"Alibre Design Personal" Replaces Standard & Xpress versions; New Alibre Products

Alibre is a powerful but easy-to-use 3D mechanical CAD package which is distributed and supported in Australia through CADDIT.net. Beginning in mid-May, Alibre no longer offered a "Standard" version of their CAD software. Alibre Design "Standard" has been replaced with the Alibre Design "Personal" version, mainly for hobby use. Also, the free version referred to as "Alibre Design Xpress" will no longer be available to new users. Current users of these products, however, should be able to continue using them as-is without any change to their software. A note to those who purchased Alibre Design from us during our last promotion, well done - you have a package worth about $1000 for under $200. Alibre Design Personal now has some new limitations in comparison to its predecessor, Alibre Design Standard:

• Single install license (no take-home license, multiple keys etc)
• Advanced Import / Export features are deactivated
• Import DWG / DXF is still enabled
• Export .STL is still enabled for 3D printers
• Publish 3D PDF (for models only) is still available
• No STEP, IGES, SAT, Rhino, image files
• Files are not enumerated unless you select All files (*.*)
• Turn-off Advanced Detail Drawing (see further..)
• No Bill of Materials
• No Detail, Section, Partial, or Broken views
• No views for Centers, Cosmetic Threads, External Threads, or No Hole Call-outs

CAD users looking for competent 3D mechanical CAD software are really encouraged to at least go with Alibre Design Professional now. Algor DesignCheck FEA is now called "Simulation Express" from Autodesk and will continue to be available as before. Alibre also has a new partner for delivering photo-realistic rendering to all Alibre Design Professional and Alibre Design Expert users. Luxion's KeyShot For CAD is now included in both versions and is available in Australia from CADDIT. Other Luxion users include PTC, Cadkey, SpaceClaim and Rhino. NOTE Alibre expects to also have new KeyShot BIP file export enabled within Alibre Design by the end of June.

KeyShot For CAD allows Alibre Pro and Expert users to create full photo-realistic images for their model within minutes. And - much like Alibre itself - Keyshot is easy to use. Drag-and-drop materials, preset lighting, and real-time updates give you the final result all the time. KeyShot is the first and only rendering application that offers real-time ray-tracing. This means that your model is constantly being rendered as you zoom, pan, rotate, and apply materials and lighting presets. For more information about Alibre Design 3D CAD in Australia feel free to CONTACT CADDIT.net. A free 30-day PROFESSIONAL trial of Alibre Design can be downloaded HERE.

Alibre Design 11.2: New Features Come in March!

Alibre Design is a global standard for affordable 3D CAD design, and more recently CAD CAM CNC manufacturing. March will see the newest release of this powerful design tool made available in Australia and around the world. Other new features being added in Alibre 11.2 will include:

Product (Alibre Design Interface):

• New global option in GUI (under Home window->Tools/Options) to keep all workspaces maximized
• New global option in GUI (under Home window->Tools/Options) to enable/disable prompt for naming new workspace
• Persist workspace browser position and size on file save to restore them on file open
• Make default size of new workspace browsers to be 80% of display size
• Persist explorer visibility and width and restore on open
• Increase the default size of the Design Explorer
• Ability to edit all vault metadata from inside the File->Properties dialog (General tab)

Addon (Framework):

• Framework to let addon insert custom file filter in our File->Export dialog and accompanying API to allow such addon to export workspace to desired file format
• New AlibreTranslate addon built around Datakit's translation library to import/export CAD formats such as SW, ProE, Parasolid, Catia etc. Merged SolidWorksReader add-on with AlibreTranslate
• Enable showing 'Import Options' dialog while importing files via AlibreTranslate
• Enable AlibreTranslate to accept SW file names containing Unicode (Japanese, Chinese etc) characters

AlibreTranslate is new software that will be made available as part of the Alibre product family very soon, as well. Alibre was introduced as new mid-range CAD CAM software by CADDIT Australia two weeks ago. Alibre can be downloaded HERE. More details are to follow in this CAD CAM Blog...

CAD CAM Australia 2009 Comes At Three Levels

CADDIT has officially released the Alibre CAD/CAM software line for Australia on their online CAD software store. Alibre takes an important place with CADDIT's "Three-Tier-Portfolio" of software now being offered to Australian design and industry service customers. Many already know Alibre CAD to be a cost effective mid-range CAD offering parametric solid modelling, sheet metal design, basic motion kinematics, associative 2D layout detailing and other features. Designers also have the option to "drive" models from a spreadsheet, linking CAD designs to Microsoft Excel tables.

CADDIT will be working with Alibre to support both the Alibre CAD, complete with photo-render, Alibre Vault PDM, Algor Designcheck FEA and Rhino 3D Surfacing software - as well as the newer Alibre CAM line for associative 2.5 to 5 axis CNC milling. Alibre was released simultaneously on the CAD CAM Australia web portal and discussion is held on the CADDIT CAD Forum.

Alibre 3D CAD CAM software is offered as a "good starting point" for Australian business looking for cost-effective 3D design software, but looking to keep within a conservative budget. Alibre offers powerful design similar to SolidWorks, Siemens Solid Edge and Autodesk Inventor - but at a much lower price.

Alibre will join CADDIT's existing two CAD CAM product lines:

1. progeCAD/progeCAM basic low cost design & 2.5 axis machining for lathe mill & wire EDM
2. T-FLEX high-end hybrid surface/solid freeform-parametric PLM software.

Users can begin immediately downloading the new Alibre V11 from the CADDIT website. This software will run in full Expert mode for thirty days before reverting to it's free Xpress mode of asking for a commercial license which can be bought HERE.