I-DEAS (Integrated Design and Engineering Analysis Software) is a computer-aided design software package. It was originally produced by SDRC in 1982. I-DEAS was used primarily in the automotive industry, most notably by Ford Motor Company and by General Motors. Now it is owned by Siemens PLM Software. Many I-DEAS technologies formed the basis of the NX system.
Autodesk Inventor is a CAD application for 3D mechanical design, simulation, visualization and documentation. It is built on ShapeManager, geometric modeling kernel by Autodesk.
Inventor enables 2D and 3D data integration in a single environment, virtually representing the final product. It allows users to check the form, fit, and functions of the product before it is built. The application provides strong parametric, direct edit and freeform modeling tools as well as multi-CAD translation abilities.
A CAD file is an output of a CAD software, containing key information about the designed object: its geometry and topology representation, 3D model hierarchy, metadata, and visual attributes depending on the format of the file.
Read moreIn the 4th part of the series, we will take a look at the features of working with wireframe models in 3D CAD software.
Read moreIn the 3rd and 4th parts of the series, we will talk about surface display modes in 3D CAD programs, starting with the shading mode.
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