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Continuing the pattern of regular corporate name changes, IronCAD is now an eponymous entity having been spun out from Alventive during 2001.
The latest product release is a suite of tools centred around version 5 of the IronCAD modeller with the addition of a cut down version called Inovate and a Product Data Management tool TeamVault.
Overall the suite is aimed at small to medium size manufacturers and engineering teams to provide not just modelling capabilities but also tools for efficiently manipulating the data and making it accessible to all relevant stakeholders.
By removing 2D detailing and sheet metal capabilities, Inovate is positioned as a low cost tool suitable for a wide range of users to broaden collaboration and communication, allowing the interrogation or modification of native or imported models and generation of photo-realistic images or animations.
IronCAD's thoroughly graphical, drag and drop interface certainly makes it accessible for non CAD expert users; as with 3D model features called IntelliShapes, even colours, textures and pre-defined animation paths are assigned by dragging them from the pop-out tabbed catalogs down the right of the graphics area.
The key manipulation tool within the modeller is the on screen TriBall, allowing objects to be moved, rotated and aligned to other model geometry.
Enhancements to the flagship IronCAD modeller include surfacing tools and enhanced sheet metal functionality to include watertight corners.
The drag and drop interface has always been strong for prismatic modelling or the placement of standard components.
In addition to modelling using parametric Intellishapes, individual faces can be edited directly and although this loses the ability to edit the construction history, data imported in a wide range of formats is equally as editable.
New tools improve capabilities for creating and editing 3D curves including smoothly connecting line entities and tangency of splines.