LEDAS Improves Assembly Design and Kinematic Simulation in Rhino 3D and Announces History-Free Geometry Editing

Driven by suggestions from numerous beta testers the new version of LEDAS Driving Dimensions plugin simplifies assembly design and kinematics simulation making it easy to use for all Rhino fans

LEDAS Ltd., an independent provider of variational design tools for different CAD platforms, today announced second preliminary version (0.2) of its Driving Dimensions plugin for Rhinoceros, a popular NURBS modeling application. The plugin can be downloaded with no charge at www.DrivingDimensions.com and offers easy-to-use parameterization tools, which considerably reduce the time required to make changes to the existing models and open new modeling capabilities.

The new features of Driving Dimensions 0.2 for Rhino are improved kinematic simulation functionality, enhancement of graphical user interface, and an easy-to-use installer. Now animation frames are computed in a background mode when a user starts the animation of a driving dimension, and the animation can be controlled as a movie using a traditional interface (play/pause, reverse/backward, slider navigation bar). At any moment of the animation the user can pan, rotate and zoom the model. Animation parameters are now stored in .3dm files (Rhino native file format).

Driving Dimensions Manager and Constraint Properties Editor windows are significantly improved to have a better look and feel. Now they can be docked, small icons are used for each kind of driving dimensions and constraints. Performance is optimized for models with a large number of constraints. Constraint arguments are automatically highlighted when the constraint is selected in the Driving Dimensions Manager window. In addition, when the user selects an object, all related constraints are highlighted. Command line prompts are now more informative, and the default value for a new driving dimension is suggested.

Driving Dimensions 0.2 for Rhino is delivered as an executable module that automatically installs the plugin on a computer with Rhino 4.0. Several bugs reported by our users during testing version 0.1 have been fixed.

"In two months passed since the release of the first preliminary version of Driving Dimensions 0.1 for Rhino 3D, more than 1400 Rhino users worldwide took part in beta testing by downloading our plugin," says Dmitry Ushakov, Director, Product Management, LEDAS Ltd. "We carefully consider everything they say to us – directly by email or indirectly on numerous forums and blogs. Most of improvements in the second preliminary version of our plugin were suggested by our users."

In parallel with development of a solution for assembly design and kinematic simulation of rigid bodies LEDAS is working on a history-free direct and indirect geometry editing plugin for Rhino. The plugin is expected to be ready for beta-testing before the end of 2009. Please visit our Driving Dimensions Labs to see a new video demonstrating constraint-based geometry editing in Rhinoceros: DrivingDimensions.com/labs.php.

Driving Dimensions 0.2 for Rhinoceros is compatible with Rhino 4.0 and above and can be run on 32-bit Windows XP and Vista. The beta version can be freely downloaded at DrivingDimensions.com/Rhino where visitors can also find detailed on-line help, text and video tutorials, and a set of sample examples to play with.

About Driving Dimensions

Driving Dimensions are end-user applications developed by LEDAS as plugins for popular 2D and 3D modeling systems to provide advanced parameterization capabilities to their users (SketchUp and Rhinoceros are two examples). Driving Dimensions are based on the Variational Direct Modeling technology, which uses history-free editing model elements, preserving its design intent, expressed by explicit and implicit driving dimensions (linear, angular, radial) and geometric constraints. Simultaneous satisfaction of geometric and dimensional constraints is achieved with LGS 3D geometric constraint solver, which is being developed by LEDAS since 2001 and is available for licensing to all CAD developers. More information about Driving Dimensions portfolio of applications can be found at www.DrivingDimensions.com.

About LEDAS

LEDAS Ltd. is an independent software development company founded in 1999; it is based in Novosibirsk Scientific Centre (Akademgorodok), Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science. A leader in constraint-based technologies, LEDAS is a well-known provider of computational software components for PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) solutions: geometric constraint solvers for CAD/CAM/CAE, optimization engines for project management, work scheduling and meeting planning as well as interval technologies for knowledge-based engineering and collaborative design. The company also provides services for PLM markets: software development, consulting, reselling as well as education and training. More information about LEDAS is available at http://www.ledas.com.

Driving Dimensions and LGS are trademarks of LEDAS Ltd. Any other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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