Technical Sheet Think Design Suite 2009 L En

ThinkDesign Suite

Technical features datasheet 2009

ThinkDesign Suite Technical features datasheet

ThinkDesign Suite guarantees the TOTAL PROCESS COVERAGE through the phases of Sty ling, Engineering and Tooling, meetingthe needs of those working in these departments. One of the benef its of using a unique solution throughout the v arious productdef inition phases lies in the demolition of the communication barriers among designers, engineers and molding and equipmenttechnicians, due to the possibility of intervention without losing the work done by other departments.

Thanks to its structure and the rich av ailability of tools, ThinkDesign Suite allows to user the MULTIPLE MODELING APPROACH, inrelation to the nature of the existing starting data and the specif ic project needs. Engineers can choose the "traditional" approach of 2Dsketch, the three-dimensional solid and surfaces modeling, ev entually operating in an evolv ed mix of hybrid modeling, in total freedomand simply in relation to the project needs, in a unique, high performances and extremely productiv e env ironment.

Inf act, using f unctions such as 2D, 2D and 3D integration, curve creation and editing, surf aces and solids, sheet metal, tubing, f ramemodeling, assembly management, drawing lay out creation, animation, mechanical component libraries, FEM integration, rendering andmuch, much more, the project materializes in the product. Project data can broadly be managed thanks to the MULTI DATAREPRESENTATION of ThinkDesign Suite. Thanks to the advantages of the solid modeling, the f lexibility of the free f orm surf acemodels and the impressiv e GSM³ editing tools, you can make highly creative and precise modifications to any ty pe of shape, be itnativ e or imported, while keeping complete association, in a much shorter time compared to traditional approaches.

Also the specif ic needs f or mechanical cams creation, FEM / FEA analysis, rev erse engineering f rom physical models, die design f ormetal stamping and relativ e spring back compensation, complete planning f or plastic injection molds, f inds answers in the completepanorama of the solution.

The integration with the PLM of think3 allows the whole project management not only f or geometric inf ormation but also f or the entiredata and all the aspects of the lifecycle management.

Base functionsEnvironment management

Base functions for files managementThe daily and repetitive activ ity of f ile management is supported by classical commandssuch as Open, Save, Sav e As, etc. Howev er, it becomes robust with management oftemplates, a kind of base file that not only contains the predef ined sty les and variousproperties, but also particular lay ers settings or existence of base geometries, ty picallyusef ul or necessary for a particular sketch or modeling activity.

Windows paradigmsThinkDesign is f ully compatible with the Windows env ironment. DoubleClick editing, Copy &Paste, Drag&Drop and Multi-Windows allassist users in their interaction with ThinkDesign and its various applications. For example, the user can hav e two viewports - one in 2Dand one in 3D - and Drag&Drop entities f rom the 2D environment into 3D.

Visualization toolsGeometry v isualization can be managed with tools like zoom, pan, rotateand f it. View settings can be stored via Visual Bookmarks, and the screendiv ided into v iewports for isometric or perspectiv e v iews.

©2009 thi nk3 Inc. All rights reserved. T hink3, the thi nk3 logo, ThinkDesign Styling, ThinkDesign Engineering, Thi nkDesign Tooling, Thi nkDesignProfessional, thi nkPLM, thinkteam are registered and unregistered trademarks of think3 Inc. All other trademar ks, product names and company namesor logos menti oned herei n may be the property of their respecti ve owners.


Entities graphic propertiesEntity properties such as color, thickness, line type (in 2D) or color and transparency characteristics (in 3D) can be easily set as def aultor modif ied on the existing geometries to get the best possible visual.

Material propertiesBesides graphic properties it is also possible to set physical properties of models organized in a materials table. These properties areexpressed according to unity of measure def ined by the user and can be assigned to solid objects contained in the model. Analysis

f unctionalities use these properties for the calculation of v olumes, weights, center ofgrav ity, etc. providing fundamental information to control costs and product planning.

Styles settingsCompany standards can be created and stored using sty le settings. Dimensionf onts, texts, surface textures, etc. are created easily. ThinkDesign guarantees theintegrity of these standards and allows a global setting of all the elements'characteristics and their use by the user. These settings can also be organized inf ormats for quick assigning.

Environment customizationThe entire graphic user interface (GUI) of ThinkDesign can be customized to auser's needs. Toolbars can be turned off or on, and docked or left 'floating'.Custom toolbars and commands can be created for often-used f unctionality. Thegoal is optimal productiv ity.

Configuration managementAll ThinkDesign settings (from graphic to GUI to system) can be sav ed in aconf iguration f ile f or use either locally or system-wide. These conf iguration filescan be sav ed and used on v arious installations to create a company-widestandard UI, or to restore a certain user setting after PC maintenance.

LayersLay ers can be used to organize jobs according to various criteria: by color, byentity ty pe, or by some other user-defined method. In each case creating,using and modifying layers is simple and intuitive. AutoCAD users rage aboutthe v ery similar environment that ThinkDesign has, which facilitates andsmooths the migration f rom AutoCAD to ThinkDesign.

Selection and filter toolsThinkDesign entities can be selected in simple and direct ways, or withsophisticated f ilter and capture tools used in pre-selection mode. Forexample: entities with broken contour, existing on a certain level and hav inga specific color can be selected using ThinkDesign selection f ilters.

Speech interfaceThink3 is on the cutting-edge of ev ery possible user interface application. One example is the speech recognition system, which whencombined with the use of mouse allows f or optimal usage. The speech recognition system works on the personal user’s v oice tone,eliminating the possibility of errors due to variation of the user voice, or improper use f rom other people or in presence of env ironmentalnoises.



Capture&PlaybackThe Capture & Play back tool in ThinkDesign allows a user to record (Capture) to a log file all the actions executed during a think3application and then to execute them again (Play back). This tool can be very useful when creating personalized procedures, or whenreceiv ing remote customer care assistance to help explain and rectify an issue.

User defined propertiesIn many instances it is necessary to associate alphanumeric information to models and drawing or to parts of them. To this purpose,ThinkDesign prov ide the "User Def ined Properties” non graphic entity (string, integers or real) which is assignable to models anddrawings or to component entities. Properties can prof itably exploited by people who create personalized procedures.

Print functionalityThe printing of a document is handled according to Windows standards, by selecting the proper peripheraland set-up options. Users can then specify a series of settings to save the proper f ormat, orientation,borders, scale, entities and lev els to be printed, and these settings can be used repeatedly for use inf uture printing.

Visual bookmarkVisual Bookmarks in ThinkDesign provide a fast and simple way to save and restore the general status of

a document by managing the v isual appearance, the feature activation status and the presence orabsence of Spreadsheet variables. When created, a Visual Bookmark specifies which sets of parametersmust be captured: the v iew data, the render mode, the activ e lay ers, the v isualization status of entities,annotations and components and the presence or absence of f eatures and Spreadsheet v ariables. Allthese data are stored into the VisualBookmark and sav ed along with thedocument. Users can recall an existingVisual Bookmark any time, so all theparameters it contains are restored andthe document is brought back to thestatus at the time the Visual Bookmarkwas created.

PreviewMany operations in ThinkDesign prov ide the user with a prev iew, toshow the results of the operation to the user bef ore actuallyperf orming the command. This allows the user to understand thef unctionality and the technical parameters for it's correct use.

HelpThinkDesign's on-line Help assists the user from installation to use of the product by providing clear, direct explanations and

f ast access to inf ormation and examples. It is equipped with a series of introductory training exercises - complete with sample files - sothat the user can gain understanding to new functions quickly and easily.

“Think3 is a winning choice. All design work is now done entirely in 3D, information sharing and access to designshave been improved for all departments and the percentage of error has been significantly reduced. The solution were

introduced rapidly and have produced impressive results in terms of optimization of the product development process.

Thanks to the collaboration with think3, we are convinced we can reach further growth targets.”

Rémy Charrette, Technical Drawings Manager of MATISA



Dialogue

Standard translatorData exchange is a ThinkDesign strength. It features 2D translators f or DWG, DXF, IGES and GBG Draftmaker f ormats, as well as 3Dtranslators for IGES, STEP, STL, VDA, VRML, Wav eFront and IV formats, the neutral format of ThinkDesign and ASCII.

AutoCAD compatibilityThink3 offers full AutoCAD compatibility: 2D drawings can be imported into ThinkDesign, modified and reused as nativ e designs.ThinkDesign combines advanced translation functionality and a modern and comprehensive design architecture. DXF/DWG translatorsensure the integrity of AutoCAD entities and support imported data.

Image importationTo make the communication between concept phase and product creationphase better and easier, it is possible to import a v ariety of image f iles intothe ThinkDesign environment. These images can be used to create requireshapes, or as guide curves to help modify a product while preserv ing adesigner's creativ e intent.

PDF format outputThe PDF f ormat has been a long-time standard in the protected distributionof documentation with text and images, and it is becoming a standard f ordrawing distribution. The immediate f uture will also see PDF's extendedusage f or the circulation of 3D inf ormation. Think3, always f ocused oncustomer requirements for dialogue and information exchange, isimplementing in ThinkDesign direct creation of PDF 2D and PDF 3D filesthrough the integration of Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended (sold separately ).

Advanced visualization tools

3D section view on parts and assembliesA f ast and easy to use clipping tool is available f or v iewing a model orassembly in a 3D section mode. Once def ined, the section plane can bedy namically rotated, with the view updating accordingly. The v iew can berendered in high-quality mode, and the section color is user-def ined.

High quality d ynamic visualizationHigh quality dy namic visualization tools allow the user to work on a modelwith a lev el of realism never seen bef ore. Various combinations of lights,shadows, exposures and env ironment mappings giv e the design a 'realworld' f eel. Visual f eedback f or the user is instant.

RendererQuality and beauty in the same product. Understanding the v isual impact ofa single product but also how it interacts in its env ironment. Renderingsneeded to produce technical datasheets, web pages and printed catalogs.These are some of the motiv es that push designers and engineers torealize images with high realistic content. ThinkDesign offers the possibilityto render using material characteristics, lights and env ironments, withsophisticated ray-tracing and anti-aliasing techniques, producing files to beused in technical and marketing material.



General

Geometrics transformationTranslations, Rotations, Symmetries, Scaling, Stretching in 2D and 3D. They may seem like boring commands, but they are f requentlyimplemented and must be f ast, accurate, and easy to use. The ThinkDesign geometric transf ormation increase the user's productiv ityinstantly. The desired transf ormation is managed with a simple "handle," an active graphic symbol that allows -- with dynamic prev iew -- positioning, translation, rotation and scaling of the selected geometry with instant and accurate results.

Adaptive measuresAdaptiv e measures allow, when inserting or modifying features, to inputdimensional v alues directly f rom the surrounding geometry, including solids,surf aces, static 2D geometric elements...all with a simple mouse click. Withadaptiv e measures, users can speed up the modeling process in the context ofan assembly, as well as quickly create a 3D model f rom 2D DWG/DXFdrawings. Adaptiv e measures can be used to create links between dimensionsof 3D objects in order to obtain automatic updates when the driv en partchanges.

Reference gridOne option in ThinkDesign is to turn on a Reference Grid,allowing the positioning of a model (or models) with respect toabsolute automotiv e space.

Dimensional and volumetric analysis3D v olumetric analysis offers clear adv antages ov er 2D analy sistools. From the 3D model it is possible to extract with speed andprecision information such as minimum and maximum distances,

“Creating a new machine is a process that requires agreat deal of commitment, both in terms of costs and

human resources. Thus it is extremely important to

optimize the development process through streamlined

procedures, making use of highly productive tools like

ThinkDesign.”

Massimiliano Monastero, CAM’s Technical Manager

v olume, weight, center of grav ity and area of complex surfaces.The commands are specialized and easy to use.

Quality CheckThinkDesign's Quality Check command giv es f unctions f or examining isophotes, draft angles, curvature radii, and many othercharacteristics of curves, surf aces and solids in order to understand a model and prepare it f or manufacturing.



Collaboration

2D and 3D integrationThinkDesign's integrated design environment ensures full 2D/3D transparency anddoes not require expensiv e interf aces f or the migration from 2D to 3D. ThinkDesignoffers optimized and interoperable 2D and 3D env ironments, allowing companies topreserv e and modify existing 2D data, securing their original investment andprev enting the risks associated with the migration f rom one design platf orm to another.A project can be created in a “mixed” 2D and 3D approach, andexperienced 2D users are going to f ind migrating to 3D very easy,resulting in a reduced learning curve. Many commands ofThinkDesign can be used both in 2D and in 3D, like line, circle,poly line, rectangle, trim, stretch, transf orm and many others. Tohav e these unique commands in both env ironments providesmany adv antages to the user: specifically reduction in learningtime and time to maximum productiv ity.

Unique environment for part and assembliesThinkDesign's structure has been built f or f acilitating the user’s operational approach. For this reason the 3D env ironment is uniqueboth f or parts and assemblies, sheetmetal, tubing, or complex components made with surf aces modeling. Assemblies can be easilycreated, and mated in one command without hav ing to def inecomplicated structures. Creation of an assembly 's hierarchycan be done using a "Top-Down" or "Bottom-Up" approach.Components can be managed either locally or externallyref erenced for more flexible assembly management.

Standard libraries for bolts and bearingsThinkDesign provides a large library of standard parts (screws,nuts, f asteners, etc.) f or use in your design.

Environment for standard part creationThe user can create his own custom-part library using the thinkparts functionality.Thinkparts is a standard part library creator and manager that allows custom-built, oftenused, company standard parts to be managed in a simple manner. Key dimensions to thesecompany -standard parts are managed v ia a spreadsheet-like table, and can be accessedanytime during the design cycle.

“The adoption of the think3 solution in TRIA has given a notablecontribution to the efficiency of the products development cycle,

allowing a modular planning of machines and the consequent

re-use of single modules in different job orders. An example is

constituted by the series 60 that has allowed us, inside the

same cycle of planning, to produce 3 base models and 6

different machines.”

Angelo Zanon, CAD Manager of TRIA



Multi-Data Representation and Multiple Approach ModelingDrafting

Complete drafting environment2D draf ting details are still v ery important to many companies.Think3 is v ery aware of this f act and the f unctionalities prov idedin the ThinkDesign 2D drafting env ironment are very productiv eand complete. Tools for geometry creation and modification,dimensioning and annotation insertion, and f ull support ofinternational standards are f eatured. Migration to 3D can be doneanytime, and mixed 2D/3D projects can be managed easily.

Solid Modeling

Work planeThe Workplane in ThinkDesign is the designer's aid. Prof iles are sketched on the Workplane (either f rom scratch or on a planar f ace ofa 3D model) and used to create additional features like Linear Protrusions or Slots. The Workplane can be moved and rotated easilyusing a "handle" tool, which giv es instant feedback on position, translation and rotation.

2D and 3D ProfilesProf iles are the base of ThinkDesign solid modeling. They contain 2D geometryeither sketched by the user or imported from 2D, as well as any additionalgeometric or dimensional constraints. Dimensions can be def ined as variables in aspreadsheet and can be managed easily using that tool. 3D prof iles can also becreated and used as paths f or ThinkDesign's new Tubing f unctionality, or asstructures for carpentry f rames using the new Frame f unctions in the ThinkDesignSuite.

Complete solid modeling function setSolid modeling is based on a rich series of easy to use f eaturesthat allows quick creation of single parts or components andassemblies. The user can create solid primitives as cone, cylinder,cube, etc. and specialized f eatures like extrusions and rotations,pockets, holes, f illets and patterns. Features are ordered in aneasy -to-manage history tree, where it is possible to redefine,delete, rearrange and insert f eatures to get the desired shape or tomodify the existing one. Features can also be directly selected fromthe graphics area, to f acilitate users who pref er to work "on the 3Dmodel". Most solid modeling f eatures include many options enrichf eatures, making possible the creation of complex solids.

Datum entitiesIf the modeling approach is parametric solid, ThinkDesign offers tools that allow creation of geometry with amazing lev els ofmodif ication. Datum geometry, represented by points, lines and planes, can be used together with 2D and 3D prof iles in theconstruction of solids and assemblies. Through v ariables and ThinkDesign's spreadsheet management tool it is possible to reach apowerf ul level of control.



Parametrization and SpreadsheetParametric modeling strategies can be used easily with the Spreadsheet function. Profiles and models can be partially or totallyconstrained and feature dimension can be linked and managed inside the Spreadsheet. The Spreadsheet also allows the creation ofsophisticated mathematical relationships and dependence among the variables, and management of f eature and component existence.

Derived modelThis f unctionality allows the creation of one or more models deriv ed from a base or 'source' model, which is v ery useful when workingwith machined or molded products. For example, a core and a cavity can be derived f rom a source model, and any changes made tothe source part are ref lected in all deriv ed models, maintaining complete associativity.

ISM – Interactive Solid ModelingThinkDesign’s unique Smart Objects f unctionality allows the userto capture, reuse and share, either f ully or partly, modelingsequences. A Smart Object, f or instance, is able to reproduce theinsertion of a component, realizing the features and the necessarymating to assemble it on the existing parts.The benef its areconsistency and compliance to company standards, f ewer errorsand f aster design cycles.

“For a long time we appreciate the solid and surfaces modeling and modification functions of ThinkDesign and nowthanks to the Interactive Solid Modeling, the intervention time for the preparation on the models of a piston is notably

reduced.”

Paolo Cunial, Pistons Development Manager of DURALDUR

Smart objectThinkDesign’s unique Smart Objects functionality allows the user to capture, reuse and share, either f ully or partly, modelingsequences. A Smart Object, f or instance, is able to reproduce the insertion of a component, realizing the f eatures and the necessarymating to assemble it on the existing parts. The benef its are consistency and compliance to company standards, fewer errors andf aster design cycles.

Sheet metal functionsThinkDesign’s high flexibility allows design engineers to createsheet metal parts easily, starting from scratch or from existingparts, using either nativ e or imported data. ThinkDesign allowsmanagement of thick sheet metal parts with f eatures on side f aceswhile also including parts with different bend tables. In addition,this application allows automatic generation of dev elopmentdrawings ready for manufacturing. The wizard allows automaticcreation of assemblies with other sheet metal parts, adhering tostandard manuf acturing techniques.

TubingThinkDesign offers f unctionality f or the creation of tubing structures. The process allows tubing and connection elements to be createdon a pre-constructed 3D network lay out, consisting of 3D profiles. Positioning can be confirmed using a single operation or through theselective positioning of single parts. The user can access parts f rom a standard library that can be expanded through the addition ofpersonalized components. A specialized cut list can then be generated from the tubing structure.



FrameCarpentry frame planning f or industrialmachinery can be easily constructed inThinkDesign using specialized andoptimized commands in the Frame tool.The structure is created with 3D profilesand normalized sections that are containedin an av ailable library and av ailable f oreasy placement. The user can change orientations, topology ofintersections and cut options to achiev e the desired results. Fullassociativ ity means all elements are updated when changes aremade, and automatic cut list generation is available.

Assembly

Assembly matingComplex mechanical assemblies can be easily created in ThinkDesign with assembly constraints and mating tools. Tangency ,coaxiality and concentricity are just a f ew examples of the mating options that allow 3D parts to be assemblied into logical kinematicstructures. Once mates are created, they can be easily modif ied or redefined by the user.

Symbolic ReferencesStandard parts that are inserted into a design can be easily mated using Symbolic Ref erences. These specialized, predefined matingsare joined to the surf ace(s) of standard parts and are easily modif ied and updated when a new member of that standard part's family issubstituted into the assembly. This allows reduction in design time, and less design errors.

Large assemblies and simplified representationAssemblies can reach elev ated levels of complexity in their number of parts.ThinkDesign provides modern and powerf ul f unctions to maintain highperf ormance when dealing with large assemblies. The geometric kernel andgraphic processor, hierarchy management and referenced components assistthe engineer working with these 'heavy' models. Components that are notbeing currently worked on can be display ed in a simplified representation,which drastically reduces their impact on system resources.

Motion with collision detectionMov ing assemblies will often undergo collisions between components. Thesecollisions can be managed using ThinkDesign's collision detection function.Collisions can be represented and analy zed graphically, and the v erif icationcan be checked using either the animation tool or via dynamic drag-n-drop bythe user.

Assembly analyzerThe Assembly Analy zer tool prov ides user with an ov erv iew of the currentassembly and information about existing Document Data and Part Propertiesf or each component. Important statistics about the assembly structure can begleaned, such as number of local/external components and loaded/unloadedcomponents.



Base surfaces modeling

2D and 3D curve creation and modificationGood curv es create good surfaces. Great curv es create great surf aces. ThinkDesign allows the user to create very high quality curv es,easily managing a v ariety of cases and respecting end conditions such as tangency and curv ature. ThinkDesign allows curv e creationand modif ication with total accuracy and f ull f reedom.

Base surfaces modelingThinkDesign provides the users a rich and robust collection of curv eand surf ace creation and modification tools, to aid in theconstruction of complex, sculpted surf aces found in today's designs.Ty pes of surf aces that can be created are: lofted (ruled, grid, etc.),cy lindrical, spherical, proportional and others. ThinkDesign'srev olutionary Global Shape Modeling f unctionality is also av ailableto allow the realization of virtually any shape desired.

CappingExperience surf ace modelers are aware of the difficulty in finding asolution to complex multi-boundary surf ace conditions.ThinkDesign's Capping commands makes this easy - by allowingselection of all boundary and interior contours, and setting ofboundary conditions (position, tangent, curvature continuity, etc.) toaid in creating the desired result quickly and with associativ ity.

Surfaces modelingEvolved surface modelingSurf ace modeling is the ideal approach f or those who need tocreate and modify complex shapes ty pically found in theautomotive and industrial design world. ThinkDesign off ers theuser complete control to adjust associativ ity and manage construction and modification of complex, organic shapes.

3D bounding boxThis option, when used with ThinkDesign's GSM functionality,allows f or selection v ia a three-dimensional network of points thatare used to globally def orm the selected shape. The modificationsapplied to these points impact the shape with a sophisicated lev elof iteration.

“ThinkDesign is a technology that assists creativity, able to cover all the phases of the development cycle for aprotective device, starting from scanning the parts of the body to developing the most complex surfaces.”

Luigi Ronco, Head of Dainese R&D


ThinkDesign Suite

Global Shape ModelingThink3’s Global Shape Modeling, now calledGSM³, prov ides designers a v ery high lev el oftechnological innov ation with unriv alled ease ofuse. It is currently the only creation andmodif ication tool that allows changes in a quickand accurate way in any stage of the designprocess, accelerating interactions with unlimited

Technical features datasheet

“The potential of surface modeling and the Global Shape Modelingtool have been a real help. It’s so easy to create variables and to

make changes in the 3D environment that the product takes shape

just the way we want it.”

Giacomo Zucchi, Design Manager at Lagostina

creativ ity and eliminating the need to rebuildmodels. GSM has become famous and v ery appreciated because it makes complex changes happen in minutes instead of hours ordays.

Zone ModelingThe Zone Modeling command enables y ou to apply all of the GSM f unctionalities to selected zones (f aces) of a solid model. It can beused efficiently to locally modify a solid by applying a controlled modification to a certain area. Together with the 'Insert Feature Mode'command, it can be used to modify a zone of a solid and propagate the controlled modification to subsequent features.

Zone DraftZone Draft enables users to add a draft angle to one or morezones (f aces) of a solid. The corresponding driv e dimension isalso added. This command is particularly usef ul in thosesituations where technicians need to add a draft angle to complexmodels after the model's creation. When this change must be atthe v ery end of the design proces -- and especially to static solidsimported from other env ironments -- Zone Draft is a fast andreliable tool. It is very usef ul in the process of mold and toolcreation.

Blending ShapeThe Blending Shapes command enables the designer to createsurf aces connection two contours (two chains of consecutiv ecurv es and/or surf ace boundaries) while controlling their smoothness and matching required continuity conditions along the selectedcontours. Blending Shapes is designed to allow the quick modification of numerous values controlling the resulting surf ace, and tointeractively assess the possible result(s) using the Prev iew Mode.

Ad vanced continuityDesigners often need to bring a surf ace model to optimal quality, adjusting conditions f or tangency and curvature continuity.ThinkDesign's Adv anced Continuity command enables the designer to modify continuity between surfaces or sets of surf aces withconsecutiv e boundaries. The result is a new set of surfaces, matching the designer's desired criteria.

Rake SweepThis command enables the creation of high quality surf aces thatsimulate the rake movement on clay. It is a unique instrument f orachiev ing high quality shapes simulating the clay modelingtechniques typical of the automotive industry. It is inserted in thewider "Touch and Design'' project that will offer the possibility towork with a v irtual rake to provide maximum creativity in thedesign process.



Reflection HighlightThe appreciation of a shape can be an unconscious emotional reactionlinked to our visual perception. The light reflected on an object plays af undamental role in this process. For this reason designers are constantlyf ocused on shapes that arouse this emotion. This ty pically requires manyiterations between modeling, creation of prototy pes and modification.ThinkDesign eliminates the need to build and rebuild models. The userdef ines the required highlight on the object and think3’s technologyautomatically builds (or rebuilds) the shape. This unique solution allowsmodif ication of a shape by changing the ref lection light on the shape itself.

Target Driven DesignDesigners reach their goal by assigning "targets" -- points, curves or aparticular light reflection -- that is the desired result v isible on a shape. The Target Driven Design approach of GSM allows designers toexclusively focus on the shape of product and to f ree their creativity, automatically translating their design intent to models, ready ingthem for analysis and production.

“Working on Isy we realised that in order to innovate in the true sense of the word we needed a tool which permitted agreater degree of creative freedom. After analysis of the various solutions offered by the market we opted for

ThinkDesign because it is more oriented towards designer objects and is less rigid that the other products examined.

With ThinkDesign we have been able to translate the ideas we want to communicate into the CAD environment and

thus make them reality.”

Davide Scoccini, Technical Manager of Zucchetti

I-InteractI-Interact is a real-time design platform specif ically aimed at the designrev iew phase of automotive or other industries, providing high control oncomplex design data through an easy-to-use and f amiliar tool as a pen anda most f riendly f ree-hand sketching tool. An ordinary mouse can be used,but the f ull potential of the tool is exploited when a Wacom® Cintiq cordlesspen, along with its tablet, is used.

Hybrid modelingSolids and surfaces interoperabilityThinkDesign is a true Hybrid Modeler: it allows one to work simutaneouslyon wiref rame, surf ace models or solid models -- all in one env ironment.Solids and surfaces can be used in basic construction operations, andassociativ ity is keep between all entities. ThinkDesign can also handle'open' solids (non-manif old solids, or solids with no v olume), which is oftenthe case when dealing with imported geometry.



DocumentationPart data, title block and part listThinkDesign offers a v ery simple and direct method to insert title block inf ormation, part data, part lists, etc. which can then be usedimmediately for list creation in a 2D drawing. Integrating with thinkPLM completes the creation of the Bill of Material and enhancesproduct lifecycle management.

Automatic drawing layoutFrom 3D, drawing creation is automatic. A single 2D view or an entire layoutof v iews can be created with a f ew clicks of the mouse. Sectioned views,detail v iews and auxiliary v iews can be added f rom the base v iews, and allviews can be dimensioned and annotated using f amiliar commands. Allchanges made to the 3D model are automatically reflected in the assoicated2D drawing(s).

Exploded viewsThe order of assembly of a structure is fundamental inf ormation f or those whowill physically put together various parts, and f or those responsible f ormaintenance of the structure. In ThinkDesign, the assembly sequence can be'exploded' either manually (using a 'handle' tool) or automatically in order todef ine the assembly order. The exploded assembly is created usingThinkDesign's Visual Bookmark tool, and can be placed in a 2D drawing viewf or technical and marketing documentation.

MarkupThe entities of markup are special meaningf ul elements of annotation on adrawing or model. Addition of these markup elements is not done editing the master document, but with special pointers to the entitiesthat are saved through an export in a f ile. This special file can be shared then between the v arious components of the team and thenotes can be v isualized together with the master document to gain full design understanding.

AnnotationsAnnotations are special text labels linked to the geometry of the model. Unlike the traditional labels, the annotations can be v isualizedin 3D and they move around and "anchor point" when the view orientation changes. These annotations can contain inf ormation indifferent multimedia f ormats, f or instance HTML, AVI, Microsoft® Word, and are v ery usef ul f or collaborativ e engineering and rev iewactiv ities.

Animation and movie creationMated assemblies in ThinkDesign can be putthrough their kinematic motion through the useof the animation tool. A 'timeline' can bedef ined, along which the assembly will mov eper its def ined mates. The animation can bepaused at anytime to study the model f or f orm,f it and function. It is also possible to def inedifferent camera or v iewing angles at which theassembly can be examined. Light settings,

“ThinkDesign is a perfect solution for designing aerial platforms,especially due to its sheet metal working features. ThinkDesign lets us

work on surfaces with better performance than other solutions; the

functions for rendering and films are very useful and excellent quality. It

is a solution which contains other potentiality within it and it allows us to

develop according to the company's needs.”

Paolo Balugani, founder and Technical Director of the Oil&Steelshadow and ref lection settings can all beadjusted for optimum effect.



Add-on products functionality extensionAdvanced planning tool

Commercial part librariesStandard and custom-built parts can be managed using ThinkDesign'sintegration with CADENAS' PARTsolutions. The libraries fromCADENAS (sold separtely) prov ide the engineer with millions ofmechanical, electrical, pneumatic and hy draulic parts, which can beused in many different designs. The CADENAS solution is alsointegrated with thinkPLM, f or creation and management of Bills ofMaterial, etc.

Mechanical cam developmentTo answer to the request of cam dev elopment, think3 prov ide in itssuite X-Camme solution (sold separately ). It is a Microsoft® Excelapplication for the kinematic and dynamic analysis of cam mechanisms and for camcutting on numeric control machine tools dev eloped by Studio Tecnico Turci. X-Camme can be used in technical offices, in order to design the cam mechanism. Dataentry is performed through a graphical interface, directly accessible under think3applications. Data and results are saved to a unique Excel document. Results are inthe f orm of tables and graphs relativ e to displacement, speed, acceleration, jerk,pressure angle, radius of curv ature, FFT spectrum, CAD system f iles and NumericalControl cutting machine tools. The resulting model will be automatically transferred tothe think3 CAD application.

Power transmission developmentWhere equipment saf ety, reliability, and optimization are thedeciding f actors think3 provide to engineers KISSsoft solution (soldseparately ). KISSsoft AG dev elops calculation programs f or bothmechanical and design engineers in a wide range of f ields. Makingf ull use of all the latest standards (DIN, ISO, AGMA) KISSsoftsof tware ensures quick and reliable calculation of designparameters, v alidation, and strength analysis for machine elementswith documentation of saf ety factors and expected lif e. KISSsoft isa calculation program consisting of a standard package and expertadd-ons f or the certif ication, design and optimization of machineelements. Standard Packages have been dev eloped to cope withv arious problems f rom many f ields of application. Solution has amodular construction so that only the appropriate amount of

sof tware need be acquired. Standard Gear Package allows the calculation of the geometry and the strength of cy lindrical gearing.Standard Coupling-Element Package contains calculations for shaft-to-collarconnections. Standard Spring Package encompasses calculation modulesf or the design of Pressure and Tension-springs. The results of calculationscan be transf erred to the think3 application very easily thanks to capability ofautomatically creating the corresponding appropriate models.

FEM/FEA analysisThinkDesign offers the integration with the Ansys analysis product (soldseparately ) for those instances where structural analy sis is needed to v erifythe compliance of a model in a certain work environment. CAD and FEA datacan interact in an analysis and modification cycle that allows the engineer tooptimize the design to the desired characteristics.



Reverse EngineeringReshape is a rev erse engineering solution explicitly developed f or solv ing theproblems of CAD users who need to import and manage f iles obtainedthrough 3D digitizing operations of physical models. It facilitates f astprototy ping, design review, finite element analysis, and inspection. Reshapecan be profitably exploited whenev er a physical model (which can be wooden,clay or resin made) or a real object needs to be described as a computerized3D shape to be processed or modif ied. In many contexts, among which somesectors of the styling industry, Clay Modeling (that is: working out a physicalclay model) is an important design analysis phase. Doing rev erse engineeringf or extracting and processing digitized inf ormation f rom the clay models isimperativ e. Reshape gives a prompt answer to those who need to mov e theiractiv ity to reverse engineering. It is theref ore most usef ul to companies, such as, the ones operating in automotiv e, transportation,molding, product design and so on. The Reshape module integrates functionalities to manage Mesh within the think3 environment.Using Reshape y ou can import Meshes and STL objects obtained from digitalization machines in any these formats: *.stl, *.rve, *.obj,*.ply, *.asc. On such files, after the stages of point decimation, cleaning up and smoothing of the meshes, it can proceed with thesurf ace reconstruction process, if needed. Reconstruction of character lines, smoothening and healing the mesh, splitting the mesh, orgenerating surf ace ov er it are few of the Reshape f unctionalities. All the operations are obtained through robust automatic processeswith good quality results. Users are also enabled to interv ene manually when required, exploiting all the possibilities off ered by theintegration with the ThinkDesign Suite. For instance, they can get exact mesh symmetries or patterns f rom the data obtained only bydoing a partial digitalization of physical models.

Metal stamping springback compensationEngineers specializing in tool & die f or sheet metal stamping, design aproduct with all the inf ormation needed f or the manuf acturing process. Duringthe manuf acturing process, problems and errors are typically introduced andgeometry modif ication is required. When stamping a sheet metal part or acomplex shape a “springback” problem occurs. Designers must attempt tocorrect or project for those materials problems; hence, the need to"compensate. Currently, designers predict what the shape should look likeafter shrinkage/warpage and springback, by using FEA (Finite ElementAnalysis) tools. Listening to his own customers think3 understand their needto modify surf ace models, when tooling modif ications are required, and solv especif ic manuf acturing problems. Building on GSM³ technology, think3

dev eloped Compensator to optimize and automatize the interaction between FEA predictions and optimized tooling design.Compensator automates the process, sav ing time, replacing tedious manual labor and maintaining the same surface structure(topology ) as the original surf ace model. Using think3 technology with FEA data reduces user interaction, eliminating the need f ordesigners to spend time rebuilding/redrawing compensated surf aces. Compensator speeds the process, allowing designers to createbetter designs f or manufacturing.

Metal stamping mold designFor the design of equipment f or sheet metal molding, using comprehensive,integrated tools which can respond quickly to modif ication requests offers asignif icant sav ing in time and resources, and achiev es the desired resulteliminating expensiv e interactions, with excellent quality lev els and breakingdown the communication barriers between departments and systems.Think3's Die Design meets this demand in a very specif ic way . Alongside thereliable ThinkDesign Tooling or ThinkDesign Professional solutions, itprov ides tools offering comprehensiv e management of die geometries. DieDesign was dev ised so that last-minute modifications can be made properly.Theref ore, technicians can start working on an incomplete geometry or onewhich has not y et been finalized and carry out the adjustments needed, all ofwhich will be maintained when modif ications hav e to be made to the figure.The think3 suite and Die Design support all phases of the process until the die is completed, and include important tools, such as theanalysis, quality control of the model and comparison of the mathematics between different v ersions. Production of all the interventionsneeded to mold and modify the sheet such as: closure of "holes", blank holder, work holder and drawbeads. Intervention on the radii ofthe blank holder geometries, to allow the sheet to slide or not. Calculation of the cutting line corresponding to the development of thef langed parts. Local compensation on those parts where the springback generates a twist. Calculation of the offset needed to generatethe thickness of the die. When dealing with sheet molding, practical answers are needed f or each phase of the process: Die Design isthe right answer.



Plastic injection mold designThrough its own ThinkDesign Suite, MoldDesign and the products ofexcellent partners, think3 can embrace the whole mold design processand off ers powerf ul and flexible tools capable of efficiently meetingspecif ic requests at every stage of the planning and production cycle.One MoldDesign’s f undamental characteristic is the capacity to importand manage very complex models with high and low quality surf acesand to be able to work on them with its own creation and modif icationtools. MoldDesign does not degrade surf ace quality, but maintains theexisting quality. This means that even class A surfaces can be properlyprocessed. Thanks to total associativity, MoldDesign allows techniciansto start to work on an incomplete geometry or one which has not beenf inalized inserting the necessary workings and preserv ing them at thetime modifications have to be made to the shape. The specif ic molddesign tools prov ided by MoldDesign allow the loading of the part, the

quality check with analy sis f unction such undercut, draft and topology , improv ements and modif ication using Global Shape Modeling(GSM³) and Interactive Solid Modeling (ISM) maintaining the quality of the model. Creation of the parting line with the major addedv alue of Semantic Associativity, capable of updating the line following any changes to the shape. Automatic div ision into core andcav ity. Subdiv ision of volumes to create the slides. Creation of parametric mold base assembly with plates and columns. Electrodedesign, insertion of standard library parts and creation of cooling systems with 3D paths. MoldDesign is the right answer f or who dealwith injection plastic molds.

Project management and communicationProduct Lifecycle ManagementThinkDesign is completely integrated with think3'sPLM (Product Lif ecycle Management) applicationsuite. This prov ides users with tools to research data,generate bills of material, manage the documentationassociated with the project, and is one of the key toolsin managing the rev iews of parts and assembly and inthe product maintenance cycle.

“We have chosen the think3 solutions because their offerresponded to our demands both for the planning and for product

data management. The solution is simple to be used, it allows to

work in 2D and in 3D and the suite for Product Lifecycle

Management is able to integrate with all the already present

procedures in company”.

Marco Anceschi, Technical Manager of TRIA

Drawing and models visualizationThinkDesign Viewer is application designed to be a v ersatile file "v iewer" f or native think3 files (.e2 and .e3) as well as a host of otherindustry standard file f ormats (including Autodesk® DWG, DXF, IGES, STEP, VDA and STL f iles, to name a few). Do more than justviewing: it enable distance measure, weights, check continuity, analy ze curv es and so on. ThinkDesign Viewer can be an ideal solutionf or different situation: a manufacturer who receives think3 f iles and other industry standard design data f iles and at the shop f loor,where any printing is to be carried out on the model to compare with the f inished product. For a supplier who requires to show andmeasure precisely the inf ormation contained in a model (3D)/drawing (2D) in order to deriv e manuf acturing data and f or an externalconsultant of your company who has to occasionally ov erview the look and feel of the product and so on.


, XP Professional x64 Edition, XP Professional/Home , XP Professional x64 Edition, XP Professional/Home

AMD systems System memory (RAM) 1.5 GB, 2 GB for Vista

System memory (RAM) 2 GB, 2.5 GB for Vista

Graphics accelerator 128 MB Vram OpenGL 1.4


Reference table main feature / product

Feature activ e in foundation product

Installable add-on product

Feature inactiv e in foundation product or not installable add-on product

Mktg 12/2009

General system requirements for ThinkDesign Suite (verify for specific application)

Minimum Suggested

Windows® 7, VistaTM

Windows® 7, VistaTM

SP2 or higher

Intel® Pentium 4 2 GHz or equivalent processors supported by SSE2 forTM

Virtual memory (paging) 3 GB

Disk space 600 MB for a typical installation

Graphics accelerator 64 MB Vram OpenGL T M 1.4

Microsoft® .NET Framework Version 2.0 or higher Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 or higher

SP2 or higher

Intel® Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or equivalent processors supported by SSE2 forAMD systems

TM

Virtual memory (paging) 4 GB

Disk space 600 MB for a typical installationTM

Microsoft® .NET Framework Version 2.0 or higher

Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher


Documents

Technical Sheet Think Design Suite 2009 L En