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ZW3D Changelog

What's new in ZW3D 2023

Jun 6, 2022
  • Features:
  • Multi-Print:
  • Multi-Print supports printing multiple drawing sheets of multiple files at once
  • Revolve Flange:
  • Revolve Flange command supports picking an open profile as well as a closed profile
  • Smart Fastener:
  • Smart Fastener command can increase the efficiency to insert standard parts
  • 3D Crop:
  • There are three ways to 3D crop including Section at plane, Section with slice, and Section with envelope
  • Engrave:
  • Engrave supports text setting, placement setting, font setting and engraving setting to help quickly create lettering
  • Parallel Routing:
  • Parallel routing helps user create parallel routing according to the existing pipeline
  • Multi Work Station:
  • Multi-station is displayed in the output setting interface with a closed status by default
  • Improvements:
  • Spiral Helix:
  • Spiral Helix in 3D sketch newly supports creating helical lines and variable radius and distance
  • Lofted Flange:
  • Lofted Flange newly supports non-parallel profile
  • View Projection:
  • The generation speed of projection view improves apparently
  • Tool Library Update:
  • Remove Speed Feed from Ribbon toolbar and tool’s speed and feed do not exist as an independent object

New in ZW3D 2017 (Jan 5, 2017)

  • Basic:
  • Smaller Z3 file
  • New "Physical Attributes"
  • Upgraded "Equation Manager"
  • Updated "Link Manager"
  • Upgraded "Dynamic Section View"
  • Tweaked Material
  • Batch Edit for "Find/Replace Name"
  • Tweaked UI
  • PMI "Coordinate" annotation now supports local frame
  • Tweaked texture
  • Translator:
  • Import:
  • Improvements done for import
  • Update for supported import formats
  • Export:
  • Update for supported export formats
  • CAD:
  • Sketch Design:
  • New Sketch Block
  • Custom ready sketch
  • Data manager visible inside Sketch Context
  • New "Move entities along a direction"
  • Wireframe design:
  • New "Extract Centerline"
  • Upgraded "Project Silhouette to a Plane" to "Silhouette Curves"
  • Part design:
  • Improved Boolean
  • Enhanced face extension
  • Improved "Direct Edit"
  • Improved fillet to work faster and cover more cases
  • Tweaked part configuration to support export and import
  • Sheet Metal design:
  • Upgraded "Full Flange"
  • Upgraded "Partial Flange"
  • Upgraded "Swept Flange"
  • Updated "Close Corner"
  • Upgraded "Fold by Line"
  • New "Hem"
  • New "Jog"
  • New "Extend Flange"
  • New "Bend Taper"
  • New "Normal Cut"
  • Assembly design:
  • Assembly fillet
  • New "Assembly Chamfer"
  • Improved component regeneration with assembly replay
  • Tweaked "Insert a Component"
  • Mold design:
  • New mold standard part lib directory customization support
  • See-through support in "Region"
  • Drawing sheet design:
  • New project line setting on each projected components
  • New "Depth" option on section view to define what is projected
  • New hatch visibility setting on each projected components
  • New "Dynamic hatch scaling and angle" in "Aligned Section"
  • New associative model setup for each drawing sheet
  • New equation manager
  • New format for referencing variable
  • Improved BOM
  • CAM:
  • New flat finishing operation
  • Profile and surface engraving support user-defined tool
  • Tool path calculation in profile and surface engraving operation
  • Solid verify with user-defined tool
  • Mill-Turn simulation
  • New Ramp Pitch for Ramp Operation
  • Forced Plane engagement in Z-level operation
  • Batch calculate support one-click import

New in ZW3D 2016 (Apr 18, 2016)

  • Basics：
  • New PMI Annotation.
  • Long Name Support.
  • Translator：
  • Supported Versions Update.
  • CAD：
  • New Weak Dimension Functionality.
  • New 3D Sketch.
  • Better Boolean.
  • Stronger “Direct Edit”.
  • Upgraded Geometry and Feature Pattern.
  • Varied Configurations Coexisting in One Assembly.
  • Upgraded “Alignment”.
  • New Way for Assembly Cut.
  • Upgraded “Close Corner”.
  • Quick “Mark Bend”.
  • More Powerful “FTI” for Unfold.
  • New “Crop View” for Partial View.
  • Upgraded BOM.
  • New “Auto Balloon”.
  • CAM：
  • Improved Roughing Path Pattern Guide.
  • Simplified "Boundary" Settings of Roughing.
  • New Cut Order Option.
  • Tweaked “Angle Detection”.
  • Cut Contact.

New in ZW3D 2015 Beta 3 (Jan 28, 2015)

  • BASICS:
  • FILE MANAGEMENT:
  • New File Types for One-object File
  • New “Pack” to Archive a Z3 File and Its Related Files
  • IMPROVEMENTS FOR OBJECT MANAGER:
  • Objet manager has been given some changes.
  • First, it supports in-place edit for each editable attributes, which you can change the attribute value right away after double-clicking the corresponding cell, no need to enter the part or open the part attribute form.
  • Second, you can change the column sequence by dragging the picked one to the position you want. To show or hide the selected column, just uncheck it from the right-click menu on the heading tab. All format changes like column sequence or its visibility can be restored on ZW3D next running.
  • Third, you can directly export a selected object.
  • New “Auto File Recovery” to Restore Unsaved Changes
  • New Auto Session Backup Support
  • New “Save Modified Documents” Form
  • GUI:
  • New Multiple Document Interface Support
  • Resizable Window Layout
  • Bigger Icons for Minibar
  • DISPLAY:
  • Display Efficiency:
  • Display on a large number of points.
  • Display on highlighting a large number of faces.
  • 30%~40% speed up at toolpath display, especially the one with lots of ARC-type movements
  • Display Effect Improvements:
  • New “Edge” highlight mode
  • New delay highlight behavior
  • New Dimension Display “Expression”
  • PRINT:
  • There is a new “Fixed origin” option in print area settings to help you define the print extent by picked paper size, which should be easy to use. And the “Scale” option is restored in Print form to support print with customized scale.
  • INQUIRE:
  • “Contour Stripping” of “Analyze Faces” has been tweaked a little bit for better display effect.
  • “Draft checking” of “Analyze Faces” provides more angle controls to further classify draft angle.
  • “Thickness Analysis” has got its “Minimum” option fixed which now should give a correct value.
  • TRANSLATOR:
  • IMPORT & EXPORT:
  • Upgraded Import Engine for 3rd Party Formats:
  • Supported version of the ACIS import is up to R25.
  • CATIA V5 supported version has been changed from R6~R23 (V5~6R2013) to R8~R24 (V5~6R2014).
  • New ¡§Import Geom set as layer¡¨ option for CATIA V5 import.
  • Supported version of the Inventor import is up to 2015.
  • Improved import quality on some special case
  • Directly Copy and Paste Entities from ZWCAD to ZW3D:
  • If you have installed ZWCAD, you can copy some entities within ZWCAD, then pasted them into ZW3D sketch or drawing sheet by Ctrl + V directly
  • Better Import Quality for Neutral Files with Small Tolerance:
  • Neutral files with small tolerance like 0.0001 but with fine topology now can be dealt with much better. More closed shapes should be attained after import. These neutral files include IGES, STEP and Parasolid.
  • Enhanced Import Quality of Neutral Format:
  • Improved STEP import quality by sewing the imported shapes with the tolerance of the imported file if it is bigger than the default object tolerance set in ZW3D.
  • Fixed the missing open shapes when some 3rd 3D system importing a step file which is exported by ZW3D.
  • Fixed the shifted component positions when some 3rd 3D system importing an iges file which is exported from an assembly by ZW3D.
  • Fixed the wrong assembly info after importing a Parasolid assembly file which only contain one component.
  • Tweaked algorithm on unclosed loop, which has un-matched corner vertexes, to reduce the topology errors.
  • Fixed the persistent label issue for importing JT assembly file which caused wrong view projection in drawing.
  • Fixed the assembly structure error after importing the JT file which contains components with their names missing.
  • Exclude the faces with topology error from STL export process and keep exporting the valid ones.
  • Due to this exclusion, the exported STL model will miss some faces which can¡¦t be exported. The ID of these excluded faces will be listed in output window which you can check on one by one.
  • Fixed the incomplete import of VRML file which is exported from UG.
  • New Color Support in 3D PDF Export:
  • The component colors now can be exported into the 3D PDF file along with the components. So does for the component name.
  • HEAL:
  • Upgraded “Heal/Analyze”:
  • Heal/Analyze” has been given improvements to boost its capability of analysis and healing aiming to help users to detect more topology errors and fix them. You can check the changes as following.
  • CAD:
  • Improvement on Sketch Orientation:
  • Changed the Default Sketch Origin
  • New echo arrow for X/Y arises for better observation
  • Upgraded “Ready Sketch Text” to Support Redefinition
  • Easier Curve Creation, Edit and Quality Inquiry
  • Editable “Reference”
  • Bland New “Power Trim”
  • Tweaked “Blend Curve”
  • New “Pattern”
  • New “Curvature diminishing” extension way in “Trim/Extend” command.
  • If the deviation between the selected curve and its approximate arc is within object tolerance, it will take the center point of the arc when snapping the curvature center of the curve.
  • Constraint:
  • Updated Constraint Solver
  • Auto Constraint Snap Change
  • Upgraded Point Coincidence Constraint
  • New Form for “Show Constraints”
  • Upgraded “Auto Constrain”
  • Enhanced “Angular” Dimension
  • Improvements for “Modify Dimension”
  • Better Constraint Icon Display
  • Improved “Constraint Status”
  • New “Display Open End On/Off” on DA Toolbar
  • New “Overlap” Inquire
  • More Functionalities in “Curvature Plot”
  • Upgraded Measurement to Support 3D Entity
  • Miscellaneous:
  • New “Pick from List” support
  • Mirrored Sketch Gets External Reference Unlinked
  • HISTORY MANAGER:
  • New “Feature Conditional Suppression” form
  • Workflow Changes:
  • Regeneration in history manager doesn¡¦t involve any component or operation revaluation inside assembly manager. These 2 managers are independent. The new ¡§Regen¡¨ command on the right-click menu on the blank area of the history manager will only trigger modeling operation regeneration. And the ¡§Regen¡¨ command from Quick Access Toolbar and the same one from the right-click menu on graphic area will trigger both to regenerate, but history will go first
  • New search function
  • Re-arranged right-click menu
  • New ¡§Zoom to¡¨ in right-click menu is to zoom in the corresponding entities of the picked item on the tree for a better observation
  • A corresponding function ¡§Scroll to Tree¡¨ is provided on the right-click menu of the picked entity on the graphic area to help you to locate the feature on the tree quickly
  • Arrow keys from key board are supported to navigate the history tree
  • New workflow for ¡§History Folder¡¨ command to support working on selected features
  • Highlight and right-click menu are provided for features listed in ¡§Feature Dependencies¡¨ form
  • More new status marks
  • New Mark ¡§

New in ZW3D 2014 (Mar 17, 2014)

  • Translation Improved:
  • Enhanced data import from Catia V4/5/6, NX, Creo, SolidWorks, SolidEdge, Inventor and ACIS.
  • Support to save Z3 files to Catia V4/5.
  • Simplified History Recording:
  • History manager records the modeling process, excluding attribute/layer/blank/unblank related operations, equation & variable settings, point cloud operations, and insert/move/mirror component operations, resulting in faster history regeneration
  • Assembly operations can be performed in assembly manager, making the management of assemblies easier.
  • Part Configuration Helps to Build Part Family.
  • In 2D sheet or in assembly, any configuration can be activated to easily create your part family and meet all your needs.
  • Activate different part configuration for an inserted component.
  • Clearer and More Illustrative 2D Sheet:
  • Drag-drop segments of section line, base point and corner point to any position.
  • Quickly add a new step or change projection direction from the right-click menu.
  • In-place Editable Table is now more efficient to work like excel. What you see is what you get.
  • New Tool-path Editor and Enhanced Workflow of CAM:
  • Update the edited elements without re-calculating the whole tool-path, greatly saving programming time.
  • Easily trim the partial tool-paths with window pick, chain select and polygon select
  • Freely change the sequence and direction of the tool-path with the reorder
  • functions.
  • Quickly change lead in and lead out types of partial tool-paths in terms of manufacturing request with the re-link tool

New in ZW3D 2012 (May 14, 2012)

  • New Interface Experience:
  • ZW3D 2012 with the new user interface which will make the user feel more comfortable and can be customized conveniently. In ZW3D 2012, the user interface is defined as the following components: Menu, Quick Access Toolbar, Ribbon Tabs, Toolbar and Data Manager.
  • Modeling:
  • ZW3D 2012 has a more powerful modeling function and provides wider applications.
  • Improve Extrude and Revolve commands. Currently, these command can extrude or revolve the face directly; Add extrude/revolve type; Support custom Boolean operations. More details please see the Extrude and Revolve commands.
  • Enhance Rib and Rib network commands. A new way of controlling the rib direction; More options for the rib thickness; Smart border clipping and manual border clipping. More details please see the Rib and Rib network commands.
  • Add Dynamic copy entities and Dynamic move entities into Copy and Move commands. Copy or Move entities via the handle. More details please see Dynamic move/copy help.
  • Add Drag Datum command. User can drag any "Rectangle" datum. More details please see Drag Datum command.
  • Improve Trim to Curves and Split with Curves commands. For the faces intersect with each other, the commands can deal them with the intersecting edges which don't need the trim curves any more. More details please see Trim to Curves and Split with Curves comands.
  • Direct Edit (DE):
  • DE(Direct-Edit), that is not to open dialog box, directly through the drag mouse for the selected object to complete the editing process, i.e., what you see is what you get.
  • The supported object types are Edge, Face and Freeform Surface. The Face can be Flat, Cylinder, Core, sphere, and Ellipsoid. You will carry out four common commands as follows: Fillet, Chamfer, Draft, Extrude and OffsetFace.
  • Sketch:
  • ZW3D 2012 provides a more efficient and easy to use sketch. Mainly in the following aspects:
  • More efficient interaction. User can drag the sketch entity directly without losing the dimensions and constraints.
  • Clearer constraint marks and smart pick. Supply a accurate pick to catch the constraint and a fuzzy pick represented by line.
  • Intuitive constrained object query. Select a constraint mark and all the corresponding constrained entities will be highlighted.
  • Command continuous execution automatically. when a command is in active, it will be auto-performed if all the required parameters are finished and the command will be executed again automatically.
  • More constraint types. Add point coincident constraint and collinear constraint.
  • Clearer interaction. To assign the non-select, pre-select and select states in different color in order to better distinguish the objects.
  • Drawing Sheet:
  • To ensure the drawing sheet being more reasonable and easier to use, ZW3D 2012 make a large inprovement in the following aspects:
  • New process of view creation. Inset the standard view and projected views into sheet level in sequence. First generate the standard view, and then generate the corresponding projected view according to the mouse position.
  • Support drag directly. User can drag the view, dimension and geometry directly in drawing sheet level.
  • view of linkage. The positional relationship between the views remains unchanged after moving. More details please see Move views command.
  • Hole table can identify the backfacing holes and hidden holes now.
  • Turning:
  • Add the 2-axis turning to ZW3D CAM. It can machine the 3D part or 2D sketch rapidly and correctly. Currently, there are seven operations under the turning that can fully meet user needs.
  • Turning - Drilling
  • Turning - Face
  • Turning - Rough Turning
  • Turning - Finish Turning
  • Turning - Grooving
  • Turning - Threading
  • Turning - Part Off
  • Import & Export:
  • Introduce a new STEP engine. Upgrade at least one times the import/export speed and better quality assurance.
  • Add a PDF file export. ZW3D object can be output to a PDF file, including 2D bitmap, 2D vector and 3D PDF types. More details please see PDF Export Options.
  • Add a Image file export. ZW3D object can be output to a Image file, supporting bmp, jpeg, gif and so on image formats. More details please see Image Export Options.
  • Add a ACIS SAT file export. Support output B-rep/Surface, 3D-Curve and 2D-Curve/Sketch data type simultaneously or separately.

New in ZW3D 2011 15.00 (Aug 2, 2011)

  • Dragging Dynamic Dimensions:
  • ZW3D provides dynamic dimensions that you can interact with while in the middle of a command. In the example below, the Extrude Shape command is executed using the Add input. The Profile P is a sketch at the base of the feature echo. The Start S and End E dimensions are displayed along with the feature echo. These dimensions can be dynamically adjusted by dragging on their graphic indicators. If you left-click on the dimension text, you can enter exact values using a pop-up input field. All of this interaction can be performed without ever glancing at the command options form! This makes using ZW3D easy and intuitive.
  • Quick Edit Entities:
  • ZW3D provides a Quick Edit interface that saves you considerable time when modeling basic part geometry. To access Quick Edit commands, set the Pick Filter to All, select an entity such as a face or edge and then middle-click the mouse. You can also double-left-click on the entity. See Pick Filters and Using the Mouse for more information on ZW3D controls.
  • This action executes a default command for that entity and displays icons to other commands at the top of the Command Option Form. In the example below, the highlighted face is selected. A middle-click automatically executes the Offset Faces command and at the top of the Command Option Form (not shown), icons are provided for access to other commands that apply to faces. Once executed you can easily adjust the command's Dynamic Dimensions using the on-screen indicators.
  • Point Pick Editing:
  • ZW3D allows you to perform point editing within the active command. For example, during the Curve through Points command, after you are done selecting points you can go back and edit one of the points without having to cancel the command.

New in ZW3D 2010 14.7 (Dec 30, 2010)

  • Hybrid Modeling,
  • Class A Surfacing,
  • Reverse Engineering