Tools
Version 3 introduces a powerful new surface type with the Cover Surface with Guide Curves tool. This new tool is unique in the industry since the guide curves (or points) can intersect and do not need to touch the outside boundaries. This surface nicely augments the existing 17 NURB history based surface tools by creating shapes previously not attainable except through laborious methods.
Another new tool introduced in this release is the ability to pattern features. The new Pattern Features tool creates linear, cylindrical, radial, polar, along path, and spherical patterns from a collection of faces. This tool also allows you to pattern faces from foreign parts including data imported from our updated AutoCAD, Pro/E, and CATIA v4 direct translators.

Eye-Catching Rendering For Everyone
Typically creating photo realistic renderings requires a certain level of expertise regarding the lighting, reflection, and refraction associated with a scene. Version 3 eliminates this necessity for beginner users with the introduction of Rapid Render Environments. Now all users can quickly create impressive renderings with a press of a button by choosing either a metal, plastic, glass, or mirror render environment. These new rendering tools do all the work for the user with respect to adding lights, materials, drop shadows, and environment maps; turning everyday users into rendering wizards.
For those users wanting more control over a scene, Version 3 adds the ability to drag and drop environment maps into scenes. An environment map is a 2D image that is reflected back onto 3D objects. Environment maps are a great feature for adding visual realism to a scene without having to generate and position additional 3D objects.
The photo rendering tools can be combined with the newly introduced animation tools which can be used to explode assemblies or to simply animate objects and cameras along paths.

New Part Library
Version 3 introduces a new Symbol Palette providing drag and drop access to over 12,000 2D and 3D symbols including electrical, mechanical, bathroom, kitchen, construction, LAN, CMOS, doors, windows, counters, fasteners, HVAC components, and more. Symbols contain handles to dynamically position into designs adding to greater variety and detail.

Other Notable Features
The latest release of Concepts Unlimited incorporates a variety of new tools that continue to improve designer productivity and ease of use. Key enhancements include:
• Support for AutoCAD 2006 DXF and DWG file formats
• Native support for TurboCAD® for Mac files
• Updated ACIS modeling kernel and interoperability solutions
• Double line tool for quickly creating walls
• Dual Processor support for photo rendering on Macintosh
• Support for 3DConnexion® motion control devices
• Support for MicroScribe® 3D digitizing devices
• Unicode support for language localization for our Japanese users
• Over 400 changes and enhancements

Cadsoft Solutions today announced the release of Concepts Unlimited 2 Service Pack 3, the eighth release of Cadsoft Solutions flagship product for conceptual computer aided design. The service pack also includes updates to Concepts 3D and Concepts 2D. The Cadsoft Solutions Concepts family of products targets professional design communities on Mac and PC who need fast, flexible, and intuitive tools for turning ideas into precise CAD models.

Concepts Unlimited 2.0 Service Pack 3

Service Pack 3 continues Cadsoft Solutions commitment to providing value added updates to the conceptual design community. This eighth release includes numerous changes with the software. Notable changes as follows:

• Updated modelling kernel for ACIS R13 SP9. R13 SP9 has over 100 changes since R13 SP7 covering all aspects of the modelling kernel including booleans, sweeps, and faceting.
• Updated SAT, IGES, STEP, PROE, CATIA and translators.
• Corrected issue regarding extents of certain solid parts.
• Corrected issue regarding calculating the length of polylines.
• Corrected issues with context sensitive right clicks on Mac OS Tiger.
• Corrected issues with multiple windows and Mac OS Expose.
• Corrected issues with multiple windows and Mac Window menu.

Cadsoft Solutions today announced the release of Concepts Unlimited 2 Service Pack 2, the seventh release of Cadsoft Solutions flagship product for conceptual computer aided design. The service pack also includes updates to Concepts 3D and Concepts 2D. The Cadsoft Solutions Concepts family of products targets professional design communities on Mac and PC who need fast, flexible, and intuitive tools for turning ideas into precise CAD models.

Concepts Unlimited 2.0 Service Pack 2

Service Pack 2 continues Cadsoft Solutions commitment to providing value added updates to the conceptual design community. This seventh release includes over 30 changes with the software. Notable changes as follows:

• Modelling kernel updated to support Spatial’s ACIS R13 SP7
• Updated IGES, STEP, PROE, and CATIA v4 translators
• Corrections for sharing perspective data with Adobe Illustrator

Join Us on Stand 125 at Mac Expo for a sneek peek at some of the technology coming soon in Concepts Unlimited

MacExpo
18 - 20 November 2004
Business Design Centre, Islington, London

For further details please contact info@cadsoftsolutions.co.uk

Cadsoft Solutions today announced the release of Concepts Unlimited 2 Service Pack 1, the sixth release of Cadsoft Solutions flagship product for conceptual computer aided design. The service pack also includes updates to Concepts 3D and Concepts 2D. The Cadsoft Solutions Concepts family of products targets professional design communities on Mac and PC who need fast, flexible, and intuitive tools for turning ideas into precise CAD models.

Concepts Unlimited 2.0 Service Pack 1

Service Pack 1 continues Cadsoft Solutions commitment to providing value added updates to the conceptual design community. Over the last year, 400+ changes and enhancements were incorporated into the software and released through six timely updates. Service Pack 1 adds to that list with another 40 changes. Some notable changes are listed below:

• Modelling kernel updated to support Spatial’s ACIS R13 SP5
• IGES, STEP, PROE, CATIA v4 translators updated
• Visual improvements in support of Mac OSX 10.3
• New FACT export option for Electric Image rendering and animation

Concepts Unlimited was selected today as a finalist for this years MacGeneration Trophy, the winners of which will be announced at Apple Expo in Paris on 31 August 2004

Cadsoft Solutions today announced the release of version 2 of their complete precision modelling system for designers

Concepts Unlimited – Complete Precision Conceptual Modelling for Designers

Targeted at professional design communities who need fast, flexible and intuitive tools for turning ideas into precision CAD models, the latest release of Concepts Unlimited incorporates a variety of new tools that continue to improve designer productivity and ease of use.

In addition to over 145 user requested enhancements key developments include:

• Extensive Photo Render Library with an additional 600+ textures and 300+ decals to bring designs to life.
• New Twist and Stretch Tools for extreme modelling allowing the designer to push, pull, bend and twist shapes independent of feature or design history constraints.
• Pro Engineer Reader for parts and assemblies on both Mac OS and Windows
• Reduced File Sizes with Advanced Compression Algorithms for faster file opening and saving.
• File Preview allowing the designer to visually scan through a folder of files without the need to open each one just to examine it’s contents.
• Automated Creation of Design Books eliminating the laborious and time consuming task of generating production ready drawings manually.

Cadsoft Solutions Incorporated announced today the release of Concepts 3D.

Concepts 3D – Essential Precision Conceptual Modelling for Designer
A powerful yet easy to use 3D modelling package, Concepts 3D’s simple, clean user interface combined with intelligent snaps and integrated design methods is quick and easy to adopt. Innovative modelling tools allow new product concepts to be explored and developed in a seamlessly integrated and user friendly design environment.

Versatile, Intelligent Modelling Methods
Concepts 3D supports an integrated collection of advanced curve, surface and solid modelling tools. Simply choose the combination of tools for the task in hand. The different construction methods work together with transparent associativity and a complete design history to facilitate rapid design modifications.

State of the Art Modelling Tools
Concepts 3D gives the designer the power to push beyond the boundaries of traditional curve, surface and solid modelling by including cutting edge deformation and warping technology which can bend, stretch, twist and deform NURB bodies independent of design history.

Seamless Data Exchange
Unlike other conceptual modelling tools, Concepts 3D uses an industry standard precise kernel that facilitates the sharing of design information using SAT, IGES, STEP and DXF/DWG.

Cadsoft Solutions Incorporated announced today the release of Concepts 2D.

Concepts 2D – Precision Conceptual Drafting for Designers
A powerful yet easy to use design, drafting and technical illustration package, Concepts 2D’s simple, clean user interface with intelligent snaps and integrated design methods is quick and easy to adopt. Versatile drafting methods and an array of annotation tools make Concepts 2D ideal for producing simple sketches through to fully dimensioned production ready drawings.

Comprehensive Drafting Tools
Concepts 2D supports a wealth of 2D curve creation and editing tools. Select from numerous spline creation and modification commands, arc and conic construction methods, filleting and chamfering tools for the task at hand. All drafting operations transparently support associativity for rapid design iterations.

Automated Drawing Capabilities
Concepts 2D is one of the industry’s first 2D drafting tools that is capable of handling 3D parts and assemblies in a meaningful manner. Precise wireframe and hidden line drawings can be created automatically from any 3D component or assembly with just a few mouse clicks, including those imported form other CAD systems such as Pro Engineer or Catia. This unique functionality when coupled with intelligent annotation tools almost entirely eliminates the laborious and time consuming task of generating production ready 2D drawings manually. Concepts 2D drawing tools not only create accurate 2D drawing views from 3D imported parts but also provide support for the creation of detail, section and auxiliary views.

Seamless Data Exchange
Unlike other conceptual drafting tools, Concepts 2D uses an industry standard precise kernel that facilitates the sharing of design information using SAT, IGES, STEP, CATIA and DXF/DWG.

Join Cadsoft Solutions France at MICAD to see Concepts Unlimited

MICAD
30 March - 1 April 2004
Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles, Paris

For further details please contact info@cadsoft-solutions.com

Cadsoft Solutions Incorporated announced today the release of Concepts Unlimited 1.0 Service Pack 3. The latest release includes an updated modelling kernel, updated translators, and several minor corrections.

Concepts Unlimited serves the Conceptual Computer Aided Design (CCAD) design communities for Mac and PC platforms. The software application targets professional design communities who need fast, efficient, and intuitive means of turning their ideas into precise CAD models.

"Our customers appreciate the value of our frequent service packs and continue to endorse our consistent focus on quality and performance," said Tim Olson, president of CSi. "Service Pack 3 is the last service pack for 1.0 and now serves as a strong foundation for our first major upgrade with Concepts Unlimited 2.0."

Service Pack 3 contains a broad base of changes designed to enhance the quality associated with the modelling process. These changes include:

• Kernel updated to support Spatial’s ACIS R12 SP6
• IGES, STEP, and CATIA v4 translators updated
• Several minor corrections related to Bill of Materials, OpenGL display of 2D images, pen weights and trimming within draw views
• Resolution of potential Mac OSX Panther permission issues.

Join Cadsoft USA on booth 4222 at the National Design Engineering Show to see Concepts Unlimited

National Design Engineering Show
23 - 26 February 2004
McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois

For further details please contact info@cadsoft-usa.com

Cadsoft Solutions Incorporated announced today the release of Concepts Unlimited 1.0 Service Pack 2. The Service Pack is the second update since Concepts Unlimited’s inaugural release in October of last year.

Service Pack 2 Includes:

• Kernel updated to support Spatial’s ACIS R12 SP3
• Translator Updates for IGES, STEP, CATIA v4, DXF/DWG, and Rhino
• New tools for creating lines, arcs, circles, and ellipses
• Updated User Manual
• Numerous Minor Corrections

"We are pleased to continue delivering valued added service packs to our customers," said Tim Olson, president of CSI. "We expect to deliver one more Service Pack before we begin beta testing our first major upgrade of Concepts Unlimited."

Cadsoft Solutions Incorporated has announced the release of Concepts Unlimited 1.0 Service Pack 1. The Service Pack is the first update since Concepts Unlimited’s inaugural release in October.

Service Pack 1 Includes:

• Kernel updated to support Spatial’s ACIS R12 SP2
• Improved accuracy for filling and capping surfaces
• Updated translators
• Several minor corrections

Join Us on Stand 950 at Mac Expo for the UK debut of Concepts Unlimited

MacExpo
20 - 22 November 2003
Business Design Centre, Islington, London

For further details please contact info@cadsoftsolutions.co.uk

DARcorp today released their Aero Pack for Concepts Unlimited to simplify the design of aircraft using Concepts Unlimited.

Cadsoft Solutions Limited today released their Decals Collection to enhance the visualisation process in Concepts Unlimited.

The Decals Collection from Cadsoft Solutions, a library of over 300 characters, icons and symbols, saves valuable time when generating photorealistic images using Concepts Unlimited.

Categorised for ease of use under headings such as automotive, computing, power, audio, video, photography, keyboard and cell phone keypad, decals can be simply dragged and dropped onto 3D objects designed in Concepts Unlimited to create realistic looking keys, buttons, displays and readouts.

With single user licences retailing at £65 and site licences for £150 this is a minimal investment for maximum return.

The Decals Collection is available on CD direct from Cadsoft Solutions Limited or through a network of International Distributors in France, Germany, Holland & Japan

Cadsoft Solutions Limited today released their Materials Collection to enhance the visualisation process in Concepts Unlimited.

The Materials Collection from Cadsoft Solutions, a library of over 600 material finishes and textures saves valuable time in the visualisation process.

Categorised for ease of use under such headings as ceramic, fabric, glass, plastic, resin, metal and wood materials can be simply dragged and dropped onto 3D objects designed in Concepts Unlimited to create realistic looking surface finishes.

With single user licences retailing at £65 and site licences for £150 this is a minimal investment for maximum returns.

The material library is available on CD direct from Cadsoft Solutions Limited at www.cadsoftsolutions.co.uk, or through a network of International distributors in France, Germany, Holland & Japan.

Cadsoft Solutions Incorporated last week released its new flagship product, Concepts Unlimited. Offering easy to use modeling, rendering, animation, and automated drawing generation tools, Concepts Unlimited provides the ideal solution for conceptual designers supporting the MCAD and Enterprise communities.

Precise Conceptual Modeling

Concepts Unlimited is one of the industry's first modeling applications focused on conceptual and preliminary design for those requiring precision content. Unlike faceted based conceptual tools, Concepts Unlimited creates precise NURB and analytical data that migrates smoothly into existing engineering solutions keeping the original design intent intact.

Concepts Unlimited integrates a combination of hybrid modeling techniques including wireframe, surface, and solid modeling through geometric associativity which automatically captures design intent and enables rapid modifications and iterations. Based on the state of the art ACIS R12 modeling kernel, data can be confidently shared using SAT, IGES, STEP, and CATIA V4 file formats.

Rendering and Animation

Integrated photo realistic rendering and animation is a must for communicating and taking your conceptual designs to the next level. Using our drag and drop materials library, you can create high resolution, ray traced, poster size JPEG, BMP, or EPS files as well as QuickTime flyby, walkthrough, and VR animations.

Usability

Where MCAD and Enterprise solutions focus on providing endless functionality, Concepts Unlimited focuses on usability first. The simple user interface is as easy to learn as many of the 2D vector graphic programs currently used for conceptual design.

Automated Drawing Generation

Designers can use automated 3D to 2D tools to generate 2D drawings from surfaces or solid models. The resulting drawings consist of precise curves (lines, arcs/circles, ellipses, splines) that are projected and trimmed for visibility within drawing views. Drawings can be annotated using a variety of dimension tools and shared with others using DXF/DWG or Adobe Illustrator file formats.

Join Cadsoft Solutions France at Apple Expo for the European debut of Concepts Unlimited.

Apple Expo
16 - 20 September 2003
Halle 2, Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles, Paris

For further details please contact info@cadsoft-solutions.com

Cadsoft Solutions Incorporated today announced that the first release of Concepts Unlimited will use Spatial's ACIS R11 modeling and interoperability software components. Concepts Unlimited provides a variety of easy to use 2D, 3D wireframe, surface, and solid modeling tools for conceptual designers supporting the MCAD and Enterprise communities.

"ACIS R11 plays a vital role in fulfilling our need to quickly and reliably create and share precise 3D content within the CCAD community," said Tim Olson president of CSI. "We are excited to be among the first to deploy this critical technology component to our users."

ACIS R11

Spatial's new release of ACIS R11 focuses on increasing quality and performance as well as adding targeted and innovative new features to the 3D ACIS® Modeler and 3D Deformable Modeling subsystems. Some of the features Concepts Unlimited specifically takes advantage of includes new surface rebuilding, repair, and covering tools, faster lofting, and the improved Interop translators solutions such as CATIA, STEP, and IGES. For more information regarding Spatial and the new R11 release see www.spatial.com.

Cadsoft Solutions incorporated today announced testing has begun on its new flagship product, Concepts Unlimited. Concepts Unlimited provides a variety of easy to use 2D, 3D wireframe, surface, and solid modeling tools for designers supporting the MCAD and Enterprise communities.

"Concepts Unlimited is the first modeling tool totally focused on conceptual and preliminary design for those requiring precision content," said Tim Olson president of CSI. "Concepts is a new breed of CAD tools positioned in the emerging CCAD community which precedes and augments MCAD and Enterprise solutions."

Precision CCAD

Concepts Unlimited focuses on increasing the productivity of the earliest portion of the design process by providing an innovative user environment that supports versatile modeling, rendering/animation, drawing generation, and interoperability solutions. Unlike facetted based conceptual tools, Concepts Unlimited creates precise data that migrates smoothly into existing engineering solutions eliminating the need for production designers to recreate and possibly lose original design intent.

Initial Feedback

Lockheed Martin, one of the world's largest aircraft design firms, has been involved in the initial testing of Concepts, helping to determine its range of functionality within its existing Enterprise application tools. "Our engineering department uses CATIA, but it has been a challenge to get auxiliary support groups to learn and stay trained with CATIA," said George Irving, senior design engineer, Lockheed. We're excited by the rapid learning curve, flexible modeling environment, and precise CATIA translators that Concepts offers to the rest of the design team."