Intergraph Announces Solid Edge Version 3.HUNTSVILLE, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 3, 1997-- Extends Design Capabilities; Third Major Release Delivers New Solid Modeling and Powerful 2D-to-3D CAD Migration Tools Intergraph Software Solutions today announced the third major release of Solid Edge, the company's flagship Windows-based mechanical assembly design and drafting software. Solid Edge has received industry acclaim as the foremost user-oriented CAD system, providing superior ease of use and productivity for mechanical design professionals. With this latest version, Solid Edge delivers new advances in assembly design and feature-based modeling to broaden the range of parts design without compromising performance and ease of use. Version 3 also adds a new standalone 2D drafting package to the Solid Edge family plus Web-ready technology and Development tools that enhance the product development process. "As we build on Solid Edge's proven product strengths, we continue to deliver powerful and easy-to-use 3D mechanical design for mainstream engineers," said William H. McClure, vice president, Intergraph Mechanical Software Solutions. "Version 3 extends this vision with unparalleled tools for the transition from 2D to 3D CAD. Today, Solid Edge combines all the advantages of high-performance 3D solid modeling with production-ready 2D drafting capabilities." "With this new release, Intergraph demonstrates its leadership in supporting the strong drive from 2D drafting to solid modeling," comments Marc Halpern, Director of Research, D.H. Brown Associates. "Solid Edge is a prominent influence on the changing landscape of the MCAD MCAD Microsoft Certified Application Developer MCAD Mechanical Computer Aided Design MCAD Medium-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase (inherited metabolic disease) MCAD Minneapolis College of Art and Design market, providing mechanical engineers with an impressive and affordable CAD system targeted to their product design requirements." Solid Edge Version 3 is priced at $5995 (U.S.) and will begin shipping at the end of March. French, German, Spanish, Italian, Korean, and Japanese language Japanese language Language spoken by about 125 million people on the islands of Japan, including the Ryukyus. The only other language of the Japanese archipelago is Ainu (see Ainu), now spoken by only a handful of people on Hokkaido, though once much more widespread. versions will begin shipping in April. Improved assembly design Version 3 reaffirms Solid Edge's lead in assembly modeling with improved management of large assemblies and new tools for top-down assembly design. Designers now have an all-encompassing tool for managing assembly relationships with an enhanced PathFinder, the navigation tool for tracking assembly structures. Relationships are highlighted when the part is selected with icons indicating the fully- or under-constrained condition of each part. A new assembly layout environment provides a more intuitive top-down design A design technique that starts with the highest level of an idea and works its way down to the lowest level of detail. See top-down programming. (programming) top-down design - (Or "stepwise refinement"). approach. Solid Edge 3 also accelerates modeling of different assembly configurations with a new part replacement function that automatically preserves the assembly relationships of the original part whenever possible. Modeling rivals high-end systems New feature-based solid modeling capabilities in Version 3 extend Solid Edge's remarkably easy-to-use design tools to address more complex part geometries. With new "swept" and "lofted" feature commands, engineers can quickly and easily model more complex parts by automatically sweeping shapes along curves, or by defining the shape with a series of cross-sections. Version 3 also makes it easier to model patterns of features and provides cut-and-paste functions for feature profiles that help leverage existing 2D CAD data in 3D solid modeling operations. New 2D drafting tools; new standalone drafting package Version 3 of Solid Edge adds entirely new 2D drafting tools that are intuitive to classically-trained drafters, yet offer significant productivity improvements over traditional 2D CAD systems. Whereas prior releases of Solid Edge produced drawings only from 3D solid models, Version 3 of the software supports "from-scratch" 2D geometry creation and mechanical-specific drawing composition, dimensioning, and annotation tools. Designers also have the freedom to create their design in 3D and detail their work in 2D. In addition, 2D geometry added to the drawing is associative to the drawing view from the 3D model. The new 2D drafting capabilities are available as a no-cost enhancement within Solid Edge, and are also packaged in a separate standalone product, Solid Edge Drafting, priced at $1995 (U.S.). Best CAD solution for 2D users moving to 3D In combination, the new drafting and modeling capabilities of Solid Edge Version 3 embody a risk-free, ideal solution for the huge community of 2D mechanical CAD users who are seeking to adopt 3D design techniques. Solid Edge now supports the industry's most streamlined workflow for using 2D CAD data to create 3D solid models, while giving companies the option of relying entirely on familiar 2D design practices. "The majority of the CAD market presently uses 2D tools, although they recognize the benefits of moving to a 3D design system," McClure comments. "In the past, companies had to go 'cold turkey' -- meaning the choice was 3D or nothing. Solid Edge provides the industry's most risk-free 3D solution for the existing 2D user." Premieres as Office 97 Compatible Solid Edge Version 3 premieres with Microsoft's new "Office 97 Compatible" designation. As a Windows-native 3D mechanical design system, Solid Edge is the first to meet all Office 97 Compatibility requirements, ensuring unprecedented ease of use and a consistent look and feel within the Windows environment (1) (upper case "W") Refers to computers running under a Microsoft Windows operating system. (2) (lower case "w") Also called a "windowing environment," it refers to any software that provides multiple windows on screen such as Windows, Mac, Motif and X Window. . "Intergraph pioneered the new paradigm New Paradigm In the investing world, a totally new way of doing things that has a huge effect on business. Notes: The word "paradigm" is defined as a pattern or model, and it has been used in science to refer to a theoretical framework. for software integration when Solid Edge was introduced last year," adds McClure. "We remain committed to providing design professionals the highest level of integration between engineering and personal productivity tools on the desktop." API enhances integration Version 3 of Solid Edge enhances its integration capabilities with the Solid Edge Application Programming Interface (API). This open and customizable architecture not only assures seamless integration An addition of a new application, routine or device that works smoothly with the existing system. It implies that the new feature or program can be installed and used without problems. Contrast with "transparent," which implies that there is no discernible change after installation. with third-party tools, but empowers customers to choose best-in-class software to run with Solid Edge. The Solid Edge API is an open programming tool providing third-party vendors and end-users a link for creating complementary applications for Solid Edge. To facilitate programming, a Software Development Kit (SDK (Software Developer's Kit) See developer's toolkit and Windows SDK. SDK - Software Developers Kit (or "Software Development Kit"). ) documents the API and provides User Interface guidelines, sample code, and Online Programmer's Help. Web-ready technology Solid Edge Version 3 provides an easy method for sharing design data within and across the Intranet/Internet through industry-standard Computer Graphics Metafile (graphics, file format) Computer Graphics Metafile - (CGM) A standard file format for storage and communication of graphical information, widely used on personal computers and accepted by desktop publishing and technical illustration systems. MIME type: image/cgm. (CGM (1) (Computer Graphics Metafile) An ISO/IEC standard format for 2D graphics images introduced in 1987. Primarily a vector graphics format for technical illustrations and geophysical visualizations, CGM also supports raster graphics and text. ) technology. With a simple "Save As" command, Solid Edge produces CGM files of design models that can be viewed with popular Internet browsers such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer Microsoft's Web browser, which comes with Windows starting with Windows 98. Commonly called "IE," versions for Mac and Unix are also available. Internet Explorer is the most widely used Web browser on the market. It has also been the browser engine in AOL's Internet access software. or Netscape. Debuts at International Events Attendees at the National Design Engineering Show (NDES NDES NARM Data Entry Sheet , Chicago) can test drive Solid Edge Version 3 during its debut in the Intergraph Software Solutions Booth (No. 2629). Solid Edge Voyager Partners will also be demonstrating complementary analysis and manufacturing applications. Partners include: CADCentre, DP Technology, Enterprise Software Products, Knowledge Revolution, Structural Research & Analysis Corporation, and Surfware. Version 3 will also debut at CEBIT (CEntrum der Büro und InformationsTechnik, Center for Office and Information Technology) The largest information technology trade show in the world targeted to industry professionals. Organized by Deutsche Messe, AG, Hannover, Germany, www.cebit. (Germany), ICAT ICAT Isotope-Coded Affinity Tagging ICAT Intelligent Computer-Assisted Training ICAT International Centre for Automotive Technology (Gurgaon, India) ICAT International Convention Against Torture ICAT International Cat Agility Tournament (UK), and MICAD MICAD Multipurpose Integrated Chemical Agent Detector (France) during March. Pricing Solid Edge Version 3 is priced at $5995 (U.S.). Solid Edge Drafting is priced at $1995 (U.S.). Intergraph Background Information A member of the Fortune 1000, Intergraph Corporation (Huntsville, Ala.) is the world's largest company dedicated to supplying interactive computer graphics systems. Products range from point solutions, meeting individual and departmental needs, to integrated, enterprisewide systems. The company's common stock trades on The NASDAQ Stock Market Nasdaq stock market The first electronic stock market listing over 5000 companies. The Nasdaq stock market comprises two separate markets, namely the Nasdaq National Market, which trades large, active securities and the Nasdaq Smallcap Market that trades emerging growth companies. under the symbol: INGR. Intergraph Software Solutions (ISS ISS See Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS). ) develops and markets integrated software Separate software components or applications that have been combined into one package. See integrated software package. for the Technical Desktop - the combination of compatible technical applications and personal productivity tools in a single desktop computer. Technical applications include computer-aided design computer-aided design (CAD) or computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), form of automation that helps designers prepare drawings, specifications, parts lists, and other design-related elements using special graphics- and calculations-intensive , engineering, analysis, manufacturing, and GIS. Intergraph and the Intergraph logo are registered trademarks and Solid Edge is a trademark of Intergraph Corporation. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation (company) Microsoft Corporation - The biggest supplier of operating systems and other software for IBM PC compatibles. Software products include MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, Microsoft Access, LAN Manager, MS Client, SQL Server, Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC), MS Mail, . Other brands and product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners. -0- Note to editors: (Please note the new 800 number) For more information, your readers may call 800-807-2200, e-mail us at solidedge@ingr.co or visit us on the internet, http://www.intergraph.com/solidedge . IMAGES: Solid Edge images are available in TIF TIF Tagged Image File (file name extension) TIF Tax Increment Financing TIF Temporary Internet Files TIF Transport Innovation Fund (UK) TIF Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund format upon request. CONTACT: Intergraph Software Solutions, Huntsville Shelley T. Miller, 205/730-7631 or stmiller@ingr.com |
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