Solid Designer Version 6.0

Solid Designer 6.0 from CoCreate, the software division of Hewlett-Packard, comes bundled with a drafting package and has several add-on modules such as surfacing and both finite element and mold flow analysis.

Forgoing the trend toward parametric modeling, Solid Designer uses "Dynamic Modeling," which does not preserve any of the part history or feature information, only the model geometry. Working with Dynamic Modeling is analogous to working on a sculpture--to obtain a desired form, material is simply added or removed from the underlying geometry and surfaces, and edges can be pushed and pulled to obtain dimensional accuracy.

Solid Designer's interface has a distinctly Unix feel, undoubtedly due to its connection to HP workstations. The layout is reasonably intuitive, with pop-up windows designed to step users through the design process. In a few cases, I felt some button picks were inconveniently placed, but Solid Designer comes with a completely customizable interface and I was able to easily relocate them. In addition, I was able to make "hotkeys" to quickly perform particular commands. This option was helpful, especially when trying to maintain some consistency between different modeling packages.

Creating geometry in Solid Designer is similar to many other CAD packages--a 2D sketch is created, then extended to 3D using a function such as extrude or revolve. Due largely to my own biased approach to modeling, I was initially frustrated with Solid Designer because it does not allow dimensions to be added to the 2D sketch. Instead, lines and arcs of a sketch have to be created or placed in their exact location in order to achieve the desired sketch. This process proved rather tedious because it meant several iterations of moving, deleting, measuring, and recreating entities before the desired sketch was achieved.

Only after I began manipulating 3D geometry did I realize that exact 2D sketches are not necessary. Instead, an approximate sketch can be created and extended to 3D. I could then manipulate the 3D geometry, modifying surfaces and edges easily by pushing or pulling them into their proper locations. The benefit of this approach is that there is no need to preserve the parts history or decipher how a part was created in order to modify its shape, nor are there dependent feature problems common with many parametric modelers.

To further test the Dynamic Modeling approach, I imported IGES files from other CAD packages. I had no trouble importing the files, including one with a blended surface, and I could work on them as if they were native files. Although it took some time for me to become accustomed to Dynamic Modeling, the approach is reasonably straightforward and easy to understand.

While other modelers commonly have separate modes for part and assembly modeling, Solid Designer has a single modeling environment in which multiple parts can be created. Each part can be considered as a separate entity, or reorganized with the use of a browser to be placed in an assembly. New parts can also be brought into this environment and placed relative to other parts. The ability to create multiple parts in one environment makes it easy to be continuously aware of how parts relate.

Solid Designer's straight-forward modeling approach provides geometric information that can be understood and manipulated by everyone involved in the design process. The software's ability to accept information in a variety of formats makes it a solid choice for individuals who routinely have to deal with data from outside sources. Ultimately, Solid Designer is a capable modeler that has avoided many of the pitfalls and difficulties associated with parametric modeling.

SPEC BOX

Solid Designer Version 6.0

Solid Designer runs on Windows NT 4.0, HP-UX 10.20, and SGI-IRIX. Pentium/Pentium Pro PCs require a minimum 200-MHz CPU; 233 MHz for Pentium II. Minimum memory requirements: 128 Mbytes for SGI, HP, and NT. Hard disk space required: 350 Mbytes for NT PCs, 300 Mbytes for HP Workstations, 370 Mbytes for SGI Workstations.

List Price: $6,500

CoCreate, 3801 Automation Way, Suite 110, Fort Collins, CO 80525; Tel: (888) 262-7328; Fax: (970) 206-8001; www.cocreate.com Product Code 4386

A similar product: IronCad-- Visionary Design Systems, 2790 Walsh Ave., Santa Clara, CA 95051; Tel: (800) 339-7304; FAX: (770) 937-0700; www.ironcad.com Product Code 4387.

To speak with a company representative call 1-800-828-6344 x011 and enter the product code.