DASSAULT SYSTEMES, in association with IBM, has released the latest upgrade of its CATIA computer-aided-design software. In addition to a range of functional enhancements, Version 4, Release 1.4 allows the CATIA to be operated on stand-alone Hewlett-Packard workstations for the first time.
Since the release of CATIA Version 4 in February 1994, Dassault has been committed to regular, four-monthly, upgrades of the software. The French company says that this allows specific customer demands to be met almost immediately.
The latest developments present enhancements to 31 of the system's 65 "products", or groups of functions, and provide a hybrid raster/geometry environment which improves the CATIA operator's ability to manipulate a design in various stages of development, such as those of drafting, electrical and assembly.
The CATIA was designed originally for mainframe-computer networks, but Dassault has been moving towards a stand-alone environment, with the software being introduced first on Unix Risk System 6000 workstations and now, with the release of Version 1.4, on Hewlett-Packard HP9000 units.
The latest release is expected to be available to operators before the end of April. With the CATIA fast becoming the industry standard, Dassault has turned its attention to adding Airbus Industrie to its list of customers.
Boeing, Dassault and Bombardier of Canada have already used the system for the design of entire aircraft, while concerns such as Daimler-Benz Aerospace of Germany, British Aerospace, Aerospatiale of France and CASA of Spain already use CATIA for component work.
Airbus is undertaking an evaluation of the CATIA's computer-aided design, manufacture/ engineering and product data management capabilities, for work on the Future Large Aircraft military transport and potentially, the Airbus A3XX airliner.
Source: Flight International
