CAD Software Increases Speed, Core Functionality

Alibre offers the next major release of its 3D CAD software, Alibre Design 11.0. The software migrates the entire code base to the .NET platform and doubles the size of assemblies that can be handled. According to the company, often-used assembly operations are as much as 10 times faster, and the software includes 2D drawing speed enhancements and feature improvements. Another enhancement is the integration of Alibre Vault by M-Files, a comprehensive, easy-to-use product data management (PDM) system that integrates with Alibre Design and Windows, the company says.

Assembly performance and productivity are enhanced with a “drag-n-drop” constraint mode that features instant visual feedback and real-time editing to make constraining parts in assemblies faster and to eliminate guesswork. By dragging one part near another, V11 users can preview the applicable constraints on screen and make quick adjustments such as flip or rotate before committing to the chosen constraints. Speed improvements for nearly all common assembly tasks are also part of V11. More than 30 common tasks, such as editing parts within the assembly or creating section views, are now at least twice as fast, providing a more productive assembly modeling environment, the company says.

The Alibre Vault by M-Files offers integrated data and process management for virtually all files and workflows. The Alibre Vault integrates within Alibre Design and Windows Explorer, and document management is simplified by an easy-to-learn “index card” interface that supports virtually all file types, the company says. Security and collaboration options keep files safe and accessible while managing workflows such as approval loops, engineering change orders (ECO) and other business processes.

Features such as auto-fill title blocks, industry-standard 2D external thread representations, selective sectioning of parts in assembly section views and advanced automated dimension alignment enhance 2D productivity, the company says. Speed is also enhanced with Fast Views, which generates drawing views in seconds.