Reference Set support in NX and other format improvements, port to UNIGINE 2.20 in CAD Exchanger 3.24.16

CAD Exchanger SDK and Lab updates

Siemens NX Reference Set support

Starting with this release, CAD Exchanger supports importing geometry defined by Siemens NX Reference Sets.

Reference Sets are named collections of objects within a part or subassembly that control which geometry is exposed to assemblies and drawings, and which objects participate in downstream operations. In practice, a Reference Set acts as a model-level filter, enabling different levels of detail or geometry subsets depending on the usage context.

With the added support for Reference Sets, CAD Exchanger now imports the exact geometry state defined in NX at save time. This makes the imported result consistent with what is intended to be shared or consumed downstream.

Import of ACDSRecord entities with encoded ACIS geometry in DXF

In the new release, support has been added for importing ACDSRecord entities that contain encoded ACIS geometry from DXF files.

ACIS geometry could be imported from DXF in previous releases as well; however, it was typically provided in an unencoded form. Now, CAD Exchanger can process ACIS geometry when it is embedded in encoded form within ACDSRecord entities, using a different internal representation.

As a result, you can now import 3D geometry from additional entity sources. This extends the range of DXF-based models and workflows that can be handled.

Additional format improvements

ACIS

• Improved import of B-spline curves, which fixed the issue of certain models not being loaded.
• Improved handling of planes saved with zero-length normals.
• Implemented import of "cylsur" entities.

DXF

• Fixed the issue with transparency values being imported in reverse (e.g. fully opaque geometry being read as fully transparent).

IFC

• Fixed an issue with an extra transform being applied to certain imported models.

JT

• Fixed a regression with edges missing after import.
• Fixed a stack overflow that occurred on the import of certain models.

SOLIDWORKS

• Fixed a bug with missing assembly features.

STEP

• Improved export of self-intersecting toruses.

CAD Exchanger SDK updates

Port to UNIGINE SDK 2.20

The integration of CAD Exchanger SDK with UNIGINE SDK enables importing models from 30+ CAD formats not natively supported by UNIGINE and leveraging the engine’s advanced rendering capabilities.

UNIGINE SDK 2.20, released in June 2025, introduces rendering improvements, performance optimizations, Gaussian Splatting support, XR/VR enhancements, and other updates. To support these changes, the CAD Exchanger UNIGINE add-on has been ported to UNIGINE SDK 2.20. To take advantage of these features, please update your CAD Exchanger SDK to the latest version.

Manufacturing Toolkit updates

Here are the highlights of Manufacturing Toolkit 2025.8:

• Extended PDF drawing import to support text and solid fill.
• Drawing visualization in MTK Web.
• Unfolding support for complex formed sheet metal features.
• CNC machining feature recognition improvements for holes, hole bottoms, and pockets.
• Configurable precision in MTKConverter JSON reports.
• Wall thickness visualization.

Follow the link to find more details about the new MTK release.

To get the full list of the CAD Exchanger 3.24.16 updates, read the CHANGES.txt file.