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General Software

ModelPress Publisher 3.0,ModelPress Viewer 2.0

31 May, 2003 By: Ron LaFon

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Informative Graphics Corp.

4 stars out of 5

Informative Graphics’ free ModelPress Viewer 2 lets you publish and view 3D CAD models on the Web.

The ModelPress System from Informative Graphics Corp. comprises ModelPress Publisher 3.0 and ModelPress Viewer 2.0. It differs from the other viewers in this roundup. Rather than simply open a CAD file, you use the Publisher to publish 3D files in a Web-ready format that can then be accessed using a Web-delivered visualization application (the Viewer) that you can embed into Web pages or desktop applications.

ModelPress makes 3D CAD content accessible to users without requiring either the originating CAD application or the expertise necessary to use such an application. One of the most remarkable aspects of the ModelPress System is the price—free. ModelPress is freely licensed to corporations and individual end users for publishing and viewing CAD models. ModelPress Publisher 3.0 and ModelPress Viewer 2.0 are available for download from Informative Graphics Corp.’s ModelPress Web site (www.modelpress.com). Integrating ModelPress into any revenue-generating software application or service requires a fee-based distribution license from Informative Graphics. Technical support for ModelPress is also a fee-based service.

On a price and performance level, it’s hard to beat free. At testing, ModelPress Viewer didn’t directly load or view AutoCAD DWG files, but as we go to press, Informative Graphics states that it reads DWGs with SAT files.

Among the file formats it supports are SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Pro/ENGINEER, VRML, STL, SLP, 3DS, Inventor, IGES, and STEP. The four-star rating reflects not so much the quality of the product, but the degree of functionality when compared to other products in the review. ModelPress will fulfill many needs and is well worth investigating.