SpaceClaim is a
solid modeling CAD (
computer-aided design
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...
)
software
Software consists of computer programs that instruct the Execution (computing), execution of a computer. Software also includes design documents and specifications.
The history of software is closely tied to the development of digital comput ...
that runs on
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
and developed by SpaceClaim Corporation. The company is headquartered in
Concord,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
.
SpaceClaim Corporation was founded in 2005 to develop 3D
solid modeling software for mechanical engineering. Its first
CAD application was launched in 2007 and used an approach to solid modeling where design concepts are created by pulling, moving, filling, combining, and reusing 3D shapes.
It was acquired by
Ansys in May 2014, Inc, and was integrated in subsequent versions of Ansys Simulation packages as a built-in 3D modeler.
SpaceClaim Corporation markets SpaceClaim Engineer directly to end-user and indirectly by other channels. SpaceClaim also licenses its software for
OEMs, such as ANSYS, Flow International Corporation, CatalCAD.
Modeling technology
SpaceClaim's 3D direct modeling technology is primarily expressed through its user interface in four tools: pull, move, fill, and combine:
* Pull contains most creation features found in traditional CAD systems, determining its behavior through users’ selection and though the use of secondary tool guides. For example, using the Pull tool on a face by default offsets the face, but using the Pull tool on an edge rounds the edge.
* Move repositions components and geometry, and can also be used to create patterns (often called arrays).
* Fill primarily removes geometry from a part by extending geometry to fill in the surrounding area. Popular uses include deleting rounds and holes from a model. SpaceClaim Engineer also includes more specialized tools for model preparation.
* Combine performs boolean and splitting operations, such as merging parts and subtracting parts from each other.
These functions were developed in the modelling kernel
ACIS licensed to SpaceClaim by
Dassault Systèmes
Dassault Systèmes SE () (abbreviated 3DS) is a French Multinational corporation, multinational software corporation which develops software for 3D product design, simulation, manufacturing and other 3D related products.
Founded in 1981, it is ...
.
History
In September 2005, Mike Payne, Danny Dean, David Taylor, and Blake Courter founded SpaceClaim Corporation. Mike Payne was previously a founder of
PTC and
SolidWorks. On April 1, 2007, SpaceClaim released SpaceClaim 2007 Professional, its first commercial release.
On September 30, 2008, Chris Randles become CEO and Mike Payne become chairman of the board.
On July 21, 2009, SpaceClaim announced support for multi-touch hardware.
[Stephen H. Wildstrom]
Multitouch Moves to the Big Screen: PCs
Business Week, October 28, 2009, "SpaceClaim Engineer, a high-end design program, will allow 3D rotation of a model by touching one finger to the point you want to use as a pivot and rotating the drawing with a second finger," sourced on January 13, 2011
On April 29, 2014, technical software company ANSYS (NASDAQ: ANSS) acquired SpaceClaim for $85 million in cash, plus considerations
ANSYS is specialized in developing software for product development simulation and analysis, and has sold a version of SpaceClaim (named ANSYS SpaceClaim Direct Modeler) as an option for its CAE software since 2009.
Release history
See also
*
Comparison of CAD software
The table below provides an overview of notable computer-aided design (CAD) software. It does not judge power, ease of use, or other user-experience aspects. The table does not include software that is still in development (beta software). For al ...
*
Comparison of CAD editors for CAE
References
External links
Official Web Site
{{CAD software
3D graphics software
Computer-aided design software