RS Components has expanded its DesignSpark Mechanical design software tool with two optional modules.
DesignSpark Mechanical is an advanced 3D direct modelling tool that can be downloaded and used free of charge. The two new modules which RS Components says are premium options, will cost money, however.
The first premium module, called "DesignSpark Mechanical Exchange", adds advanced import/export capabilities and enables the import, modification and export of industry-standard STEP and IGES file formats.
With this module, DesignSpark Mechanical will be able to fully exchange design data with CAD tools such as SolidWorks, Catia, ProEngineer and AutoCAD. The module can enable engineers to integrate DesignSpark Mechanical into a product development toolchain that works across various software platforms, moving beyond concept creation to a seamless workflow for producing final designs.
The second module, titled "DesignSpark Mechanical Drawing", adds an associative drawing environment to the platform. This would allow the changing of designs, as well as the ability to create and modify geometry from within drawing views. It enables the creation of detailed dimensioned drawings allowing designers to move beyond concept development and the 3D printing of prototypes and on to final manufacturing.
The drawing environment also provides a familiar workspace for those accustomed to working in 2D. In this environment, drawings support annotations, including geometric dimensioning and tolerances, notes and leaders, to JIS, ISO, and ANSI standards.