What's New in CADfix V8.1

June 2011
CADFIX 8.1
1 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Service Pack Roll Up
Service Pack Consolidation
– Roll-up of all service packs issued for CADfix 8.0 (SP1 & SP2)
Import/Export
– New JTOpen export
– CATIA V5R20, WF5,
SW2010, Inventor 2011
– New V5 export options
– DXF/DWG 3D mesh
support
– UG reference sets
Assembly models
– New filtering options
– Record/playback of edits
– Improved performance
– Screen selection
Surface Intersections
– New intersection line tool
– New split face(s) tool
Defeature
– Drill-tip removal tool
– New face joining algorithm
– New Body Welding
– High aspect ratio face fix
– Improved surf-surf
intersection GUI
Graphics
– New frame-rate controls
– Improved performance
GUI
– New display tools
– Better spin centre
selection
– New Application Data
Tab
– New CFD domains tool
Misc.
– Unicode filename
support
– Windows /3G support
– Bugfixes
2 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Import and Export
Updated CAD interfaces
– DXF/DWG up to AUTOCAD 2010
– NX 7.5
– CADDS5i R16
CATIA V4 Import and Export
– New import option to preserve SOLIDM as CADfix faceted solids
– New export capability to write SOLIDM entities to CATIA V4
– New export capability to write CAD assemblies as DITTOS
JTOpen Import
– New JTOpen import for JT precise BREP data
– Supports parts, assemblies and attributes
– JT import and export now available to non-JTOpen consortium
members
3 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Import and Export
DXF
– Support for reading and writing of faceted solids
STEP
– Support for import of faceted BREP solids
SC03
– Export of mesh
– Support for face RGB colours
Flite export
– New spline fitting option of fixed mxn grid with local assignment
STL export
– Support for source sizing controls
General
– Auto Set Creation during Import based on Defined CAD label
4 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Import and Export
CATIA V4 and SOLIDM Support
– CATIA V4 “end of life” means that users need to migrate V4 data to a
new system or maintain access/edit capability to legacy V4 model data
– Some customers have identified issues with CATIA V4 models
containing SOLIDM data when migrating to CATIA V5
– Other CAD systems do not always support SOLIDM entities
– Some customers are keeping CATIA V4 model data but are turning off
all CATIA V4 machines
CADfix Solution
– CADfix with standalone CATIA V4 import/export interfaces can help
– New import option to preserve SOLIDM as CADfix faceted solids
– New export capability to write SOLIDM entities to CATIA V4
– With CADfix, customers without CATIA V4 can still view, edit and
update CATIA V4 models, e.g. for DMU applications
5 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Import and Export
New JTOpen Import
– Extract precise BREP data from JTOpen files (not facetted data)
– Available to all customers - not just JTOpen members only
6 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Import and Export
STL Export with Source Control in Facet Generation
– Users can now create Sources
to control local facet sizing
– STL export and CADfix will now
respect Source controls
– Provides greater user control and
improved mesh quality
7 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Import and Export
STL Export with Source Control in Facet Generation
Original coarse mesh
Additional Source
control gives
significantly
improved local mesh
in required regions
8 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Wizard
Wizard Repair
– New fix for grossly undersize surfaces
Wizard Defeaturing
– Automatic Feature removal for selected Faces in a defined SET via
new Defeaturing cwc options
– Improved Face Joining
– New Body Joining options
Wizard Prepare
– Prepare process updated for all systems for improved success rate
– More options exposed to .cwc control
9 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Wizard Defeaturing
Automatic Feature Removal for General Faces
– Faces that require removal are placed in named SET
– The SET for removal could be created during CAD import, e.g. the
following cwc import option will put faces with CAD label “CHAMFER”
into a SET called REMO
import,autoGroup,label : {{apply 1} {type F} {value CHAMFER} {setname REMO}}
– cwc Transform stage options to Delete Features in the named SET
transform,deleteFeatures,apply [0, 1] : 1
transform,deleteFeatures,facemod
transform,deleteFeatures,set
[NEW, REDEF] : REDEF
[value] : REMO
10 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Wizard
Wizard Prepare
– Prepare process updated for all systems for improved success rate
– More options exposed to .cwc control
– Separation of parameters for edges and
surface prepare options in Wizard
11 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Diagnostics
Targeted Diagnostic Fixes
– Diagnostic results tree
now has an option to list
individual entities that fail
a test
– Expand tree to show
individual entities
– Users can cycle through
failed entities and apply
different fixes and options
to individual entities if
needed
12 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 – Repair/Prepare
Update to High Aspect Ratio Face Fix
– Detect faces that could be a problem for some meshing systems
– e.g. thin annular rings
– Automatic splitting
Original face split not 4 sections
13 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Repair/Prepare
Global Speed Rate - New Surface Parameterisation Check
– Based on ratio of the smallest to the largest 2D parametric patch
spacing in u and v (or s and t) across the full extents of a NURBS
surface
– If ratio is >5 then the surface is flagged as a poorly parameterised
surface for meshing purposes
– Primarily for SC03 meshing but may be useful for other applications
14 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Repair/Prepare
Join Faces to Neighbours as a Repair Option
– Added Join Faces to Neighbours as a possible repair
options for different geometry problems such as
Degenerate Surfaces, Degenerate Surface Corners,
Self Intersecting Loops, Sharp Corner Angle, Narrow
Faces, Tiny Faces…
– Performs automatic Set completion to collect
neighbours for joining
15 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Defeaturing
Face Joining
– More robust narrow face/sliver face finding and fixing
Body Joining
– New option to find bodies in contact with one selected body
• Select required body and then “Find” touching solids
• Previously “Find” would consider whole model
• More suitable for complex assembly defeaturing and body joining
Select the “Red”
solid and CADfix
will find only those
solids in contact
with this solid for
joining - excluding
other solids
16 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - Defeaturing
Splitting
– Overhaul of split-face-by-shelling tool for improved robustness and
performance
0.8mm offset segmented shell
17 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 – Application Data Tab
Facets
– Improved Faceted model processing tools
Zones
– Improved creation and editing of zones
Sources
– Improved management of sources
18 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 – Application Data Tab
Facets - Painting and Processing
– Improvements to the tool for selecting regions of facets (painting) for
copying, deletion, extraction or replacement
19 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 – Application Data Tab
Facets - Checks and Repairs
– Improvements to the tool for checking for faceting issues and repairing
20 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 – Application Data Tab
Facets – Vertex Collapse
– Improved tools for facet vertex selection and manual collapse
21 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 – General
GUI
– New message centre tool to replace multiple info/warning pop-ups
– New Image capture button
Geometry Builder
– Rework of Geometry Builder GUI
– New tool for creating ruled surfaces
Model Tree and Assembly Management
– Highlighting, selection and framing on specific assembly component instances
– New list-mode view in Assembly tree for access to instance attributes
– New support for zones and combined entities
Mass Properties
– Now supported for facetted surfaces, e.g. imported STL models
Tolerances and Units
– New options to automatically convert and scale to required units during import
– New option to set Global Maximum Working tolerance for CADfix operations
Model Management
– Linux–Windows bi directional database converter
22 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - General
GUI
– New message centre to capture import and CADfix processing
messages for users to review as needed
– Replace multiple information and
warning message pop-ups
– New image capture button replaces
Print Manager
23 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 – General
Geometry Builder
Rework of Geometry Builder layout
– Better Create/Edit differentiation
– Vertical tabs for different build options
New Ruled Surface
– New tool for creating ruled surfaces
– Select basic edges or combined edges
– Ability to select intermediate edges to
give surfaces with internal control and
sharp discontinuities
24 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 – General
Geometry Builder – Ruled Surface
– New tool for creating ruled surfaces
– Parameterisation defined by edge curves
– Select basic edges or combined edges
– Ability to select intermediate edges to give
surfaces with internal control and sharp
discontinuities
25 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 – General
Model Tree and Assembly Management
– Assembly view “List Mode” for access to instance attributes
– Highlight, select and frame on specific assembly component instances
– New support for zones and combined entities
“Tree” View
List View
with layer,
colour and
label
attributes
visible
26 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - General
Mass Properties
– Available for CADfix facetted models e.g. STL import as facetted solids
27 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 – General
Tolerances and Units
– New options to automatically convert and scale to required units
during import
– New option to set Global Maximum working tolerance for CADfix
operations (large model support)
28 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - General
Model Management - New bi directional Linux and Windows
database converter
– Avoids the need to use GDX or other intermediate files to move between
platforms
– Executable in CADfix \bin directory:
\bin\cfbabel\cfbabel.exe
– The command line usage is:
cfbabel.exe file1 file2
– This will convert a CADfix database file1 in Windows format to file2 in
Linux format - or the reverse, if file1 is in Linux format
– Plans to add to CADfix “File” menu and automate
29 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - CAE
New swept hexahedral and wedge mesh style
Pyramid elements
Mixed hex/wedge and tet meshing with automatic pyramid
element interface insertion
Lattice Meshing Extensions
Tubule meshing prototype
Results manager updates and bug fixes
Extensions to CFI API
30 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - CAE Meshing
Swept Hexahedral and Wedge Meshing
– New CADfix mesh style for generating swept Hex or Wedge meshes
– Extension to DIVBAL command to auto-balance divisions
31 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - CAE Meshing
New Pyramids elements and auto Hex/tet interfacing
– New pyramid element type supported
– Auto-pyramid generation at interface of Hex and Tet elements
– FAMtoNASTRAN export support for CPYRAM element type (NX only)
32 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - CAE Meshing
Mixed Hexahedral and tetrahedral meshing with Pyramid
elements automatically generated at the hex/tet interface
33 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - CAE Meshing
Tartan Meshing Limits Increased
– Maximum lattice divisions increased to 65,000 steps in any direction
– Total lattice dimension limit of 1e9 has been removed
• 1e10 lattice tested
– Maximum “twinkle” cells in lattice mesh increased by factor of 12
• Tested with Tartan mesh generated with 43 million twinkles
34 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - CAE Meshing
New “Tubule” Meshing (prototype) for Wire Harnesses and
integration with Tartan Mesher
35 Confidential

CADfix 8.1 - CFI Interface
CFI application programming interface extended for:
– 2D medial object interrogation and application building
– To assist with external mesher integration on CADfix geometry kernel
– Extraction of source data for mesh sizing
36 Confidential