ZW3D 2011 Whitepaper - Software Review

Cirowest Group LLC 1100 Cherokee, Unit 401. Denver, CO 80204 USA

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Software Review: ZW3D Premium

2011 – Capable CAD and CAM In One

Package

Conducted for

ZWSOFT

By Jeff Rowe

Cairowest Group, LLC Sept. 9, 2011


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Software Review: ZW3D Premium 2011 – Capable CAD and CAM In One Package Although they do share some similarities, CAD and CAM processes are actually more

different then they are similar. They have different requirements, workflows, and outputs,

and very few design/engineering software packages are up to the task for performing both.

ZW3D Premium 2011, however, handles them both – all in one package. The ability to

handle both CAD and CAM in one package has several distinct advantages, including a

common user interface, the fact that you can seamlessly toggle between CAD and CAM, and

service packs and updates can be applied to both simultaneously when they are available.

All in all, a single, integrated, and comprehensive application that can handle both CAD and

CAM makes for a more efficient manufacturing workflow that can provide better end results.

For those of you who might not be familiar with the company that develops, markets, and

supports ZW3D, it's ZWSOFT, based in China and has been involved with CAD since 1993.

Its 2D product, ZWCAD, has been available for almost 10 years. Its 2D/3D family, ZW3D,

was added to its product portfolio last year when it acquired the products and technologies

of VX Corp., a company known for its integrated CAD/CAM software and used extensively in

the plastics manufacturing industry. As part of the acquisition, ZW3D continues to

incorporate and enhance the proprietary geometric modeling kernel originally developed by

VX – something I consider an advantage because it provides greater control over

development and can optimize the functionality of a CAD product.

Recently released, ZW3D 2011 is available in three versions – Standard, Professional, and

Premium. Let’s take a quick look at what each of the versions offers for users with different

needs and workflows:

ZW3D Standard – Has comprehensive import capabilities, history-based and direct

surface and solid modeling, sheet metal design, design optimization.

ZW3D Professional – Has everything included in Standard, plus integrated

PartSolutions library, mold and die design, point cloud processing.

ZW3D Premium – Has everything in Professional, plus extensive integrated

manufacturing and machining capabilities.

Probably the two most significant breakthroughs with ZW3D 2011 Premium include:

Direct Edit design paradigm that is integrated into the existing history-based

modeling architecture – providing you with different design methodologies that each

have their own distinct advantages.

Auto Feature Machining that reduces the time required to program complex 3D parts

for creating a machining plan by automatically detecting features and optimizing tool

selection and machining strategy.

ZW3D Premium 2011 will be the version covered in this white paper/review, so, let’s get

started. Note also, that although ZW3D Premium has a wide range of CAD and CAM

capabilities, we will focus primarily on the CAD side of the equation. Because there is so

much to cover on the CAM side, we will briefly discuss CAM capabilities in an overview

fashion, hoping to cover them in much greater detail in a future white paper/review.

Getting Started

Regardless of experience, for the most part, learning a new software package always has

challenges and associated frustrations, and CAD programs are often no different than other

types of software.


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Most CAD applications now have educational tools and a path for easing the steepness of

the initial learning curve, with some tools and methods definitely better than others. For

new and even experienced users, the place to start with ZW3D 2011 are the Show-n-Tell

tutorials.

Although hardware prices continue their downward spiral, frugal users without budgets for

new hardware will appreciate ZW3D’s relatively modest system requirements – Intel

Pentium IV or better; 1GB RAM; and 1280 x 1024 VGA video with True Color. Of course,

more advanced hardware will improve performance, but brand new hardware is not a cost

barrier for running ZW3D 2011 Premium.

Figure 1: ZW3D 2011 User Interface

Along with educational materials, a good user interface is also integral for new users, and

ZW3D is making some significant strides in this vital area. However, more work needs to be

done here as it looks and feels somewhat dated. For example, the large number of icons

and drop-down menus are not very intuitive, especially for new users, and take some

getting used to with regard to functionality and sequence.

Unlike some other CAD/CAM systems, files created with ZW3D can contain as many parts,

assemblies, drawings, and CAM plans as needed, each being known as an object. You can

store an entire project of objects in one file or multiple files. A good strategy would be to

store commonly used parts in one file and create part objects specific to an assembly in

another project file.

Another good strategy for beginning a design with ZW3D is to create template objects for

modeling, 2D detailing, and machining. All template objects are stored in the Templates file.

You can edit previous template objects, as well as copying and pasting to create a new one.

Templates can be customized to set such things as colors and line styles, layer schemes,

and machining operations and parameters. A template can be selected and used when

starting, for example, a new part, drawing sheet, or CAM plan. When using templates, be


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sure to properly save and close the Templates file when you have finished editing to ensure

the integrity of your work.

ZW3D has a couple of hints and prompts design aids that new users will appreciate. First,

there is Show Hints that provides context sensitive, continuous tips. Second, at the bottom

of the graphics window is the Prompt/Status Line that displays the current command and

the next logical step ZW3D wants you to perform. This latter feature is not perfect, but is

usually quite helpful.

Figure 2: Importing Geometry with the Import Option There are two ways you can import geometry -- using the Import option under the File

menu or using the TransMagic option under the Applications menu. Using the Import option,

you can import DWG, IGES, STEP, VDA, DXF, Parasolid, STL, and Neutral data formats. If

you have the TransMagic data import/export tool installed (it is a free add-on for ZW3D

users), you can import CATIA V4 and V5, SAT, NX, Inventor, Pro/ENGINEER, and

SolidWorks formats.

With ZW3D Premium you can work with any geometry and solids are not necessarily

required. Once imported you can manipulate solids, surfaces, wireframe, and scanned point

cloud data. Geometry healing is useful for correcting gaps in imported model geometry.

Healing functions make it relatively easy to analyze surface topology, sew surfaces together,

fill gaps with new surfaces, and specify tolerances for creating closed solids.

Modeling Parts

ZW3D is built on the company’s own, proprietary Overdrive modeling kernel, which, as I

previously mentioned is a good thing for mathematical modeling efficiency, optimization,


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and the fact that you and your CAD vendor are not held hostage by a modeling kernel

developers’ schedule.

Figure 3: Creating a New File

Sketching

Regardless of what CAD system is used, most new designs start with sketches, and ZW3D is

no different. However, ZW3D can simplify sketching with a capability called ReadySketch

with several pre-defined commonly used, dimensioned geometric sketch shapes that can be

quickly edited to a needed size. Text created using ReadySketch can be embossed or

extruded.

Sketching in ZW3D is straightforward, making it easy to begin a design. Clicking on a line

and right clicking displays several context sensitive options, such as copy, move, mirror, cut,

etc. Geometric constraints, such as perpendicular, parallel, etc. are automatically displayed

and in effect during sketching. Clicking on a constraint displays options for changing it.

When you save and exit the sketch, you are ready to next create features.


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Figure 4: Sketching a Part in 2D

Adding Features

Probably the most common way that 2D sketches become 3D shapes for further modeling is

by extruding the 2D sketch. Extruding and adding additional features, such as fillets and

chamfers is easy with several options available as they are added for arriving at exactly the

shape you want for your design.


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Figure 5: Adding 3D Features to a 2D Sketch – Extrusion with Several Types of Features Applied

Applying Dimensions

At the 2D level, there are several dimensioning modes available, including

Normal – dimensions point to point

Baseline – dimensions from the first point selected to successive points

Continuous – dimensions continuously between successive points

Ordinate – similar top Baseline, but each successive point receives an ordinate value

measured from the first point.

For 3D, with ZW3D’s dynamic dimensions you can pick and drag 3D dimensions for

modifying shapes with simultaneous visual feedback. This ability lets you construct 3D

geometry with parametric dimensions because they are automatically created during the

design process.

Applying Constraints

If required, and they usually are, constraints can be applied in both 2D and 3D design

environments.

In 2D, there are several commands available for adding constraints to an active sketch,

such as anchor, parallel, perpendicular, co-tangent, etc. Like it or not, constraints force

conditions on geometry as a sketch is modified. You can choose commands to analyze and

solve the constraint system of a sketch. 2D constraints (and dimensions) can also be

applied automatically to sketch geometry on the fly by using the Constraint toolbar and

selecting a base point.

In 3D, the constraints are most commonly applied are assembly alignment constraints. For

assemblies, inserting component parts and adding alignment constraints are considered

individual steps in parametric history. This is a good feature because constraints can be

added in any order since they are not bundled with components or replayed sequentially

during a history replay. When a 3D constraint is applied, a short animation shows the parts

aligning and moving into place in the assembly. Alignment constraints can be added, deleted,

solved, edited, dragged, and investigated. Alignment constraints can also be applied to

anchor components in a fixed position. Applying 3D constraints can be time consuming

however, because in most cases, multiple constraints are required to properly align a

component.

Two Modeling Approaches – Parametric and Direct

Before we go any further, you should know that ZW3D provides two different modeling

methods – history-based and direct. History-based modeling employs a History Manager, or

what other parametric system vendors call a history/feature tree.

ZW3D’ SmoothFlow Direct Editing combines the best of both worlds – the speed and

flexibility of direct modeling with the precision of dimension-driven modeling, while still

maintaining the functionality of history-based modeling. Using SmoothFlow, you can directly

modify model geometry without editing history – a real time saver, since creating and

editing history-based geometry can be a challenge.


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QuickEdit is a new ZW3D technique that streamlines creating and editing shapes. With

QuickEdit you don’t have to pre-select an editing tool. Instead, you touch a part’s face or

edge, right click the mouse, and choose a tool, such as fillet, offset, or move.

SnapPick is a new ZW3D option that takes a point pick and automatically drives it from

intersections, critical points, and axis directions. You can think of SnapPick as an assistant

for helping create 3D sketches, features, and parts.

The direct modeling/editing approach provided by ZW3D is unique because of the way it

employs a feature tree. While some competitors have abandoned the feature tree with their

direct approaches, it does make for a workflow that is easier to track and understand. Direct

model editing lets you pick directly on geometry for quick modifications. You also have

different options for viewing how the model was created with the ability to display the

history of modeling operations, a list of parent and/or child operations, as well as the ability

to replay and step through a model’s history.

Important for ZW3D users who are involved with both CAD and CAM, regardless of whether

you model parametrically or directly, any changes made to geometry automatically updates

associated CNC program output downstream.

Stepping Up to Assemblies Creating assemblies from parts in ZW3D Premium 2011 is one of its strengths because

assembly modeling is key to ZW3D’s underlying design philosophy. It supports efficient

assembly definition, manipulation, and management, and was a fundamental consideration

when the ZW3D architecture was conceived and designed. For example, ZW3D’s Object

Manager loads only display data for an object into memory if that object is active for edit,

minimizing an assembly’s memory footprint while maximizing the size of an assembly that

can be worked with. The Object Manager also lets you decide how assemblies are

distributed into files – ranging from each component in a separate file, an entire assembly

in one file, or anything in between.


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Figure 6: Toggle Clamp Assembly With Alignment Constraints Applied

ZW3D Premium supports the two main assembly creation approaches – bottom-up and top-

down.

In bottom-up assembly design, assemblies are broken down into smaller subassemblies and

components, and each component is designed as a separate, unique part. The component

parts can be archived in a library in one or more ZW3D files, making this approach an

efficient way for creating and managing large, complex assemblies. Each part is inserted

into the active part, creating a component instance and an assembly. The component

becomes the child of the active part and then it becomes the active part. Because an

instance of an actual part is used, you can have it update automatically if the archived part

is modified, or you can modify the archived part by activating and modifying its component

instance. While it might sound complicated, it really isn’t, and this ability illustrates the

flexibility of ZW3D.

In top-down assembly design, all components are typically designed and placed while you

are in an active part. Using the top-down method in ZW3D, the active part actually becomes

the assembly. The component becomes a child of the active part and then it becomes the

active part. When created, the component is an instance of an original part that becomes a

root object placed in the active file. The part or each component is activated and can be

edited. The top-down approach is generally considered more advantageous than bottom-up.

Why? Here’s a typical example. If you are working on a new design, you can elect to keep

all component parts in a single file until the design project nears completion. If the project

is cancelled or you decide to go in a totally new direction, deleing the one file deletes the

part or assembly and all of its components.

The PartSolutions library, at no additional cost, makes standard parts from a wide variety of

suppliers available for insertion into an assembly. At the part level, with the PartSolutions

PartAssembly application, you can insert components into active ZW3D assemblies. You

select the part group that you want, such as fasteners; select the specific part you want to


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insert and modify it if you need to; click on the Transfer to CAD icon; and in ZW3D, select

the insertion point for the new component.

Figure 7: The PartSolutions Library

Finally, ZW3D supports its proprietary lightweight Burst technology that lets you manipulate

large assemblies without memory constraints. The tree structure for assemblies allows

individual component parts to be graphically highlighted for identification and modification

purposes.

Creating Drawings

ZW3D automatically creates 2D associative detail drawings directly from 3D models from

which they are created, so the process is pretty streamlined. The production drawing and

detailing process are assisted by ZW3D’s unique object server architecture that lets you

decide whether drawings will be saved in the same file as the 3D data from the master

model or in separate files.

Drawings provide an opportunity to briefly discuss ZW3D’s architecture that is a multi-level

object-oriented system with access to its various integrated modules (such as drawings,

CAM, etc.) through a common user interface. Rather than having to launch separate

applications for drafting or CAM, you just open a ZW3D file and proceed to the level you

want; in this instance the Drawing Level for creating and editing drawing packets and

drawing sheets. The Drawing Packet Level contains functions that are used to create

drawing packets, while the Drawing Sheet Level is used to create drawing sheets. In ZW3D,

a drawing packet is a collection of one or more drawing sheets. A drawing sheet is where

model geometry is located.


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Figure 8: A ZW3D Drawing

While we’re discussing drawings, there is a new command for bills of material that lets you

synchronize a BOM with part attributes for updating a 3D part by making changes to the

BOM table on a 2D drawing , so you don’t have to drill down to the part.

Visualization

Before proceeding to the manufacturing stage, for rendering a model (scene) at the part

level for presentation, you use the command and options under the Visualize tooltab.

Rendering a scene is performed with the following basic steps in the Visualization

environment:

Position and orient a part or assembly in the scene

Modify any face attributes

Apply any texture attributes or maps

Create and position light sources

Modify any rendering attributes

Render the scene


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While not as sophisticated and complex as the rendering packages found in some competing

CAD products, the visualization capabilities in ZW3D are not overkill, relatively easy to set

up and use, and will fulfill the needs of virtually all users in this design space.

Using Built-In Manufacturing Capabilities

One of the most unique aspects of the ZW3D Premium CAD process is its association with

the manufacturing process. For example, ZW3D recognizes and machines geometric design

features (up to 5 axes), and has the ability to directly manipulate and machine from STL or

mesh scan files.

With an extensive integrated knowledge base, ZW3D Premium 2011 includes automatic

feature recognition (holes, slots, pockets, etc.). ZW3D breaks down part topology into solid

features and then analyzes the capabilities of library tools for producing a machining plan

and generating a machining sequence/workflow. This technology is a real time saver. The

company estimates that it could cut machine programming time in half and machining cycle

time by up to 30%.

ZW3D Premium 2011 lets you create mold geometry that includes core and cavity, parting

surfaces, draft angles and material shutoffs. The core and cavity can be created at the same

time in one operation. Also available is a comprehensive library of standard mold base

components that includes slides, lifters, ejector pins, cooling channels, and electrodes for

producing molds. One of the most significant features of ZW3D’s mold capabilities is the

way it is organized into a logical sequence that walks you through the mold creation process.

Before getting to the mold design phase, you can interrogate, analyze, and animate a

plastic part’s design to ensure that it is manufacturable. ZW3D also generates so-called

intelligent workflow. For example, it employs auto-feature milling with machining strategy

based on a part’s features.

Although you can create them from scratch, the quickest way to create tooling for producing

plastic parts is by using ZW3D Premium’s Mold and Die Tooltab. You use this command set

to insert a mold base from the ZW3D standard parts library. You also use the Mold and Die

Tooltab for automatically creating electrode geometry during mold design. Inputs for

electrodes include approach direction, the faces or features to duplicate, trimming curves to

limit the electrodes, and the side of the faces or features that will remain. In a nutshell, the

built-in mold libraries use knowledge-based libraries to build mold bases and electrodes with

automated parting line, surface, and electrode generation.


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Figure 9: Creating a Blow Mold Cavity

The CAM and Tactics Managers in ZW3D Premium provide assistance during the

manufacturing phase. These management tools help you develop intelligent and efficient

milling and drilling operations. You do this by defining rules that ZW3D CAM will use when

analyzing CAM features. The rules that are defined form a rule set that will help select the

best machining tools from your library and calculate the best tool paths. For example, if a

drilling operation is required and a good match from available drill tools cannot be located in

the library, ZW3D CAM searches existing reaming or boring tools for a better match for the

given operation. The suggested tooling operations can then be organized, verified, and

output just as manually created operations would be.


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Figure 10: Managing ZW3D Machining Operations

ZW3D Premium 2011’s machining tactics/strategy optimization assists in selecting the best

strategy based on part features. It analyzes feature attributes, such as sharpness and depth,

and selects machining strategy based on this information. Machining strategy optimization

provides better flexibility and control with better surface finish and improved tool life.

Figure 11: CAM Plan/Tactics General Machining Managers


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Toolset optimization (TSO) consists of several technologies that ZW3D uses to generate

optimal tool selection for specific machining sequences. It analyzes available tools and

makes “intelligent” choices based on part, stock, material, and machine to compute tool

sequence optimization.

Final Thoughts

While ZW3D 2011 Premium has several strong capabilities in part and assembly design,

drawing creation, and data management, its greatest strength and differentiator is the fact

that in one package, you have all the tools necessary for going from design through

manufacturing (machining). In effect, ZW3D Premium 2011 can handle the entire product

development process. This comprehensive ability really adds to its value proposition

compared with its competitors, many of whom require optional or add-in products to

achieve this level of functionality, especially on the manufacturing side.

Having all workflow capabilities available in one package ensures a similar user experience,

look, feel, and behavior throughout the design and manufacturing process. It also ensures

that all support questions throughout the process can be handled by one organization. All in

all, dealing with one comprehensive software application, such as ZW3D Premium 2011, and

its supporting cast will benefit many potential customers, especially those directly or

indirectly involved with plastic product design and mold and die or machining operations.

Although it’s definitely a competitive market, ZW3D Premium 2011 is a unique

design/engineering/manufacturing software application because it can do it all. In the near

future, look for a much stronger presence of ZW3D in North America by manufacturing

organizations seeking a solution that is capable of doing it all. ZW3D Premium 2011

provides a lot of functionality, and we just scratched the surface and evaluated just a

fraction of its unique features and capabilities. If your organization and workflow call for the

ability to work with both CAD and CAM worlds, then ZW3D Premium 2011 deserves serious

consideration because it provides both in one package.

EVALUATION

ZW3D 2011 Premium

2D/3D CAD/CAM

Pluses: Comprehensive range of capabilities from design through manufacturing; hybrid

history-based and direct modeling; modest system requirements.

Minuses: Dated user interface and workflow; help system/tutorial shortcomings.

Overall: B+

Price: $7,000 (US). Upgrade $1,500 (US). Free trial download available.

For More Information: www.zwsoft.com

http://www.zwsoft.com/

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ZW3D 2011 Whitepaper - Software Review