Gent (Belgium) -- EskoArtwork announces that the newly released ArtiosCAD 7.4, the latest version of the world's most popular structural design software for packaging focuses on much easier administration of packaging projects, along with new design features for curved creases and 'mating' folding parts and multi-component designs ArtiosCAD increases productivity throughout the entire packaging supply chain, a significant reason why nearly 70% of all structural packaging worldwide is designed on ArtiosCAD.

ArtiosCAD is the ideal product for all corrugated, folding cartons and POP displays. Complete 3D integration allows for quick prototyping of designs and presentations, eliminating communication errors and reducing design review cycles.

3D Product Enhancements

A number of significant features have been added to enhance the 3D design and viewing experience within ArtiosCAD. For example, Curved Creases, a patent pending technology only available in ArtiosCAD, makes it easy for designers to work with curved folds and cuts by allowing them to visualize designs with curved creases as part of its 3D module.

Designing and viewing curved creases in packaging, signs and displays adds variety and creativity to the design process. Green Bay Packaging Inc. (GBP), a privately owned, diversified paperboard-packaging manufacturer headquartered in Green Bay, WI (USA), GBP was one of the first users of ArtiosCAD when it was launched in 1998, and beta-tested ArtiosCAD 7.4. "The new Curved Creases function will let us deviate from straight lines when displaying 3D packaging ideas," explains Brian Walker, manager of technical services and product design at GBP, Fremont. "It's great for creative presentations and development of customer ideas. We don't have to waste time and money, making samples of curved crease designs for initial concepts."

For 27 years, The BoxMaker Inc, Kent, WA (USA). has been a single-source packaging supplier of corrugated shipping containers, foam materials, point of purchase displays, wholesale packages, retail containers, and custom printed labels. "Using 3D 'Curved Creases', we can visualize curved creases in a folding carton without first cutting a sample to determine if we got it right. It's nice to see it on the monitor first to see if the concept it going to work," remarks Darren Neupert, BoxMaker structural designer. "We can send an image via email to a customer and get a preliminary OK before we go ahead with mock-ups. It will allow us to be much more creative with folding carton designs."

A new Mate tool, available in ArtiosCAD 7.4 as part of the 3D module, allows for the simple assembly and visualization of connected folds and parts. Users can identify glue areas and corresponding targets to quickly connect designs or perform simple assembly of displays.

It is also easy for users to create 3D animated AVI or QuickTime movies, file format compatible with most computer systems.

"What is cool in ArtiosCAD 7.4 is the new 3D 'Mate' tool. We can now mate a glue flap to a panel and fold all of the corresponding scores at once in 3D," comments Neupert. "Before, we couldn't form a knockdown flat and move panels in coordination with each other. We had to fold each flap individually. Now we can virtually glue and erect or knock-down a design."

ArtiosCAD 7.4 also includes a bend tool for visualizing bends in 3D. Bend lines can be specified in 2D, and then visualized in 3D using various angles and radii. By supporting all these new visualization features in 3D, ArtiosCAD users can use the actual 2D design files to make 3D presentations for their clients. This saves hours of design time within other 3D applications, re-creating additional 3D models or mockups just for presentation purposes.

Version 7.4 has new design geometry and file integration features. ArtiosCAD 7.4 can extract vector geometry data from PDF files and automatically create ARD structure files-the native file format of ArtiosCAD. Meanwhile, the 3D rendering performance of ArtiosCAD has been enhanced so that 3D solids with edges are rotated faster. By supporting VMware Fusion for the Mac using Windows XP Professional, users can run ArtiosCAD on the Mac, and Score! native files can be opened directly in ArtiosCAD. Within the 3D animation module, ArtiosCAD 3D outputs now allow for the creation of AVI and QuickTime movies.

Enhanced project management

ArtiosCAD 7.4 includes more powerful tools to manage CAD Projects. A project is a container that organizes a series of single designs, which exist as resources, into a unit of work. These designs might comprise a display or have something in common. "With Projects, we can take a multipart component design-anything from a cereal box to packaging for a spoiler for a car-roll them into one bundle, and save them together," says Walker. "It's easy to manage. All files for a project reside in one folder. I can pull it up and refer to all the parts. If I need to create a similar project, I can review all the items at the same time, save it with a new name, and run parametric analysis. It could take hours and hours, instead of 30 minutes with ArtiosCAD 7.4."

Using the Reportmaker module, Bill of Material Reports (BOM) can be created that list all the elements of a project as an item within the BOM. BOM reports may be configured in a variety of ways: as a table of items, or one page per item using printers, PDF files or customized files. Furthermore, if PDF file is used, U3D may be specified for 3D visualization of folded designs. "Projects ties in with the Bill of Materials to show all the packaging parts in one 'display'," says Neupert. "So, now we can create a Bill of Materials that's much easier for accounting."

"Previously, we had to create individual prints of each package piece. A seven-item piece took seven pages, which could be confusing for estimators. Now, we can print a Project's images and specs on one or two pages," adds Walker.

Design tools have been enhanced

Other tools have been added that make the use of ArtiosCAD more productive for designers. A new Circle diameter tool can draw circles using controls similar to the ArtiosCAD line tool. The Line join tool has been extended so that an angle from the originating arc can be specified. The Trim selection tool has been extended so a designer can assemble a selection for trimming against or extending to. The Hatch tool has been added to the Annotation toolbar and extended so that closed regions can be hatched more easily.

Having completed a successful beta testing, ArtiosCAD 7.4 is currently available for delivery. This upgrade is free for EskoArtwork customers with a full software maintenance contract.