FeatureWorks®
Leverage the value of legacy data
With FeatureWorks®, sharing data between different CAD systems is easy. The first parametric feature recognition software for SolidWorks CAD Software users, FeatureWorks enables more productive sharing of 3D models between SolidWorks and other CAD systems.
When importing files into SolidWorks, FeatureWorks applies intelligence to static geometric data, recognizes it, and then readies it for use in SolidWorks. Fine-tuning imported designs is simple with the functionality of SolidWorks. Imported features like holes, cuts, and chamfers are fully editable, associative, and parametric. You can even create new features at any time.
FeatureWorks captures all imported data and recognizes features from files produced by standard translators such as STEP, IGES®, SAT (ACIS®), VDA-FS, and Parasolid® files. Ideal for geometrically regular parts, FeatureWorks recognizes all these features:
- Extrusion features such as bosses and cuts of the following sketch entities: lines, circles, and circular arcs
- Revolved features that are conical or cylindrical
- Any standard hole types, such as simple, tapered, and counterbored
- Sheet metal features including miter flange, edge flange, sketch and bend, and base features
- Random sketch patterns of features on a plane
- Shell features such as uniform wall and shell inward only
- Ribs and draft features
- Constant and variable-radius fillets
- Applied features such as chamfers and fillets
- Multibody part construction
Feature Recognition Methods
Choose automatic or interactive methods. FeatureWorks provides both automatic and
interactive feature recognition capabilities. Automatic feature recognition requires no
user intervention. The interactive method provides a dialog that lets you control or
specify the design intent easily by selecting and clicking on a face or the edges of a cut
or boss. The model checker indicates any changes to underlying imported geometry
before and after feature recognition. You can perform automatic recognition before or
after interactive recognition. All feature recognition steps can be automated using the
SolidWorks API (Application Programming Interface).
Easy setup, easy use, fully integrated with SolidWorks software. You can access all
the controls for FeatureWorks from the SolidWorks menu bar. The FeatureManager®
design tree in SolidWorks software automatically keeps track of features recognized by
FeatureWorks, so the entire design process stays consistent and intuitive. FeatureWorks
provides the same Windows® look-and-feel that has made SolidWorks the easiest to learn and use 3D CAD software available.
