Computervision redefines desktop CAD

Citation

(1998), "Computervision redefines desktop CAD", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 70 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1998.12770baf.007

Computervision redefines desktop CAD

Software solutions for aerospace

Computervision redefines desktop CAD

Computervision Corporation has launched its first all-new software product since making the transition to a software-only company. Combining a next-generation, assembly-centric architecture with true production CAD capabilities and leading-edge software components, Computervision Corporation unveiled a new innovative Windows-native CAD product at AUTOFACT. The new product claims to advance the state of CAD technology and makes advanced CAD technology accessible to every engineer in the manufacturing industry.

We are informed by Computervision that the new DesignWave system is based on an entirely new, advanced, true-context architecture introduced into the CAD/CAM market for the first time. This architecture claims to eliminate artificial barriers to productivity that have been imposed on users by legacy architectures designed to support geometry-focused solutions. DesignWave combines best-in class technology components from Computervision as well as from companies such as Microsoft and EDS.

The product was unveiled in Microsoft's booth in a joint Microsoft, Compaq, Computervision press conference at the AUTOFACT Conference in Detroit.

"DesignWave marks the first all-new product from Computervision to specifically target the fast-growing, high-volume CAD/CAM desktop market," said Kathleen A. Cote, CV's president and CEO. "DesignWave is a true desktop product with capabilities that will make it very appealing to the huge market of users who still haven't found a good enough reason to switch from 2D draughting systems ­ we think DesignWave will give them that reason."

"Unlike other CAD products that have been ported down or copied from older UNIX implementations, DesignWave is all new," said Jon Stevenson, vice president of Computervision's DesignWave business unit. "It's based on a next generation, Windows-native architecture targeted directly at end user expectations. We designed this product to focus exclusively on delivering solutions that fit into customer processes. Thanks to its unique architecture, it delivers innovation beyond the current state of the industry while providing the simple self-teaching solutions that the desktop user has come to expect."

DesignWave was engineered from the ground up to provide a "true-context design environment" focused on designing products, not just parts. Users can reportedly create complete designs that are right first time and know that drawings or related designs are always current since they directly access the actual "true-context" design, not merely a representation of the design. As a result, associativity is said to be no longer an issue. In a true-context environment, everything is inherently up-to-date and naturally assembly-centric and feature-based.

According to Computervision, DesignWave's true-context environment enables parts to be desired in the context of their assembly. DesignWave assemblies are spatial arrangements of component product designs. By eliminating copying of geometry, assemblies are always current. By making no artificial distinction between parts and assemblies, DesignWave enables features and components to be added to any design.

According to industry analyst D.H. Brown, "This product has the greatest potential of any current offering to eliminate the communication problems endemic to geometric-centric CAD."

DesignWave includes full concurrent design capabilities, where multiple users can design parts within an assembly context and where the assembly automatically updates each user as changes are made to part designs. This enables work to be done concurrently with others ­ with all accessing the same assembly design ­ for a team-oriented design. We are informed that DesignWave's single true-context environment does not place boundaries between parts files and assembly files; as a result, users do not have to manipulate files to build product structures or assemblies. DesignWave also introduces a multi-view product browser that makes navigating large assemblies easy.

We are also informed that DesignWave's derived-model capability also makes it easy for teams to work on variations of designs or in-process manufacturing models and tooling while still being able automatically to reflect changes to the initial design. This capability delivers unprecedented productivity benefits for both in-process manufacturing and family-of-parts.

Production-quality parametric solid modelling is also inherently feature-based: users create with 3D sketches and functional form features as opposed to low level CAD geometry. The system provides comprehensive, drag-and-drop feature model editing as well as powerful options for creating features like hollows, projections, and ribs. The true-context environment claims to eliminate modelling limitations associated with other systems; users can feel free to have multiple solid bodies in the same part, or multiple profiles in the same sketch, or add relationships between sketches. Such examples demonstrate the flexibility of a true-context design environment.

DesignWave reportedly introduces breakthrough technology for draughting that is simple and fast. DesignWave makes use of built-in feature knowledge to reduce the time and tedium of drawing generation. The true-context environment eliminates out-of-date drawings by inherently reflecting changes ­ drawings are based on the true context design not a 2D abstraction of the design. True-context drawings are also assembly-centric; the power of this is evident when a part drawing automatically becomes an assembly drawing as a part is added to an existing design.

Section views and cross-hatching are completely automatic, as are centrelines and extension lines that always look professional. DesignWave claims to provide a complete draughting solution for design documentation and supports all major draughting standards including ANSI, JIS, ISO DIN, and BS 308.

DesignWave is stated to be a true Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows NT native product built entirely on Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFCs), and it is a mechanical CAD software system that fully embeds the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) development system. DesignWave can automatically generate Visual Basic code while users work, directly automating repetitive tasks or capturing knowledge engineering.

"Computervision's new design system is an outstanding example of how CAD/CAM applications can harness the power of Microsoft component technologies," said Brian Seitz, Microsoft's worldwide engineering industry manager. "We are very excited about our association with Computervision and the new DesignWave product, particularly since it is the first solid modelling that takes advantage of Microsoft tools like fully embedded VBA."

DesignWave exploits the power of Windows 95 and NT to deliver the ease of use, performance, and desktop software integration that users expect. With its Windows look and feel, DesignWave is intuitive and discoverable. DesignWave enables engineers to document and communicate designs easily by embracing the Windows OLE paradigm. Users can simply embed design information in documents and presentations for many uses within their organisations.

"With DesignWave, Computervision is delivering valuable, innovative technology to designers who use industry-standard platforms such as Compaq's Windows NT-based Professional workstations," said Les Crudele, vice president and general manager of Compaq's workstation division. "DesignWave's revolutionary true-context environment and the uncompromising performance of Compaq's Highly Parallel System Architecture in our Professional workstations offers designers new levels of productivity on affordable, industry standard platforms."

Computervision's CAD/CAM strategy

DesignWave extends Computervision's Electronic Product Definition (EPD) offering and is said to be the perfect desktop companion to Computervision's high-end enterprise CAD/CAM product, CADDS 5. CADDS 5 is recognised as one of the industry's most advanced enterprise products and is the production tool of choice for many blue-chip companies such as Land Rover, Rolls-Royce Aerospace, United Defense, Raytheon, General Electric, Bosch Siemens, and Hughes.

Computervision intends to leverage common customer requirements and technology developments to accelerate the delivery of new versions of both its enterprise CADDS 5 product and its desktop product, DesignWave. The next release of CADDS 5, Version 8.0, is scheduled for early this year.

Details from Computervision Limited. Tel: +44 (0) 1203 417 718; Fax: +44 (0) 1203 411 749; E-mail: js1@ukmail1.cv.com