HOOPS Exchange 2017 Now Allows Access to Feature Trees and Hole Pattern Definitions, Updates to Format Support and Exports Faceted Data into Siemens’ Parasolid
BEND, Oregon – September 5, 2017 – Tech Soft 3D, leading provider of software development tools and 3D PDF solutions to the engineering software industry, today announced Service Pack 2 for HOOPS Exchange 2017, the fastest, most accurate and complete CAD data translation toolkit. Service Pack 2 extends the breadth of the HOOPS Exchange data model to include support for the model feature tree including access to hole definitions and patterns. The release also includes updated file format support and enhancements to its integration with Siemens’® Parasolid® software to support faceted geometry.
HOOPS Exchange now includes beta support for feature trees from CATIA™ V5, NXTM and Creo® files. The feature tree represents all steps that have been used in a CAD design system to create the part. Included in the feature tree, hole and pattern descriptions can be retrieved for CATIA V5, NX and Creo. This includes the pattern type (Linear, Matrix, Cyclic, Polygonal), the master entity and all information to retrieve the position of reference entities.
“Supporting feature trees, and especially hole patterns, represents a major step forward in the functionality of HOOPS Exchange. This information will allow our partners to automate and optimize downstream processes including analysis, manufacturing, and metrology.” says Eric Vinchon, VP of Product Strategy at Tech Soft 3D.
In addition to providing rich access to the latest versions of the major CAD formats (CATIA V5 6R2017, Inventor 2018, ACIS 2017.1 and Parasolid V30.0) Tech Soft 3D has continued to focus on the HOOPS Exchange integration with the Parasolid modeling kernel. HOOPS Exchange can now import tessellated data from Parasolid files as well as push tessellated data into Parasolid. This allows customers to re-use faceted data from STL, IFC, VRML, U3D and CGR files, directly in Parasolid which is useful for users of Parasolid’s new Convergent Modeling™ tools.
“Often, engineers get data with no solid geometry available for a particular node in an assembly. Historically this was a major problem, but now with HOOPS Exchange, faceted data can be automatically pushed into Parasolid for use in modeling workflows,” said Eric Vinchon. “This is particularly useful for specific data types in native CAD files such as Creo family tables, assemblies level features and missing files in SOLIDWORKS™ assemblies.”
Support for STEP AP242 has also improved with the ability to export tessellated geometry, user name, organization name and authorization name, and export them to Step.Z (step file zipped). Import and export of semantic Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) in this format has also been enhanced with the ability to manage maximum geometric tolerance and shape representations with parameters on datum targets. This allows users to further support advanced Model Based Definition (MBD) workflows using the STEP AP242 format.
About Tech Soft 3D
Tech Soft 3D is the leading global provider of development tools that help software teams deliver successful applications, as well as the creator of the PRC format that is part of the PDF standard. Established in 1996 and headquartered in Bend, Oregon, Tech Soft 3D also has offices in California, Ohio, France, England and Japan. The company’s toolkit products power nearly 500 unique applications running on hundreds of millions of computers worldwide, while the Tetra4D brand of end-user products are used by many of the top manufacturing and construction firms for converting CAD data into 3D PDF. For more information, visit www.techsoft3d.com and www.tetra4d.com.
HOOPS is a registered trademark of Tech Soft 3D. All other products or company references are the property of their respective holders. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.