Delcam has introduced Powershape-e, a special version of its Powershape CAD software that is believed to be the world's first pay-to-manufacture design software.
Delcam has introduced Powershape-e, a special version of its Powershape CAD software that is believed to be the world's first pay-to-manufacture design software. Users of Powershape-e, which can be downloaded free of charge, can develop unlimited numbers of new concepts with the program and only need to make any payments when the design is taken into production. Powershape-e includes all the surface and solid modelling tools from the latest Powershape release but not the PS-Electrode and PS-Moldmaker modules for toolmaking.

Unlike most other free software, Powershape-e can save part-completed models, so enabling longer projects to be undertaken in a series of sessions, and can also save an unlimited number of subsequent changes to the design.

The software includes a set of tutorials showing how to use the software for product design and decoration.

Powershape-e also includes a selection of 3D clip art so that users can experiment with Delcam's patented Total Modelling approach to design.

Total Modelling allows textures, logos and other decorations to be added to CAD models more quickly and more flexibly than any other design technique.

It provides the fastest method for the early 'What if?' stage of concept design, allowing a far greater number of alternative proposals to be created and compared in a much shorter time.

'Powershape-e is aimed at anyone trying to enter the design business that cannot afford to invest in a full seat of CAD software,' explained Delcam's CAD development director Stuart Watson.

'The free-to-design/pay-to-manufacture approach allows users to develop as many new concepts as they can imagine at no cost'.

'They can then circulate them to potential clients that they believe might want to manufacture their designs.' Powershape-e saves all designs in an encrypted format so data can only be transferred into other software on payment of a GBP200 fee for each model.

However, models can be circulated, marked up and modified indefinitely until the move into manufacturing is made.

'We believe that the new interface in Powershape 7 and unique tools like Smart Surfacing make it the easiest to use surface modeller on the market,' claimed Mr Watson.

'We hope that introducing a pay-to-manufacture version will encourage as many new designers as possible to try the software.