CAD Exchanger 3.9.1 has launched, adding a series of new features to help users collaborate with customers, suppliers and peers in multi-CAD environment.
The biggest addition to CAD Exchanger 3.9.1 is 3D PDF, which allows users to create an embedded 3D model, which can be rotated, zoomed, and explored in a variety of ways without need for native CAD.
3D PDF import allows for users to view and convert files to over 20 other 3D formats and to develop CAD apps with embedded geometry visualisation.
Version 3.9.1 also allows PRC import for GUI users and software developers.PRC is a file format used to embed 3D data in PDF.
CAD Exchanger says that PRC is more feature-rich than U3D – supporting NURBS geometry, PMI, and better mesh compression.
USD (Universal Scene Description) is a format created by Pixar for 3D scene data exchange between animation professionals, which CAD Exchanger now supports with export to all three available variations: .usda (ASCII encoded, human-readable text), .usdc (binary-encoded) and .usdz (zip-compressed).
It allows users to display 3D models on AR-enabled devices and to incorporate this technology into CAD apps.
Rhino import is enabled via plug-in that enables the import of 25+ CAD formats directly into Rhino, with 3DM, an open-source native format of Rhino software used for the exchange of NURBS and polygon geometries.
The scope of the CAD Exchanger Rhino plug-in includes, but is not limited to, several neutral (JT, Collada, IFC), kernel (ACIS, Parasolid), and native (Siemens NX, CATIA, Solidworks) formats, that are not initially supported by the package itself.
The new version also enables the display of colours attached to product structure elements (bodies, instances, assemblies) of CATIA and Parasolid models.
Windows Forms, a graphical library included, along with WPS (Windows Presentation Foundation), into Microsoft .NET Framework, can now be used with the visualisation module of CAD Exchanger SDK to display highly interactive 3D components in C#/Windows Forms-based applications.
Additionally, users of CAD Exchanger Android mobile application can view, explore, and convert models into a wide range of CAD formats without any in-app purchases.
Format-specific improvements
- Parasolid 32.1 import and export support
- Creo V6 and Creo 7 import support
- CATIA geometry improvements
