CAD Tech News (#59)

▶ SOLIDWORKS World 2017, Part 1: New Products and Services for SOLIDWORKS Users

Event report: Virtual reality, 3D printing, and much more are highlights of this year's Partner Pavilion.

By Cyrena Respini-Irwin and Nancy Spurling Johnson

The Partner Pavilion at last week's SOLIDWORKS World 2017 user conference in Los Angeles was alive with demonstrations and displays of nearly 125 exhibitors — the most the event has ever included, the company reported. That number included more than 30 companies that were new to the event this year. Virtual reality, 3D printing, and a handful of new computing products were highlights of this year's show floor.

Following is a roundup of new and noteworthy software and hardware products and services compiled by Cadalyst editors who attended the event, including a glimpse at more than a dozen first-time exhibitors.

New Software for SOLIDWORKS Users

File security. For manufacturers grappling with intellectual property (IP) protection and regulations compliance, Seclore offers a noteworthy information rights management solution. Wally Bitaut, director of business development, briefed Cadalyst about the new IRMaaS for SOLIDWORKS. The plug-in tightly controls access to shared SOLIDWORKS models, and if a file is misused, misplaced, or stolen, it can revoke access remotely or make the file self-destruct. It centrally logs all activities and forensic details associated with protected files — whether inside or outside the enterprise network, including unauthorized attempts. IRMaaS is also available for AutoCAD, 3D PDF, and more than 60 other file formats and can work alongside any product data management platform, Bitaut said.

3D PDF authoring. The Tetra4D 2017 portfolio from Tech Soft 3D delivers an improved user interface, increased support for import and export formats, and new workflows focused on 3D printing. Tetra4D Converter, Tetra4D Enrich, and Tetra4D Automate each play a role in developing and sharing data-rich, interactive 3D PDFs.

Structural analysis. SIMSOLID is a high-capacity structural finite-element analysis (FEA) tool that analyzes fully featured parts and assemblies in minutes without meshing, according to the company. Designed to complement CAD-embedded simulation, it works directly with SOLIDWORKS, Onshape, and Autodesk Fusion 360 to analyze large and complex parts and assemblies, including complex lattice-based designs, using a desktop-class computer. A reportedly unique approach to bolt modeling uses full-fidelity 3D geometry, including threads if available. Multi-CAD analysis integration supports multiple design studies of large assemblies so users can quickly evaluate and compare the structural performance of different geometric configurations, even those from different CAD systems.

Read more »

SIMSOLID extends the embedded simulation capabilities of CAD systems including SOLIDWORKS.

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Cyrena Respini-Irwin is Cadalyst's editor in chief. Nancy Spurling Johnson is the content director for Longitude Media, publisher of Cadalyst.

▶ Tyme Wear Designs Breath-Monitoring Shirts in SOLIDWORKS

Startup envisions clothing that helps wearers better understand — and care for — their own bodies.

By Cyrena Respini-Irwin

Modern life is rife with threats that are underestimated because they're not immediately dangerous. Chronic stress is a prime example: Over time, it increases the risk of heart disease, depression, memory problems, and other serious issues, but we often write it off as a normal part of daily life. Like the proverbial frog, we're content to stay in the pot as long as the water temperature increases gradually, unaware of the severity of the threat until it's too late. "Our bodies are extremely adept at normalizing around things that are not ideal," observed Arnar Larusson, cofounder and CEO of Tyme Wear.

Larusson, who is descended from a long line of doctors and nurses, seeks to battle illness preventively by giving people improved awareness of their bodies. Tyme Wear is currently developing a garment that not only tracks the wearer's breathing, but immediately calls attention to undesired behavior — such as rapid, shallow breathing in times of stress — with vibration cues.

Controlling the rate and depth of the breath can lower the heart rate and blood pressure and reduce stress, so monitoring breathing behavior in the moment can potentially benefit everyone from yoga and meditation practitioners to those who suffer from anxiety. In addition, athletes chasing their personal best can get more insight into their exertion levels and optimize training; office workers slouching over their keyboards can be reminded to sit up straight and breathe more deeply. "By creating awareness, we're arming you with the tools to take a different path," said Larusson. Read more »

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Cyrena Respini-Irwin is Cadalyst's editor in chief.

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