Pro/ENGINEER

Infobox_Software
name = Pro/ENGINEER


caption = Pro/ENGINEER splash screen
developer = Parametric Technology Corporation
latest_release_version = Wildfire 4.0
latest_release_date =
operating_system = Unix-like/Windows
genre = CAD software
license =
website = [http://www.ptc.com/ www.ptc.com]

Pro/ENGINEER (commonly referred to as Pro/E or ProE) is a 3D CAD parametric feature solid modeling software created by Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC). Its direct competitors are UGS-NX, CATIA, SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor and SolidEdge. It runs on several UNIX flavours, Linux and Microsoft Windows, and provides solid modeling, assembly modelling and drafting functionality for mechanical engineers.

Overview

Pro/ENGINEER is an integrated 3D CAD/CAM/CAE solution for mechanical engineering and design which was created by Dr. Samuel P. Geisberg in the mid-1980's. It pioneered the CAD industry by introducing the concept of "Parametric, Feature-based Solid Modeling". Models are driven parameters and intelligent features, rather than simple dimensional values.

Pro/ENGINEER outputs consist of solid model data for tooling and rapid prototyping, CNC manufacturing, and finite element analysis. A product and its entire Bill of Materials can be modeled accurately with fully associative engineering drawings, and revision control information. It is compatible with Windows and Unix-variants. All data is interchangeable between these platforms without conversion.

Modules

A typical Pro/ENGINEER software package is made up of different modules, customizable to the customer's specific needs. In the past years some of the modules like Pro/SURFACE and Pro/SHEETMETAL have been integrated into the basic Pro/E offerings. The modules serve different needs, for example, the Pro/CABLING and Pro/HARNESS-MFG modules are used for the design of wire harnesses for the automotive industry. Likewise, free form surfacing is done via the ISDX package.

Advanced modules

*Basic Hull
**Structural Hull
*Behavioral Modeler
*Design Animation
*Expert Machinist
*Import Data Doctor
*Mechanism Design
*ModelCHECK
*Pro/ASSEMBLY (Advanced)

*Pro/CABLE
*ROUTED SYSTEM DESIGNER or RSD
*Pro/CMM
*Pro/COMPOSITE
*Pro/DIAGRAM
*Pro/DIEFACE
*Pro/HARNESS-MFG
*Pro/MOLDESIGN and Pro/CASTING
*Pro/NC
*Pro/NC-SHEETMETAL
*Pro/PIPING (Specification-Driven Design Mode)
*Pro/PIPING (Non Specification-Driven Design Mode)
*Pro/PROCESS for Assemblies
*Pro/PROCESS for MFG
*Pro/REVIEW
*Pro/SCAN-TOOLS
*Restyle - reverse engineering module
*Pro/SURFACE
*ISDX (Interactive Surfacing Design eXtension)

Revisions

In 2002, a new revision of Pro/ENGINEER called "Wildfire" was released that dramatically changed the software's graphical user interface. This has been a recurring theme since the release of revision 20 in the late 1990s when the software interface was changed from a nested text-based menu to one that incorporated graphical icons and pull-down menus. The response among users regarding these updates had been mixed. Some argue the improvements made the program easier to use and more efficient while others complain that re-learning basic operations and new menu layouts took more time than the improvements save.

List of revisions:
*Pro/ENGINEER 1 - 19 1988 thru 1997
*Pro/ENGINEER 1 - 1987 (Autofact 1987 premier)
*Pro/ENGINEER 8.0 - 1991
*Pro/ENGINEER 9.0 - 1992
*Pro/ENGINEER 10.0 - 1993
*Pro/ENGINEER 11.0 - 1993
*Pro/ENGINEER 12.0 - 1993
*Pro/ENGINEER 13.0 - 1994
*Pro/ENGINEER 14.0 - 1994
*Pro/ENGINEER 15.0 - 1995
*Pro/ENGINEER 16.0 - 1996
*Pro/ENGINEER 17.0 - 1997
*Pro/ENGINEER 18.0 - 1997
*Pro/ENGINEER 19.0 - 1998
*Pro/ENGINEER 20.0 - 1998
*Pro/ENGINEER 2000i - 1999
*Pro/ENGINEER 2000i²
*Pro/ENGINEER 2001
*Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 1.0
*Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0
*Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 3.0
*Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 4.0

ee also

*Comparison of CAD Software
*Associative engine
*AutoCAD
*Autodesk Inventor
*CATIA
*CoCreate
*Pro/DESKTOP
*QCad
*Solid Edge
*SolidWorks
*Unigraphics
*VectorWorks

References

External links

http://www.ptc.com/products/proengineer/