“Significant Developments” for CAD, CAM Functionality

VISI 2016 R1 demonstrates ongoing emphasis on innovating production methods for mold, tool, and die makers

With its first release for 2016, Vero Software is claiming some “significant developments” for CAD process, mold design, and CAM functionality, with a number of newly introduced features in its VISI program series, and a continuing emphasis on innovating production methods for mold, tool, and die makers.

Vero Software also signaled it is instituting a new six-month release cycle, as indicated by the name of the new release, 

Significant developments in CAD, mold and CAM functionality are included in VISI 2016 R1, from Vero Software.  The product naming convention also explains the move to a new 6-month release cycle, with two versions planned per year.

Vero Software designs, develops, and supplies several CAD/CAM/CAE software platforms. In addition to VISI, it authors Alphacam, Cabinet Vision, Edgecam, Machining Strategist, PEPS, Radan, SMIRT, SurfCAM, and WorkNC, along with the production control MRP system Javelin.

In the new version of VISI, graphic enhancements include an updated GUI with quick access toolbars, live icon combinations on the mouse, improved hidden line removal and geometry selection by ‘free-shape’ brush.

CAD translators have been updated to support the latest third-party CAD formats, including Inventor 2016, layer categories for NX, and attribute hole mapping for Catia V5.

User efficiency continues to be critical element of product development efforts, and major CAD developments including significant picking and sketching enhancements, associativity improvements for 3D dimensions, a redesigned part revision manager, and multiple plotview updates.

Improvements in VISI Mold include improved cooling channel management with support for solid groups, CAD transformations, and updated catalogue components such as plugs, connectors and baffles.

For sheet metal stamping operations, VISI Progress updates include improved part replacement for 3D strip design, the ability to manage multiple strip designs within the same project, and the option to define families of punches as instances, allowing for automatic updates of geometry if the parent punch is modified.

“VISI 2016 R1 represents another release with major CAM developments covering 2D, 3D milling, and wire EDM updates,” the developer stated. “2D enhancements include significant speed improvements (especially on complex patterns), a final clearance milling path for zig-zag toolpaths and improved linking for pocketing operations.

“For 3D machining operations, the user interface has been simplified to help define the geometry piece, stock and additional faces,” it added. “An updated CAM engine provides better memory management and improved performance, allowing VISI to run multithreads for a single toolpath calculation.”

Other CAM developments include improved analytic material removal, updated stock/model comparison, and a new ‘toolpath enquirer’ tool to allow the operator to analyze the underlying toolpath data and search for geometry, such as elements shorter than a given length or vertical arcs.