Alibre Design 2011 Released

By: Sean Carroll
10.27.2010
 

CAD and CAM may not be the sexiest buzzwords in computer software these days, but 3D is red hot, and, really, what is a CAD/CAM app but a 3D design program? Alibre Design 2011 has just released, and it offers anyone from tinkerers and DIYers to engineers and scientists the ability to design in three dimensions, starting from just $99.

Alibre Design 2011 lets users make 2D sketches that are then converted to 3D representations (either shaded displays or wireframes), and it's simple to view cross-sections, too. The cross-sections themselves can be used as the basis for new designs, which is handy if you're designing something that will be built from multiple parts that have to fit together. Once you've created a 3D model of your widget, you can reconvert it back to 2D drawings, for production, too.

Alibre Design 2011 represents a considerable upgrade from previous editions. The code has been ported to C# and the result is the app's first native 64-bit version. Improvements are said to include a new in-place 2D editing framework with hyper context-sensitive tools that allow users to design without continually referring to toolbars and dialogs.

Alibre Design is available at three price points: Personal Edition for $99; Professional for $699; and Expert Edition for $1399.
 

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