MILFORD, OH; July 13, 2006 -- ITI TranscenData, the product data interoperability specialist, announces the newest release of CADIQ 4.6, the latest version of its leading-edge product data quality and 3D model comparison tool.

CADIQ is a strategic and timesaving solution for companies that have products built across multiple CAD platforms. It analyses, identifies, and highlights potential shape and fit geometry and topology problems within CAD models that may affect their reuse in downstream applications, such as simulation, data exchange, rapid prototyping and tooling. The unique CAD model comparison functionality also allows you to compare the geometry and topology of two, three or four different CAD models in order to validate CAD system migration and re-mastering of legacy CAD data.

What's New
CADIQ version 4.6 introduces a spectrum of new capabilities and enhancements to the CADIQ tool set, including:

Updated multi-CAD system support
A new STEP Validation Properties Module
New and enhanced model quality analysis and comparison diagnostics
Improved performance for extremely large CAD model analysis
New Excel based statistical analysis and comparison of batch model quality diagnostics results
A major update to the online technical documentation
Doug Cheney, CADIQ Product Manager and CAD Interoperability Consultant at ITI TranscenData, says: "We are very excited about CADIQ 4.6 and the latest enhancements that ideally position it for large-scale production deployment of automated CAD model quality analysis and comparison. The new features in CADIQ 4.6 improve not only the functionality, but also the speed, flexibility and ease of use. CADIQ?s multi- CAD capability has been updated with system interfaces to support the most recent CAD system releases, and its improved memory management now enables practical quality and comparison analysis of extremely large CAD models."

The new STEP Validation Properties Module will be essential for anyone engaged in delivering or receiving certified data or requiring the verifiable long-term archival of 3D product data. CADIQ can now analyze a native CAD model and append the appropriate validation data to the exported STEP file in a neutral format, making it easily accessible for future use. Any receiving package with the capability to read and analyze the STEP data can access the validation property information and verify the imported file - eliminating the dependency on any single proprietary validation system.

Other elements of significant improvement are found in CADIQ's shape comparison diagnostics. These identify shape differences between models that are closely related but not intended to be equivalent, such as new design revisions, and between models that are intended to be equivalent but all too often deviate, such as translated or migrated data.

Cheney concludes: "The proliferation of feature-based modeling, the rise of feature-based translation and low-cost re-mastering services, and the increasing tendency to ?flavor? geometry for analysis, together increase the need for a reliable, multi-CAD comparison application like CADIQ. The sophisticated enhancements available with the release of CADIQ 4.6 will assist designers in not only generating and maintaining accurate and robust 3D CAD models, but will also help with the vital preservation of their product data long in to the future."

Advanced Functionality
Additional advanced functionality available in CADIQ 4.6 includes:

Updated CAD system support: As well as the existing CAD system interfaces, the interfaces upgraded include support for CATIA V5 R16, I-DEAS NX 12, Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 3, Unigraphics NX 4, SolidWorks 2006 and Parasolid 17.
New STEP Validation Properties Module: During validation of a STEP file export, CADIQ will evaluate the mass properties and face sampling points on the native model and append these to the STEP file to enable the validation of translation into another CAD system or for long-term archival.
New model quality diagnostics: Three new quality diagnostics will identify multiple and overlapping copies of trimmed surfaces, open shells or solids within a model. Another new CADIQ diagnostic will identify hidden 3D geometry entities.
Updated online technical documentation: New technical documentation is available for software administration, integration, configuration and advanced usage, with detailed descriptions and illustrations to describe CADIQ operation and the diagnostic functions.
New Excel statistics comparison: After analyzing two batches of related models and generating the Excel statistics for each, CADIQ is now able to automatically compare the spreadsheets and highlight any differences in the batch run statistics.