ModelPress

CADalyst, Dec, 2004

Informative Graphics Corp.

Price: Free

800.398.7005 / 602.971.6061

www.infograph.com

During the course of producing this article, Informative Graphics Corp. released v4.3 of its ModelPress software. ModelPress and its associated viewer are both free of charge. Free should not, in this instance, be equated with a hobbled or limited application. ModelPress Publisher processes a variety of popular 3D CAD file formats, from which it creates a system-neutral, content-sealed 3DF encrypted file. 3DF files are quite small and represent highly accurate representations of the original model design. This release of ModelPress Publisher adds support for SolidWorks 2005 and Autodesk Inventor 9 file formats. The maximum document size is limited only by system memory.

Informative Graphics' Visual Rights feature allows recipients to view and interact with the file, while the originator keeps complete control of what can actually be done with the design data. Visual Rights incorporates password protection and watermarks via an on-screen banner. Digital signature support is not provided.

ModelPress 3DF files offer significant compression and can be created in batches. ModelPress generates lists and models with thumbnails and links. In addition to the compact 3DF file format, ModelPress Publisher can also produce STL, 3DS, and JPG files, depending on your needs.

The ModelPress Reader, also free, opens 3DF files with persistent Visual Rights settings for 3D visualization and analysis. Full assemblies can be viewed, cross-sectioned, measured, and exploded interactively. Users can identify or search for specific parts. The ModelPress Reader opens 3DF files, as well as native VRML, OpenHSF, STL, and IronCAD formats.

ModelPress Publisher and ModelPress Reader are continuously developed and improved by Informative Graphics with new features and support for additional file formats. This, combined with the compact and secure 3DF file format, provides all the visual collaborative technology that many need--at what is obviously an outstanding price.

Informative Graphics engineers note that the AutoCAD 2005 Welding Fixture Model contains Autodesk-specific ACIS data that the Spatial library (and all other applications that load ACIS, such as SolidWorks) fails to load. Autodesk apparently has encoded zero-length knot definitions and such to mean something special to its ShapeManager kernel, which is based on v7 of the ACIS geometry engine. The result is missing geometry in that model.

Informative Graphics' ModelPress converted the SolidWorks 2005 Explode Assembly (11MB) into a 207KB 3DF file in 3.5 seconds, and the SeaScooter Assembly (65MB) shrank to a 981KB 3DF file in 7.5 seconds. The AutoCAD 2005 Hotel Model drawing (2.1MB) became a 3.08MB 3DF file in 34 seconds, and the Welding Fixture Model (2.3MB) converted to a 216KB 3DF file in only 9 seconds. Of all the applications here, ModelPress seems to have done one of the best jobs of converting the Welding Fixture Model, though bits of geometry are still missing.

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