This parametric feature recognition software for CAD users applies intelligence to static geometric data and is fully integrated with SolidWorks.
Why spend hours rebuilding designs?
Standard translations allow you to share geometric data with other organizations that use different CAD systems. However, making changes to that data and performing “what if’ analysis is not so easy.To do so, you typically need to rebuild designs manually and introduce new intelligence/recreate intelligence lost during the translation process. Adding intelligence to static 3D models more quickly and easily would be an added benefit. FeatureWorks® helps you do so.
It is the first software of its kind for CAD users
Fully integrated with SolidWorks, the leading mainstream CAD solution, FeatureWorks® is the first parametric feature recognition software for CAD users. By recognizing features from files produced by standard translators, FeatureWorks® applies intelligence to static geometric data, bringing it back to life and making it ready for use in SolidWorks.
Modify the size and location of holes, cuts and extrusions easily
Once feature recognition is complete, you can easily fine-tune the design as desired using the functionality of SolidWorks. For example, if you need to change the dimensions of a hole, from three to five centimeters,, you can do so easily. Features recognized by FeatureWorks® are fully editable, associative and parametric, and you can create new features at any time. FeatureWorks® enhances the value of legacy data and enables easier, more productive sharing of 3D models between different CAD systems. It also simplifies a complete transition to a SolidWorks solution.
Preserve design intent, maintain quality
FeatureWorks® not only gives flexibility while making changes to static geometric data, it helps preserve or introduce new design intent. For example, a hole originally created as a ‘blind’ or ‘through all’, will regain the essential specifications that it may have lost through the translation process, keeping the design intent intact for all downstream modifications and maintaining quality.
Save time through parametric feature recognition
FeatureWorks® captures all imported data and recognizes features from files produced by standard translators such as STEP, IGES®, SAT (ACIS®), VDAFS (VDA) and Parasolid® files. Best suited for quadrangular, conical and cylindrical machined and sheet metal parts, FeatureWorks® recognizes:
- Extrusion features such as bosses and cuts of the following sketch entities: lines, circles, circular arcs and splines
- Revolved features that are conical or cylindrical shapes, recognized as extrusions
- Standard hole types, such as simple, tapered and counter-bored
- Ribs and draft features
- Applied features such as chamfers and fillets
- Shell as well as base sweep features
- Sheet metal features like sketched bend, edge flange, hem and base flange
Choose automatic or interactive methods
FeatureWorks® provides both automatic and interactive feature recognition capabilities. Automatic feature recognition requires no user intervention. In many cases, features not recognized automatically can be recognized through the interactive method. The interactive method provides a dialog that lets you control or specify the design intent easily by selecting and clicking on a face or the edges of a cut or boss. The model checker indicates any changes to underlying imported geometry before and after feature recognition. You can perform automatic recognition before or after interactive recognition.
Easy set-up, easy to use, fully integrated with SolidWorks
Enabling FeatureWorks® is a simple, single-click set-up. It includes complete online help. You can access all the controls for FeatureWorks® from the SolidWorks menu bar. The FeatureManager® design tree in SolidWorks automatically keeps track of features recognized by FeatureWorks®, so the entire design process stays consistent and intuitive. FeatureWorks® for SolidWorks has an improved user interface, providing SolidWorks style property sheets..This has made SolidWorks the easiest-to-learn-and-use production-level CAD software available.
