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Summary

XEOMETRIC develops 2D/3D construction planning and mechanical engineering

Software. XEOMETRIC initially wanted specific functionality in their application. But when Spatial’s 3D ACIS Modeler demonstrated all it had to offer, the company implemented it as their primary geometric modeler. In addition, 3D InterOp translators provided accurate import of file data in ELITECAD.

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The Company

Whether designing a large manufacturing plant, a special machine or a cable car and the terrain around it, mechanical designers and engineers rely on XEOMETRIC’s ELITECAD to get the job done quickly. The Austrian software company develops and distributes state-of-the-art CAD software with a special emphasis on usability and connectivity.

Based on more than 35 years of experience, the flagship product ELITECAD with its industry-specific editions is one of the most efficient and yet easy-to-use 3D CAD solutions on the market. Furthermore, the high-quality products for architecture and mechanics are topped off with excellent personal service and the possibility for customizing. Today, XEOMETRIC is operating worldwide with an ever-growing network of partners to ensure qualified on-site support in more than 25 countries.

XEOMETRIC’s customers use ELITECAD for a range of modeling operations: they make models from scratch, use 2D drawings to make 3D models and some need several variants of the same machine. If a change is made to a 2D drawing, the 3D model is automatically modified.

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The Challenge

Finding a High-Performance Geometry Kernel

XEOMETRIC had its own 3D CAD kernel for solid modeling but it had weak functionality for blending and precise hidden line operations. Speed is paramount to ELITECAD customers and these operations performed slowly. The company also sought file translation capabilities to address its customers’ need to import 3D models from other CAD programs.

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The Solution

Geometry Kernel with Far-Reaching Functionality

XEOMETRIC selected Spatial’s ACIS geometry kernel and 3D InterOp file translation suite. No other company could offer a geometry kernel with the breadth of ACIS’ functionality and the InterOp translators had a reputation for excellent quality. When the ACIS integration into ELITECAD Mechanics started, technical staff from Spatial worked on site at XEOMETRIC. “The excellent documentation soon allowed us to continue the development process more or less independently,” says Dl Dr. Wolfgang Stöger, Owner and CEO of XEOMETRIC GmbH. Within a few months, XEOMETRIC developers completed the integration of ACIS into the software.

Many XEOMETRIC customers import 3D models. Spatial’s 3D InterOp translators, specifically IGES, CATIA V4 and V5, PRO/E and STEP are heavily relied on to provide accurate file translation. STEP is particularly important because it is widely used in Austria.

XEOMETRIC found that InterOp imports 3D objects with very high quality, enabling them to work with the model as if it was created within ELITECAD. “Because of ELITECAD’s interoperability capabilities, our customers can work independently from the CAD systems of their suppliers,” says Stöger.

ACIS was initially selected on the strength of its precise hidden line and blending functions. “Generating 2D views of 3D models is still one of the most important features for our customers,” says Stöger. “ACIS’ hidden line removal function is stable, fast and precise.”

The Results

Rich Quality and Functionality

XEOMETRIC hadn’t meant to replace all of ELITECAD’s 3D modeling functionality with ACIS, rather it intended to perform blending and precise hidden line operations in ACIS and then convert the model back to its own 3D data format. “We realized the ACIS toolkit had better overall functionality than our own, so we decided to forgo our own geometry kernel and use ACIS for all modeling functions,” says Stöger.

Ongoing development efforts to incorporate new releases from Spatial run seamlessly. “When implementing new features it is essential to gather all relevant information quickly in order to achieve fast development cycles,” says Stöger. “The Spatial documentation satisfies these requirements and provides a comprehensive overview as well as detailed technical information.”

Key Insights

Spatial’s SDKs are industry-leading for a reason.
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Solutions

XEOMETRIC intended to use Spatial’s ACIS for blending and precise hidden line removal in its 3D CAD system ELITECAD Mechanics. During integration and testing, the quality and functionality turned out so rich that ACIS became the primary geometry kernel. In addition, the InterOp translators provide accurate import of file data in ELITECAD.