Frequently Asked Questions
Why was FreeDimension™ created?
FreeDimension™ was created to meet the stringent demands of the industrial design market. Industrial designers need 3D products that help to conceptualize new product ideas and to easily consider multiple design alternatives. Such 3D designs often involve flowing shapes like automobiles, stylized consumer products, glass and plastic packaging, shoes, toys, and so on. The goal was to create a software tool that could overcome the often frustrating, time consuming "4 sided patch" approach to modeling offered by most 3D design applications on the market.
What makes FreeDimension™ different from other 3D design software?
The key difference is that FreeDimension™ is a curve-based modeling system, which is a radical departure from traditional surface based modeling products. Curve-based modeling mimics the traditional pencil and paper form of design and is very easy to use. It enables a user to consider design alternatives by simply adding, deleting or changing curves interactively. This is in sharp contrast to the rigid surface based modeling systems that dominate the 3D CAD market today.
Why don't other 3D systems employ curve-based modeling?
The challenging problem with curve-based modeling is how to model the surfaces between the curves because the number of curves bounding a surface can be any number, i.e., 2, 3, 4, 5,...N. FreeDesign™ developed the intellectual property that underlies the surfacing technology and now owns three patents on the foundation surfacing technology of FreeDimension™.
With proprietary surfacing technology, how can you work with existing CAD/design technologies?
FreeDesign™, Inc. has recently developed new patented methodologies allowing FreeDimension™ to be used with multiple CAD software tools. Plug-ins to popular CAD packages like SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor and TurboCAD, amongst others, will soon be available.
What are the benefits of using it?
FreeDimension™ allows designers to focus on design rather than engineering. It minimizes modeling and simplifies design changes, greatly accelerates time to market and enables design and cross functional teams to work collaboratively. It outputs design into precise surfaces from basic to Class A and easily functions with other major CAD platforms.
How much does Free Dimension cost and given that new updates are being created, what will be the cost of updates to the software?
The current cost of FreeDimension™ 1.2 is $495. Additional optional modules for purchase include an IGES Translator Module for $295 and a Professional Tools Module for $295. All three are currently available at a bundled discount for $995. Purchasers of FreeDimension™ 1.2 are entitled to a free upgrade to 2.0 when it is released in 2009.