Fort Worth, TX – 24 March 2004 – Pointwise has released Gridgen Version 15.02, a recent update of our CFD meshing software. Two new capabilities in the software add to Gridgen’s ability to read native format CAD files and handle sloppy geometry models. Specifically, a Native CAD Reader for Unigraphics and a visual tool for identifying gaps and overlaps were added.

Available since early 2002, Gridgen’s Native CAD Readers provide the ability to read geometry from a CAD system’s native files. Native access avoids translation errors that can occur when using open standard file formats. Because native access is integrated into Gridgen, there’s no plug-in that an engineer has to execute from within the CAD system. In fact, use of the CAD system and its license are completely unnecessary – Gridgen reads the file directly. Native CAD Readers are available for CATIA® V4, Pro/ENGINEER®, STEP, and now Unigraphics®. Based on an early trial of this technology, engineers at Lockheed Martin in Dallas, Texas, plan to incorporate Gridgen's Pro/ENGINEER Native CAD Reader into their CFD meshing processes.

Gridgen tolerates CAD model faults while meshing. Instead of forcing engineers to repair gaps and overlaps in the geometry to construct a watertight solid, Gridgen lets the geometry be meshed as is. During the meshing process, Gridgen applies a suite of highly automated, global and local tools to merge the mesh over gaps in the CAD geometry. Gridgen’s latest release includes a new interactive visual mode for merging in which problem areas are highlighted so the user can quickly select them and have them automatically repaired.

These two new tools are the latest additions to Gridgen’s suite of techniques for working with CAD geometry. Gridgen features a hybrid geometry capability that allows mixed-used of analytical (NURBs) and discrete (STL, wireframe) geometry. The software also includes geometry modeling tools that can supplement CAD geometry with various curve and surface types, including intersections. In this way, Gridgen lets the engineering analyst concentrate on the mesh and analysis, and not the idiosyncrasies of the geometry.

Pointwise, Inc. is solving the top problem facing engineering analysts today: mesh generation for computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Large manufacturing firms and research organizations worldwide use Pointwise's Gridgen software and services to create the "digital geometry" that enables computer simulation of a product's performance in a fluid environment. Further information on Gridgen can be obtained from Pointwise's web site, http://www.pointwise.com.

Pointwise and Gridgen are registered trademarks of Pointwise, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owner.