Southwest Harbor, Maine - The new SurfaceWorks 6.6, from AeroHydro Inc., is designed to enhance surface flattening and pattern making in SolidWorks.
Version 6.6 includes such enhancements and refinements as:
· Surfaces and Triangle Meshes are interchangeable for many operations
· 13 new entity types, including Expanded Surface and Expanded TriMesh
· Real Values Dialog provides continuous feedback when using variables and formulas
· Expanded Multiple Edit
· Enhanced Entity Manager
· Render and Shaded view display quality improvements
· New 3D export formats
Bringing the functionality of AeroHydro's Flattener program into the 3D workspace of SurfaceWorks was a principal focus of Version 6.6 development. Flat patterns generated in the 3D-model space are immediately updated when the 3D surface is changed. Markings can be transferred in either direction, from 3D to pattern or vice versa. With the improvements in dimensioning and annotations, the patterns are fully parametric at all times. This capability can greatly reduce the time required for detailing and nesting in a 2D CAD environment.
SurfaceWorks 6.6 for SolidWorks is a free-form surface modeling add-on for SolidWorks. SurfaceWorks provides SolidWorks users with enhanced surface modeling capabilities, which complement and expand on SolidWorks modeling capabilities. SurfaceWorks surfaces used in SolidWorks models are completely associative, updating automatically whenever the user modifies the SolidWorks part. SurfaceWorks for SolidWorks is distributed through the worldwide network of SolidWorks resellers. The new version is $2995.00 and is available free to existing users with a current maintenance subscription.
SurfaceWorks Flattener is a compound-curved surface flattening utility based on AeroHydro’s patented technology. The unique feature of the AeroHydro flattening technology is that it takes explicit account of the variable distribution of in-plane strain required to produce the specified 3D curvatures. This solution enables accurate layout and NC cutting of flat blanks which, through application of a suitable compounding process, evolve into curved pieces precisely fitting their prescribed positions on the product.