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What's New in MEDUSA4 Version 3.1?

Version 3.1 introduces many new productivity tools in the areas of drafting, 3D and plant design, along with a long list of improvements and enhancements. Some of the highlights are listed below:

	New in MEDUSA4 2D Drafting
	New in MEDUSA4 3D
	New in Other MEDUSA4 Add-On Products
	New in MPDS4
	New in Other MPDS4 Add-On Products

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New in MEDUSA4 2D Drafting

Smart Drafting Tool - The new way to create geometry
The new smart drafting facility in MEDUSA4 ADVANCED™ provides the means to quickly and easily generate geometry without the need for construction lines prior to drawing. The Smart Drafting Tool allows construction lines to be automatically inferred between points created and displays them dynamically as the cursor moves inside the drawing area.

CADConvert™ - Multi Paper Space AutoCAD® Drawing Conversion
The MEDUSA4 CADConvert facility can now handle multi paper space AutoCAD drawings. Users can select which paper space to convert, or convert all into a MEDUSA4 working set.

New Numbering/Un-numbering/Re-numbering Tool for Text on Sheet
Search for text strings or numbers following a defined pattern on a sheet, then number, un-number or re-number as desired. Can be used for creating consecutive part numbers on a sheet, for example.

New Move-By-Grid Tool
Users can now define sheet grid spacing and enter a desired multiplier to move selected geometry by a multiple of the defined spacing in any direction, using an arrow set provided.


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New in MEDUSA4 3D

3D Interfaces - New 3D DXF Import, Enhanced STEP Import
Users now have even greater 3D data import options and control. We now support the import of 3D DXF files, and users can display colour in STEP files, with additional options for controlling the display and import of layers, names, and attributes.


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New in Other MEDUSA4 Add-On Products

Support for Pro/ENGINEER® Wildfire 4, 64bit Support, Shaded Model Views
The MEDPro Pro/ENGINEER interface at version 3.1 offers full support for 64bit as well as 32bit versions of Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2, 3 and 4 under Windows® XP Professional and Vista Business. Customers using MEDRaster Colour™ can now incorporate shaded views of Pro/ENGINEER models into their MEDUSA4 designs.

MEDUSA4 PARAMETRICS™ – New Tool for Editing Dimension Values

MEDUSA4 P&ID - Now with In-Line Labels and Reporting Enhancements

MEDRaster Colour™ – Support for raster images in imported drawings


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New in MPDS4

Improved Graphics Handling
The MPDS4 graphics engine has been further improved with a full implementation of the “best in class” HOOPS MVO (Model View Operator) functionality for smoother rendering and more speed when panning, zooming and rotating. This technology ensures best performance from you graphics card.

New Mode (16+) for Displaying Models in More Detail
The system has been enhanced to display an even higher level of detail for catalog components, allowing users to exploit the power of modern graphics hardware.


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New in MPDS4 Add-On Products

MPDS4 MECHANICAL HANDLING™ - A new Discipline for Intelligence in Interconnected Components
MECHANICAL HANDLING offers a series of configurable catalogs of mechanical handling components, which can be physically interconnected to form part of an industrial process. Users can define and configure built-in design parameters and connectivity logic. From conveyor belts to cranes to fork lift trucks, installation designers can now easily select, lay out, configure, visualise and add intelligence to process machinery in their plant. The module supports the controlled creation of product specials and the dynamic creation of components and assemblies.

MPDS4 3D COMPONENT DESIGNER™ - A New Design Application
A new user friendly add-on for MPDS4, the 3D COMPONENT DESIGNER allows users to create custom 3D components from the primitives supplied by dynamically changing component parameters. Components can even be animated. The COMPONENT DESIGNER obviates the need to learn programming languages to create the drawing routines used in the MPDS4 database, which can then be stored for re-use in future designs. Because MPDS4 creates its 3D models on the fly from these routines, in can handle and display extremely large plants or assemblies with ease.

MPDS4 FACTORY LAYOUT™ – New Tool for Placing Components in Any 3D Plane
User can now position FACTORY LAYOUT components in any 3D plane - to place machinery on raised, slanted platforms, for example. Coordinate systems can easily be defined in 3D, then copied to view boxes in the 2D world to allow for easy layouts in that dimension. Coordinate systems can also be saved for future designs. Geometry can be selected, moved and rotated in the 2D or the 3D world, with auto update in both dimensions.

For more detailed information, please consult the product release notes and documentation.