Alibre Returns with New Licensing and Free Upgrade Promotion

Sydney, Australia  07 August 2017 - CADDIT and Alibre LLC together announce a new future for Alibre users. Alibre, LLC based in Houston Texas USA recently acquired all rights to any materials from 3D SYSTEMS related to Geomagic Design. Since then a new product and licensing has been in development, which we can now announce release for on the CADDIT.net website. Alibre Design will continue its focus on affordable 3D parametric mechanical design for the Windows platform. Alibre Design is an intuitive, easy-to-use mechanical design system offering advanced features like Keyshot 3D rendering and optional FEA analysis.

New licensing. Alibre will move away from Flexera to now use a similar online activation system from Nalpeiron, along with several updated license options. Alibre will not offer a USB dongle option. Geomagic Design users with a USB license from 3D Systems will be offered a Nalpeiron "offline" license instead (this license type uses an email activation, see http://docs.nalpeiron.com/display/NND/NSL+V10+-+Offline+Activation ) There will continue to be a floating network license option. At this time, Nalpeiron licensing is stored in local user profile, within C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Alibre Design. To reset the activation of Alibre Design, simply delete all file inside this directory. Otherwise, moving Alibre licenses will operate in a similar way as they did with Geomagic Design.

Free upgrade. Because Alibre's Nalpeiron-based licensing is not compatible with 3D System's Flexera system, everyone with a valid Geomagic Design license from October 2015 and later will be moved to Alibre 2017 without charge, see https://www.alibre.com/alibre-llc-faq/. Essentially this consitutes a free upgrade for everyone having a valid Geomagic Design license from October 2015 or later. Previous Geomagic Design users who were still on the original Alibre CRM licensing system (e.g. Alibre 2013) will not be upgraded for free. In such case a valid Alibre Design subscription will be required for the user to move to the new licensing system. More information will be following soon.

CADDIT is happy to continue offering Alibre Design as a cost-effective 3D mechanical design option and we look forward to the upcoming releases under new management of the software. We ask users to be patient during the transition period. Further questions can be directed to CADDIT via our CONTACT US page: https://www.caddit.net/store/index.php?main_page=contact_us

Alibre and progeCAD 2013 End of Support

Sydney, Australia 19 September 2016 - CADDIT Announces end of all legacy support for the following outdated products:

"Alibre Design" - All Versions (not including Geomagic Design). Users wishing to maintain a support relationship with CADDIT Australia should now be using Geomagic Design (full version) instead.

progeCAD - 2013 and earlier versions only. Up-to-date subscription and new license users are not affected. Other users can upgrade here (link).

Why is installation support removed from very outdated product versions? First, we want to express our appreciation for all of the engineers, architects, builders, designers and manufacturers who have selected our products from among many in the past. Our products have advanced significantly. Frankly, we have little choice in this matter of very old version support. With Operating System support removed from Windows XP and Vista by Microsoft, supporting older software not only becomes unviable, but also unsafe as these systems are no longer provided with critical Functionality and Security patches. Windows 7 EOL (End Of Life) was announced by Microsoft (see table here http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/lifecycle ).

As with previous EOL announcement, end of support means any help from our local office in re-installing, moving, lost keys or passwords, registering, unregistering or otherwise assisting a user of a deprecated product. progeCAD users from any version will, however, still have the option to buy a license lookup (link) should they misplace their installers or serial codes. Users of progeCAD versions newer than 2013 continue to be entitled to one free lookup for each active license.


I have progeCAD 2010 and I lost my license. What can I do?
You will need to buy a license lookup service for each license in question, here:
https://www.caddit.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=91


I have progeCAD 2014 and I lost my license for the first time. What can I do?
Contact us here for your free one-time lookup:
https://www.caddit.net/store/index.php?main_page=contact_us


I have Alibre Design 2012 Standard / PE and I need help to activate on Windows 10.
Not supported. There are several issues with this, which prevent our staff from assisting in any way. First, Alibre 2012 is categorically not supported on Windows 10 in any fashion. Second, Alibre Design Standard / PE is completely discontinued. Alibre users were invited several times to upgrade free of charge to supported versions, as long as they only paid the subscription fee. Users who have repeatedly declined our offers have now indicated that they will keep their existing installations. Third, all 2012 releases of our products are completely outdated.

Alibre users still have login access to their online account HERE and are welcome to continue supporting themselves as best as possible. There is an Alibre password reset function HERE. Alibre users are also welcome to try to contact Geomagic Support at 3D Systems directly, however we cannot guarantee a response for unsupported legacy users. General questions about CADDIT support policies can be submitted to us via our website at any time HERE. Once again, we repeat, updated and new license users are not affected by this announcement.

Alibre Upgrade No Longer Available after 30 April 2016

On 19 July, 2011 3D Systems first announced its acquisition of Alibre Inc. and its flagship 3D mechanical design software. The product was subsequently rebranded under the "Geomagic" portfolio as "Geomagic Design". This year will mark the fifth anniversary since this acquisition and new features which have subsequently been introduced. 3D Systems has thus far supported all versions of Alibre, including Alibre Design Standard, Professional and Expert with either ongoing maintenance subscriptions or upgrade opportunities. For several months a well-published opportunity for flat fee "update and upgrade" was made available in Australia through CADDIT.net. Many users took good advantage of this window of advantage to update Geomagic Design and Alibre versions that were three, four or even six years old and we wish to extend thanks to all who are participating. The flat fee promotion has now ended, as was announced, on 31 December 2015.

3D Systems business channel has made it known to CADDIT of the intention to drop all upgrade support for Alibre Design PE, Alibre Design Standard, Alibre Design Professional and all similar levels of Geomagic Design Standard and Professional. Going forward, there will only be one product level available to all Geomagic Design users, as demonstrated on the CADDIT webstore. Users of lower-version products will need to buy a completely new license if they wish to update their software. The date for this change is 30 April 2016, and only affects users of the old PE, Standard and Professional product levels -  Expert and Geomagic Design (full) are not affected, can continue to update their subscriptions per usual at this link. Also, any users under current active Geomagic Design maintenance are likely not affected as they will mostly likely already be migrated to the full product version.

Users in Australia at any level can still order maintenance at any product level and receive a free level upgrade to the full version of Geomagic Design at this link. All indications are that this is the final opportunity lower-level users in Australia will ever have to have their package updated. Without current support, CADDIT is unable to answer user requests for licensing help, account lookups etc. After 30 April all such requests will be referred directly to 3D Systems without assurance of a response due to the outdated support.

I renewed my Geomagic Design Subscription just last year. Am I affected?
No. You should continue your maintenance subscription per usual.

I have Alibre Design PE 2012 version. What happens if I don't upgrade?
You will have no support, and likely will not even be able to run the software on newer versions of Windows. You are encouraged to maintain your investment by renewing the maintenance subscription  HERE.

I have two licenses. One is Alibre Design Pro 2011 and the other is Alibre Design Expert 2010. Should I upgrade both and what does it cost?
A subscription will need to be purchased for each license that you wish to keep updated, using this link which shows the current AUD pricing including applicable lapse fees. It is strongly recommended not to mix versions of Alibre / Geomagic Design as this will lead to serious file compatibility problems between them. 

I have other questions.
CADDIT Australia can be contacted the usually way via these details:
https://www.caddit.net/store/index.php?main_page=contact_us

New Geomagic Design Features & How to Move a License

Geomagic Design offers the best of both worlds with robust feature-based parametric modelling side-by-side with direct editing tools for manipulating imported geometry from STEP, Parasolid, Inventor and other 3D CAD software, at a comparatively affordable price. With the release of Geomagic Design 2015.1 (17.1.0) will come several new features available to software subscribers as part of their product update. Updated MCAD file format support will help ensure ongoing model read/write interoperability with newer versions of 3rd party CAD systems like Solidworks and Siemens Solid Edge.

Two new features provided in the 2015.1 update will be associative assembly mirroring and "live linking" with KeyShot rendering software. Both features will save time for designers.

Assembly Mirror Component feature allows designers to create mirror-reverse instances of existing parts and subassemblies across a selected plane. This mirror feature can maintain associativity and reflect changes made to the parent instance, including motion etc. Live linking with KeyShot likewise saves design time by allowing designers to update scenes with new geometry from the Geomagic Design model while keeping all existing scene settings, material bitmaps and light positions. Below is a video released by 3D Systems demonstrating an early version of this functionality:

 



For users of previous versions of Alibre or Geomagic Design, these new features add to the value of the excellent flat-rate upgrade-and-update amnesty offer on CADDIT.net. Questions about Geomagic Design CAD Software can be submitted to CADDIT here.

Speaking of questions, several users have been asking about how it is possible to "move" a license using the new Flexnet license management for Geomagic Design. Simply stated, the software is deactivated from the "License Key Status" on one PC and activated on another. Without a license activation, Geomagic Design will ask for one each time it is started. If the license code is already activated on another PC, this license can be made free again using these steps as shown below: 1) Make sure the current system is connected to the internet. From the Home Window of Geomagic Design click "Help" -> "About Geomagic Design". 2) Click the "License Key Status" button. 3) Select "Virtual Dongle":

4) Click "Deactivation" from the Virtual Dongle functions. Select your license and click the grey arrow (lower right of box) to proceed. Once the license is deactivated online, it can be activated on the new target PC/Laptop/etc:

Geomagic Design users wishing to move their license offline, without use of an internet connection, may consider purchase of a hardware USB dongle available from CADDIT here.

Upgrade Alibre or Geomagic Design Any Version to V17, Special Offer

CADDIT announces a limited, one-time maintenance fee which will allow CAD users to upgrade to the most current version of Geomagic Design from any previous version of either Alibre- or Geomagic Design. Any customer in Australia who bought Alibre Personal, Alibre Professional, Alibre Design Expert and Geomagic Design Elements, and who are not on current maintenance can subscribe now for one flat fee on the CADDIT.net website until December 31, 2015. Maintenance subscribers receive all updates and support from 3D Systems for a one-year period after booking, so for outdated / lapsed users this represents an excellent return on the original investment and an opportunity to migrate over to the new license system. Note that the exact AUD price is subject to change. Offer applies only to each seat of purchased software. Multiple installed seats on one license will be charged separately. Dongle and network fees may apply seperately.  This offer does not apply to the AlibreCAM, Mfiles/Vault or Dynamics add-ons.

For one flat fee, any user of previous versions of Alibre or Geomagic Design can now update - includes hobby users.

As previously announced, newer versions of Geomagic Design now use a new serial-key based floating license which requires occasional connection to the internet for verification purposes. Users with problematic internet, or having no internet, may wish to take advantage of the new Geomagic Design USB license dongle instead. The USB dongle can be ordered on the same page as CADDIT Geomagic Subscription Renewals.

These offers are only valid for online purchases placed using the following web link:
https://www.caddit.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=74&language=en

At a highly affordable price point, Geomagic Design delivers top-end tools at lower cost, including comprehensive assembly, parametric and direct editing tools, 2D documentation, sheet metal design, motion analysis and integrated CAD data sharing tools. For more information about 3D Systems Australia, Geomagic Design or this promotion, contact CADDIT HERE.

Geomagic Design 2015 (v17) Released, 32 Bit Support by Special Request

Sydney, Australia 19 February 2015 - CADDIT Announces the immediate availability of Geomagic Design 2015 V17 Release. This is somewhat a stability / bugfix release but with several new and important features requested by users in Australia and around the world. 3D Systems demonstrates its commitment to making Geomagic Design an improved tool for 3D mechanical design and drafting with this release. The most significant (and perhaps most understated) enhancement is the long-awaited Global Parameters feature. What are "global parameters"? Basically, a global parameter is a design value or equation which is shared across multiple parts and/or assemblies. The concept is very similar to SolidWorks global variables. Global variable data is stored independently in a newly released format called an ".AD_GLP" file. Any part or assembly can be associated to the values stored in an AD_GLP file.

A new set of Global Parameters can be created in Geomagic Design from the file menu -> "New" -> "Global Parameters" as shown in the Home window screenshot below:

Selecting this file type opens the new Editor interface for Global Parameters as shown. Create new parameters and save the final data as a new AD_GLP:



Your new Global Parameter file can thereafter be selected from any part or assembly and be used in that design by clicking the new "Global Parameters" supplied in both the Part and Assembly menu ribbons. Click "Select File" and choose your newly created AD_GLP file from the folder where it was saved to.




Other new features include: The Isolate command has been added to design instances in the Drawing Explorer. It is used to isolate a design instance in a drawing view, especially ones that are affected by an assembly feature. Standard fundamental deviations and International Tolerance (IT) grades can be selected to create Fit Tolerances on a hole and shaft, which will determine the type of fit. The dialog boxes for creating Reference Geometry have been updated to more intuitively show how reference geometry is created and to visually assist users on the various creation methods that can be used in different reference geometry creation situations. A new "Summary BOM" can now be created from an assembly. It can be used to override the Treat as part in BOM when used as a subassembly option. This is useful for quickly creating a BOM that shows all parts in subassemblies if multiple subassemblies have been set to be treated as a part.

A 32-bit version of Geomagic Design 2015 is still available but only by special request. Users should contact CADDIT for link and availability. Legacy users of Alibre Design Pro and Expert are strongly urged to renew their software maintenance subscription if they wish to take advantage or these new features and the remaining 32-bit -platform support. Subscriptions can be renewed online using this webpage: https://www.caddit.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=74&language=en

Mesh to Solid in Geomagic Design, New Update

CADDIT announces the availability of a new update for Geomagic Design with enhanced mesh to solid functionality and other enhancements. Geomagic Design is a complete but affordable 2D/3D CAD system for mechanical design similar to SolidWorks and Inventor, and  available through the CADDIT.net website in Australia since 2009. Version 16 recently added milestone mesh import and conversion functionality to the already large set of design tools including parametric and direct solid modelling, assembly and sheet metal design, BOM and 2D drafting along with a large collection of third party applications for motion simulation, rendering and CNC machining.

When Geomagic Design 16.0 was first announced, milestone features allowing users to convert mesh triangle models (such as from 3D scanners and printers) into useable CAD models was introduced. This means that we can read a file of discrete triangles such as in STL, OBJ or 3DS and convert these into true NURBS based solids for export as IGES, STEP or SolidWorks CAD models using a proprietary "auto-surfacing" technology. Geomagic Design 16.0.2, recently released, adds Boolean to Mesh, trim solid to 3D mesh, and the ability to "snap" to mesh edges in Sketch mode. This provides the mechanical CAD designer with a true hybrid modelling environment unique to Geomagic Design. The following table summarizes these powerful new capabilities.

Scan to CAD - users can now attach a low-cost Sense scanner directly into Geomagic Design and begin importing 3D scan data without any need for conversion. Simply click "Launch Sense Scanner" from the main menu. The resulting 3D scanner information will be added to the parametric model history tree as "Mesh" type entities.

Convert to Solid - Mesh entities do not need to remain mesh entities anymore. Reverse engineering time is now greatly reduced with the ability to change a mesh into a solid model with just a few mouse clicks. This functionality was originally discussed in the v16 announcement here: http://cadcam3d.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/geomagic-design-3d-cad.html

This works for both mechanical or organic type mesh models. The results of this conversion process for a sample freeform surface model are shown here to the right.

Boolean to Mesh - Solid model Boolean operations are among the oldest in the direct modelling toolbox of CAD software. Shapes are changed by "adding" or "subtracting" the volume or one solid to another. Geomagic Design extends this functionality by allowing users to specify a mesh as the Boolean tool. Solids may also now be trimmed or cut against an imported or scanned mesh entity as shown below.

Version 16.0.2 also introduced the ability to "snap" to a point on a mesh while in the part sketch mode. The To-Next termination condition type for the Extrude Boss and Extrude Cut operations also now supports the selection of a surface or a mesh. Imported meshes can also now be precisely re-located and oriented against the existing model space using the new Locate Mesh function.

Geomagic Design 16.0.2 reveals the forward vision of Geomagic Design as a true parametric hybrid, capable of using both NURBS solids and triangle mesh models together in the mechanical design process. For a free trial of the new version of Geomagic Design visit the CADDIT website at this link:
http://www.caddit.net/3d-cad-software/download-alibre.php

Review of New Features and Licensing for Geomagic Design V16 (2015)

Sydney, Australia 30 May 2014 - CADDIT is happy to announce the first steps of integration to the new licensing for Geomagic Design and other 3D Systems software products including Geomagic Freeform. Geomagic Design is the de facto low cost 3D CAD solution for parametric mechanical CAD design. A few weeks earlier, a significant update was released to Geomagic Design support subscribers which made several significant adjustments in the product:

Operating Systems - Geomagic Design continues to support 32 and 64-bit operating systems:

• Windows Vista
• Windows 7
• Windows 8
• Requires Graphics Card with DirectX 9.0c or above and 32 bit true color
• Windows XP is now unsupported by Microsoft and officially unsupported by 3D Systems. CADDIT can therefore provide general information on software usage as long as the question is not XP-specific.

Import wireframe mesh as CAD solid (new):

• Geomagic Design, Geomagic Freeform and Geomagic Studio include proprietary "autosurfacing" libraries which can convert mesh models to solids. This revolutionary, one-of a kind technology has been simplified for inclusion into the low-cost Geomagic Design software.
• There are two options in the Geomagic Design wizard-driven version: import as "organic shape" or import as "mechanical shape". These options use different algorithms to compute NURBS curves to represent the imported mesh, one with stricter planar/arc based "feature" recognition and one suited for non-parametric freeform topologies. Import as "organic shape" will also allow the user to merge the imported shape with an opened CAD part file.

 

 

TeamPlatorm integration:

• Designers may now sign in directly to 3D Systems cloud storage from within Geomagic Design and share models and designs electronically.

Geomagic Design Viewer Mode:

• A new Geomagic CAD viewer has been implemented. The CAD viewer allows users to open and view native Geomagic Design and Elements files as well as DWG and DXF files. In addition, users will be able to take measurements, obtain physical properties of a design and use the Redline tools for markups. Files can then be saved or uploaded/downloaded from TeamPlatform.

Flexnet Licensing:

• Perhaps most importantly, Geomagic Design has incorporated a new licensing tool which will allow users to directly manage the activation and deactivation of software licenses. Geomagic Design no longer connects to Alibre CRM for license updates and can be moved ad-hoc by the user themselves. There are several licensing options now available including live floating network, virtual USB and physical USB dongles. These licenses options can be reviewed by opening the Geomagic "GSLicenseUtil.exe" directly or calling it from the main menu -> Help -> About Geomagic Design -> "License Key Status" button:

 

 

This new license system incorporates the use of serial codes issued from 3D Systems. Please note that we are finishing our migration to this system license deliveries may experience a short delay. CADDIT staff are very excited about these new features in Geomagic Design as they reflect a great deal of investment from 3D Systems to unify their software product portfolio and add value for the end-user.

 

Geomagic Design is available in Australia through CADDIT, and we invite users to test drive the new version. Download and test drive Geomagic Design V16 HERE (note you may need to rename the downloaded adding an .exe extension to run it). Even if users have tried a previous version they can still download and trial the new V16 version without any extension requests to us (unlike before). Form more information about Geomagic Design in Australia contact CADDIT.



Bright Future for Geomagic Design Users at First APAC 3D Systems Geomagic Meeting

9 July 2013 - The first 3D Systems Geomagic annual APAC meeting was held in Bangkok, Thailand. A broad range of training and information seminars were also conducted with a peak total attendance of more than eighty from the entire Asia-Pacific region including China, Korea, India, Malaysia and Australia. Ben Decker from CADDIT Australia attended this meeting for all three days, and met and shared experience with industry professionals in scanning, reverse engineering and 3D printing. An important take away from day one is the key role that Geomagic Design (formerly Alibre) will continue to have in software development at 3D Systems. This was confirmed in the same week when 3D Systems released a new simulation/FEA add-on option for Geomagic Design Expert, with other enhancements coming soon.

All in attendance discuss future vision of Geomagic



A future vision was shared of a full 3D rapid development process, including 3D scanning, reverse engineering, design, documentation, prototyping, verification, manufacturing and testing - of which Geomagic Design will play a central role. Also discussed was integration between individual solutions of the Geomagic product family and a new Geomagic Designer bundle which includes Geomagic Freeform and Geomagic Design. Australia users who have interest in Geomagic Designer should contact CADDIT Australia or 3D Systems directly.

A rainy but comfortable Bangkok for the meeting.

3D CAD Sheetmetal using Excel in Geomagic Design

Geomagic Design 3D CAD (formerly Alibre Design) software from 3D Systems supports the use of Microsoft Excel files to drive design in all low-cost versions: Design Personal, Design Professional and Design Expert. Spreadsheet-driven parameters allow for company staff to specify design criteria without the use of any CAD software - only the final update need be applied using Geomagic. Microsoft Excel 2003, 2007 and 2010 are all supported in the software help documentation of Geomagic Design 2013. This article follows a simplified demonstration of setting up, linking to and executing Excel files for a sheet metal part.

To begin with, download Geomagic Design HERE (link). No special settings are required at this point during the installation. Note that Geomagic Design does not support integration with Open Office. By way of overview, our example team will generate example spreadsheets which we will use to update a 3D design, which will be saved and used to update a DXF file for CNC.

 

 

Every Geomagic Design installation includes an installation template which must be added to the Excel add-on list while running Excel once with administrator rights. Instructions as to how to do this with any supported version of Microsoft Office are available in the F1-help of Geomagic Design. Once properly installed, "Alibre Design Add-in" should be available from the Tools menu or Add-ins ribbon tab. Any numerical value cell may be selected to correspond to a Geomagic Design parameter, units specified and applied to a selected Geomagic Design file. For example we whip up something simple in Excel (shown right). Such a file can be created in Excel by anyone anywhere anytime (or it can be an imported CSV file etc)...

To update model parameters with the values listed in our spreadsheet, we need to start Geomagic Design and load the file in question. In our example we load the following basic Sheet Metal part, with overall parameters for "SM_length", "SM_width" and "SM_height":

 

Switching back over to our open spreadsheet, we select the Albre Design Add-in Control Parametrs (see above image of Excel). This opens a table in which cells are matched with parameter names:

 



To link spreadsheet values with model parameters, select an Active Session (model name currently open in Geomagic Design). All of the selected session's parameters will be listed by name. Now select the name of the desired model parameter from this list - and then the small "_" button down under Cell Reference and pick the workbook cell that you wish to link it to. Click the "Modify" button to finally change the parameter value to the one in the spreadsheet. Changes are shown immediately in Geomagic's active session model. Multiple changes can be made and applied at once by multi-selecting through the parameter list. If the spreadsheet is saved, the parameter links are saved with it.

To generate a DXF file of the final sheet metal design, a Geomagic drawing is used. Create a new Standard View. In the open Standard View Creation window, click the button "More Options". Check the option "Project as Flat Pattern" which will use the flattened version of the Sheet metal design for the projection view. Check that the projection scale is 1:1 and create the view. Once the flattened view is created, export the version of DXF which you require for CNC.

Geomagic Design is Australia's de facto low-cost 3D CAD alternative to SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor. For more information about Geomagic Design or a free download, visit our website at http://www.caddit.net/cad-cam-software/geomagic.php

Geomagic Design 2013 Released on CADDIT Australia

CADDIT Australia has released the latest version of Geomagic Design 2013 (formerly called Alibre, now owned by 3D Systems). Geomagic Design 2013 is the most significant release since 2009, featuring hundreds of enhancements, improvements and fixes.

The base price of Geomagic Design remains at a modest $220. Geomagic Design is Australia's de facto choice for low-cost 3D parametric, mechanical design software which offers features similar to AutoCAD Inventor, SolidWorks and Solid Edge at a fraction of the cost. All versions of Geomagic Design includes advanced STL file export for 3D printing and rapid prototyping.

Geomagic Design Professional continues to offer photo-realistic rendering, STEP import/export and full 2D detail drawing. Geomagic Design Expert adds comprehensive sheet metal, direct (non-parametric) modeling, variant design and motion simulation capabilities. Geomagic Design Expert also offers reading of SolidWorks sldprt and sldasm files, Solid Edge and AutoCAD Inventor files. GeoMagic Exchange is a lower cost option available specific for CAD translation.

A full 30-day free trial of Geomagic Design can be downloaded from CADDIT Australia at this link:
http://www.caddit.net/cad-cam-software/geomagic.php

Alibre Design 2013 Preview - The Best Alibre Ever

The folks over at Alibre USA have been hard at work at what looks to be the best release ever of their flagship CAD software. Alibre is the defacto CAD software for low-cost parametric 3D mechanical part and assembly design in Australia. Priced modestly from A$220 for the base hobby user package to A$2200 for the top-end version including motion simulation, direct editing, variant design and direct reading of CATIA and Unigraphics files, Alibre is a more viable option than SolidWorks or Inventor for smaller budgets. Alibre 2013 will introduce literally hundreds of improvements in all areas of 3D modelling, assembly design, 2D drafting and section views, sheet metal design, bill of material and more. The overview document Alibre has provided to CADDIT Australia listing these enhancements is 59 pages long. Here are some highlights:

USER INTERACTION CONSISTENCY: In previous versions of Alibre, CRTL and SHIFT multiselect treated were differently in the various modes of Alibre. Alibre 2013 now uniformly implements multi-selection in the Design Explorer and Work Area, using Ctrl and Shift. More commands can also be applied to multiple objects in a single operation such as anchor, hide, suppress, align and scale view etc. Right-click behaviour has also been improved to ALWAYS show the options that are available to all selected items. (Previously there were cases where a right-click actually deselected all selected items.) "Apply" buttons have been added to numerous dialogue boxes so that changes can be seen before leaving many commands. Conflict visibility has been improved, dragging the "Dog Bone" has been fixed, real-time measurement data now appears in the status bar, some menu items have been consolidated, even the licensing dialogues have enjoyed some housekeeping. There is now a much more consistent user experience with the overall interface of Alibre. This is good new to those using Alibre for their everyday mechanical design work :)

UNDER THE HOOD: Alibre 2013 will be powered by Dassault's new ACIS V23 kernel, released six months ago (see announcement here). This means better modelling and problem-solving on the geometry level of Alibre. STEP file export includes multi-part assembly and drawing "packaging" (somewhat similar to progeCAD "eTransmit"), STL publishing for 3D printing enjoys better support for binary STL, and control of the STL data.

SKETCHING AND PART MODELLING: Sketching performance is significantly improved and more responsive, especially when zoomed in. Dimensions can now be placed between concentric arcs and circles to define the difference in their radii. All disjoint ends of a sketch (caused by DXF or DWG import, etc) are automatically healed when the active Sketch is exited. User is no longer prompted that sketch problems exist when only Disjoint Ends exist, as they are automatically healed. Pressing Escape while in 2D Sketch Mode now make the Select tool active. User can now import Points from a CSV file into a 2D Sketch as well as for 3D sketches. User can also designate any 2D dimension to be Driven during dimension placement or after dimension placement by modifying the dimension. Driven dimensions update in real-time as figures are moved or further define objects in the sketch. Driven dimensions can also designated to show up in the Equation Editor as a parameter. This effectively enables use dimensions from one part in another part. For part modelling itself, the THREAD tool has been improved with drop-down menus of thread definitions.

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS: In this blitz review of the upcoming release of Alibre 2013 we haven't even started to discuss what's new in Assembly design, drafting, sheet metal, BOM, third-party bonuses etc and this article would be WAY to long to include them all. There is one improvement we picked from sheet metal we wanted to mention here. There will be a brand new tool which allows designers to create sheetmetal bend lines directly from a sketch, complete with rips. These bend lines are used to fold a tab or flange. This is particularly useful if you are trying to recreate a sheet metal part from an imported 2D drawing of a flat pattern:

It is important to note that Alibre Design 2013 will not support Windows XP, except for general how-to questions unrelated to anything in the operating system. Users really need to be using Alibre 2013 on a computer running at least Windows Vista or newer. Users choosing to remain back with Alibre 2012 on Windows XP and on active subscription will continue to be supported. For further information about this upcoming release of Alibre 2013 in Australia contact CADDIT.net (link). A further announcement will be posted here when the software is availble for download and trial.

Alibre 2012 Now Released - Overview

Alibre 2012 was released recently on CADDIT Australia. Alibre is an affordable, easy-to-use 3D CAD software for mechanical design of parts, assemblies and design drawings. Files from SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Autodesk Inventor and other mechanical design software can also be used in Alibre. Alibre is best known for its low cost and simplicity: users can easily create complex 3D CAD designs for the fraction of the cost of other systems.

Alibre 2012 offers a completely reworked graphical user interface, with a style similar to other Windows 7 productivity applications. New tools have been added for surfacing, sketching, relations and more. .


Alibre Design introduced in-place editing last release, as an enhancement in 2D drafting. This year, in-place editing toolbars have been introduced for part modelling, notably for sketch creation. In-place editing greatly improves speed-of-interface by reducing mouse travel for each command, and need to manually change toolbars. Alibre Design 2012 also lets you project sketches to other sketches, letting you reuse the work you've already done in new features.

Two major enhancements have been included for surface modelling. Surfaces may now be pasted directly from either MoI (free with Alibre Design Expert) or Rhino CAD. A complete new toolset for surface manipulation includes commands for Split Surface, Trim Surface, Stitch, Convert Solid to Surface, Create Surface from Face, and Delete Face.

2D mechanical drafting enhancements include support for multiple leaders from a single annotation, more flexible hatching, improved drafting geometry constraints and border selection for notations. .

Other general improvements include the placement of InterDesign relations in Alibre Design's feature tree and secondary cuts for sheet metal parts. For a free 30 day trial of the new Alibre 2012 - either as Windows XP 32-bit or Windows 7 64-bit native application - download Alibre 2012 HERE.

CADDIT has been supporting Alibre Design products in Australia since 2008. For more information about Alibre Design in Australia, contact CADDIT.net HERE.

SolidWorks Alternative in Australia

SolidWorks, Inventor and Solid Edge are just some examples of legacy 3D CAD solutions supported by Alibre Translate - a feature available with Alibre Design Expert at no additional cost. For those not familiar with Alibre, Alibre is an easy-to-use low cost parametric 3D CAD system mainly for mechanical engineering design of parts, assemblies, sheet metal and more. Alibre Translate (Now free with Alibre Design Expert) not only offers direct Solidworks file import of .sldprt and Solidworks .sldasm assemblies, but also Autodesk Inventor .ipt and .iam files, Solid Edge files and much more.

Alibre easily handles large SolidWorks assemblies like this laptop computer

SolidWorks users should have little trouble understanding Alibre's straight-forward solid modelling and assembly design interfaces. feature sketch, extrusion, subtraction, shelling, draft, lofting are all functions also supported in Alibre Design. Alibre Design Expert adds non-parametric (direct) editing techniques commonly found in systems costing several times more than Alibre Design Expert (less than AUD $1500 in Australia - see prices here). Expert also includes Keyshot photo-rendering and Moi 3D surfacing software at no additional cost.

Alibre also offers fully integrated CNC software for 2.5-axis, 3 4 and 5-axis milling machines. Alibre CAM basic comes free with Alibre Design Expert, offering as the name indicates basic 2.5-axis milling from within the Alibre interface. A full comparison of Alibre CAM options are shown HERE. Solidworks users can also import their SolidWorks model into Alibre CAM for manufacturing.

Alibre Design is an easy, inexpensive and intuitive option for SolidWorks users. Although Alibre 2D detailing and drafting environment is quite comprehensive, Alibre also integrates well with advanced 2D CAD drafting solutions like Autodesk AutoCAD or progeCAD, a low-cost AutoCAD clone. A free 30-day trial of Alibre Design can be requested directly from CADDIT Australia by following the links and downloading HERE.

Alibre 2011 Update with New MoI Surfacing Software

Alibre Design 2011 was first released in late 2010 offering a number of important new features:

• Alibre's first native 64-bit version
• New "in-place editing" UI framework
• New MIRROR and SCALE modelling commands
• On-the-fly library creation
• Direct 3D Solid->SheetMetal conversion

MoI:
In addition to these new features, Alibre Design Expert user licenses sold after 2 December 2010 are now entitled to get MoI - Moment of Inspiration - freeform surfacing software. At this point the best link between MoI and Alibre itself seems to be using STEP data, although ACIS SAT and IGES are also offered by MoI (the IGES interface seemed to loose the most data in our lab test, but we were expecting that). One major advantage MoI offers is a "point-and-click" workflow that doesn't require use of special ALT-key combinations, which makes it perhaps more practical for use on tablet PCs.

KeyShot for Alibre:
"KeyShot for Alibre - Basic" is new realtime photorealistic rendering software offered with Alibre Design Professional and Alibre Design Expert. The updated capabilities of KeyShot for Alibre (formerly "KeyShot for CAD") are outlined in this brochure, and summarized in the chart provided below:

	KeyShot for Alibre Edition Basic (shipped w/ Pro & Expert)	KeyShot for Alibre Edition (optional)
Max Real-time Resolution	1024x768 pixels		1920x1080 pixels
Max Non Real-time Resolution	N/A		2500x1600 pixels
Render with alpha channel	No		Yes
Extra Control over Render settings	No		Yes

It is worth noting that, although Alibre Design is now available as a native AMD64 bit application (Windows 7 compatible) many of the Alibre add-ons such as Alibre CAM and Alibre Motion are not yet. The 32-bit version Alibre add-ons will not work with Alibre 64-bit software and require Alibre 32-bit to install and run. However there seems little problem in running Alibre 32-bit version on a 64-bit PC now. Since the first major release of Alibre's latest version of their easy-to-use 3D CAD system, a few minor bugfix updates have also been made available and the latest version of Alibre can be downloaded HERE.

Alibre Design 2011 - New Features

Alibre Design is one of Australia's most affordable mid-range 3d mechanical CAD solutions. Within the next several weeks Alibre 2011 is expected for release. This major release both adds new features as well as improving many existing ones. A crucial focus for Alibre Design 2011 has been improvement in efficiency and ease of use, including fully customizable keymaps and in-place editing. Developers may also be interested to know that much of Alibre is now written in the Microsoft C# programming language, which allows developers to add new features even faster than before. Here are a few of the many feature enhancements of the new Alibre 2011 version release:

Alibre Design 2011 will offer Alibre's first native 64-bit version, which basically means you can make larger, more complex assemblies and have more files open simultaneously, without the restrictions of older 32-bit operating systems and memory access. With the offering of a 64 bit version comes a tremendous increase in both what can be created in Alibre Design and the types of workflows people can use. Both Alibre Design Professional and Expert versions will be offered as 64-bit editions.

Direct 3D Solid->SheetMetal conversion will allow CAD designers to take ordinary 3d solid models or imported 3D files (like STEP or Parasolid) and automatically convert these into sheet metal parts that can be flattened and machined in Alibre CAM. Of course, the resulting sheet metal parts are fully associative to their original counterparts, so that if you change the original model, the associated sheet metal version will update automatically. The new solid to sheet metal conversion tool will only be offered with Alibre Design Expert edition.


Alibre Design 2011 will add new MIRROR and SCALE modelling commands. Alibre 2011 will offer a new "Double Intersect" sketch command that allows you to join two figures at their theoretical intersection. The tool has several modes, all completely transparent to you, which adapts to the types of figures and orientations that a designer encounters. Alibre 2011 will also make it possible to create libraries of your most commonly used hole types on the fly. Simply fill out the form, type a name, and press Create. The hole's parameters can now be recalled instantly via the Presets dropdown. Alibre 2011 will also offer a new multi-plane creation tool, which can be useful when drawing multiple solid loft profiles, etc.

Alibre will begin rolling out their new "in-place editing" UI framework with Alibre Design 2011. In-place editing takes floating toolbars and context menus much further by opening relevant toolbars and icons just by selecting entities. Any changes are immediately displayed in real time, and to close in-place editing toolbars, we simply move the mouse away from the entity we initially selected. Alibre Design 2011 will offer this framework first in its Detailed Drawing Workspace, but is eventually to be deployed in various forms throughout the product.

Until release, CADDIT will begin offering free upgrades to all new Alibre Design Expert users a free upgrade to Alibre Design Expert 2011 upon release - but while still at current sale prices for V12.1. Alibre is suitable for a wide variety of mechanical design projects, including machine design, fixture design, vehicle and product development, sheet metal products and more. A free full-version trial of the current Alibre Design software in Australia can be downloaded here. For further questions about Alibre products, CADDIT support can be contacted HERE.

"Alibre Design Personal" Replaces Standard & Xpress versions; New Alibre Products

Alibre is a powerful but easy-to-use 3D mechanical CAD package which is distributed and supported in Australia through CADDIT.net. Beginning in mid-May, Alibre no longer offered a "Standard" version of their CAD software. Alibre Design "Standard" has been replaced with the Alibre Design "Personal" version, mainly for hobby use. Also, the free version referred to as "Alibre Design Xpress" will no longer be available to new users. Current users of these products, however, should be able to continue using them as-is without any change to their software. A note to those who purchased Alibre Design from us during our last promotion, well done - you have a package worth about $1000 for under $200. Alibre Design Personal now has some new limitations in comparison to its predecessor, Alibre Design Standard:

• Single install license (no take-home license, multiple keys etc)
• Advanced Import / Export features are deactivated
• Import DWG / DXF is still enabled
• Export .STL is still enabled for 3D printers
• Publish 3D PDF (for models only) is still available
• No STEP, IGES, SAT, Rhino, image files
• Files are not enumerated unless you select All files (*.*)
• Turn-off Advanced Detail Drawing (see further..)
• No Bill of Materials
• No Detail, Section, Partial, or Broken views
• No views for Centers, Cosmetic Threads, External Threads, or No Hole Call-outs

CAD users looking for competent 3D mechanical CAD software are really encouraged to at least go with Alibre Design Professional now. Algor DesignCheck FEA is now called "Simulation Express" from Autodesk and will continue to be available as before. Alibre also has a new partner for delivering photo-realistic rendering to all Alibre Design Professional and Alibre Design Expert users. Luxion's KeyShot For CAD is now included in both versions and is available in Australia from CADDIT. Other Luxion users include PTC, Cadkey, SpaceClaim and Rhino. NOTE Alibre expects to also have new KeyShot BIP file export enabled within Alibre Design by the end of June.

KeyShot For CAD allows Alibre Pro and Expert users to create full photo-realistic images for their model within minutes. And - much like Alibre itself - Keyshot is easy to use. Drag-and-drop materials, preset lighting, and real-time updates give you the final result all the time. KeyShot is the first and only rendering application that offers real-time ray-tracing. This means that your model is constantly being rendered as you zoom, pan, rotate, and apply materials and lighting presets. For more information about Alibre Design 3D CAD in Australia feel free to CONTACT CADDIT.net. A free 30-day PROFESSIONAL trial of Alibre Design can be downloaded HERE.

Alibre Price Now Just $99 in Australia, Alibre 12.1 Released

CADDIT has released Alibre 12.1 3D CAD Software in Australia, with the following new permanent price structure:

Alibre Design Standard: AUD $99.00
Alibre Design Professional: AUD $549.00
Alibre Design Expert: $1099.00

Alibre Design can be downloaded directly from CADDIT Australia HERE. This software will run in 30-day trial Professional mode before reverting to Alibre Design Xpress. All prices are listed ex-GST.

New pricing for upgrades and maintenance have also been published on CADDIT for Australia. For a complete price list of Alibre Design software and add-ons, see the CADDIT online shop HERE.

A Preview of Alibre CAM 2.0 CNC Software

The upcoming release of Alibre Design 12.1 (SP1) will include major enhancement to the basic CAM software included free with Alibre Design Expert, as well as the four- and five-axis options available for Alibre CAM Professional and Alibre CAM Expert. Improvement to the Alibre CAM Interface will make CNC programming inside Alibre Design much easier and enjoyable to do. Here is one comparison between the crowded old (left) tab interface and the new (right) cascading style:

But more than the lookand feel of Alibre CAM will change. A new entry method has been added to 2.5 axis profile milling operations allowing you to have more control over the entry angle.You can now create tabs/bridges for 2.5 axis profiling operations. You can specify the bridge height and length. You can also specify whether you want to use a particular number of bridges which will be equally distributed around the profiles or you can set an exact distance between bridges. Below is an example of the same cut-outs using 5 bridges and 10 bridges per profile.

The Tool Libraries will allow "drag and drop" of pre-defined tools into the active tool set. There will also be an option to immediately preview a tool upon creation.

Alibre CAM 2.0 will now support avoidance regions to specify where the tool should not cut, for example to avoid clamps holding the stock material down on your CNC machine. Flat faces can be directly selected as machining / avoidance regions instead of having to use sketches. You can also select the starting point for the engagement of the tool for Machining Operations defined by sketches.

Alibre CAM Standard will offer along-path-3D-entry for 3 axis horizontal finishing offers more control over surface finish for steep areas of parts. Specifying the engage angle and path height allows you to control the smoothness of the engage motion, helping to eliminate unwanted marks on the cut part that would otherwise need to be buffed out later. Alibre CAM Professional will also enjoy improvements to 4 axis milling.

Alibre CAM Expert will add a new 3D Offset profiling method, 3D Offset pocketing for making constant offset tool paths on the part surfaces, 3 axis pencil tracing now offers multiple passes & 3 axis valley re-machining allows split cuts, step over and cut control. Tool Holder Collision determines the minimum tool length required to avoid collision.

Alibre Design is sold in Australia by CADDIT. Download Alibre Design / Alibre CAM in Australia for a free 30 day "Professional" trial before software reverts back to free "Xpress" mode.

Alibre 3D CAD Software "84% Off" Sale from CADDIT Australia

Alibre has granted authorization to CADDIT Australia to offer the latest version of Alibre Design version 12 with at least AUD$1200 saving (84%) for these last few weeks of 2009. Why are we posting this to our blog? 1.This is not an Alibre 11 sale. This sale applies to the newly released Alibre Design version 12, including the features discussed earlier on our blog HERE. 2.It's a near give-away. Even if a company already uses another 3D CAD/CAM system, Alibre Design easily supplements as a stand-alone sub-assembly designer, detail drawing workstation or even just a STEP or DWG viewer.

Pricing for Alibre Design from CADDIT Australia until 12AM 1 January 2010 EST:
Alibre Design Standard: 239.84+GST
Alibre Design Standard: 859.00+GST
Alibre Design Standard: 1199.00+GST

A full version of Alibre Design can be downloaded HERE. If the user registers our download version using a valid address in Australia, you can buy Alibre software online HERE at this sale price until 1 January 2010 12 AM EST.

There are also some discounts offered on Alibre maintenance and upgrades HERE.