Gent (Belgium) – August 4, 2003 - Esko-Graphics announces the version 3.0 release of WebCenter, the company’s collaboration tool for structural design. The new version introduces a simpler interface for users to navigate through their browsers, user-friendlier administrative tools, 3D animation views, and a shopping cart for easier file delivery. WebCenter is a collaboration tool for structural packaging designs. It increases efficiency for a packaging converter by enabling external communications between the converter and its customer, or internal communications within a converter between customer service representatives, structural designers, management and sales. WebCenter works with structural design files, allowing a company to centralize the packaging designs it produces in an easy to access library. With secure access and permission, designers can search the library for the most efficient or the most creative ideas and increase design productivity by re-using an existing design. Each user has access to collaboration areas through inexpensive tools to view files and information in formats like PDF, while tracking comments, approvals and design changes. WebCenter allows partners to exchange not only pure geometric data, but also information critical to the control and efficient use of these files, such as what kind of board is used, what customer(s) use the design, or who originally designed the file. Version 3.0 of WebCenter boasts many important new features: Redesigned User Interface: Users of WebCenter will interact with the web site using more standard user interface conventions, and will experience better performance. The new user interface features a standard design with a menu on the left side of each page and content appearing on the right, making it easier to add functionality to WebCenter in the future. Administrators of WebCenter are able to add, delete and manage users more easily because filtering controls provide a manageable size of user lists. Administrators of WebCenter will also be able to set permissions for users and groups more easily. Shopping Cart: WebCenter users can now collect designs into a ’Shopping Cart’ – a holding area, automatically created for each session, where multiple designs can be processed at one time. When viewing a design, users can choose to add that design to their cart. In the Shopping Cart page, a list can be viewed, as well as thumbnails, of all designs currently in the cart. With the Shopping Cart, users can download and/or email many designs at the same time; as a single archive if desired. 3D Animations: The optional Animation module of ArtiosCAD 5.0 can create and store animations for 3D files. If animations have been created for a design file, WebCenter can use them when creating 3D views. Using an animation toolbar, the user can play the animation, go to the beginning or end of an animation, step forward and back through the animation and make the model semi-transparent. Using graphics, the 3D model can appear very realistic. For example, graphics can “wrap” around the crease. “Over the life of any company, talented designers come and go. Often, volumes of designs are held in a corporate design library; its value built through many projects collected over many years. It contains the best work of highly skilled structural designers, and yet is locked away in hard to access files spread around an organization, often ignored,” remarks Susie Stitzel, Esko-Graphics Product Manager for CAD Products. “It’s why we originally developed WebCenter. Version 3.0 makes it even easier to accurately and effectively communicate with all the players in the packaging supply chain.”